Mental Health

An apnea is a momentary pause in breathing. Such pauses occur rarely during healthy sleep, but they can occur often in disturbed sleep. When apnea causes sleep deprivation and daytime sleepiness, it’s considered a sleep disorder requiring treatment. A 2010…
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Overview Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may result in a dual diagnosis if the patient also exhibits problems with drug addiction or alcoholism. Anxiety disorders, such as OCD, often have a dual diagnosis. The diagnosis requires therapists and patients to undergo the…
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Overview As many as one out of five women will be afflicted with depression symptoms during pregnancy, according to the March of Dimes. Taking the time to learn about depression during pregnancy is important because this condition can pose serious…
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When you have a seizure, abnormal electrical signals are sent through the brain cells, causing involuntary muscle spasms, vision changes and even loss of consciousness. If you experience chronic, recurrent seizures, your doctor may diagnose you with epilepsy. You can…
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Anxiety disorders, which cause patients to have severe anxiety symptoms that interfere with their lives, affect 40 million adults in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Patients with an anxiety disorder, such as panic disorder…
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The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that approximately 40 million American adults are living with an anxiety disorder. An anxiety disorder causes disruptive symptoms that persist for at least six months and interfere with daily living. The fearfulness…
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Overview The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) MyPyramid contains the most current food guide pyramid. MyPyramid is an interactive tool that allows individuals to create personal diet plans based on gender, age and activity level. The basis of MyPyramid…
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From difficult schoolwork to challenging after-school activities, children can feel as much stress as adults do. Like adults, kids sometimes have a hard time finding outlets to help eliminate built-up tension. Exercise can help kids burn off steam and have…
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Grief is an intense sadness, a deep emotion that happens when a loved one or friend dies. Grief can also be experienced over a loss, not necessarily death, like the loss of opportunity, the loss of breasts after a mastectomy,…
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Bulimia nervosa is a type of eating disorder in which affected patients self-induce vomiting or excessively use laxatives, diuretics or enemas following eating binges. Women are three times more likely than men to develop bulimia, based upon estimates provided by…
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The fear of flying is a common phobia that many people struggle with. You should probably get professional help if you have panic attacks when trying to fly, feel extremely overwhelmed or haven’t flown in a long period of time…
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Alprazolam is a benzodiazepine drug first synthesized by Upjohn/Pfizer in 1969. It is sold under the trade name of Xanax for the treatment of anxiety. Alprazolam is also used to treat insomnia, panic and depression. According to the June 23,…
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Every time you start dating someone new, you go through an awkward initial period in which it is difficult to decide what to say and what to avoid. Not all topics of conversation should be approached as soon as you…
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Lamictal is a brand-name anti-epileptic medication, also called an anticonvulsant, that can also be prescribed under its generic name, lamotrigine. Lamictal is used to treat seizures in adults and in children who are at least two years old. Lamictal has…
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All children experience stress. Transitions and change often prove stressful, but are an essential part of growing up. Although some stress is good and even necessary, there are some instances where a child may feel an unusual amount of stress….
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CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, provides a treatment process that uses a CPAP machine to generate and force air, at a preset pressure, into the airway. The airway pressure keeps the airway open to prevent snoring, sleep apnea, and…
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According to the American Psychiatric Association, ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a syndrome that effects approximately 5 to 7 percent of school aged children in the United States. Although pharmaceutical treatments have been proved effective in controlling symptoms…
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For casual dating, you need not know much more about the other person than the type of dance music she prefers and what type of food she likes to eat, but if you are dating to find a romantic partner,…
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Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter released in the brain. These neurotransmitters control what kinds of moods and feelings we experience. Serotonin levels can have an effect on pain, stress and anxiety experienced by individuals. Low levels of serotonin can also…
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Neurotransmitters are the brain’s chemical messengers. The brain emits signals to tell the heart to beat or what mood to have through neurotransmitters. According to the website Neurogistics, neurotransmitters come in two types: inhibitory and excitatory. Inhibitory neurotransmitters balance mood…
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Self-confidence involves the attitude that you can accomplish whatever you set out to do. It takes experience in a task, understanding of one’s abilities and a willingness to take risks in order to develop your self-confidence. According to the University…
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Depression, a common form of mental illness, consists of a more severe problem than the normal and occasional sad mood. The American Psychological Association indicates that depression is highly treatable and that when individuals fail to seek help, they suffer…
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Overview Fenugreek–also called Bird’s Foot, Greek hayseed, trigonella, bockshornsame, Methi and hu lu ba–comes from the dried seeds of the Fenugreek plant and has many uses. Some uses are based on science and some on tradition, according to the Memorial…
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According to Arthritis Today, gout is a form of arthritis affecting approximately 2.1 million Americans. Gout is caused when uric acid, a waste product of the body, forms crystals around the joints causing inflammation and pain. According to the Mayo…
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A 2005 poll in the journal “Chest” indicates that 26% of the population proves at risk for sleep-disordered breathing. The most common type of difficulty is called “obstructive sleep apnea.” An apnea is a brief cessation of breathing which often…
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Hypertension, or high blood pressure, when left untreated can result in severe health problems. According to the latest data available from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hypertension killed 23,855 Americans in 2006. Hypertension affected 32 percent of…
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Many people lack self-confidence and fear failure. If you stop pursuing your dreams, avoid getting to know an attractive person you’ve just met, or miss out on other exciting opportunities, you may suffer from low self-esteem and a lack of…
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Bipolar disease refers to a psychiatric condition in which people have fluctuating emotions from depression to mania. The Mayo Clinic states that specific symptoms of bipolar disorder include an inflated sense of self-esteem, risky behavior, depression, rapid speech and racing…
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Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that causes severe impairment in several areas of functioning. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), the age of onset of this disorder is from late teens to mid-30s. Symptoms include…
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Chronic depression is a type of depressive disorder that lasts for at least two years. Chronic depression is also called dysthymic disorder or dysthmia. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the depressive symptoms in dysthmia are less severe…
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