What IS a disorder, exactly?

Read the title. What do you think a disorder is? Why? Does doing something so insignificant as constantly drinking soda make you mentally ill because you crave the sugars and taste? Would you think that you do something that is small or perhaps big that you consider to be disorderly, even THOUGH it's not classified as an illness on paper?

I have too long of an opinion on this..so I'll just leave it at that.

 

Darkwatch, you should post your opinion, Long posts is what this thread is about.
Anyways, on topic, It depends on what you mean by disorder. To qualify something as OCD for example, simply means that you do something repeatedly because of a trigger. Like someone who is afraid of germs who constantly washes their hands. This also leads to the point that disorders can cross over into one another, as a phobia (fear for those of you who don't know) can trigger an OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) My girlfriend can be like this. She will literally start hyperventilating if she does not turn the number on her locker's lock. I have seen this happen. I think that a person who is OCD is not mentally ill, thusly why I say it means what you define disorder as.
A phobia is in an entirely different ballpark. As are other things. Defined or not, someone can have a disorder. I think it all comes down to how you interpret the word disorder, and what you view as "mentally ill"

 

A disorder is exactly that, disorder. Unorderly, not arranged properly, a problem. That's the definition of disorder, something not arranged properly. Normally something unnatural, a defect. For example, ADD (Attension Deficient Disorder), is a birth defect caused by random selection. The child will crave attention, and is distracted by almost anything. I have a friend who has it, I've been told it takes his 3-4 hours to do his homework. It only takes me 1-2 hours. That is a disorder, something placed incorrectly.

 

No that is the direct definition of disorder. What I felt Darkwatch was talking about was the essence of what a disorder is, not the literal definition. Also, I have ADD as well, I can't focus to well all the time, but I wouldn't classify myself as mentally ill. This is what Darkwatch was getting at. What is the correlation between a disorder and mental illness.

 

Uh, this thread isn't about long posts. It's about talking intelligently.

Anyway, I'm going to say this: A disorder is a change, not physical, to the body that disrupts it from following its normal order.

 

I"ll be short and to the point.

I think there are three basic categories:

phobias - persistant irrational fears
habits - an almost involuntary pattern of behaviour
disorders - where there is a disturbance of normal functioning - something is "missing" or wrong

 

as a sufferer of both ADHD(Atention defecit hyperactive disorder) and OCD (obsesive compulsive disorder) i can say that life is not easy medications always have side effects but sometimes the way you are withot them is worse and it is frustrating to know that you need to pay attention but cant or that your obsesion is stupid and foolish but there is nothing you can do about it and it gets to be a real problem that interfeares with you everyday life i have to take 2 different medications every day without fail and i have been on meds sense i was diagnosed w/ add in second grade (ocd wasent officialy diagnosed untill this fall) XP

anyway a disorder is something that is just not functioning properly somthing i was told at a very young age there is something that is suposed to be working that just isent and it affects the way the body regulates activities and thoughts and feelings

 

Guys, when you think about it, isn't about anything that we do considered a disorder? They seem bad, but in my opinion they ARE disorders.

Things like having a caffeine addiction, or someone who bites their nails.

Because we, to some, most would not think these are illnesses. The reason that is is because everyone is too focused on bigger things like OCD, Down Syndrome, ADHD, AIDS, etc.

 

In a psychologist's eyes a disorder affects the person's ability to function properly. It can also lead to physical harm and is usually "outside the social norm."

So, no, Darkwatch, not everything we do can be considered a disorder. Does drinking soda stop you from going to school, working, or even... getting online? Not from what I've seen of you here. I personally agree with the pschological aspect to define a mental or psychological disorder.

 

We never really said that biting your nails isn't a disorder.

Maybe it is, but that's just stretching. Common knowledge tells us that it's simply a bad habit. Biting your nails can be stopped.

Not all things can be stopped, which is why it's a disorder.

Caffeine addiction can be stopped. Mental ******ation can be put down but not stopped completely.

 

Hey biting your nails is OCD... i think... but i think that when you have a disorder you get kicked in the head by a horse and you get ******ed.

 

I would say that a true disorder is something that completely hampers your ability to survive and function.

All people have tendancies for disorders, but it becomes a full disorder if it interferes with living a full and happy life.

It's a fine line, to be sure, and I think that contributes to the overdiagnosing of disorders like ADD/ADHD.

 

well when you are ill and you cant be fixed , but eating disorders can be fixed

 

A disorder would be more outside the norm to the point it puts people{be it the person with the disorder or those around them}.

Now I'm not saying a caffiene addiction isn't a disorder but I think I'm more familiar with it in the Mental Disorder sense ie. Personality Disorders, Phobias, etc.

You have to be careful about labeling these as problems. Sure we may see them as problems but someone suffering from Antisocial Personality Disorder may not see the problem. It's their personality, same as if you're extroverted or introverted, and cannot be easily changed.

 

Don't know where to start. Rosenhan had it right, in my opinion:

"It is impossible for humans to determine the sane from the insane [disordered] because our environment, in part, influences our perception of the behaviour of other people."

Someone who yells loudly in a high-traffic parking lot wouldn't be considered 'mentally ill' because we all assume they're angry because of the traffic. Someone who yells in a mental institution on the other hand, probably wouldn't get the same reception.

Our consideration of what's the 'norm' and what's not is in part, characterized by one's culture, social ethic, and present day environmental occurances. That is why it is hard to really begin labeling a lot of disorders within the DSM (as refined as it has become) because people like Rosenhan have provided ample evidence that we humans are incapable of diagnosing our own kind with any real degree of accuracy.

The only disorders that are most able to be recognized are the ones that cause maladaptivity and produce high risk of danger to an individual or the people around him/her.

 

A 'Disorder' is a condition of the brain and body where something doesn't work like it should.

Classifications of disorders are general.

And usually only the most serious are discussed or prescribed.

Addiction to soda or sugar isn't really 'up there' on the list beside schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

And it could merely be classified as a symptom of something else, though, like I said earlier, generalized.

And I really have no idea what I'm talking about.

 

I'd have to say a disorder is where something in the brain or body doesn't work like it should normally. I have ADHD (Attention Defecit Hyperactivity Disorder) which means I take medication, the drugs do work.

A disorder is arguably something which does not occur in a normal person.

Define "Normal" or "Average" in terms of people.

 

I will find you and kill you for posting this. I hope in the future that your put in front of a firing squad before I can find you...

 

This is really quite interesting. I wonder how many of the people that have posted on this topic have a disorder. There are people with hundreds of posts... I would venture to say that if they have an account here, then they have an account on another message board or whatever as well. And if they post as much on another site or two (or three or more), then they probably have an internet addiction. According to my wonderful mother (note sarcasm), the time I spend on the internet hampers my social life. An internet addication disorder? Hmmm...

Personally, I don't think my internet addiction is a disorder... I think that the fact that I'm afraid of being around any people that I don't know is a disorder. Social anxiety disorder to be specific, but my mother thinks I'm crazy and I'm making excuses so I don't have to be "outgoing."

I think that it's society that has the "disorder" though. I'm pretty sure that there are more people on medication to make themselves "normal" than there are "normal" people. Just my thoughts... (However confusing and jumping around they may be)...

 

*AHEM*

You're 2 warnings from banning, remember? >.>

Edit your post, please.