Mental health disorders can be difficult to understand. In this section, The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center provides brief overviews of some mental illnesses we treat most often. While you will always have something more to learn about the mental health disorder you or your family member is living with, these brief primers will help answer some of your questions and foster greater understanding.
Knowledge and understanding are critical cornerstones to successful recovery from mental health disorders. We hope these pages will be helpful both to people living with mental illnesses and their families. One of our most important objectives in providing these overviews is to increase awareness about mental illnesses, particularly those we are well-equipped to treat.
Below is a list of diagnoses we commonly treat and associated links that provide more robust information on each. If you have any questions about our mental health treatment programs and how we might approach each patient, please do not hesitate to contact us.
A person with an anxiety disorder often finds that their anxiety interferes with everyday life. They may experience chronic anxiety that never seems to leave them and doesn’t have a specific cause. Treatment is always the best way to understand and manage an anxiety disorder. We employ several therapeutic interventions and treatment methods that have proven effective.
Learn MoreDepression can take the color out of life, affecting relationships, school, career, recreation, and hobbies. Depending on the type, it can make you more likely to encounter legal issues or take unnecessary risks. Someone living with depression will usually find their symptoms disrupt daily life. We have proven therapeutic interventions and treatment methods for most cases of depression.
Learn MoreBipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes dramatic changes in mood, emotions, and the ability to think clearly. Someone with bipolar disorder will experience alternating periods of mania and depression. These periods often disrupt daily life, making relationships, work, and school difficult. With proper treatment, patients with Bipolar Disorder can live happy, rewarding, and productive lives.
Learn MoreSchizophrenia is a mental illness that’s widely misunderstood. Many know that hallucinations and delusions are common features of the disease but know little about this disorder. Schizophrenia disrupts a person’s ability to think, manage emotions, socialize, and make decisions. It is complex in many ways. The symptoms can vary widely from person to person, though they always share some commonalities. Schizophrenia can be successfully managed with careful adherence to a treatment plan.
Learn MoreObsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder in which people experience recurrent thoughts and feelings called obsessions. These thoughts drive them to perform repetitive behaviors or rituals called compulsions. These thoughts and behaviors amount to a disorder because they can significantly interfere with a person’s daily living and relationships. Persistent thoughts or repetitive behaviors are not the sole domain of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Learn MorePost-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a disorder that develops because of one or more traumatic experiences. PTSD can interfere with relationships, work, school, sleep, and physical health. The symptoms can be dramatic and appear when you least expect them. You or your loved one do not have to face the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder alone. We can do a great deal to help you overcome this condition and live a more peaceful and pleasurable life.
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