CIT International

Combat and post-traumatic stress disorders are nothing new, but in earlier times, they were given other names - like insanity and melancholia during the Civil War, and combat fatigue during World War II. Last week, General George Casey, the Army's chief of staff, called PTSD the defining military health issue of our era.  Read more of story

Anosognosia - Lack of Insight

Nearly everyone is aware of the problem:  Many people with mental illness deny that they are ill, and therefore refuse treatment. Most people understand the psychological concept of denial, which is a refusal to believe an uncomfortable truth. Who hasn't heard a heavy drinker, eater, smoker, or drug user say, "I can quit any time I want."

 Anosognosia is quite different. It is not simply denial of a problem, but the genuine inability to recognize that the problem exists.  It is a common consequence of brain injuries, and occurs to varying degrees in such disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and Alzheimer's disease.  It is, in fact, a symptom of some disorders.