Remember that kid at school who constantly seemed to be causing some sort of mayhem. Maybe he would bully other kids, maybe he would destroy school property or perhaps he would even break into people’s homes. All of these behaviours are potential indicators of someone who has conduct disorder. So what is conduct disorder?

We are thinking all the time but how often do we take time out to really think about and reflect on our thoughts? How they are affecting our moods, our behaviours and our relationships? Cognitive distortions refer to irrational and illogical thought processes that our mind uses to reinforce negative thinking. So what are they?

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a narcissist? Perhaps someone manipulative, selfish, unfeeling or vain. We may picture these people as those who may be more likely to commit crimes or atrocities, cheat on their partners or use people for their own selfish motives. We often despise these people, we avoid them, and we certainly don’t want to be anything like them … or do we?

At first glance, depression and anxiety may appear to be at total opposite ends of the spectrum. When we think of depression we envision somebody who doesn’t have the motivation to do anything, who feels hopeless, flat or is completely withdrawn from society. On the other hand when we think of anxiety we often envision somebody who is constantly on edge, agitated and worried about everything … so how could these two possibly be connected?

When we hear of particularly violent or disturbing crimes such as that of mass murder or rape we often label these people as ‘psychopaths’ or ‘sociopaths’. We tend to use these words interchangeably, but what do they really mean?

Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic and often debilitating mental illness, which can produce a number of difficulties in a number of life domains. Adding to this complexity is the stigma and misconceptions surrounding it, often leading these people to be discriminated against. So let’s take a look at six common myths about schizophrenia and the facts behind them.

When we’ve got a cold we will rest up, we’ll make ourselves a cup of tea and maybe take some cold and flu tablets. When we sprain an ankle we’ll ice it and prop it up with a pillow. But what do we do when we are feeling lonely? When there is no one in our lives … friends or family … who really understand us or the way that we feel.

Imagine sitting at your desk at work, it’s just another day at your 9-5 job. You’ve checked your emails and you’re about to move on to your first project of the day when out of the blue your heart begins racing, you start hyperventilating, you feel dizzy and your entire body begins to tremble. You somehow manage to make your way to the bathroom because you feel as if you might throw up but by the time you get there the sensations have ceased. This scenario is not uncommon by any stretch of the imagination and for people who have panic disorder it can be a regular occurrence.