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Even though mental illness diagnosis has always been a contentious topic, some psychiatrists claim things have gone too far. To be more precise, some mental health experts believe that the new DSM edition will incorporate several new illnesses and minor modifications to the descriptions of the known ones, a fact that could result in almost everyone being diagnosed with a mental condition.

In fact, the psychiatrists with more radical points of view even suggest that this science has been recurrently utilized to stigmatize people and keep them under control. Let’s summarize the top 10 controversial mental disorders from the past and present.

1. Gender identity disorder

According to DSM IV, an individual with gender identity disorder experiences anxiety and frustration due to his current physical gender and identifies better with the opposite sex. The main issue here is that the vast majority of mental health experts admit they are currently unable to predict the effects of the treatment. Essentially, while numerous psychiatrists are concerned about certain gaps that permit “treating” a child despite the fact that he does not need professional help, others militate for practices that encourage children to identify themselves with their current physical gender.

2. Homosexuality

Despite the fact that homosexuality was drawn out of the DSM, the debate on whether it is a psychiatric disorder persists to this day. One of the explanations is the introduction of the ego-dystonic homosexuality, a disorder that was removed rather soon because many psychiatrist felt it did not make any sense. However, although most experts agree that homosexuals can be free of any mental conditions, certain obscure voices still insist that the decision of removing the disorder from DSM is the result of sexual scandals in which the politicians were involved during the 1970s decade.

3. Asperger’s disorder

Recent studies have lead many specialists to conclude that there is no significant difference between autism and Asperger’s. In fact, some psychiatrists are beginning to view Asperger’s as a form of high-functioning autism. Consequentially, rumor has it that the disorder is not going to be included in the DSM V. However, not everyone agrees with the modification, particularly because the symptoms of autism do not apply consistently to Asperger’s patients.

4. Adult ADHD

ADHD is a mental disorder that has been contested ever since it was introduced in the DSM. To put it simply, this type of attention deficit in children was perceived as a conspiracy between the pharmaceutical market and psychiatrists, especially since research revealed the plethora of side effects associated with the ADHD medication. This hypothesis has gained a lot of supporters nowadays when psychiatrists have started to diagnose the condition in adults.

5. Narcissistic personality disorder

The controversy around the narcissistic personality comprises of the fact that more than half of the patients diagnosed also experience other personality disorders. Some studies even reveal that the diagnosis for the aforementioned category is arbitrary. However, the psychiatric community has some good news for us: a portion of the mental illnesses classified as personality disorders will be described as a system of dysfunctional traits and types in the DSM V.

Special Education has evolved throughout 20th century. We no longer see children and adults with disabilities as being retarded. Many curriculum guidelines have taken out the term, retardation, and made it impossible for doctors to institutionalize children with disabilities. Here are just 10 childhood disabilities that are prevalent in our school systems.

1. Learning Disability:

The disorder affects the brain’s ability to receive and process information. A learning disability thus is not a problem with intelligence. Individuals with learning disabilities see, hear and understand things differently.

Example: Dyslexia

2. Gifted:

There is no definition for giftedness. Many see children who are gifted as talented and creative. They have a wide range of abilities that are both academic and leisurely. There is also a well-developed attention span, deep curiosity and the ability to grasp, retain and synthesize information.

3. Language Delay:

This is a failure to develop language abilities on the usual evolving timetable. A person with language delay experiences a postponement in the development of the underlying knowledge of language.

4. Pervasive Developmental Disorder:

This is a severe disorder that strikes to 10 to 15 out of 10,000 children. The disorder affects intellectual skills; responses to sights, sounds, smells and other senses as well as the ability to understand language or to talk. Children with PDD may undertake strange postures or perform unusual movements.

Example: Autism

5. Seasonal Affective Disorders:

Children may appear depressive during winter and summer and active during the fall and spring. These mood changes are usually due to seasonal changes and the inability to adjust to the variations.

Psychological illness may vary from widely known irrational fears to post traumatic stress syndrome. Discussed herein are top ten psychological illnesses that affect millions of people globally in the present times.

1. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive compulsive disorder also referred to as OCD is psychological illness that is characterized by imaginations that creates stress or nervousness, by redundant behaviors or an amalgamation of such imaginations which are obsession and actions also known as compulsions. This may range from widespread hoarding, continuous hand washing or obsession with religious or aggressive desires.

2. Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is also referred to as bipolar affective disorder in medical quarters. In some instances it is also known as depressive disorder. This is whereby the person suffers from sensitive disorders that are identified by the existence of a single or multiple episodes of abnormal superior mood levels commonly known as mania. If it’s mild it is called hypomania. Patients with this condition are also known to undergo depressive signs or mixed emotions, i.e. mania and depression at the same time.

3. Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder is commonly known as social phobia or social anxiety. In a case where a person suffers from this particular condition, they become tremendously uncomfortable when around other people and will often suffer from anxiety when in a social setting. This is known to result in unnecessary stress or inability to function normally in some aspects of day to day life.

4. Clinical Depression

Clinical depression also known as severe depression disorder or Unipolar depression is a serious type of psychological disease. A person is said to be clinically depressed when without explanation are no longer interested in normal day to day activity that would have otherwise been referred to as normal.

5. Schizophrenia

A person is said to suffer from schizophrenia when there are irregularities in the discernment or expression of the things that are around them. When a person suffers from this disease, it may have a huge affect on their ability to hear, see, taste, smell and touch. In worse case scenarios it may result in peculiar delusions, hallucinations or slurred speech followed with a huge amount of social dysfunction. The level of schizophrenia ranges from one person to another. There are those who have psychotic episodes then in a short while carry on with their lives. On the other hand there are those who constantly suffer from it and require constant dependency from those around them.

Every body loves sleeping but unfortunately, some of us suffer from sleep disorders that end up ruining the entire experience. Let us look at the 10 most bizarre disorders related to sleep.

1. Rapid eye movement behavior disorder

Those who suffer from this disorder act out during their dreams. Such actions are usually violent and they can end up injuring themselves or those who are sleeping next to them. With the help of consistent therapy and certain drugs, this condition can be treated and the patient can resume the natural paralyzed state.

2. Night Terrors

Those who suffer from night terrors are plagued with unexplainable terror and find it difficult to wake up. They wake up slowly after an episode and can be found gasping and screaming. They do not remember the night terror and can end up hurting anybody who tries to help them.

3. Bruxism

Those who suffer from this sleep disorder tend to grind their teeth as they sleep. This condition is quite common and can damage the teeth irreversibly if left unchecked. It can cause extreme facial pain and can also lead to acute arthritis of certain joints. Unfortunately, a majority of the bruxers do not know that they have a condition which is why it becomes difficult to treat them.

4. Restless Legs Syndrome

Those who suffer from the Restless Legs Syndrome feel the urge to move their legs as they want to stop such sensations that make them uncomfortable. Even though medicating a patient which suffers from this condition is considered to be controversial, doctors prescribe opioids or methadone in order to provide temporary relief to such patients.

5. Non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome

This sleep disorder is quite rare and the bodies of those who suffer from it do not recognize the sleep cycle. The patient finds it difficult to sleep in a proper pattern and the cycle they follow changes almost every day. The body may take over a week to complete a sleep-wake cycle in some cases.

Mental disorders make up for a tenth of the diseases in the world. While some mental disorders, albeit life-altering, are quite common, these are definitely not.

1. Stockholm Syndrome

This disorder is often seen among those who have been abducted in the past. The hostage begins to feel sympathy, compliance as well as loyalty with the person who has kidnapped him. The risk does not matter and the hostage may also refuse to testify again him.

2. Lime Syndrome

This mental disorder is seen amongst the hostage takers wherein they become in tune with the needs of those who they have kidnapped. They become emotionally attached to them and end up releasing them quite quickly.

3. Diogenes Syndrome

This mental disorder is associated with a Greek philosopher who decided to live like an animal. Therefore, those who suffer from this disorder resign themselves to a life characterized by unusual and reclusive tendencies; a type of hoarding that is compulsive and self neglect. Diogenes Syndrome is associated with such senior citizens that are slightly senile.

4. Paris Syndrome

This mental disorder is very common among those Japanese tourists who become anxious in Paris and have severe mental meltdowns. Even though it is quite rare, the experience can be quite harrowing for those who suffer from it. These polite tourists suffer from a major culture shock as they cannot understand why the city is nothing like it is portrayed in the movies.

5. Stendhal Syndrome

Those who suffer from this mental disorder find it difficult to stand before beautiful artwork. They are instantly anxious, confused and dizzy. Some may even hallucinate if they see ‘too much art’ in one place. This term is also used to describe that condition which is associated with people who experience the same symptoms after being exposed to natural beauty.

Here is a serious look at the Top 10 most terrible eating disorders which are predominantly characterized by bizarre food and mental disorders that bring about various abnormal eating behaviors.

1. Anorexia Nervosa

Latest studies have shown that there is about 1 in every 100 teenage girls who suffer from varying degrees of Anorexia Nervosa. There are even girls as young as 8 years old who have been hospitalized for this eating disorder.

2. Bulimia Nervosa

This eating disorder is characterized by binge and purge episodes where the individual usually resort to induced vomiting to complete the cycle.

3. Body Dysmorphic Disorder

BD is a corollary disorder that is normally associated with Anorexia and Bulimia and often continues to manifest in the behavior of an individual long after the other symptoms have been successfully controlled.

4. Night Eating Syndrome

NES is relatively new eating disorder that commonly affects the obese and the morbidly obese. Night Eating Syndrome sufferers also experience insomnia.

5. Anorexia Athletica

This is technically not classified as an eating disorder but an effect of another validated serious eating disorder. Their predominant behavior goes beyond the normal inclination of most of us after a good session in the gym.