Hypochondriasis or hypochondria is a condition in which a person is excessively and unduly worried about having a serious illness. An old concept, the meaning of hypochondria has repeatedly changed. It has been claimed that this debilitating condition results from an inaccurate perception of the condition of body or mind despite the absence of an actual medical diagnosis. An individual with hypochondriasis is known as a hypochondriac. Hypochondriacs become unduly alarmed about any physical or psychological symptoms they detect, no matter how minor the symptom may be, and are convinced that they have, or are about to be diagnosed with, a serious illness.
Girl, Interrupted is a best-selling 1993 memoir by American author Susanna Kaysen, relating her experiences as a young woman in an American psychiatric hospital in the 1960s after being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. The memoir chronicles her lived experience and how she developed the disorder through particular life circumstances rather than an innate, predetermined biological difference in brain chemistry. The intersection between female adolescence and mental illness creates newfound discourse on how social challenges amongst teen girls may prompt unhinged behavior. Susanna Kaysen opens up a conversation on how mental illness is generally perceived in society as a biological deficiency in brain chemicals, but could it be a natural response to societal pressure as a young teen? Is the commodification of mental health portraying a negative stereotype of mental health struggles that could be otherwise better addressed?
The Bell Jar is the only novel written by the American writer and poet Sylvia Plath. Originally published under the pseudonym "Victoria Lucas" in 1963, the novel is semi-autobiographical with the names of places and people changed. The book is often regarded as a roman à clef because the protagonist's descent into mental illness parallels Plath's own experiences with what may have been clinical depression or bipolar II disorder. Plath committed suicide a month after its first United Kingdom publication. The novel was published under Plath's name for the first time in 1967 and was not published in the United States until 1971, in accordance with the wishes of both Plath's husband, Ted Hughes, and her mother. The novel has been translated into nearly a dozen languages.
A cognitive distortion is an exaggerated or irrational thought pattern involved in the onset or perpetuation of psychopathological states, such as depression and anxiety.
Links between creativity and mental health have been extensively discussed and studied by psychologists and other researchers for centuries. Parallels can be drawn to connect creativity to major mental disorders including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, OCD and ADHD. For example, studies have demonstrated correlations between creative occupations and people living with mental illness. There are cases that support the idea that mental illness can aid in creativity, but it is also generally agreed that mental illness does not have to be present for creativity to exist.
Marian Keyes is an Irish writer of popular fiction. As well as her novels, she has also produced non-fiction.
Face to Face is a 1976 Swedish psychological drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. It tells the story of a psychiatrist who is suffering from a mental illness. It stars Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson.
Hating Alison Ashley is a 1984 Australian novel. Written by science fiction and children's author Robin Klein. Written as a preteen comedy, the book has a strong moral undercurrent about the pursuit of happiness and perfection, the pressures of growing up and the power of friendship. It portrays the agonies of school-girl rivalries, constant embarrassment by family, and painful and often brutally funny awkwardness and insecurity. One of Klein's most popular preteen novels, it has since become a standard English text for school students across Australia.
A wallflower is someone with an introverted personality type who will attend parties and social gatherings, but will usually distance themselves from the crowd and actively avoid being in the limelight. They are also social around friends but not strangers, though once around friends, the strangers become less impactful.
A major depressive episode (MDE) is a period characterized by the symptoms of major depressive disorder. Those affected primarily have a depressed mood for at least two weeks or more, and a loss of interest or pleasure in everyday activities. Other symptoms include feelings of emptiness, hopelessness, anxiety, worthlessness, guilt, irritability, changes in appetite, problems concentrating, remembering details or making decisions, and thoughts of suicide. Insomnia or hypersomnia, aches, pains, or digestive problems that are resistant to treatment may also be present. The description has been formalized in psychiatric diagnostic criteria such as the DSM-5 and ICD-10.
Jennifer "Jenny" Diane Schecter is a fictional character from the American Showtime television drama series The L Word, played by Mia Kirshner. Jenny debuted on-screen during the pilot episode and remained until the series' final episode. Jenny became well documented in the media for her outlandish plots. Jenny was created by series creator Ilene Chaiken, based on herself as a younger woman living in the lesbian community. Chaiken implemented a series of changes to the character, one of which being the inclusion of a sexual abuse storyline and self-harm, which some critics observed as being attempts to make her likable in the LGBT community. One storyline that gained mainstream attention was adopting a homeless dog, only to have it put down for personal gain. Other storylines include stripping, writing novels, coming out, directing a film, affairs, and her possible murder. The final season is based around the lead-up to her death, during which Jenny made herself extremely unpopular with her friends, who became suspects.
The illusion of transparency is a tendency for people to overestimate the degree to which their personal mental state is known by others. Another manifestation of the illusion of transparency is a tendency for people to overestimate how well they understand others' personal mental states. This cognitive bias is similar to the illusion of asymmetric insight.
Ellen West (1888–1921) was a patient of Dr. Ludwig Binswanger who had anorexia nervosa. She became a famous example of existential analysis who died by suicide at age 33 by poisoning herself.
Mask of Desire is a 2000 Nepali film directed by Tsering Rhitar Sherpa. It was Nepal's submission to the 73rd Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Social comparison bias is the tendency to have feelings of dislike and competitiveness with someone seen as physically or mentally better than oneself.
Call Me Elizabeth: Wife, Mother, Escort is an autobiographical book by Dawn Annandale which chronicles how she turned to prostitution in order to support her family. The story provides a first-person account of a mother's struggle to provide a good life for her children and husband in 1980s Britain. It was published in 2005.
Jennifer Lawson is an American journalist, author and blogger.
Emotional abandonment is a subjective emotional state in which people feel undesired, left behind, insecure, or discarded. People experiencing emotional abandonment may feel at a loss. They may feel like they have been cut off from a crucial source of sustenance or feel withdrawn, either suddenly or through a process of erosion. Emotional abandonment can manifest through loss or separation from a loved one.
Rachel Kelly is a British author and mental health advocate. She has worked as a journalist at The Times, and is the author of the books Black Rainbow, Walking on Sunshine, The Happy Kitchen and Singing in the Rain.
Symptoms is the third studio album by American singer Ashley Tisdale. The album was released through Big Noise Music Group on May 3, 2019, for digital only. Symptoms follows Tisdale's second studio album, Guilty Pleasure (2009), marking 10 years since her previous full studio release. Tisdale enlisted John Feldmann for the album's production, and collaborated with songwriters including Rachel West, Scot Stewart, and Dylan McLean for much of the album's content. A pop and electropop album, Symptoms chronicles Tisdale's silent battle with depression and anxiety, while employing implicit lyrics to give the songs multiple meanings. It is Ashley’s first album to contain songs with explicit and profane lyrics.
