The Food and Drug Administration has approved two types of medications—stimulants and non-stimulants—to help reduce the symptoms of ADHD and improve functioning in children as young as 6 years. Stimulants have been the tried and true medication for ADHD since the 1950s. They have a long track record of being safe and effective. Despite their […]
Part 1 of An Introduction to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Does this sound like your child: Ricky sits on his hands to stop them from moving. “It’s like I have a motor inside me going “brrrrrr” all the time and I can’t stop it.” Does this sound like your child? Is it hard for your […]
Part 9 of Schizophrenia. This is an exciting time for schizophrenia research. The outlook for people with schizophrenia has improved during the last 30 years or so. Although there still is no cure, effective treatments have been developed, and many people with schizophrenia improve enough to lead independent, satisfying lives. This is an exciting time […]
Part 8 of Schizophrenia. Family and friends can also help patients set realistic goals and regain their ability to function in the world. Support for those with mental disorders can come from families, professional residential or day program caregivers, shelter operators, friends or roommates, professional case managers, or others in their communities or places of […]
Part 7 of Schizophrenia. Because the causes of schizophrenia are still unknown, current treatments focus on eliminating the symptoms of the disease. Everyone Responds differently To Anti-Psychotic Medicaton. Antipsychotic medications Antipsychotic medications have been available since the mid-1950s. They effectively alleviate the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. While these drugs have greatly improved the lives of […]
Part 3 of Schizophrenia. Like many other illnesses, schizophrenia is believed to result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. All the tools of modern science are being used to search for the causes of this disorder. People With Schizophrenia May Be Mistaken For People Who Are High On Drugs. Can schizophrenia be inherited? […]
Part 6 of Schizophrenia. It is likely that an imbalance in the complex, interrelated chemical reactions of the brain involving the neurotransmitters dopamine and glutamate (and possibly others) plays a role in schizophrenia. Neurotransmitters are substances that allow brain cells to communicate with one another. Basic knowledge about brain chemistry and its link to schizophrenia […]
Part 2 of Schizophrenia. The symptoms of schizophrenia fall into three broad categories: Positive symptoms are unusual thoughts or perceptions, including hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder, and disorders of movement. Negative symptoms represent a loss or a decrease in the ability to initiate plans, speak, express emotion, or find pleasure in everyday life. These symptoms are […]
Part 7 of Bipolar Disorder. Anyone with bipolar disorder should be under the care of a psychiatrist skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. Other mental health professionals, such as psychologists, psychiatric social workers, and psychiatric nurses, can assist in providing the person and family with additional approaches to treatment. Help can be […]
Part 6 of Bipolar Disorder. Most people with bipolar disorder-even those with the most severe forms-can achieve substantial stabilization of their mood swings and related symptoms with proper treatment. Because bipolar disorder is a recurrent illness, long-term preventive treatment is strongly recommended and almost always indicated. A strategy that combines medication and psychosocial treatment is […]
Part 5 of Bipolar Disorder. Scientists are learning about the possible causes of bipolar disorder through several kinds of studies. Most scientists now agree that there is no single cause for bipolar disorder-rather, many factors act together to produce the illness. Because bipolar disorder tends to run in families, researchers have been searching for specific […]
Part 4 of Bipolar Disorder. Both children and adolescents can develop bipolar disorder. It is more likely to affect the children of parents who have the illness. Unlike many adults with bipolar disorder, whose episodes tend to be more clearly defined, children and young adolescents with the illness often experience very fast mood swings between […]
Part 3 of Bipolar Disorder. Episodes of mania and depression typically recur across the life span. Between episodes, most people with bipolar disorder are free of symptoms, but as many as one-third of people have some residual symptoms. A small percentage of people experience chronic unremitting symptoms despite treatment. The classic form of the illness, […]
Part 1 of Bipolar Disorder. Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor job […]
Part 16 of Healthy Sleep Guide. Look over this list of common signs of a sleep disorders, and talk to your doctor if you have any of them: It takes you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night. You awaken frequently in the night and then have trouble falling back to sleep again. […]
Part 11 of Healthy Sleep Guide. Depending on what your symptoms are, your doctor will gather various kinds of information and consider several possible tests when trying to decide if you have a sleep disorder: Sleep history and sleep log. Your doctor will ask you how many hours you sleep each night, how often you […]
Part 13 of Healthy Sleep Guide. Insomnia is defined as having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or as having unrefreshing sleep despite having ample opportunity to sleep. Life is filled with events that occasionally cause insomnia for a short time. Such temporary insomnia is common and is often brought on by stressful situations such […]
Part 15 of Healthy Sleep Guide. In people who have sleep apnea (also referred to as sleep-disordered breathing), breathing briefly stops or becomes very shallow during sleep. This change is caused by intermittent blocking of the upper airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and partially or completely closes […]
Part 14 of Healthy Sleep Guide. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) causes an unpleasant prickling or tingling in the legs, especially in the calves, that is relieved by moving or massaging them. This sensation creates a need to stretch or move the legs to get rid of these uncomfortable or painful feelings. As a result, a […]
Part 12 of Healthy Sleep Guide. Narcolepsy’s main symptom is excessive and overwhelming daytime sleepiness, even after adequate nighttime sleep. In addition, nighttime sleep may be fragmented by frequent awakenings. People who have narcolepsy often fall asleep at inappropriate times and places. Although television sitcoms occasionally feature these individuals to generate a few laughs, narcolepsy […]
Part 10 of Healthy Sleep Guide. In some people, the walking, talking, and other body functions normally suppressed during sleep emerge during certain sleep stages. Alternatively, the paralysis or vivid images usually experienced during dreaming may persist after awakening. These arousal malfunctions are collectively known as parasomnias and include confusional arousals, sleep talking, sleep walking, […]
Children and adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can have more frequent and severe injuries than peers without ADHD. Injuries and Hospital Use in Children and Adolescents Research indicates that children with ADHD are significantly more likely to be injured as pedestrians or while riding a bicycle, to receive head injuries, injure more than one part […]