Diagnoses

Psychiatric diagnosis is divided into five parts, called axes.  They are the following:

• Axis I is the acute diagnosis (such as Major Depression, Schizoaffective Disorder, etc.).

• Axis II is an underlying personality disorder (such as Paranoid Personality, Antisocial Personality, etc.).

• Axis III includes any relevant medical non-psychiatric diagnoses.

• Axis IV describes the patient’s social functioning and the impact of symptoms on the patient’s life.

• Axis V describes the level of function of the patient.

 Anxiety Disorders are the most common mental illnesses.  The main types are phobias, panic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder.  People who suffer from phobias experience extreme fear or dread from a particular object or situation.   Panic disorders involve sudden, intense feelings of terror for no apparent reason and symptoms similar to heart attacks.  People with obsessive-compulsive disorder try to cope with anxiety by repeating words or phrases or by repeating ritualistic behavior (such as constant hand washing).  Post-traumatic stress disorder occurs following exposure to an extreme traumatic stressor (sexual assault, physical attack, robbery, and natural disasters) and causes the patient to constantly re-experience the traumatic event (through dreams, flashbacks, etc.).

 Mood Disorders include depression and bipolar disorder (or manic depression).  Symptoms may include mood swings such as extreme sadness or elation, sleep and eating disturbances, and changes in activity and energy levels.  Suicide may be a risk with these disorders.