Addiction is simply a repetitive bad habit. Bad habits tend to be repetitive because they release dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that makes us want to engage in certain activities more and more. It achieves that by giving us pleasure when we indulge in a bad habit. Dopamine is critical for survival …
Psychopathy and sociopathy both fall under the category of Anti-Social Personality Disorder (ASPD). While some experts believe both terms mean the same thing, you’ll often find ‘ASPD’ and ‘sociopathy’ being used interchangeably. Someone with ASPD engages in anti-social behavior primarily for selfish gain. Psychopaths and sociopaths comprise a small part of the population (1-4%), and …
Anger is a normal emotion that we experience when we perceive that something has gone wrong in our life. That perception may be right or wrong, and that’s precisely what makes anger such a tricky emotion to manage. We get angry when we perceive that our rights have been violated, our boundaries have been crossed, …
The male hierarchy or the socio-sexual hierarchy is a way of categorizing heterosexual men in human society. Like many other animals, there’s a dominance hierarchy of males in humans. Both men and women are sensitive to cues of social status. Men’s value in society is primarily determined by their status, and vice versa- the value …
Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which a person experiences difficulty expressing themselves and navigating social interactions. The condition develops very early in life (2-3 years), but many people go undiagnosed because the symptoms can be confusing and sometimes overlap with normal behavior. 3 Main symptoms of autism ASD is …
We don’t hear the word “hyper-independence” often in everyday conversations. Is it even possible to be too independent for your own good? It is. “Excess of everything is bad”, the saying goes. It applies to everything in life, including a seemingly positive trait like independence. Hyper-independence is over-reliance on oneself to the point where it …
Kleptomania (from Greek kleptein = “to steal” + mania = “madness”) is a rare mental health condition in which a person feels compelled to steal. A kleptomaniac feels a recurring, uncontrollable urge to steal. After indulging in the urge, a kleptomaniac feels relieved. Kleptomania has been classified as an impulse control disorder. It probably stems …
Passive-aggressiveness is a communication style in which a person expresses anger or hostility indirectly. Active aggression would be expressing anger directly. Passive-aggressive people tend to be conflict-avoidant and rarely express anger. This doesn’t mean they’re not hurt, though. They’ll get back at those who hurt them in subtle ways. Since passive-aggressive people cannot talk about …
Thought disorder, also called formal thought disorder or disorganized speech, is when a person’s thoughts become incoherent, illogical, and disorganized. This is reflected in how the person expresses themselves in speech and writing. Thought disorder is the main symptom of schizophrenia, dementia, and psychotic disorders. Of course, normal people also experience disorganized thoughts when they’re …
Cyclothymia is derived from the Greek “kyklos”, meaning “cycle” and “thymos”, meaning “mood”. A person with cyclothymia or cyclothymic disorder experiences frequent mood cycles or mood swings. While it’s normal for people to experience mood swings from time to time, those shifts in the mood don’t typically interfere with day-to-day activities. When mood swings become …