Mental Health

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) impacts a person’s abilities to interpret sensory information such as touch, movement or whether or not two shapes look the same. Individuals with SPD may demonstrate motor or perceptual deficits, sensitivities to stimuli or behavioral problems…
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Millions rely on sleeping aids and pills to get to sleep, but these aids can be harmful to health in the long term. Consequently, homeopathy and other holistic, complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) for sleep have blossomed in the United…
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Overview Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful conditions, such as preparing to take a test, tense situations at work or concerns about family. Anxiety becomes a disorder when worries become excessive and irrational about everyday situations. Panic or anxiety…
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Overview The number of men and women who suffer from some form of depression is unknown since scientists speculate that many sufferers don’t come forward and are never diagnosed. For those who do struggle with depression, it is a confusing…
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The human brain weighs only three pounds but is estimated to have about 100 billion cells, according to the clinical neuropsychologist Glen Johnson in his book “The Traumatic Brain Injury Survival Guide.” As with other organs in the body, each…
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Overview Everyone experiences stress and anxiety. You might feel anxious when you charge something on your credit card, when your teenage daughter goes on her first date or when your car breaks down. That’s completely normal. However, it’s not normal…
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1. Gather Information The best way to battle bulimia is by learning as much about the disorder as possible. Learn who it affects and make sure you’re not at risk for it. If you happen to be bulimic, gathering information…
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According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (or GAD) afflicts approximately 6.8 million adults (3.1 percent) in the United States each year. The diagnostic criteria include chronic, excessive worry and an inability to stop worrying once…
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1. Behavior Modification You can have some control of the frequency of narcoleptic episodes by changing certain behaviors, particularly those surrounding your sleep pattern. Make it a top priority to get ample sleep each night. As a rule, get at…
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As unique as each individual is, so is her potential presentation of early schizophrenic signs. If some of the more bizarre delusions, hallucinations and behavior begin early and happen overtly enough, schizophrenia may be recognizable earlier rather than after full…
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Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that involves multiple disturbances in functioning. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 100 people worldwide has schizophrenia. This illness prevents sufferers from performing necessary activities of daily living such as…
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1. Use Antidepressants to Reduce Symptoms While psychiatrists consider therapy the most effective way to treat bulimia, antidepressants can also speed recovery. The most effective of these medications are specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors. So far the only FDA approved SSRI…
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1. Restore a Healthy Body Image Seek counseling or psychotherapy to address distorted body image and issues such as depression and anxiety. During treatment you’ll identify triggers and learn how to cope with them in healthier ways. During the early…
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When a patient has an anxiety disorder, she has uncontrolled worry, which impacts her mental health. Anxiety Disorders Association of America states that a person can be diagnosed with one of five types of anxiety disorders. Each anxiety disorder has…
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Depression is a serious condition that interferes with daily life and normal functioning. Depression is characterized by extreme sadness, hopelessness, helplessness and sometimes self-hatred. Depressed people may experience poor concentration and have physical complaints such as headache and fatigue. Given…
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1. A Vicious Cycle of Control One of the causes of bulimia is the lack of control people feel in their lives. So they purge themselves in order to feel that they have control over at least one thing. Other…
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1. Develop a Pre-Sleep Ritual Pre-sleep is the time you spend prior to lying down and turning off the lights to fall asleep. People without a pre-sleep ritual often find it difficult to clear their heads and settle down from…
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The inability to fall asleep or stay asleep can be aggravating. The Mayo Clinic reports that insomnia is one of the most widespread medical complaints. Sleep deprivation can negatively impact the quality your life by causing daytime sleepiness and irritability,…
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Thousands of smokers have quit for good. Tobacco has been used as a mood-altering substance for centuries, but today there are medications that can help break the cycle of addiction. Smoking stimulates the central nervous system, creating metabolic changes that…
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Overview You’ve just lost your spouse and, suddenly, you’re alone. You can expect to be bombarded with a confusing range of emotions: shock, sadness, grief, fear, even anger. These painful feelings are normal and part of the grieving process. Over…
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Occasionally feeling down or sad is part of the human experience. These emotions usually pass within a few days, but for some people they don’t. According to the American Medical Association, more than 15 million American adults suffer from depression…
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Compulsive overeating, otherwise known as binge eating, is characterized by a person consuming food even when not hungry in an attempt to reduce anxiety, EmpoweredParents.com explains. Individuals who are compulsive eaters often eat at all times of the day but…
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1. Create a Sleep Diary If you have difficulties sleeping due to chronic fatigue syndrome or other reasons, take notes about your sleep patterns, including what time you go to bed and wake up each morning. Record how many times…
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Overview Self-confidence is the difference between feeling invincible and vulnerable. Your level of self-confidence essentially boils down to your self-perception. The opinion you have of yourself, whether positive or negative, becomes your reality. Many people struggle to find self-confidence. If…
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Fluctuating hormones, high-school cliques and learning how to be comfortable with yourself can make the teenage years challenging. When your friends do something stupid, when your parents ground you for an unfair reason or when you don’t make the school…
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1. Control Sleepwalking Sleepwalking is a parasomnia, or sleep disorder, that can be problematic to treat, but a combination of behavior modification, home preparation, counseling and medication can be effective. You’ll need to ensure you get enough sleep each night…
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Many mental disorders can affect your ability to lead a normal life. You may inherit a mental disorder or it may develop over time, sometimes due to trauma. According to the Mayo Clinic, mental illness is classified as such only…
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Motrin, or ibuprofen, is an over-the-counter (OTC), or prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is used to treat pain and inflammation. This medication works by reducing chemical signals that are related to pain and inflammation in the body. Additionally, according…
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Overview Snoring occurs when the airflow through the passages at the back of the mouth and nose is obstructed. The tongue, upper throat and soft palate come into contact with each other, causing a vibration that creates the loud snoring…
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Classic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), or mad cow disease, is a prion disease. According to the CDC, prion diseases, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are a group of diseases that cause degeneration of the nervous system of various animals and humans….
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