Attention-Deficit Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder involve significant difficulty maintaining attention and restricting impulsive urges. These disorders may cause impairment in educational and occupational settings, significant personal distress and shame regarding difficulty completing tasks in a timely manner, and interpersonal/familial conflict.

Anger management disorders include displays of aggression towards self or others, destruction of property, intense physiological responses to triggers such as clenching of the jaw and hands, and thoughts of committing harm. Individuals suffering from anger may experience may interpret situations as overly threatening and believe they must respond in this way to protect themselves from harm. These can result in deeply dysfunctional interpersonal relationships, a sense of helplessness, and even physical injury to oneself and others.

An expectation of a future threat, anxiety activates the body and prepares it to respond. While some anxiety is normal, high levels of persistent anxiety can lead to fear of new situations or people, difficulty with changes in routine, avoidance of challenging situations, and reduced performance on tests and other known activities.

Bipolar Disorder is marked by “highs and lows” that may include periods of depression and periods of elevated mood (otherwise known as “mania” or “hypomania”). Changes in mood may appear several months apart or may seem “rapid cycling” and occur as often as every other day.

Individuals with Borderline Personality traits may feel “dysregulated” for long periods of time and report difficulty in controlling their own emotional states, with periods of anger, anxiety, fear, guilt/shame, and sadness possibly lasting far longer than expected by others. Individuals with Borderline Personality traits are at an increased risk of experiencing suicidal attempts and thoughts. Additionally, self-harm is often present, including cutting the skin, burning, and other acts which serve to intentionally damage their bodies.

Depression involves persistent sadness that is experienced throughout the day. It includes a pattern of feeling “down” or sad for longer than two weeks, lack of interest or pleasure in activities that used to be preferred, thoughts of suicide, feeling worthless, and changes in sleep and appetite. Depression can have significant impacts across several areas in life, including self-esteem, social networks, school, jobs, and hobbies.

Eating disorders present significant challenges to everyday life. Anorexia Nervosa is a condition in which an individual restricts their eating and displays an inability to maintain a healthy body weight. Fears of gaining weight are often present, often to the point of obsession. Bulimia Nervosa is a condition marked by overeating to the point of feeling physically ill. Food eaten is removed from the body by vomiting/purging or use of laxatives. This cycle of binging and purging creates an intense need for the individual to regulate what they eat and may contribute to life-threatening physical conditions.

Each member of a family has unique relationships with other family members. Problems occur when communication feels ineffective in motivating others in the family towards action viewed as necessary to maintain family structure. Problems may be related to topics such as use of language (or specific words that feel triggering to others), household responsibilities such as chores and finances, failure to adhere to pre-determined family rules or lack of structure, parenting, and boundaries.

Includes risky actions made on the spur of the moment without planning or thought of consequences. Examples include difficulties regulating spending, thrill-seeking behaviors, chronic overeating, substance use, difficulties regulating one’s own comments during conversation, theft, and poor decision-making.

Self-esteem is a person’s measure of their own sense of self-worth. Low levels of self-esteem are a risk factor for sadness and depression.

Difficulties in parenting may include a child displaying physical violence towards themselves or others, lying, substance abuse, and viewing parents as a lack of authority in the household. Additionally, disagreements between parents can cause significant distress both in the family and with each other.

PTSD can develop after an individual experiences or witnesses a life-threatening event such as sexual assault, physical threats to well-being, death, accidents, natural disasters, or other highly stressful events. Individuals with PTSD also often experience difficulties with sleep and concentration, increased startle response, feeling the need to be on guard and alert at all times, and persistent negative thoughts.

Misophonia is a condition where intense negative emotions are triggered by specific sounds. Such sounds may include chewing, drinking, sniffing, talking, nail clipping, creaking, tapping, or repetitive sounds. Sufferers will attempt to avoid sound sources, which can produce significant negative impacts in attention, productivity, and social relationships.

OCD-sufferers experience intense urges to check, fix, or focus on a situation or object repeatedly. This condition is often associated with high levels of anxiety if such actions cannot be completed in a pre-determined time or to adequate satisfaction. OCD symptoms often cause delays in completing tasks and marked impairment in day-to-day functioning.

Individuals with social skills deficits find it difficult to form relationships and communicate their wants or needs, which can also result in frustration, anger, and disrupted relationships.

Individuals suffering from substance abuse may feel dependent on continued use despite the negative consequences of use and may experience difficulty regulating the frequency that they use such substances. Further, some substances eventually create triggers for negative interactions with friends and family. Continued use may lead to life-threatening conditions.

Trichotillomania is a disorder involving the compulsion to pull hair out from the scalp, eyelashes, arm, or other parts of the body. Excoriation is similar but involves excessive picking of one’s own skin to the extent of causing damage. Although some individuals report conscious control of their desire to pick, others find that they are unaware that they have picked until several hours later. As it feels difficult to be aware of when such picking is taking place, such individuals report high levels of frustration and inability to change this behavior.