#for schizoaffective + ptsd + DID/OSDD

[thevoidofstars]

Not diagnosed, not medically recognized, but a secret third thing

[onemashedbraincell]

SERIOUS TALK . CENSORSHIP

the amount of censorship and ignorance regarding anything that isn't remotely 'normal' or seems 'realistic' to the average eye is absolutely disgusting and genuinely ableist. see someone who's visibly disabled? oh, no, you can never go up to them! come on! avoid them! they're too different from you. you would never be able to understand them. they would never be able to understand you. have a friend who has a stigmatized mental health condition? oh! they must be faking! nobody *actually* has that! it's too rare! we should stop being friends with them! they must be a monster! have someone tell you that you have an invisible disability? that doesn't exist! if i cant see it, then you don't have it! i know your body better than you do! prove you have your disability, then! and the funny thing is, these types of things are completely censored- viewed as 'wrong' or 'not something to be talked about'. when really, it's just an excuse to not talk about, spread awareness, or allow those who are troubled by these conditions to speak up. TALK ABOUT YOUR ILLNESS. TALK ABOUT YOUR DISABILITY. TALK ABOUT YOUR 'ABNORMALCY'. show the world that **you aren't weird or crazy or monstrous for not fitting the norm.**

[rambles-of-mental-illness]

They Made You Into A Weapon And Told You To Find Peace

[xxpunkbovidxx]

It's all "we support all mental illnesses/disorders" until the Schizospec person has delusions

Until the being with OSDD/DID switches

Until the being with ASPD struggles with empathy

Until the being with PTSD has an episode because they're having flashbacks

Until the being with depression is too depressed to brush their teeth

Until the being with ADHD forgets something important

Until the being with OCD gets stressed because they can't do their counting ritual

Until the being with Autism Spectrum Disorder gets overstimulated at the party

No, you don't support us.

[light-wrath-paradise]

You know what at this point I feel like maybe I just need to either get institutionalised again or start an internship again because I feel like I am getting nothing.

[cripplecharacters]

Tag Directory

[large text: Tag Directory]

This list is not exhaustive, but covers the most common tags we use.

Last updated: 01/01/2025.

Disabilities:

#Albinism representation #amputee representation #Autism representation #ADHD representation #Blindness #Brain Damage representation #Burn Survivor representation #Cerebral Palsy representation #CDD representation [Complex Dissociative Disorder] (includes DID, OSDD, etc.) #chronic illness representation #chronic pain representation #Deaf character (includes Hard of Hearing) #DeafBlindness #Down syndrome representation (for things specific to DS) #Dwarfism representation #Epilepsy representation #face difference (includes facial scars, burns, etc.) #GAD representation [Generalized Anxiety Disorder] #heart condition representation #Intellectual Disability representation #Learning Disability representation (includes dyslexia, dyscalculia, etc.) #Limb Differences #mobility disabilities #monocular vision #mysterious disability #multiple sclerosis representation #muscular dystrophy representation (includes all types of muscular dystrophies, SMA, vague muscle atrophy/dystrophy, myopathies, etc.) #mute representation #Nonverbal representation #nonspeaking characters #OCD representation #personality disorders #POTS representation [Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome] #PTSD representation #psychosis spectrum representation (includes schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, psychosis in general + other conditions that cause it) #Selective Mutism representation #speech disability representation #spinal deformities (includes scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis) #SCI representation (Spinal Cord Injury but does also include spina bifida etc.) #substance use disorders #strabismus representation #Tourette's Syndrome representation (includes other tic disorders as well) #vitiligo representation

Aids:

#AAC users [Augmentative and Alternative Communication] #ambulatory wheelchair use #ankle foot orthosis #assistive technology (includes Braille) #canes #crutches #guide animals (includes both dogs and miniature horses) #feeding tubes #hearing aids #knee scooters #mobility aids #prosthetics #eye prosthetics #rollators #service animals #walkers #wheelchairs #white canes

Frequent Topics:

#combat and disability #fantasy setting (includes SCI-FI etc.) #fantasy disabilities #fantasy ableism #fantasy species (while this was originally meant for actual fantasy species, anything that's non-human goes here, including basic animals like cats and things like robots) #fantasy tropes #historical fiction #horror and disability #inaccessible setting #intersex representation (majority of intersex variations are not disabling but a few are/can be) #magic aids #parasports in media #religion and disability #sign language representation #villains with disabilities

Tropes:

#blindfold trope #cure trope #faking disability trope #fetishization of disability #disability as punishment #disability erasure #disability negating superpowers #magic induced disability #mask trope #perfect prosthetic trope #tropes

Other:

#acquired disability representation #accessibility (for making things accessible to readers) #art reference #CCartShare (sharing art from our art tag) #character inspo #cripping up (cosplaying disabled characters) #disabled character ideas ("what disabilities make someone use a cane" etc.) #recommendations (various media about disability, mostly not writing related) #sensitivity reader #terminology #writing descriptions #more information needed (for when we need some additional info before answering properly - if you've sent an ask, it might be in there) We also tag the username of the asker so if you've sent an ask off-anon you can check through that as well. Anon asks are tagged as "#anonymous" and/or with the sign-off included in the ask.

[bloombearer]

　　　FEED MY BLOSSOMS, SELF DECEiVERS!

　 　　　　　　　　♡ 　　. 　　CAMELLYA 　 　　 TRANSiD MEDiAN SYS — IT/BLOOM 　 　　A COiNER THAT SPECiALiZES iN MUDS + MUS' AND 　 　　XENOMALADiES 　 　　(i COiN OTHER THiNGS TOO THOUGH) 　 　　FUTURE GOALS (?): 　 　　Make a web archive of all my MUD+ terms 　 　　Make a web archive of all MUD+ terms (or be a helper of 　 　　one)

ʚ　　iDENTiTiES (dis)ability + MUD related ones for now not everything is here (yet) 　CAD, LLD, ASPD, HPD, AVPD, NPD, SZPD, STPD, BPD, DID, NARCOLEPTIC, DEAF + BLIND, PP, DPDR, SCHIZOPHRENIC / PSYCHOSIS, EPILEPTIC, APD, HEARING IMPAIRED, AMNESIA, MADD, COTARDS, PARASOCIAL, SCHIZOAFFECTIVE, ACHROMA, (PARTIAL) HETEROCHROMIA, CYCLOTHYMIA, ECHOLALIA, BIPOLAR, MUTE, HALLUCINATIONS + DELUSIONS, AIWS, OSDD, HALF-BLIND, PYROMANIC, EROTOMANIC, DCS, FPD, HC-DID, STOCKHOLM, HPT, LIMA, DYSLEXIA, DYSCALCULIA, COLORBLIND, SZA-D, WHEELCHAIR USER, TICS/TOURETTES, DISSOCIATION, OCD, VSS, SAD, INSOMNIA, DEPRESSED, ADHD, AUTISM, LOW EMPATHY, GAD, DERMATOPHAGIA, KERATOSIS PILARIS, ONYCHOPHAGIA, ANEMIA, MGD, ALEXITHYMIA, (C-)PTSD, SELECTIVE MUTISM, RSD, MDD, BFRB, DCD / DYSPRAXIA, COMPULSIVE LIAR, DYSPHASIA, DYSGRAPHIA, BIID, DERMATILLOMANIA, HYPOMANIA, SPD, HYPERSEXUAL, ALBINO, CPED, PFD, TVS, CDCD, MALENTROPY LOSS SYNDROME, ECHO SYNDROME, NVFPV, RRD, PFS, VISUAL HSPD, TSD, DEAD, MRD, ABYSS-CS, XENMUD, TPDS, CAID, FIMIPHAGY, MYSTIKPHAGY, MDED, ASPE, ASE, IBPD, FCRD, A-SPECD, CPMD, IS-IT, ESURIENS SYNDROME, PSFAD, OFSAESD, FANTASYCHOSIS, IEID, SED, CDD, L-HD, SPREECOINER, ULD, IAD, DDAD, IEPD, O-RSD, AAD, ENORDISORDER SCHIZOPHRENIA, ATYPICAL AMNESIA, EAD, IDSD, FVD, ROcD, SOCIOPATH, PANDAS, EDS, CAPGRAS SYNDROME, CONJOINED TWIN, DISABLESSED, IBPD, INTERNAL FIXATIONS, BONE CANCER, MORGELLONS DISEASE, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL OWNER, AAC USER, INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED, PICA, MUNCHAUSEN BY PROXY, LEUKAEMIA

[schizopositivity]

have you ever talked about how your schizoaffective symptoms and osdd overlap or are different? i have the same diagnoses but my new doctor thinks it might just be one of them

No I haven't but that's a really good question. I'll explain how I got the individual diagnoses, then the overlap I experience, then how I can tell the two apart.

So for me personally I was diagnosed with OSDD first. I've been in therapy for my trauma since I was a child so therapists knew about my responses to trauma and stress for a while. I have a mix of dissociative amnesia and depersonalization/derealization, hence the OSDD diagnosis. I had these symptoms before I had my prodromal period of schizophrenia, and my reoccurring psychosis. I'm pretty sure I was diagnosed as a young teenager but it was suspected before that.

Then once I started having reoccurring and distressing psychotic symptoms, when I tried explaining it to a therapist they had me tested for DID. It turns out I don't have DID, but my psychosis in the beginning seemed to be dismissed as relating to my dissociative disorder. And I think my negative and cognitive schizophrenia symptoms were chalked up to PTSD and depression.

My psychosis escalated over a few years until I had to be admitted to a psych ward and was finally prescribed antipsychotics. At that point therapists realized I did indeed have a psychotic disorder as well, and determined it to be schizophrenia, since I have almost every symptom. (They still don't know if it's schizophrenia and MDD, or schizoaffective depressive type, but the treatment I have now is working so it doesn't really matter to me.)

So now for how my schizophrenia and OSDD overlap and interact with each other:

When I was having very intense hallucinations (before I had antipsychotics) it would sometimes get bad enough for me to fully black out, that's when the dissociative amnesia kicked in. So my memories of these experiences are having prolonged and very distressing hallucinations, then blacking out completely while still being awake and conscious, and then coming out of the blackout hours later, usually crying and hiding under a table or something. So basically my brain would react to trauma by having me totally forget a chunk of time, even though that trauma was the hallucinations that my brain created.

I would also have days of derealization/depersonalization where I would have hallucinations and delusions that enhance the dissociation, and they overlap to totally change my perception of reality.

For me the way I can tell the two disorders apart comes down to a few things: the specific symptoms, when they appear, and what kind of treatment works for it.

So with a dissociative disorder, the way it can impact you is usually very centered around yourself and your perceptions of yourself. Meanwhile the way psychosis impacts you can be limitless. It can impact how you view other people and can oftentimes feel like outside forces, not connected to yourself at all. I tend to hallucinate entire other beings outside of myself, but my dissociation seems to really only impact myself for the most part.

Also dissociative symptoms often occur during trauma, during stress or while your trauma is triggered. Meanwhile psychotic symptoms can flare up randomly, even when you are at your happiest. Sometimes my dissociation occurs as a reaction to the stress of psychosis, but in those cases the psychosis happens first.

And of course, schizophrenia has many more symptoms as a part of it that have nothing to do with psychosis, aka the negative and cognitive symptoms.

Also the treatment is different, the psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia can often be treated with antipsychotics. But any dissociative disorder is most commonly treated with therapy. Like now that I take a daily antipsychotic medication my psychosis is mostly gone, but my dissociation is still around. My dissociation flared up in stressful or triggering situations, but the few hallucinations that I still get will come up totally randomly.

(Sorry this turned into a bit of a ramble, but I realized I hadn't really talked about what it's like to have both OSDD and schizophrenia.)

I think it will be important for you and your new doctor to determine if it is only one, so that your treatment can focus more on that specifically. But if you are happy with your current treatment and don't care about diagnoses that much, then you can let them know that you are content with the way things are now and maybe things don't have to change.

[disability-confessions]

What is this blog about? Explained Here

Who is this blog mainly for?

This blog is mainly for physically disabled people BUT mentally disabled people are allowed to post asks.

Will you answer a message privately?

Yes if asked I will answer a question privately.

Who all is considered “disabled”?

Any one that by law/by the ADA (American With Disabilities Act) that has something considered a disability, whether it be mentally or physically.

Is Autism or ADHD considered a disabiltity?

Yes, Autism and ADHD are both considered to be mental disabilites.

Is Insomnia considered a disability?

No, on its own Insomnia is NOT considered to be a disability, maybe adding on to other things it might be a disability but it generally is not a disability and is not seen as disabling.

Are Non-visible/Invisible disabilities valid?

Absolutely, things such as chronic pain, chronic fatigue, mental disabilities, and more are absolutely valid and are considered disabilities, it doesn’t matter if they can be seen or not.

Are Speech Impediments considered a disability?

Yes, speech impediments do count as a disability.

Is OSDDID (OSDD, DID) considered a disability?

Yes, especially if OSDDID impacts your daily life so severely that you cannot function properly or impacts things like work life. Though sometimes (I will add) it is not considered a disability.

Can people with OSDDID post confessions on this blog?

Yes, absolutely. Especially if OSDDID impacts your daily life and function.

Physical Disabilites that may not be commonly known as disabilities:

Speech Impediments

Sleep disorders (Such as Narcolepsy, Sleep Wake Phase Disorder, etc)(Excluding Insomnia)

Diabetes

(More will be added on if found, also these are just things that I’ve noticed that are not commonly seen as disabilites or people do not commonly know are disabilites)

Mental Disabilities:

Autism

ADHD/ADD

Schizophrenia

Schizoaffective disorder

Personality Disorders

Sensory and Processing Difficulties/Disorders

OCD

PTSD/C-PTSD

Dyslexia

Dysgraphia

Dyscalculia

Any Learning Disability

DID/OSDD

Dissociative Disorders

(More may be added on if found)

[system-of-a-feather]

Hey People with DID / OSDD / PTSD / Psychosis

I go to regular meetings for my community / university’s mental health coalition and interact with a lot of the leading personnel in the mental health community around as well as the staff that manage the local counseling and what not. Apparently most of the coalition didn’t think much about trauma-based and dissociative disorders until I mentioned it so I guess a lot of the responsibility to bring ideas to the table is on me. They also didn’t think much on psychotic disorders, but honestly I have to admit, as someone without it, I don’t know exactly what would help.

So I was wondering, any and all systems out there that might want to input some thought into things I might potentially bring up or suggest in the next / future meetings and seeing if I could get into play, I would love to hear any ideas.

So what are somethings you wish were more available to help you with your symptoms / experiences? What do you think might be helpful for a community in regards to all of this? What are some changes in your community regarding your mental health condition that you would like to see change / clarified?

Thanks a lot for any advice and ideas. All thoughts are appreciated and welcomed and thank you for helping me get some ideas to help my community.

-Riku (Host)

[batmanego]

I’m going to be quite honest as someone that has run the psychiatric gauntlet for the last 7-ish years and in that time has had multiple potential diagnoses discussed with me to describe the same phenomenon, i think most diagnoses are fake and gay . to elaborate further i think that if a professional cannot describe the differences between schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizotypal pd, and schizoid pd without using the term “severity/prevalence of symptoms” then maybe it is better to describe those disorders as existing on a continuum of One disorder rather than creating arbitrary lines. maybe if the only difference in DID & the OSDD-1 subtypes is the type of amnesia and how “distinct” (What vague unhelpful wording!) different alters are, it should kind of all just be considered one disorder that has different presentations.

obviously there are things wrong with me im not saying that im mentally well and everyone is mentally well. being able to give labels to what is wrong with me is helpful for a number of reasons the least of which being that it’s nice to know that even though im crazy, im crazy in a way i can now describe to other people. but what i am saying is that if you open my skull there’s not gonna be a little receipt in there that says THIS PERSON HAS DID PTSD OCD SCHIZOTYPAL PD ETC ETC ETC ETC. all of these labels describe symptoms, often the Same symptoms. they’re not written in stone they’re just descriptors for phenomena. And that’s not even getting into how racialized a lot of diagnoses are or how what is paranoia for the white, sane, able-bodied cishet might be justified fear for anyone that doesn’t fit that description to a T.

and of course none of this makes any sense to anyone except me because one of the symptoms that is described by one of the labels applied to me is Disorganized thought and speech but that’s ok. just know that the point im making is that diagnosis is often atupid and i will always know myself better than anyone and that some pro-psych person that worships the Holy Psychiatrist is going to call me delusional for saying i know more about my brain than a doctor ^_^

[custom-emojis]

To throw my hat in the ring, having nice representation as a system would be cool and nice, but uh…

Can someone point it out to me where it’s been done?

Because I’ve had people use:

- Possession

- Alter Egos

- Personifications (Sanders Sides style beat)

And call these good representation of systems.

And with DID/OSDD the medical side is still arguing over how it presents.

And liebes experiences vary.

Like I’ve seen and heard things which made me :/ because everyone is looking to make a good representation.

They see multiple people sharing a body- from a trauma disorder mind you- and try to replicate that.

And don’t get me wrong I’d love the representation but if you’re doing DID/OSDD then you’re making a very complicated, traumatized set of characters that all inhabit the same body, of which is caused by the upbringing and environment of the child.

Which it isn’t even just research then, it’s a complex map of cause and effect that takes as much worldbuilding as like, magic systems or governments.

But unlike those, there’s not a simplified version.

And given that people have a hard time portraying PTSD, schizoaffective disorders or even personality disorders right without like, stigmatizing it, because they don’t have it, I just find it :/

Systems can’t stop you, and Kevin- as well as the rest of the system- isn’t going to stop you, there’s a lot that goes into these kinds of characters and it’s not simple at all.

“How do I write this character” is so incredibly hard for anyone to answer.

Because from trauma disorder side, it’s a complex trauma disorder that has so many factors.

And that’s not even getting into the good representation part. Personally it’s just easier to focus on other parts of representation, and should it come about, read what systems make on characters that are systems.

Kevin and them can’t answer the question of if you’re doing it right without actually getting to see your work and well, even then you’ve designed the character and implemented them.

And the fact xe mentioned how xe doesn’t like the idea of singlets writing systems before, and now is just a boundary xe’s setting, you don’t have to listen to xem, but like, just, acknowledge the boundary?

For writing representation anyways, you just do what you would do for writing about any other group.

It feels weird being asked, “how do I write about your diverse group better?” And I’m sure Kevin agrees with that.

yeahh basically all of this. its a loaded question and im just a dude man. if you got questions abt making a system OC, go send an ask or msg to Drake bc he is wayyy more experienced w this shit considering he's an actual writer. this is his jam, go ask him. I'm just an artist.

[gerrydelano]

what are your disability (or mental illness) headcanons? id love to hear em if you got any!

boy do i! i’ll list the ones we use in the gtcu under the cut ^_^

DISCLAIMER: assume everyone on this list has PTSD, that’s why georgie’s not listed because that’s mostly what we give her/it’s deliberately canon. sticking to major characters/the ones we write that have a strong bearing on the stories we personally tell! 

jon (comorbidity legend! and by that i mean - ouch!) 

neuro: autistic, ADHD, osdd-1a, OCD, schizoaffective

physical: hypermobile ehlers-danlos, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), also i write him as a cane user following an injury to his left knee when he was 22! and of course any applicable neuropathy following worming, etc. 

notes: he’s had chronic pain all his life, it’s just There for him. also, he did speech therapy as a kid for his stutter and sometimes it comes back out when he’s stressed!

also, comorbidity really is a major thing. it does not get taken seriously enough. the fact of the matter is, if you have one thing, you are very likely to develop more things! especially with something like EDS, too, where you’re more likely to get hurt and get into shit that will worsen your health as time persists. 

and mental health wise, just try and tell me personally that it’s Not Realistic to have 5 diagnoses when that’s literally half the amount of my prof. diagnoses myself. it honestly just makes sense for him and he shows major symptoms of literally all of those things Right In Canon it’s not even a reach JVHBKFDN.

martin

neuro: autistic, ADHD, c-PTSD [meta], BPD [meta], OCD (with a heavy leaning on moral scrupulosity)

physical: nothing major! arthritis maybe

notes: i also have strong feelings about him with disordered eating due to his lifetime of poverty and abuse/neglect, it would do a Number on him. let him HEAL.

tim

neuro: ADHD, BPD [meta]

physical: deaf! and also in terms of canon any applicable worm neuropathy, etc.

notes: he didn’t really believe he was ADHD for a while because he was used to danny’s particular presentation of it and was like “pfff i don’t have that” except that he so does. borderline wise, he got some help for that in uni and has been managing himself as best he can for a long time, before y’know, shit breaks bad in canon. 

in terms of his hearing, he had otitis media very young and as a result had some repeated ear infections, it wasn’t As Bad at first as it could have been but worsened with time due to some genetic predisposition. if he had been born completely deaf his parents would have gone for a cochlear implant which SUCKS and boy does he hate that. he decorates his hearing aids with nail decals, it’s great. 

also, his canon way of speaking supports this! he enunciates very clearly and speaks with a sort of loud deliberation that we personally HC as being partly due to wanting to be able to hear himself speak/know he’s being clear. when he mumbles, he mumbles. either he’s audible in the next country or he is speaking to ants.

sasha

neuro: autistic, ADHD, PTSD (specifically from her parents’ deaths)

notes: huh. wow. elias really did just hire a shitload of people with ADHD because it’d be so fun to watch them run around like headless chickens didn’t he

gerry (another comorbidity legend everything is a nightmare)

neuro: dissociative identity disorder (surprise! you don’t get raised by mary keay without developing that, sorry! check this tag for more on that.)

physical: hEDS, POTS, limps with his right leg due to a childhood injury, other various effects of scars and such

notes: i also HC him as a recovering addict, and in PBR i’m going to be writing him as eventually becoming a partial wheelchair user because of his POTS - it makes it hard to stand/walk for long periods of time, and even if he can get through something intense in the moment, it’s gonna have consequences and he needs to be able to recover from stressing his body out. i think we need more protags in wheelchairs, and i also like tackling it being partial because of the stigma surrounding people who use chairs being able to walk sometimes? like. it doesn’t mean they don’t need the chair and that the chair doesn’t benefit their life shut up

melanie

neuro: autistic, bipolar 1

physical: obviously her canon blindness when applicable, chronic pain from Slaughter Leg when applicable (sometimes things go differently for her in the plot depending what we write)

notes: we also give her a history with disordered eating but we’re a recovery household okay! she did spend some time institutionalized as a teenager, following the death of her mother which caused her burgeoning mood disorder to snowball in a Bad Way.

danny (because we might as well put him in here due to how we write him!)

neuro: ADHD, a major helping of PTSD 

physical: the after-effects of scars received during his time at the circus

notes: in HLM, his PTSD manifests most loudly with the trauma bond to the circus/the contortionist and he age regresses/dissociates when he’s triggered! age regression is not at all some inherently creepy thing and has nothing to do with Stuff you might see online, it’s very common and he just needs a safe place to be able to come back to himself.

adelard (the ones i use for him in PBR, since his being alive AND disabled are both important to his role there!)

neuro: generally you don’t get to the point in life he has without some PTSD, but he’s honestly managed to process it better than uhhhh. most of the rest of these guys!

physical: lower leg amputation and deformity of three fingers following his encounter with amherst

notes: i write him as using a prosthetic and a cane, but the two times that’s happened have been outright emergencies that he pushed himself to be present for in ways that have consequences (both physically, and from his very concerned wife.) overall, he’s stepped away from the field to recuperate at home with his family and so tends to leave it off and spends more time sitting, and in a wheelchair that any number of his family members are insistent upon pushing him around in. let the man rest.

i also imagine d*isy would have some fibromyalgia at the very least following the buried considering the atrophy and stress but eh. also, basira’s autistic, as well. i don’t plan on doing anything with that going forward personally.

i keep feeling like i’ve forgotten people but overall these are the major ones i am Constantly thinking about and actively portray! 

the best part of all of this is how extremely likely and common All of these things are and how much sense they make with the characters’ canon experiences!!!! comorbidity is not rare at all! people have more than one thing going on! and there’s WAY more than one or two disabled people in a group i can Tell You That Right Now. i love realism and organic representation it’s just very easy to spot these things when you’re also mentally ill/neurodivergent and disabled yourself pbthth. i love to have fun

[g00by3]

hey so my current health teachers mental health cirriculum sucks (i cant spell) so i made a list of most mental health disorders w info on each one. i plan on sending it to her but first i wanna check: is there any edits i should make? is there any misinformation or things i left out? pls let me know!! (paper below the cut):

Mental Health Disorders

Mental health disorders are a range of disorders that alter one's way of thinking, functioning, moods, and behavior. These disorders are often stigmatized but education about definitions and breaking down common misconceptions can help break the stigma. Breaking the stigma can help individuals get help while struggling with any of these disorders.

Trigger Warning for in-depth discussion of mental illness

Depression

Depression is a mental health disorder characterized through constant feeling of sadness, hopelessness, and general loss of interest in hobbies. These feelings impact your day to day life.

Types of depression include:

Major Depression/MDD (Major Depressive Disorder)- The technical term used by health professionals to describe the most common form of depression.

Manic Depression [Bipolar Disorder]- Bipolar Disorder was previously known as manic depression, and the term manic depression is outdated. The term “Bipolar disorder” was released in the DMS-3.

Seasonal Depression/SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)- A mood disorder with a seasonal pattern. The cause is believed to be due to the variation of light exposure in different seasons. Depression in winter is the most common form of SAD.

Psychotic Depression- A disconnect from reality due to a depressive condition, which can involve hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, etc.

Anxiety

GAD or Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a disorder in which a person exhibits excessive anxiety most days, for at least 6 months, about a variety of things. This worrying impairs daily functioning. Anxiety can be related to a plethora of things such as health, social interactions, work/school, etc.

Types of anxiety include:

Panic Disorder- A type of anxiety disorder in which a person has recurring panic attacks. A panic attack are periods of extreme anxiety, often including increased heart rate, sweating, nausea, and other physical reactions.

Social Anxiety- Anxiety towards social or performance situations. People with social anxiety worry about how others will perceive them or their actions, which often causes them to avoid social situations.

Separation Anxiety Disorder- A disorder commonly seen in children (while still possible to occur in adulthood) in which an individual has anxiety about being separated from people they have an attachment towards.

PTSD

A type of anxiety disorder caused by experiencing, or witnessing a traumatic event. PTSD stands for “post-traumatic stress disorder.” In the World Wars it was known as “shell shock” and “combat fatigue” among the soldiers. Can be caused by a variety of things, such as war, death of a loved one, violence, abuse of any kind, natural disasters, car accidents, etc. Not everyone who goes through something traumatic develops PTSD though, as everyone’s brain works and processes things differently. PTSD includes symptoms of nightmares, flashbacks, body memories, etc.

C-PTSD or “Complex-PTSD” is a specific type of PTSD. This disorder occurs when trauma is long-lasting and repeating.

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are a group of disorders characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviors as a way to alter one’s weight and/or physical appearance.

Common types of eating disorders include:

Anorexia Nervosa- Individuals who struggle with this disorder often restrict their calorie or food intake, or carefully manage what they eat as a means to lose weight. Some people may also purge through the use of laxatives or self-induced vomiting, may over-exercise, and/or may binge eat. The distinction between “atypical” and “typical” anorexia is harmful and unnecessary as both are dangerous and cause the same amount of psychological as well as medical damage.

Bulimia Nervosa- A disorder in which an individual binge eats, or consumes large amounts of food in a short period of time, followed by purging.

BED (Binge-Eating Disorder)- A person with this disorder consumes large quantities of food in a small period of time, often to the point of discomfort, and experiences negative emotions in regards to it afterwards. These emotions include shame, guilt, or distress.

EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified)- When an individual meets many, but not all, of the diagnostic criteria of anorexia and bulimia.

DID

DID or Dissociative Identity Disorder is a disorder caused by repeated childhood trauma before the age of 7-9, which is when a child’s ego state is supposed to integrate but is unable to do so due to this disorder. It is described as the presence of two or more dissociative identities, or alters, with amnesia between them. People with this disorder are known as “systems” and alters are all individual identities. Previously known as MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder) until 1994, DID affects approximately 1% of the population worldwide.

OSDD (Otherwise Specified Dissociative Disorder), previously known as DDNOS (Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified) until the DSM-5’s release in 2013, is a disorder therapists may diagnosis when a patient experiences distressing dissociative symptoms that impair daily functioning, but don’t meet the full criteria for another dissociative disorder. OSDD-1 is a dissociative disorder that serves as a catch-all for individuals with symptoms that do not perfectly align with diagnostic criteria for another dissociative disorder.

The two types of OSDD-1 are:

OSDD-1a- A type of dissociative disorder in which alters are present but less distinguished and cannot “front” (take control of the body), but can passively influence one another. Amnesia is also present.

OSDD-1b- Distinct alters are present, can front, but there is no reported amnesia.

Other types of OSDD are:

OSDD-2- Derealization (feeling as though reality, or one’s surroundings aren’t real) without depersonalization (feeling disconnected from one’s body, thoughts, mind, memories, etc).

OSDD-3, OSDD-4, OSDD-5- Similar to DID symptoms, but due to brainwashing, dissociative trace, Ganser syndrome, etc.

OSDD-6- A dissociative disorder in which symptoms are unclear.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a condition in which extreme mood swings with acute highs and drastic lows occur. This condition was known as manic depression until 1980. A manic episode is when a person with bipolar experiences increased euphoria, motivation, and hyperactivity, a decreased need for sleep, and oftentimes experiences feelings of being “godlike” or invincible. Manic episodes can also lead to impulsive behavior.

There are two types of bipolar disorder:

Bipolar I- At least one manic episode has occurred, with hypomanic and major depressive episodes occurring as well.

Bipolar II- At least one depressive episode and hypomanic episode. but a manic episode has never occurred.

OCD

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a disorder in which a person gets stuck in a pattern of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are intrusive thoughts that trigger negative feelings that are intense and distressing. Compulsions are behaviors that a person with OCD partakes in to control these intrusive thoughts, or manage their distress. OCD is beyond just wanting to be clean or needing everything to be symmetrical- it is an exhausting disorder that negatively impacts one’s daily life.

ADHD

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, and is characterized by symptoms of hyperactivity, difficulty paying attention, and impulsivity, all of which impact an individual negatively in two or more settings. ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) was a term used to describe individuals with symptoms of ADHD minus the hyperactivity, but as of the release of the DSM-5, it is an outdated term.

Body Dysmorphia

This is a mental health disorder in which a person fixates on a flaw in their appearance to the point where it is distressing and may cause a person to avoid social situations. Oftentimes this flaw seems minor, or even nonexistent to others, but to a person with body dysmorphia, it is anxiety-inducing.

Gender Dysphoria

Severe psychological distress due to an incongruence between one’s gender identity and their sex assigned at birth. Seen in lots of transgender individuals, but not all.

Psychotic Disorders

A kind of mental health disorder that impacts one’s mind and mode of thinking. These disorders often cause a disconnect from reality.

Types of psychotic disorders include:

Schizophrenia- A person with schizophrenia experiences changes in behavior, hallucinations, and delusions, all lasting longer than 6 months. These symptoms often affect the person in their daily life or relationships.

Schizoaffective Disorder- Symptoms of both schizophrenia and a mood disorder can be an indicator of schizoaffective disorder.

Delusional Disorder- A disorder in which an individual experiences a delusion (a belief that is held, but false) involving a real-life situation that isn’t true. Examples are: being followed, having a disease, and being plotted against. This delusion must be at least one month long. The five primary types of delusions are: mood or atmosphere, perception, memory, ideas, or awareness.

Personality Disorders

A personality disorder is a type of mental health disorder where an unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning, and behaving occurs. This causes significant problems in an individual's life.

Types of personality disorders include:

BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder)- A mental health disorder with symptoms of: intense fear of abandonment, a pattern of unstable intense relationships, distorted sense of self/identity, dissociation, impulsive and risky behavior, suicidal threats or threats of self-harm, intense mood swings, inappropriate anger, and chronic emptiness.

ASPD (Antisocial Personality Disorder)- A disorder identified by patterns of disregarding or violating other’s emotions or wellbeing. A person with ASPD may not conform to societal norms, may lie or manipulate others, or act impulsively.

NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder)- A pattern of demands for admiration and/or a lack of empathy for others. A person with this personality disorder may view themselves as superior, expect to be worshipped or treated as above all else, or feel entitled to whatever their heart desires.

Avoidant Personality Disorder- A disorder characterized by being extremely shy, sensitivity to criticism, poor self-esteem, and feeling anxiety towards the way they are perceived.

OCPD (Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder)- Similar to OCD, as both have obsessions with rituals, habits, and cleanliness, but distinctly different. OCPD is a pattern of absorption in cleanliness, control, perfection, and schedules.

Paranoid Personality Disorder- A disorder in which a person is suspicious of others and their motives, seeing them as evil or bad. A person with this disorder may believe people are out to get them, or hurt them, or lie to them, and may avoid confiding in others due to this paranoia.

Histrionic Personality Disorder- A pattern of attention seeking and strong emotions. A person with this disorder will take extreme measures to be the center of attention, such as alter their appearance or act out.

Schizoid Personality Disorder- A pattern of detachment from social relationships, and difficulty expressing emotion. A person with schizoid personality disorder often chooses to be alone, and doesn’t care what others' views on them are.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder- People with this disorder have a pattern of being uncomfortable in close relationships. have distorted thinking, or eccentric behavior. They may behave in ways that seem strange or believe odd things.

Substance Use Disorder/Drug Addiction

Substance Use Disorder is a disease that impacts a person mentally and physically, and affects nearly 21 million Americans. Drug addiction happens when a person is unable to control their use of a drug due to a variety of reasons, despite the harm it causes.

Conduct Disorder

A serious disorder in which a child/teen displays a pattern of disruptive or violent behavior, and has trouble obeying rules.

SOURCES:

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/depression#types-of-depression

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-complex-ptsd-2797491

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/eating-disorders/what-are-eating-disorders

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/anorexia

https://www.healthline.com/health/bulimia-nervosa

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/bed

https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/our-services/eating-disorders/what-is-an-eating-disorder/eating-disorder-symptoms/eating-disorder-not-otherwise-specified-ednos-symptoms

https://www.isst-d.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Fact-Sheet-IV-What-Are-the-Dissociative-Disorders_-1.pdf

https://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/dissociative-identity-disorder/dissociative-identity-disorder-did-statistics-and-facts

https://did-research.org/comorbid/dd/osdd_udd/did_osdd

https://plurality-dictionary.fandom.com/wiki/OSDD-1a

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other_specified_dissociative_disorder

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955

https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/diagnosis.html

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/add-adhd/difference-between-add-adhd

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/body-dysmorphic-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353938

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/gender-dysphoria/what-is-gender-dysphoria

https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/guide/mental-health-psychotic-disorders

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/delusions-types

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/personality-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20354463

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/borderline-personality-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20370237

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/personality-disorders/what-are-personality-disorders

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/drug-addiction/symptoms-causes/syc-20365112

https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/addiction-statistics/

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-conduct-disorder

also damn if you read all of this, hope ur ok lol

i literally just wrote this for fun in four hrs bc im hyperfixating on researching mental health disorders rn.

[chaotic-queer-disaster]

anyway Things That Count:

autism

ADHD

anxiety disorders such as phobias, OCD, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety

major depression, dysthymia/persistent depression, and other depressive disorders

bipolar disorder

psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective, delusional disorder, and other things that include psychosis

personality disorders

Depersonalization/Derealization disorder, DID, OSDD, etc

PTSD and C-PTSD

addictions

anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and many other EDs

intellectual disability

learning disabilities like dyslexia, dyscalculia, etc

epilepsy

tourette's

down syndrome

And More ! i have a very bad memory so i don't remember every mental disorder to ever exist, but literally. if there is something wrong or Funky going on in your brain. if you have ANY mental illness, mental disorder, mental disability, or mental condition. congrats you're neurodivergent

it makes me sad to see so many non-ADHD allistic neurodivergent people be shocked when they find out they do in fact "count" as neurodivergent (or even autistic or adhd people who are shocked to find out their other things Count as neurodivergent) bc they have been convinced by online communities that only ADHD and autism (and maybe anxiety) are neurodivergencies