Clinical Psychology
The stimuli we receive, our psyche and behavior all interact in a constant and dynamic manner with the biological processes of our body. This means that they are in continuous dynamic interaction with the production of enzymes and hormonal fluctuations. This perpetual biological process involves stimuli received from the present and stimuli / memories / experiences recalled from the past, which may also be projected to the future through our imagination and learning from past experience.
For example, if, in the past, stimulus A had either repeatedly caused or was repeatedly accompanied by something negative, whether a negative development or a negative emotion, then it is likely that the same stimulus A, or a stimulus similar to A, at present will cause a negative – pessimistic prediction for the future, a negative emotion a priori (before anything happens) or even a negative development due to rushed and aggressive behaviors and/or avoidance behavior, procrastination, catastrophizing, resignation etc. (depending on each person, i.e. the period in his or her life, the occasion, the circumstances etc.), while simultaneously causing the respective biological processes in the body.
This is how past, present and future-projected stimuli are constantly formed in our minds as we grow in our social environments. In other words, the stimuli we receive constantly interact with biochemical reactions and have a dynamic impact on them, due to the fact that they bring memories, thoughts, emotions and behaviors. The same is true for the opposite: the positivity-negativity impact of the stimuli we receive is at an extend a product of effects of our biological processes, as they transpire and take form in our bodies on a daily basis.
Regardless of whether a person suffers from certain symptoms of stress or anxiety at a subclinical level – which are nevertheless persistent – or a more intense set of symptoms, i.e. a fully-developed illness, medicines are capable of responding adequately in order to treat the symptomatology. Thus, the person suffering is given a chance to restore the biochemical functions and the biorhythms of its body to the desired levels. However, people can also benefit from psychotherapy in order to investigate, resolve, accept and manage cognitive patterns of past, the present or projected onto the future, along with emotions and behaviors relevant to the person’s self, the others around it and the world at large. Apostolia Alizioti, B.Sc. (Psychol), M.Sc. (Health Psychol), M.B.A., GBC member of the British Psychological Society.
The symptoms of depression differ from usual sadness or mood changes that people experience in their everyday lives.
People with Major Depression Disorder experience depressed mood for almost all day or all day and everyday or almost everyday, or experience severely diminished interest/pleasure in all or almost all activities
Anxiety Disorders are characterized by abnormal worry, anxiety, hyperarousal and excessive fear and are strongly related to subsequent onset of Major Depression, if remained untreated (Kessler & Greenberg, 2002).
Read more about key scientific findings on Αnxiety Disorders
Manic and hypomanic episodes are periods of time during which the individual experiences an extraordinary abnormal elevated energy – not necessarily “joy” – along with symptoms such as pervasive distractibility, extremely racing thoughts, abnormal reduced need of sleep or incapability to sleep. Patients may also experience psychotic symptoms. Symptoms pertaining at least four consecutive days, for most of the day, are considered as of an hypomanic episode, while symptoms persisting at least one week are considered as of a manic episode (DSM-5).
Obsessions are thoughts, urges or images that are felt as intrusive and unwanted, which cause the individual marked anxiety and distress. The individual respond with devoting considerable time on compulsions, such as repetitive acts.
Read more about key scientific findings on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Patients with PTSD have experienced or witnessed serious life-threatening event(s) or death, severe injury or sexual violence and suffer from intrusion symptoms re-experiencing the trauma traumatic event as well as from persistent avoidance of memories, avoidance of emotions and stimuli associated to the traumatic event.
Read more about key scientific findings on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders are characterized by the presence of the namely “positive” (delusions or/and hallucinations) and “negative” symptoms. The “positive symptoms” of psychosis are called “positive” because these can be conceptualized as being exerted levels of normal functions.
Accordingly, the “negative symptoms” can be considered as diminution of normal functioning (anhedonia: inability to feel pleasure; avolition: diminished volition; alogia: diminished speech; and flattened affect).
Negative symptoms are also present in other psychopathological conditions, such as in Major Depression Disorder and plenty others (Hovington & Lepage, 2012).
Read more about key scientific findings on Schizophrenia Disorder