Mental Health

Overview Self-esteem and confidence are a group of beliefs about yourself, your talents, your abilities and proficiency, notes KidsHealth.org, a division of the Nemours Foundation. Those with low self-esteem or confidence might have low expectations for themselves. Working hard on…
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In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR), the term mental disorder is defined as “a clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and that is associated with…
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Schizophrenia is a chronic, incurable mental disease. This disordered thinking process includes delusions, hallucinations, paranoia and a host of other frightening events occurring within the diseased mind. According to the Betty Hardwick Center, approximately 1 percent of the global population…
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The mental health community’s recognition that children may have bipolar disorder is a recent development. Since the mid-1990’s extensive research was completed confirming that children may suffer from this disorder. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about 7…
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OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, is an anxiety disorder characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. The thoughts create nervousness or fear that lead to compulsions or rituals to get rid of the feelings, the American Academy of Family Physicians explains….
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According to Harvard professor Dr. J. Kimball, there are approximately one-hundred-billion neurons in the brain, and each one can have about ten thousand connections. That results in major complexity. However, the brain has several ridges, fissures, lobes, distinctive cell clusters…
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Worrying, restlessness and muscle tension are just some symptoms of anxiety. The Mayo Clinic says anxiety turns into a disorder when these symptoms are constant. Mayo says other anxiety symptoms include restlessness, irritability, diarrhea, sweating and shortness of breath. Fortunately,…
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While not everyone feels it on a day-to-day basis, everyone will experience anxiety at some point in their lives and could benefit by learning ways to cope with it. However, although self-help coping strategies can be effective at reducing or…
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Children with bipolar disorder struggle at home, with friends and in school. NAMI, the National Alliance for Mental Illness, describes bipolar as a chronic, lifelong condition involving recurring episodes of depression and mania lasting from days to months. While the…
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Mood stabilizers are medications intended to regulate both manic and depressive mood states that occur in individuals with bipolar disorder. Development of these medications began 40 years ago and they include drugs from many classes including anticonvulsants and antipsychotics. Eighty…
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Snoring occurs when throat tissues relax and obstruct the airways. When you breathe, the sound of the air vibrates against the throat tissues–this is the noise referred to as snoring. Snoring can be annoying, but it can also be a…
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Overview The Merck Manual defines constipation as “difficult or infrequent passage of feces, hardness of stool, or a feeling of incomplete evacuation.” Though typically not dangerous, constipation in children can be a symptom of a serious illness. If a child…
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The influenza virus can affect everyone, including children. Because the flu is caused by a virus, it is often left to run its course. Treating the symptoms can help provide a child with some relief. In moderate to severe cases…
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Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder and phobias. Benzodiazepines and antidepressants are often used to treat anxiety disorders. RxList.com explains that benzodiazepines reduce the activity of nerves in the brain by increasing the effects of the…
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Overview Being a teenager is difficult. Figuring out how to become independent, trying to fit in with their peers, dating, dealing with raging hormones and often juggling academic work with jobs or sports can make any teenager feel moody at…
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Overview Depression can make work, school, relationships and even just getting out of bed in the morning difficult. Not only is depression difficult for the person going through it, but it also may take a toll on their loved ones…
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Fluoxetine is an antidepressant medication that belongs to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drug class. According to Drugs.com, fluoxetine affects serotonin, a chemical in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause depression. Drugs.com also states that fluoxetine may…
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Anxiety produces apprehension, nervousness or uneasiness that all people face once in awhile. It should not interrupt your daily life or overall happiness. If you find anxiety is consuming too much of your time, take a look at these symptoms…
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According to Medline Plus, more than 20 million people in the United States have ongoing depression. Symptoms of depression can include sadness, reduced or loss of interest in pleasurable activities, reduced energy or severe thoughts such as death or suicide….
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While medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants are popular treatment methods for depression, some people prefer ways of treating this condition that do not require taking a pill. Options exist; however, they should be discussed thoroughly…
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The purported energizing effects of vitamin B12 are the stuff that health fads are made of. B12 is often promoted to increase endurance, combat fatigue and encourage better athletic performance, say the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements…
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Getting a good night’s sleep is important to life quality and public safety. According to a 2010 review in the “Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine,” sleep disturbances are associated with poor health. A 2010 survey in the same publication showed…
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Overview Bipolar disorder, also called manic depression, is a severe illness that causes a person to experience extreme shifts in his mood. Bipolar disorder is the sixth leading cause of disability in the world, according to the World Health Organization….
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Empty wrappers and food packages. Hidden stashes of junk food and breath mints or gum. A consistent pattern of vomiting after eating, or exercising excessively. In some cases, the use of laxatives. All are signs of bulimia, a potentially life-threatening…
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The need to improve sleep quantity and quality represents a widespread health issue. The Better Sleep Council (BSC) estimates that stress alone affects the ability of 65 percent of Americans to sleep restfully. That doesn’t count individuals with medical reasons…
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The adolescent years are often filled with emotion and drama as puberty, growing independence and increased responsibilities bring enormous changes. This time of life is fraught with opportunities to fail or succeed, causing significant stress for many young people. Most…
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A 2009 review by J. A. Owens and S. Moturi published in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America indicated that insomnia is a common problem in children. These authors noted that sleep disorders are especially prevalent in children…
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Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), now called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), is the term used to describe a group of behaviors found in many adults and children. ADHD is the most common neurological disorder affecting 3 to 9 percent of…
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1. Depression Calls for IPT Clinically depressed people are at higher risk of suicide and experience a higher mortality from other causes, and they require medical intervention to treat their depression. Interpersonal psychotherapy, also known as IPT, can be combined…
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Bipolar disorder affects more than 2 million Americans, according to Psychology Information Online (PIO). Not only does it cause problems for the sufferer, but it affects friends and family members closest to them as well. Bipolar is an illness that…
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