Psychological Disability: Fact or Fiction?

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=160 BGCOLOR="#333333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="03cdedc2ddualp.png"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D"><U><B>Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id147.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FAQs"><U><B>FAQs</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Dr. Silverman"><U><B>About Dr. Silverman</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id146.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Great links"><U><B>Great links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Mind Reader© archive"><U><B>The Mind Reader© archive</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="03d64643.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#666633" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D</B></FONT>    |     <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D"><U>home</U></A></FONT></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> Psychological Disability: Fact or Fiction?</div> <div> <B>Psychological disability:  Fact of Fiction?</B></div> <bR> <div> <U>By Wade H. Silverman, Ph.D.</U></div> <bR> <div>      Is there such a thing as psychological disability?  Can someone's mind render one incapable of work?  The answer to both questions is yes. </div> <div>      The most frequent form of psychological disability is major depressive disorder.  It  affects approximately 15% of the population at one time or another.  Major depressive disorder is manifested by a number of symptoms including an inability to concentrate, eating disturbances, sleep disturbances, feelings of self-loathing, feelings of sadness, and indecisiveness.  In extreme forms the disorder can lead to suicidal feelings or gestures.  Psychotherapy is essential in accelerating the improvement of this disorder and in decreasing the probability of reoccurrence.  Medication may be required.  By the year 2020, major depressive disorder is expected to be the second leading cause of disability behind heart conditions.  </div> <div>      The most severe form of psychological disability is schizophrenia.  It affects approximately 1% of the population, occurring first between the ages of 13 and 30.  Most scientists believe it is genetically based.  It tends to be a severely debilitative condition causing the sufferer to go in and out of reality.  In most cases the sufferer will need medication for the rest of his/her life and may have several hospitalizations.</div> <div>      Job stress or personal injury may also produce psychological disability, such as phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.  All of these disorders may require psychological treatment, including psychotherapy.</div> <bR> <div>      A thorough psychological evaluation is necessary to determine the type, nature, and degree of psychological disability, and how to treat it appropriately.  This will also help to determine when and if  a person can return to work.  </div> <div> Dr. Wade Silverman operates a private practice of psychology for adults, adolescents and families.  He has also served as an expert witness in competency evaluations, custody evaluations, sexual discrimination claims, and claims of post-traumatic stress disorder.  He is president of the Division of Psychotherapy of the American Psychological Association, and editor of the journal,<I> Psychotherapy: Theory/ Research/ Practice/ Training</I>.  His office is located at 1390 S. Dixie Highway, Ste. 2222, Coral Gables, FL 33146.   </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>