Doc_B's definitions

Bipolar affective disorder

A serious mental illness marked by violent and wild oscillations between extreme euphoria or irritability (mania) and deep depression. Although it is technically classified as a mood disorder, it is one of the few psychiatric conditions in which psychosis occurs; it is usually associated with severe manic states but profound depression may also cause delusions and hallucinations to emerge. The psychotic features are usually mood-congruent, e.g., believing oneself to be Jesus Christ and Lucifer for mania and depression respectively. It's an illness of extreme opposites in mood, thinking and energy levels and a severe mental disorder that, at least in its classic form, goes infinitely beyond what mentally healthy people experience and most certainly not to be trivialised. It is also worth noting that the mood swings associated with this disease are sustained and typically last weeks or months, years in the most extreme cases. Ultra-ultra rapid cycling (extreme mood shifts in a day) is exceedingly rare.

Bipolar affective disorder is a severe mental illness that in its most acute form is potentially worse than schizophrenia.

by Doc_B May 4, 2015

ADHD

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a behavioural condition (typically of childhood, but can persist into adult life) marked by a cluster of symptoms, including: hyperactivity, distractability, inattention and fidgeting. It is diagnosed more frequently in boys than girls and most commonly treated with Ritalin.

If you ask me, ADHD is just an excuse for naughty schoolboys to not pay attention in school.

by Doc_B April 16, 2015

Insanity

The state of suffering a severe psychiatric disease which causes extremely abnormal behaviour or loss of touch with reality (psychosis), most commonly associated with schizophrenia and bipolar illness (the manic phase).

King George suffered from bouts of insanity.

by Doc_B April 13, 2015

panic disorder

A mental health condition characterised by recurring panic attacks and subsequent dread and avoidant behaviour in relation to the episodes.

Panic disorder can lead to agorophobia - a disorder which in its severest form renders the individual housebound.

by Doc_B April 14, 2015

Asperger's Syndrome

A relatively mild variant of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), marked by a watered-down version of autistic symptoms (e.g., poor social skills and communication) but perfectly intact language and intellectual abilities, which may range from average to unmeasurable genius. It is often associated with high IQ as their need for logic and often above-average mathematical and scientific skills make them STEM graduates.

Albert Einstein is hypothesised to have had Asperger's Syndrome.

by Doc_B April 14, 2015

Reticent

Used as a descriptive term for someone who takes a moment to warm up in social situations they don’t really want to be in in the first place and prefers not to be spoken to, unless they’re extremely familiar with you.

John: ‘Megan was just sipping Bacardi juice at the back of the room all by herself at that party on Saturday night. She seemed to get on with Amber but she didn’t even utilise the opportunity to cling to that one voluntarily-imposing buddy all night. What on Earth’s wrong with her?’

Chizoba: ‘there’s nothing wrong with her; she’s just the reticent type. Some people are like that, enjoy their own company. She might not walk around glad-handing every new face that she doesn’t technically-need to interact with but once you get to know her and break past her reticence you’ll see that she’s actually a really nice gal. Some people need less social stimulation (outside their tight-knit circles, and even then there might well be limits) than others and that’s absolutely fine. All 7 billion of us can’t be exactly the same and have precisely the same wants and needs. People are different. You’ll realise that as you socially-mature.

by Doc_B August 15, 2022

Bipolar

A mental disorder marked by alternating periods of deep depression and extreme euphoria (mania). Contrary to popular belief, the violent mood swings associated with this illness are far more prolonged than ordinary emotional ups and downs, and the shifts of mood are sustained, lasting weeks, months or even years. The classic form of this condition is an extremely severe form of psychiatric disease but in more recent times milder variations more depressive-heavy and less manic have been included. It, however, remains very serious in all its forms and no group of people, mentally ill or mentally healthy, commit suicide half as much as manic-depressives do. It's a horrible disease and certainly not to be trivialised as just "mood swings".

People with bipolar kill themselves more than any other group of people. It's some serious shit.

by Doc_B May 1, 2015