{"id":38337,"date":"2026-08-11T09:41:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T04:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=38337"},"modified":"2026-08-11T09:41:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T04:41:59","slug":"never-been-able-to-make-progress-32-extremely-difficult-disorders-for-mental-health-professionals-to-treat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=38337","title":{"rendered":"\u201cNever Been Able To Make Progress\u201d: 32 Extremely Difficult Disorders For Mental Health Professionals To Treat"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/topics\/mental-health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener \" class=\" staff-link\">Mental health<\/a> is something that many of us take for granted. If you wake up every morning ready to take on the day without worrying about how others perceive you, how many calories are in your breakfast, or whether or not it\u2019s safe to walk out the door, count your blessings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s no question that struggling with a serious mental health issue can take a huge toll on someone\u2019s life. But it can also be difficult for the health care <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/worst-mental-hospital-worker-experiences\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener \" class=\" staff-link\">providers<\/a> trying to treat these disorders. Mental health experts on Reddit have recently been <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\" staff-link\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">discussing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the most challenging, treatment-resistant conditions they\u2019ve faced in their practices, so we\u2019ve gathered a list of their insights below. We hope that these stories will remind you to prioritize your wellbeing, and be sure to upvote the responses that teach you something new.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042615\">\n<p id=\"11042615\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat8-6a79829e01617__700.jpg\" alt=\"A woman in a beige outfit sitting on the floor with her head down, highlighting the difficulty of treating mental health disorders.\" title=\"A woman in a beige outfit sitting on the floor with her head down, highlighting the difficulty of treating mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">Based on my professional experience, treating eating disorders can be very tricky. The disorder is very competitive by nature and can be worsened by people expressing concern for them. The disease tells the brain that getting sicker means they\u2019re succeeding. It has incredibly high mortality rates and insurance (USA) is often reluctant to treat it. It requires a lot of specialized training for good reason.<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p24bwal\/\" target=\"_blank\"> literal9 <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/a-woman-in-beige-sports-bra-5770724\/\" target=\"_blank\"> cottonbro studio \/ Pexels <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-1\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042621\">\n<p id=\"11042621\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat14-6a7982fad8ca9__700.jpg\" alt=\"An older man with his head in his hands over a photo album, depicting emotional distress from mental health disorders.\" title=\"An older man with his head in his hands over a photo album, depicting emotional distress from mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"907\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">Alzheimer\u2019s with behaviors is extremely difficult. When they reach advanced dementia, they have terrible memory especially of recent events. They can forget their own name and no longer recognize their own living space or anyone around them. \u201cWith behaviors\u201d means they tend to be defiant and contrary rather than cooperative so it is extremely difficult to get them to do anything even for their own wellbeing. Simple tasks like getting them to eat, bathe, and toilet is challenging sometimes. You cannot reason with them.<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p231yyv\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Wonderful_Low_89 <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/an-elderly-man-looking-at-a-photo-album-8057029\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Pavel Danilyuk \/ Pexels <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-7\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042622\">\n<p id=\"11042622\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat2-6a79830c4a3eb__700.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with glasses crying and holding her head, reflecting the struggles with mental health disorders.\" title=\"A woman with glasses crying and holding her head, reflecting the struggles with mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"472\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">I\u2019m a therapist and honestly for me it\u2019s chronic depression. all of the things that would help with being depressed are too difficult for people with chronic depression to find the motivation for, and upkeeping positive habits is constant. medication is a band-aid and honestly just numbs some people even more. it\u2019s really hard to treat people who believe to their core there is no point and can\u2019t find joy in life, and i really wish there was more i could do for them.<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p2554t0\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Gullible-Spare-749 <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/person-crying-beside-bed-owBcefxgrIE\" target=\"_blank\"> Claudia Wolff \/ Unsplash <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-8\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix text-block \"> <span id=\"list-text-3\"><\/p>\n<p>We all know that mental health professionals do not have an easy job. Working with patients who struggle with a wide range of issues means that every day can be different, but it can take months, or even years, before some patients start to progress. And while it\u2019s impossible for experts to come to a consensus on one specific disorder that is the hardest to treat, there are a few that tend to come up in these kinds of conversations.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/rockymountainrelationaltherapy.com\/what-is-the-most-difficult-disorder-to-treat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\" staff-link\">Rocky Mountain Relational Therapy<\/a>, borderline personality disorder is notorious for being extremely difficult to treat. This is due to the emotional intensity of the patient, as well as their fear of abandonment. They will often be impulsive, which may make them unpredictable. And they will struggle to trust others, including their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/things-therapist-said-wont-forget\/\" class=\" staff-link\">therapist<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/span> <\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042651\">\n<p id=\"11042651\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat4-6a7988d9ab059__700.jpg\" alt=\"A man with a beard sits on the floor, holding his head in his hands, depicting the struggle with mental health disorders.\" title=\"A man with a beard sits on the floor, holding his head in his hands, depicting the struggle with mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"404\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">Personality disorders can be incredibly challenging to work with, but antisocial PD combined with a victim complex in particular is quite tough. Many clients have a trail of people they\u2019ve hurt behind them with no acknowledgement that they did anything wrong. Rather, they believe they were the ones who were wronged, and when confronted with reality can cycle through every possible excuse, explanation, etc. to attempt to flip the script back in their favour. You can \u201cget to know\u201d a client who realistically does not exist, you simply know their \u201ctherapy persona\u201d. If you discover this and attempt to deconstruct it, severe anger emerges. Incongruence is constant for these clients. How can you treat someone who is completely unwilling to entertain the idea that they may not be the victim?<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p27oxrf\/\" target=\"_blank\"> ifearbears <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/a-depressed-mature-man-alone-in-darkness-mental-health-concept-rEI9U_q1TTY\" target=\"_blank\"> Getty Images \/ Unspalsh <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-37\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042616\">\n<p id=\"11042616\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat32-6a79b1e44f9f7__700.jpg\" alt=\"A person climbing a ladder in a room filled with books, representing the vast knowledge required to understand mental health disorders.\" title=\"A person climbing a ladder in a room filled with books, representing the vast knowledge required to understand mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"807\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">Putting organic brain issues like dementia and TBI aside, hoarding, somatization, and stalking are always very difficult. In my 10 years of experience I would say those are the clients I saw make the least progress.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Even my clients with intractable delusional disorder will be able to make positive adjustments in their lives while still living within their delusional system.<\/p>\n<p>I have never been able to make progress with clients with hoarding, somatization (hypochondria), and stalking disorders. I think it\u2019s just the nature of how the illness presents itself. Not only is the client lacking insight, but the more skills and reality checks you try to do, the more they grasp onto the problem.<\/p>\n<p>But then also every therapist has their strengths and weaknesses so it could just be me. <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p23ueyj\/\" target=\"_blank\"> SweetPickleRelish <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/man-on-a-ladder-and-a-heap-of-books-in-a-container-8826970\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Josefina \/ Pexels <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-2\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042617\">\n<p id=\"11042617\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat7-6a798854e46ba__700.jpg\" alt=\"A man and a woman in a therapy session, discussing mental health disorders and their treatment difficulties.\" title=\"A man and a woman in a therapy session, discussing mental health disorders and their treatment difficulties.\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">Personality disorders (particularly BPD, NPD, and ASPD) because they can significantly complicate the therapeutic relationship, which is often one of the most important components of successful treatment.<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p2439g1\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Greasy007 <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/a-man-and-a-woman-sitting-on-a-couch-talking-V9sHuZ11lmk\" target=\"_blank\"> Hrant Khachatryan <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-3\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix text-block \"> <span id=\"list-text-6\"><\/p>\n<p>Many professionals also noted that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Keys-Recovery-Eating-Disorder-Therapeutic\/dp\/0393706958?tag=vilofjoy-20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\" staff-link\">eating disorders<\/a> are extremely difficult to treat. This is due to many factors, including that patients often refuse to acknowledge that they have a problem. If they won\u2019t accept help, treatment is never going to work. Eating disorders are also triggered constantly, as we all have to eat multiple times a day. You can\u2019t simply avoid what makes you anxious if you\u2019re struggling with one.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also common for those battling an eating disorder to become extremely competitive and to feel like they\u2019re succeeding as they become sicker and sicker. Especially with anorexia, a patient\u2019s brain will trick them into believing that they always need to lose more weight, even when they\u2019re on the brink of losing their life. Unfortunately, these disorders can also fly under people\u2019s radar, as weight loss and healthy eating are typically praised in society.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/span> <\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042618\">\n<p id=\"11042618\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat6-6a7982e68666d__700.jpg\" alt=\"A woman scratching her arm in bed, symbolizing the uncomfortable symptoms of mental health disorders.\" title=\"A woman scratching her arm in bed, symbolizing the uncomfortable symptoms of mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">As an infectious disease doctor &#8211; delusional parasitosis is such a challenging disorder. Quite difficult to get anywhere with a patient when they are convinced there is some external reason for their internal sensations. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>I have very rarely felt truly threatened or in physical danger in my 10+ years as a doctor &#8211; but almost every time has been in an encounter with a delusional parasitosis patient. <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p24gsh7\/\" target=\"_blank\"> _m0ridin_ <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/asian-young-woman-scratch-hand-feel-suffer-from-allergy-while-sleeping-beautiful-attractive-girl-lying-on-bed-in-bedroom-suffering-from-itching-arm-skin-allergic-reaction-to-insect-bites-dermatitis-XrEoACK738w\" target=\"_blank\"> Getty Images \/ Unsplash <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-4\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042626\">\n<p id=\"11042626\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat1-6a798522ef31b__700.jpg\" alt=\"A woman crying with her face in her hands during a therapy session, highlighting mental health disorders.\" title=\"A woman crying with her face in her hands during a therapy session, highlighting mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">There\u2019s a lot of good insight in this thread, all of which I agree with, so I\u2019m going to throw in something I haven\u2019t seen yet. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Dependent personality disorder. <\/p>\n<p>A pillar for mental health\/helping professionals is empowering clients to make decisions for themselves, often centring clients as the \u201cexperts of their situation.\u201d Often times we see clients who, for whatever reason only they truly understand, are not in a place where they can engage with your help(or help in general). In those instances, you\/your organization might have policy in place that helps them transition out or at least gives them space. These policies help prevent burnout, as it can get pretty exhausting pouring yourself into someone who\u2019s not ready to receive that energy. <\/p>\n<p>But what happens when you encounter someone who is ready to receive help, but is pathologically unable to adhere to the expected ways of how adults care for themselves, and almost compulsively unable to respect professional and social boundaries. <\/p>\n<p>We go into these professions because we want to help people- within professional boundaries. But often the familiarity created in these relationships makes it easy for a professional to accidentally over extend themselves. People with DPD unintentionally exploit this, especially if a professional is newer and hasn\u2019t had the opportunity to grow their professional backbone. <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve worked with plenty of people with borderline personality disorder, but it was only during working with someone with a mix of Karen tendencies and dependent personality disorder did I start reworking my resume and shopping around for other opportunities. The constant texts and calls, the guilt trips, the inability to give any inch because they will take 100 miles, the time wasted focusing on helping problem solve a simple issue, and the emotional labour required throughout. <\/p>\n<p>This person burnt out several professionals and peer volunteers, because it is very difficult to transition someone out of your care who is consistently showing up and requesting more help. It\u2019s a hard ethical justification, so it\u2019s easier to walk away for a different opportunity, or go on stress leave.<\/p>\n<p>For a professionals mental health, it\u2019s also disheartening to get to the point where you can\u2019t take it anymore, so you just hot potato this individual to the next unsuspecting service provider; but sometimes that\u2019s the only ethical way to preserve your ability to show up for your clients and the people in your personal life. <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p25460b\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Commercial-Durian-31 <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.magnific.com\/free-photo\/accompaniment-abortion-process_31260222.htm#fromView=search&amp;page=2&amp;position=3&amp;uuid=327fe434-72fa-460b-90f6-3786e2bebeb0&amp;track=ais_hybrid&amp;query=ocd\" target=\"_blank\"> magnific \/ Magnific <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-12\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042631\">\n<p id=\"11042631\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat12-6a798419614a0__700.jpg\" alt=\"A man with a beard looking frustrated, hands near his head, representing the challenges of mental health disorders.\" title=\"A man with a beard looking frustrated, hands near his head, representing the challenges of mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"908\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">Alzheimer&#8217;s. It was both frustrating and heartbreaking. Client I worked with would get extremely angry and upset at all the staff and tell us we kidnapped her. An hour later she&#8217;d be crying saying her children are trying to help her and acknowledging this is a metal health facility. She tried to hit the chef multiple times for various small reasons, but also at times would be extremely sweet. It&#8217;s horrific to watch them regress in real time.<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p24iaaj\/\" target=\"_blank\"> TiaNightingale <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/angry-man-sitting-7927030\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Nicola Barts \/ Pexels <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-17\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix text-block \"> <span id=\"list-text-9\"><\/p>\n<p>We know that this isn\u2019t the most fun article to read, pandas, but we hope that it\u2019s providing you with a new perspective on some of these mental health conditions. Battling one can be absolute hell, but it\u2019s always worth it to seek treatment and recover from (or at least manage) your symptoms. Keep upvoting the replies that stand out to you, and if you\u2019d like to read another article from Bored Panda discussing medical issues that are notoriously hard to treat, look no further than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/medical-issues-worse-than-people-realize\/\" class=\" staff-link\">right here<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/span> <\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042632\">\n<p id=\"11042632\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat5-6a7983c7ea1ee__700.jpg\" alt=\"A man sitting on a sofa, clutching his stomach, illustrating physical symptoms related to mental health disorders difficult to treat.\" title=\"A man sitting on a sofa, clutching his stomach, illustrating physical symptoms related to mental health disorders difficult to treat.\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">I have a difficult time with patients with chronic pain or chronic body dysfunction. They will come to therapy and try to work with me, but they will also stick to medicine hoping for the one saving procedure\/medication\/surgery. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>That and obsessive thinking. <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p243rza\/\" target=\"_blank\"> AlexanderPerchov <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/young-african-man-holding-his-stomach-in-pain-man-with-reflux-disease-holding-his-belly-with-painful-expression-S7du0lrZtPw\" target=\"_blank\"> Getty Images \/ Unsplash <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-18\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042633\">\n<p id=\"11042633\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat13-6a7983e6b12fd__700.jpg\" alt=\"A person touching a foggy mirror, reflecting a blurred face, illustrating the complex nature of mental health disorders.\" title=\"A person touching a foggy mirror, reflecting a blurred face, illustrating the complex nature of mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"340\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">Schizoaffective disorder is a really hard one as well. The meds stink, the dx is complex, the differential is hard to approach and you truly have the worst of two worlds: Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia. Edited to say- you have some of the most difficult symptoms from each of the above diagnoses.<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p255moz\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Fleur921 <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/man-looking-in-a-foggy-mirror-9891337\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Nicol\u00e1s Langellotti \/ Pexels <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-19\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042663\">\n<p id=\"11042663\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat10-6a79891518a17__700.jpg\" alt=\"Woman expressing concern during a conversation, highlighting challenges in treating mental health disorders.\" title=\"Woman expressing concern during a conversation, highlighting challenges in treating mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">Clients who have spontaneous confabulations (false memories that they believe to be true) are very difficult to work with. they will often become paranoid of those around them and lack insight into their condition. these are usually people who have korsakoff\u2019s syndrome or an ABI.<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p27jt10\/\" target=\"_blank\"> lacifx <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/sad-woman-looking-at-anonymous-woman-during-conflict-6382705\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Liza Summer <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-48\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042676\">\n<p id=\"11042676\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat11-6a79894dd7001__700.jpg\" alt=\"A woman cries while looking in a mirror, reflecting on the challenges of treating mental health disorders.\" title=\"A woman cries while looking in a mirror, reflecting on the challenges of treating mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"756\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">The saddest i\u2019ve ever been for a client was meeting a 19 year old who has \u201creality monitoring\u201d issues. basically she can\u2019t tell the difference between her dreams\/imagination\/memories and the real world. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>for instance yesterday she was upset because she remembered her senior year of highschool she didn\u2019t see her friend. to her &#8211; that was real life, happening right now. <\/p>\n<p>imagine having to relive the bad moments of your life in 4k, to the point it takes over whats actually happening in front of you. <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p29l7v1\/\" target=\"_blank\"> CommunistBarabbas <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/grayscale-photo-of-a-sad-woman-looking-in-the-mirror-12816411\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Maria Clara Alvarenga \/ Pexels <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-61\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042619\">\n<p id=\"11042619\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat29-6a799618197fe__700.jpg\" alt=\"A man looking distressed in a chair next to a mental health provider, illustrating challenges in treating mental health disorders.\" title=\"A man looking distressed in a chair next to a mental health provider, illustrating challenges in treating mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">The disorders that patients are in denial about. It could be any disorder. Examples include a bipolar patient insisting they have ADHD, someone who has a personality disorder they refuse to go to therapy for, people not taking their medications because they feel better (spoiler alert, they felt better because of the medications), patients who think that meds do all the heavy lifting and they don\u2019t have to change anything else, patients who cannot or will not change their environment\/situations contributing to the symptoms so they\u2019re stuck in a loop. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>A lot of patient success isn\u2019t just their medications, it\u2019s their readiness to change and apply that change. If that is lacking, there\u2019s only so much a pill will fix. Then I\u2019m the bad guy when the meds aren\u2019t fixing their broken marriage, trauma history, bad work environment, etc. <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p231ea6\/\" target=\"_blank\"> _pickledpickles <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/worried-man-at-an-appointment-with-a-therapist-8560047\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Timur Weber \/ Pexels <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-5\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042634\">\n<p id=\"11042634\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat3-6a79843b2b778__700.jpg\" alt=\"A woman on a couch looking distressed, talking to a mental health provider, highlighting mental health disorders.\" title=\"A woman on a couch looking distressed, talking to a mental health provider, highlighting mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">The hardest for me to treat isn\u2019t necessarily any particular disorder, but people who don\u2019t want to be in therapy and aren\u2019t ready or willing to open up. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Besides that, I treat eating disorders, and they are particularly difficult to treat, and personality disorders can be difficult, too. <\/p>\n<p>I actually really enjoy working with people who have experienced psychosis (such as in bipolar disorder or schizophrenia) as long as they are properly medicated and have some insight. If they aren\u2019t medicated and don\u2019t have insight, it is very difficult. <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p24s1at\/\" target=\"_blank\"> coldcoffeethrowaway <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/healthcare-concept-of-professional-psychologist-doctor-consult-in-psychotherapy-session-or-counsel-diagnosis-healthdigital-health-concepts-therapy-session-g6XXdHQw4JA\" target=\"_blank\"> Getty Images \/ Unsplash <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-20\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042640\">\n<p id=\"11042640\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat31-6a79968bb2bc3__700.jpg\" alt=\"A woman screaming with pieces of paper flying from her mouth, symbolizing the challenges of mental health disorders.\" title=\"A woman screaming with pieces of paper flying from her mouth, symbolizing the challenges of mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">Borderline personality disorder. The deeply held core beliefs and complex trauma make it very difficult to address and heal. It is not a defect in the individual but childhood programming and trauma that create an identity that is difficult to break away from.<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p26rqrx\/\" target=\"_blank\"> seeshellovesthesea <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/brunette-woman-screaming-next-to-mirror-7670325\/\" target=\"_blank\"> cottonbro studio \/ Pexels <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-26\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042641\">\n<p id=\"11042641\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat15-6a798cd07e961__700.jpg\" alt=\"A woman looking down at an empty plate while holding a knife and fork, representing mental health disorders.\" title=\"A woman looking down at an empty plate while holding a knife and fork, representing mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"908\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">I work in PHP\/IOP eating disorder treatment. High rate of relapse and very tricky but recovery is possible, lots of inner work and finding healthy coping mechanisms. Also many co-occurring alongside the ED like ASD, BPD, ADHD, OCD alongside depression and anxiety. Lack of understanding from many including in the medical community and stigma also complicates recovery. Love my work but it can be challenging.<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p25h9k7\/\" target=\"_blank\"> jjsap06 <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/woman-in-beige-turtleneck-sweater-8455382\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Ron Lach \/ Pexels <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-27\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042645\">\n<p id=\"11042645\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat30-6a7995f499572__700.jpg\" alt=\"Medical professional examining an X-ray, demonstrating the complexities of mental health disorders.\" title=\"Medical professional examining an X-ray, demonstrating the complexities of mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">I\u2019m not a mental health professional, but I work in an adjacent field (I\u2019m a neurologist, mostly research oriented) but my research has lots to do with the mechanics of the brain and mood disorders. <br \/>I followed someone for a year (car accident vic with severe concussion) and borderline personality disorder. <br \/>My close friend was her attending (psychiatrist), so we often shared notes. <br \/>This cocktail of TBI plus BPD was incredibly difficult to treat, extremely difficult to make progress on\u2026 <br \/>I\u2019ve treated a number of people with acute TBI and depression, it makes me wonder about \u201cchicken and egg\u201d.<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p26677v\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Content-Car8811 <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/doctor-looking-at-an-x-ray-image-6129042\/\" target=\"_blank\"> RDNE Stock project \/ Pexels <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-31\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042649\">\n<p id=\"11042649\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat19-6a7994fe68ced__700.jpg\" alt=\"A person with their arm over their face, lying in bed, illustrating the impact of mental health disorders.\" title=\"A person with their arm over their face, lying in bed, illustrating the impact of mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"454\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">The most frustrating for both sides of the treatment might be severe OCD or related conditions (hoarding, health anxiety, body dysmorphic disorder). Eating disorders can be similar and even worse because they&#8217;re more dangerous, but I don&#8217;t deal with severe EDs myself, like the kind that need hospitalization. That sounds nightmarish for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders can be highly disabling but they can be treatable to a great extent with medication. I can&#8217;t prescribe myself but it&#8217;s always seemed to me that medication for the above conditions is more limited in how much it helps.. <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p259ca5\/\" target=\"_blank\"> vayyiqra <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/a-naked-woman-laying-in-bed-with-her-head-on-her-hands-UDayhCIGwMA\" target=\"_blank\"> Daniel Martinez \/ Unsplash <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-35\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042653\">\n<p id=\"11042653\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat25-6a7993a1ead8d__700.jpg\" alt=\"Elderly man pouring a drink, representing coping mechanisms for mental health disorders.\" title=\"Elderly man pouring a drink, representing coping mechanisms for mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"906\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">In my experience <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Long-term solitary confiment + schizophrenia <\/p>\n<p>Long term alcohol\/substance use disorder + schizophrenia<\/p>\n<p>Anorexia <\/p>\n<p>Animal hoarding<\/p>\n<p>Compulsive lying + extreme cognitive dissonance that&#8217;s rare, but not isolated to only one disorder. <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p26g9gz\/\" target=\"_blank\"> heyitspokey <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/a-man-with-gray-hair-pouring-a-drink-into-a-glass-8057089\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Pavel Danilyuk \/ Pexels <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-39\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042667\">\n<p id=\"11042667\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat20-6a79942bca4ca__700.jpg\" alt=\"A blurry figure on a bus, symbolizing the isolation of mental health disorders and the difficulty to treat.\" title=\"A blurry figure on a bus, symbolizing the isolation of mental health disorders and the difficulty to treat.\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">Schizoid-personality disorder. Nothing else comes close simply because the person is, more often that not, so nihilistic and\/or has an affect that is artificially neutral to such a degree that it prevents them from engaging in meaningful work that would improve their life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Important edits: schizoid not schizophrenic. From Wikipedia:<\/p>\n<p>Schizoid personality disorder is a personality disorder characterized by a lack of interest in social relationships, a tendency toward a solitary or sheltered lifestyle, reservedness, emotional coldness, detachment, and apathy. <\/p>\n<p>Very different from the schizophrenias and yes I agree the terminology is confusing. <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p2699zn\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Ultionis_MCP <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/people-sitting-on-other-side-of-moistened-window-HVwLvZYw6O4\" target=\"_blank\"> Pedro Gabriel Miziara \/ Unsplash <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-52\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042687\">\n<p id=\"11042687\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat28-6a7993370cccf__700.jpg\" alt=\"A couple discusses mental health disorders with a provider, highlighting the difficulty in treating them.\" title=\"A couple discusses mental health disorders with a provider, highlighting the difficulty in treating them.\" width=\"605\" height=\"908\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">Individuals that have egosyntonic personality disorders, especially in cases of severe narcissism and antisocial personality disorder. In all other cases, the patient is experiencing emotional distress and wishes for it to end. When it comes to egosyntonic disorders, the patient believes that he or she is completely right and that other people are the reason for this condition. He or she rarely seeks for any treatment without an order of court, employer, or spouse who is threatening to get a divorce because of him\/her. The whole process of therapy involves a lot of openness and trust, but the main characteristic of such disorder is manipulation and fragility of ego, which makes introspection an attempt to ruin one&#8217;s life.<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p28t6jj\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Unique_Ship_950 <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/young-man-and-woman-at-couples-therapy-8559997\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Timur Weber \/ Pexels <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-72\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042647\">\n<p id=\"11042647\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat21-6a79955407fcf__700.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with braided hair has tears streaming down her face, conveying the emotional toll of mental health disorders.\" title=\"A woman with braided hair has tears streaming down her face, conveying the emotional toll of mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"908\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">Because most disorders are on a spectrum, most of them are challenging on the more extreme ends of the spectrum. That being said, one I struggle the most to work with is Borderline Personality Disorder.<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p25blqa\/\" target=\"_blank\"> SvenBubbleman <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/crying-ethnic-woman-with-afro-braids-on-light-background-5699752\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Alex Green \/ Pexels <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-33\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042648\">\n<p id=\"11042648\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat27-6a7992c7a001c__700.jpg\" alt=\"Hands open a pill organizer, showing medication management for treating mental health disorders.\" title=\"Hands open a pill organizer, showing medication management for treating mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"403\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">I am a CNA\/MHW and student nurse at an inpatient psychiatric facility. Any of the more complex disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can be very difficult to treat. Sometimes, we\u2019ll have someone who\u2019s so dysregulated that it takes months of med adjustments and titration to get them back to baseline. Meds unfortunately take their time fully metabolizing into the body, that\u2019s just kinda\u2019 how it is. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Anyway, the truly defeating thing is to know when a patient of yours is going to discharge home and refuse to take their medications. That being said, when you pull someone from the brink, it\u2019s very rewarding. I couldn\u2019t imagine doing anything else. <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p259exa\/\" target=\"_blank\"> slayer_ornstein <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/person-holding-white-rectangular-box-8376161\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Tima Miroshnichenko \/ Pexels <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-34\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042654\">\n<p id=\"11042654\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"image-size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat18-6a7991e0170c6__700.jpg\" alt=\"Young woman crying, illustrating the emotional impact of mental health disorders.\" title=\"Young woman crying, illustrating the emotional impact of mental health disorders.\" width=\"605\" height=\"756\"\/> <span class=\"bordered-description with-image\">Behavioral disorders like Borderline, Antisocial Personality (psychopathy) and Narcissistic personality disorder.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Schiophrenia, Bipolar, hell, even depression and anxiety, can be treated with medications and therapy, if used properly. I work with people who have hallucinations and usually at baseline, always hear something in their head, but only need help when the voices get louder or turn dark, then it&#8217;s time to change around some medications, but that can get real scary really fast. Some self awareness and insight can help protect people against their own delusions.<\/p>\n<p>With personality disorders, the person has to accept they have this issue. Although the causes are not 100% understood, the cause can either be genetic or environmental\/social, the person has to understand they have an issue and be willing to be mindful and willing to change these patterns. <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p25anlt\/\" target=\"_blank\"> perpulstuph <\/a> <span class=\"open-list-submission-source-separator\">, <\/span> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/a-woman-sitting-on-a-couch-holding-a-cell-phone-to-her-ear-wesfYimMzMM\" target=\"_blank\"> Blake Cheek \/ Unsplash <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-40\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042678\">\n<p id=\"11042678\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <span class=\"bordered-description\">I&#8217;m not a clinician and I don&#8217;t &#8220;treat&#8221; people, but work in mental health as a peer worker. I do outreach, which means I&#8217;m sometimes in people&#8217;s homes, and more involved in their day to day life. So I tend to see the struggle they live with more up close than my colleagues who are mental health clinicians.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The most difficult disorder someone had that I supported was animal hording. Just so horrible for everyone involved, especially the animals. It broke my heart and was honestly the first time I felt there wasn&#8217;t hope for someone. The look in the animals eyes still haunt me. <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p294jh3\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Sheilahasaname <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-63\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"open-list-item open-list-block clearfix \" data-submission-id=\"11042680\">\n<p id=\"11042680\" class=\"post-content-description text-open-list\"> <span class=\"bordered-description\">Severe OCD. It starts off with rational fears at the very beginning until it balloons to be larger than anything you could imagine. And it&#8217;s incredibly challenging to break through the psychological spirals folks can have. It can be absolutely debilitating for many. It&#8217;s one of the few diagnoses that being admitted into inpatient treatment has the potential to do more harm than good, so there&#8217;s a lot of risk analysis that has to be done to ensure they&#8217;re getting the right level of care. But what&#8217;s extra challenging is if the OCD is debilitating enough it leads them to having ideation of harming themselves or others. That can happen too.<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"post-bottom-meta-links clearfix \"> <span class=\"sources\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskReddit\/comments\/1vh88bc\/serious_certified_mental_health_providers_what_is\/p27xto3\/\" target=\"_blank\"> PoeticSplat <\/a> <\/span> <span class=\"report\"> <a class=\"open-list-submission-report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat\/javascript:void(0)\" data-href=\"http:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/contact-us\/?report-post=https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reddit-post-16155-65\/\">Report<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"didomi\/javascript\">\nwindow._fbSDKPromise = window._fbSDKPromise || new Promise((resolve, reject) => {\nwindow.fbAsyncInit = function () {\nFB.init({\nappId  : '887842622821495',\nversion: 'v17.0',\nstatus : true,\ncookie : true,\nxfbml  : false\n});\nresolve(FB);\n};\n\/\/ Load SDK only once\nif (!document.getElementById('facebook-jssdk')) {\nconst script = document.createElement('script');\nscript.id = 'facebook-jssdk';\nscript.async = true;\nscript.src = `https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/${BoredPanda.Config.wp_lang}\/sdk.js`;\nscript.onerror = reject;\ndocument.head.appendChild(script);\n}\n});\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mental health is something that many of us take for granted. If you wake up every morning ready to take on the day without worrying about how others perceive you, how many calories are in your breakfast, or whether or not it\u2019s safe to walk out the door, count your blessings. There\u2019s no question that&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38338,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.boredpanda.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/therapists-share-most-difficult-disorders-to-treat-fb.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=38337"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38337\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/38338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}