Beth EmbletonLCSW

Depression often causes people to feel sad, empty, or hopeless, and can cause a lack of interest in life. It can also affect a person's thinking patterns and physical health.

Obsessive compulsive disorder entails a distressful pattern of recurrent thoughts and repetitive behaviors. Obsessions are oftentimes unreasonable thoughts and fears that plague one’s mind to the point of compensatory behavior. This occurs despite logically recognizing the problem. The cycle is seemingly endless and instils feelings of hopelessness/helplessness. Severity of the condition varies but tends to begin gradually, becoming more intense under stress.

Panic attacks are acute conditions in which one experiences an intense bout of anxiety out of seemingly nowhere. This oftentimes stems from a perceived rather than actual threat. Symptoms may include heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, and shortness of breath. Panic disorder involves regular frequency of panic attacks (two or more) with a fear of experiencing more in the future.

Fear is characterized by unpleasant feelings associated with the real or perceived threat of danger. Phobias, although they may stem from traumatic experiences, are oftentimes irrational fears of things that are unlikely to cause harm. Phobic individuals experience intense, debilitating bouts of fear that compromise overall well-being. Common phobias include social phobias, agoraphobia, acrophobia, pteromerhanophobia, and claustrophobia.

Behavioral disorders involve a pattern of disruptive behaviors that cause problems in school, at home, and in social situations. Can include hyperactivity, impulsivity, defiant behavior, chronic patterns of aggression, defiance, disruption, and/or hostility.