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CHAPTER13Psychological DisordersBehind the Steel DoorPROLOGUEALTHOUGH IT HAPPENED more than she said flatly, and I pointed in the directionfrom which I had come. “That’s the40 years ago, the memories are stillvivid in my mind. At the time, I had just psychiatric ward down there,” she explained.“Those people are crazy.”turned 13 years old. My dad had gottenvery sick and was hospitalized. He nearly I stared at her for a moment, feelingdied before a diseased kidney wasconfused. Crazy? “But she needs help,” Iremoved, saving his life. Because my junior finally blurted out.high (it wasn’t called middle school then) “That’s why she’s on the psychiatricwas only three blocks from St. Luke’s ward,” the nurse replied calmly. “WhichHospital, I visited him every day after room are you trying to find?”school before going to my paper route. I didn’t answer her. Instead, I walkedLost in my thoughts as I walked through back down the hallway. I took a deepthe maze of dim hospital hallways, I took a breath and tried to slow my heart down aswrong turn. When I got near the end of I approached the steel door. The womanthe hallway, I realized it was a dead end was still there, talking loudly and pacing. Iand started to turn around. That’s when watched her through the wire-reinforcedher voice pierced the silence, screaming in glass for several seconds. She was completelyoblivious to my presence. Then sheagony.“Help me! Fire! Fire! Fire! Please help me!” shouted, “There’s fire! I see fire! Fire! Fire!At first I was startled and confused Fire!”about the direction from which the voice She looked like she was in her early 20s.was coming. Then I saw a panic-stricken Her face looked gaunt, dirty, her hairface against the small wire-reinforced windowof a steel door. I ran to the door and circles under her deep-set eyes, her pupilsstringy and unkempt. I remember the darktried to open it, but it was locked.dilated with sheer, raw panic.“Help me, somebody! Fire! Fire! Fire!” “Listen to me, there’s no fire,” I finallyshe screamed again.said loudly, tapping on the glass, trying to“I’ll get help!” I said loudly through the get her attention.door, but she didn’t seem to see or hear “Help me, please,” she sobbed, movingme. My heart racing, I ran back down the closer to the door.dim hallway to a nurses’ station.“My name is Don,” I tried to say calmly,“There’s a woman who needs help! tapping on the glass again. “Listen to me,There’s a fire!” I excitedly explained to a there’s no fire.”nurse.That’s when two attendants came, oneBut instead of summoning help, the male, one female. They spoke to her fornurse looked at me with what can only be several seconds, then stood quietly, waitingdescribed as disdain. “Which hallway?” for her to respond. When they tried to>Chapter Outline• Prologue: Behind the Steel Door• Introduction: Understanding PsychologicalDisordersCRITICAL THINKING: Are Peoplewith a Mental Illness as Violent asthe Media Portray Them?• Anxiety Disorders: Intense Apprehensionand Worry• Mood Disorders: Emotions GoneAwryCRITICAL THINKING: Does SmokingCause Depression and OtherPsychological Disorders?• Eating Disorders: Anorexia andBulimia• Personality Disorders: MaladaptiveTraits• The Dissociative Disorders: Fragmentationof the Self• Schizophrenia: A Different RealityFOCUS ON NEUROSCIENCE: TheHallucinating BrainCULTURE AND HUMANBEHAVIOR: Travel Advisory: TheJerusalem SyndromeFOCUS ON NEUROSCIENCE: Schizophrenia:A Wildfire in the Brain• Closing ThoughtsENHANCING WELL-BEING WITHPSYCHOLOGY: Understanding andHelping to Prevent Suicide• Chapter Review529