Internalizing disorder

An internalizing disorder, also spelled internalising disorder, is one type of emotional and behavioral disorder, set alongside externalizing disorders and lower incidence disorders. People with an internalizing disorder keep their problems to themselves rather than acting them out. The behaviors most apparent in such people include depression, withdrawal, anxiety and loneliness, along with poor self-esteem, suicidal behaviors or thoughts, declining academic progress and social withdrawal, and unexplained physical symptoms can also appear as the internalized problems grow into larger burdens. In the DSM-5 framing the article describes, the internalizing disorders, marked by high levels of negative affectivity, include depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, trauma and stressor-related disorders and dissociative disorders. Treatments named include antidepressants, electroconvulsive therapy and psychotherapy.