Cellphones are becoming so ubiquitous that it's impossible to do much without having one in your pocket. However, some people find it hard to hang out with friends without them sitting on their phones.
Well, some people actually suffer from cellphone addiction. These are individuals who need to use their cellphone and not having a network can cause anger, tension, depression, irritability, and restlessness.
Social media anxiety disorder is characterized by intense anxiety about how others perceive you on the internet. This is partially a result of the concept known as “discrepancy monitoring,” which is defined as evaluating our own experiences against what we believe our experiences should be.
The problem with this is that when we are comparing ourselves with our other Facebook friends, we are only seeing the highlights of other people’s lives on our newsfeed and contrasting them with our own worst experiences.
Somatic symptom disorder is a new type of hypochondria that’s taken to a new level because patients with a lot of anxiety can now search their symptoms online. Individuals with this disorder spend an excessive amount of time focusing on and fearing health problems.
Because somatic symptom disorder is partnered with anxiety, the person usually takes one symptom and blows it up into something else—a headache that’s persisted must mean they have a brain tumor.
While this disorder used to be viewed as a side effect of obsessive-compulsive disorder, recent research shows that hoarding produces a different pattern of brain activity than OCD. Collecting things does not mean that you are a hoarder.
Rather, hoarding disorder is characterized by the strong urge to have large quantities of things with no logical need for the items. Because of the new distinction between hoarding and OCD, the latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) released in 2013 stated that hoarding disorder is a separate, specific diagnosis.
Similar to premenstrual syndrome (PMS), PMDD occurs a few days before the onset of a period. The difference lies in the symptoms, which are much worse for PMDD than for PMS. Instead of the mild mood swings and irritability that characterize PMS, the symptoms of PMDD include depression, anxiety, and anger.
It wasn’t until 1993 that PMDD became a recognized diagnosis that was unique from regular PMS. Before the distinction was made, all cases of PMDD were treated the same as PMS, which could have resulted in incorrect treatment.
Even though the variation of moods with the seasons has been acknowledged for some time, the name for the condition was not coined until 1984.
The disorder is now defined as depression that is associated with the late autumn and winter months, with a “remission” during the spring and summer. The symptoms associated with SAD are thought to be caused by a lack of light.
Overall, technology has had a huge impact on the world as we know it, but none more so than mental health. Many people nowadays have a difficult time living life outside of the internet. A new disorder that’s popped up recently is being addicted to being online.
A person may forget how much time they spent on the internet, have changes in mood, and may have withdrawal symptoms when they cannot get on the internet.
Although the first time the term was used wasn’t until 1980, the concept of this disorder has a long and complicated history. The horrors of trench warfare during World War I and their consequential psychological effects were termed “shell shock.”
Doctors were unsure how this disorder should be effectively treated, so for a long time, soldiers and other people who had survived very traumatic experiences were expected to just “get over it.” Now that there is a solid description and definition for this condition, the people who suffer from it as well as the doctors who treat it have a much better understanding of what is going on.
Gender identity disorder was only recently discovered. Those with the disorder feel that their physical gender does not match their true gender. There’s a lot of controversy about this disorder, especially regarding treatment.
The disorder is also known as gender dysphoria but was given its new name in 2013. Those with this disorder often feel uncomfortable in their body and uncomfortable with the expected roles of their assigned gender.
Binge eating disorder is a severe, life-threatening disorder. It’s characterized by recurring episodes of eating massive amounts of food, often to the point of discomfort.
The person feels as though they’ve lost control and may also experience shame, distress, or guilt afterward. It was recently added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 2013.
Disinhibited social engagement disorder is often mistaken for ADHD because it shows similar symptoms. A child suffering from this disorder can be inattentive and impulsive. Psychologists think that this disorder may stem from inadequate caregiving and neglect.
Children with DSED are usually very social and aren’t shy of meeting people for the first time. This trait may continue through the teenage years, but psychologists claim that it isn’t known to last into adulthood.
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder is a disorder that affects children. It’s characterized by children who go beyond being “moody.” They may have extreme outbursts of anger and be angry or irritable most of the day, nearly every day.
The child may also have issues functioning due to irritability at home or school. DMDD may only be diagnosed if the child has symptoms steadily for 12 months or more. Because it is so hard to identify, psychologists and psychiatrists must adore to strict guidelines when diagnosing.
Dissociative identity disorder has been around for a long time, but not as we know it today. It’s gone through several names, most notably “multiple personality disorders.” Dissociative identity disorder wasn’t coined until 1968.
Symptoms of this disorder include depersonalization, dissociated personalities, stupor, fugue states, sleepwalking, amnesia, and dream states. This disorder is usually a reaction to trauma as a way to help a person avoid bad memories.
Electromagnetic hypersensitivity is a controversial disorder, but some countries are beginning to acknowledge it as an actual disorder. It describes patients that get sick around electricity and microwaves.
Those suffering from electromagnetic sensitivity may feel headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, insomnia, and more. Some patients may experience even more intense symptoms like an irregular heartbeat and heart palpitations.
The World Health Organization has recently recognized gaming disorder as a growing concern. There are three major characteristics of a gaming disorder. The first is that it takes precedence over other activities. The second is the inability to control oneself. Finally, the condition leads to significant distress in a person’s life.
Gaming disorder isn’t something that can be diagnosed after a few days of anti-social behavior or issues in relationships. Like many other behavior-related disorders, it can only be diagnosed after someone has had a pattern of bad behavior for at least 12 months.
