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Diagnostic Criteria for Paranoid Personality Disorder

The DSM-IV-TR which is the diagnostic manual used by the American Psychiatric Association lists the following criteria for a diagnosis of Paranoid Personality Disorder: A. A pervasive and permanent sense of distrust and suspicion of others in that their motives are interpreted as both negative and directed towards the sufferer. The condition develops in early adulthood and continues throughout life unless treatment is sought. For a diagnosis of PPD to be made at least four or more of the following criteria must be met: 1. Suspicion, without adequate proof, that others are exploiting, harming, plotting of deceiving the sufferer. 2. … Continue reading →

Schizophrenia and VCFS

Never heard of VCFS? You’re not alone. VCFS (Velo-cardio-facial syndrome) is a relatively rare illness affecting one in 5000 children and can remain undiagnosed for years, putting strain on both sufferers and their families. The interesting aspect of this condition for researchers is that children with VCFS have an almost one in three chance of developing schizophrenia, the latter generally first manifesting between the ages of 15 and 25. VCFS has been a subject of genetic studies and has been isolated to an abnormality on chromosome 22, which in turn assists researchers in the area of schizophrenia to better understand … Continue reading →

Childhood schizophrenia

Any parent would be concerned if their child was experiencing voices or seeing objects or people that weren’t really there. Where there is disturbed social interaction, the presence of a voice or voices speaking in negative terms to and about the child, in conjunction with evidence of the child talking to him or herself, there could be cause for a diagnosis of childhood schizophrenia. Schizophrenia can be difficult to positively diagnose in adolescence and young adulthood. It is even more fraught with difficulties when dealing with young children. The age of the child and stage of development must be considered … Continue reading →

Schizophrenia: Diagnostic Symptoms

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Schizophrenia is a very complex disorder and affects many or all of the functions that we rely on to successfully get through each day. The condition typically includes delusions (irrational beliefs) and hallucinations (sensory experiences in the absence of actual events). Schizophrenia is also one of the disorders that include psychotic episodes. We will look at a couple of case studies of people suffering from this disorder in future blogs. Meanwhile, we will look at the symptomology of this puzzling and tragic illness. The DSM-IV-TR lists the following criteria for a positive diagnosis of schizophrenia: 1. Two or more of … Continue reading →

What is Schizophrenia?

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The public misconception of a schizophrenia sufferer as having a “split personality” has been pushed by Hollywood and novelists alike. Sufferers of this serious mental illness do not possess dual personalities, but the unfortunate stigma that is attached to schizophrenia and mental illness in general often precludes the general public having a thorough understanding of what this complex condition is all about. Schizophrenia affects roughly one in every hundred people, so it is hardly a rare illness. This proportion is consistent around the world, occurring in similar ratios in all races and socio-economic groups. It is no respecter of status … Continue reading →

Asperger’s Disorder: Basic Diagnostic Criteria

Asperger’s disorder is named for a Viennese physician, Hans Asperger, who published a paper describing it in 1944. The disorder is technically a subgroup under the larger diagnostic classification of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (sometimes called Pervasive Development Disorder). Hence, in simple terms, it is a milder form of Autism. Yet, in certain ways it differs from high-functioning Autism, standing out with several specific attributes. Here are six basic symptoms often seen in Asperger’s: 1. Severe impairment in reciprocal social interaction. The child with Asperger’s typically does not have or make friends appropriate for his age. He doesn’t use social “cues” … Continue reading →

This Week in Mental Health (Nov 5-9)

This week saw several topics covered including the guilt that accompanies sexual assault, and how to help your friend or family member through a psychotic episode. We also began an exciting new series on the effects of street drugs on mental health. Guilt is a specter that often hovers in the lives of survivors of rape and other forms of sexual assault. Yet in our article this week we looked not only at how guilt can stop a person moving forward from the assault but how victims will go to extreme lengths to protect significant others from hearing about their … Continue reading →

Helping Your Friend or Family Member through a Psychotic Episode

Watching a loved one go through psychosis is a heart-breaking process, especially for parents. Not knowing what to do compounds the problem and causes more stress, both for the sufferer and the family member alike. Knowledge is power and there are many things that family and friends can do to help. 1. Find out as much about psychosis as you can. Knowing the typical behavior patterns of a person going through a psychotic episode will assist you to recognize the early signs of the condition, seek earlier intervention, and develop your own set of coping skills to better deal with … Continue reading →

Understanding Psychosis

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The phenomenon of psychosis affects a person’s thoughts, perceptions, emotions and consequently, behavior. Around 3% of the population will experience psychosis during the course of their lifetime, so the condition cannot be regarded as rare. However one in one hundred people who suffer from psychosis will only have one event. The remainder will go on to have many breaks with reality and be in need of medical intervention. It is likely that you know someone who has had a psychotic episode. A person experiencing a psychotic episode will have disordered thought patterns and experience difficulty in distinguishing what is reality … Continue reading →