Early mental health evaluation in children can be challenging for many reasons—primarily because children may not be able to express themselves clearly. Their vocabulary is somewhat limited. Also, their feelings, emotions and understanding of themselves is evolving. Their cognitive and social skills are not fully developed. Because of these limitations, it is vital that parents and primary caregivers understand the …
Antidepressants are medicines used to treat a variety of depression and anxiety disorders. Most clinical physicians will use antidepressants to help treat disorders including, but not limited to: Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Generalized anxiety disorders Social anxiety disorder Obsessive compulsive disorders Childhood bedwetting Bipolar disorder Depression (major depressive disorder) Borderline personality disorder Prevalence Of Antidepressant Use Studies suggest that …
According to the American Psychiatric Association, anxiety is one of the most common forms of mental disorders diagnosed in the U.S. Almost one-third of all people will experience an anxiety disorder at some point during their lifetime. Because anxiety disorders are so prevalent, most people fail to understand them and how they are very different from simply experiencing temporary fear …
A person living with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has their own unique challenges that, with professional help, can eventually be overcome. However, living with someone who suffers PTSD is also challenging, especially when the symptoms of PTSD may last for months and even years… But again, obtaining proper professional help can help make life better. It’s important to first …
The numbers are alarming. 1 in 5 teens have abused prescription medications. 21% of high school seniors report using marijuana in the past month. And almost 1 in 3 parents wrongly believe they have no choices in preventing teen drug abuse. In fact, the data shows that parental involvement is the strongest factor in preventing drug abuse among young people. …
Understanding the difference between social anxiety disorder (SAD) and general anxiety is key in getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. Anxiety (defined as feelings of tension, fear and stress that can cause physical changes such as an increased heart rate) is a normal response to stress, perceived stress, or future stressful events. If you ever played sports, you probably felt …
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is one of the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed mental health conditions… in part because the symptoms usually only appear in response to dealing with anger in a personal relationship. This makes many people feel like they should not say anything (for fear of upsetting a loved one or a friend, or out of shame and embarrassment …
You have probably experienced dry mouth, sometimes referred to as “cotton mouth.” Maybe it happened on a warm summer day… or after a strenuous workout. Maybe you were just dehydrated because you went too long without drinking enough water. You know the feeling—when your mouth is sticky-dry and your tongue feels like sandpaper. You find it hard to swallow, talk …
Anxiety comes in many different forms—and results from different external and internal stimuli and perceptions. A person’s response to stressful situations can manifest itself as differing behaviors. However, those situations which render people unable to reasonably perform or react to a situation can be a direct result of anxiety. Performance anxiety, visiting medical offices, social anxiety and test anxiety are …
The American Psychiatric Association defines post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a “psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape or other violent personal assault.” Historically, many people have thought of PTSD as being limited to combat veterans (See “Busting …
