Social Anxiety Disorder (social phobia) is the third largest mental health care problem in the world today. The latest government epidemiological data show social anxiety affects about 7% of the population at any given time. The lifetime prevalence rate (i.e., the chances of developing social anxiety disorder at any time during the lifespan) stands slightly above…
Estimates suggest that at least 10% of school-aged children have some form of significant social challenge, including reports of frequent bullying and not having any friends. Of these 10%, 1 in 5 socially despondent children has a neurological issue that is driving his or her social developmental struggles. Neurologically-based social challenges include Autistic-Spectrum…
Q: What are neurological disorders and how many people are affected by them? A: Neurological disorders are diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. In other words, the brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, nerve roots, autonomic nervous system, neuromuscular junction, and muscles. These disorders include epilepsy, Alzheimer disease…
Over the past few months we have been talking about the power of defense mechanisms. It is unfortunately common to employ defense mechanisms that actually enhance your own emotional suffering. And of course, what we want you to employ are resources that help you recover not defense mechanisms that keep you stuck. You have suffered enough from the pathological…
Scientific research has shown CBD may be therapeutic for many conditions. In compiling a list of conditions that CBD may help, we examined hundreds of peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals. Relevant reports have been culled primarily from PubMed, online service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. To these highly technical reports, we have added…
Criminalization of individuals with severe psychiatric disorders “We are literally drowning in patients, running around trying to put our fingers in the bursting dikes, while hundreds of men continue to deteriorate psychiatrically before our eyes into serious psychoses… The crisis stems from recent changes in the mental health laws allowing more mentally sick…
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD, is an anxiety disorder characterized by chronic anxiety, exaggerated worry and tension, even when there is little or nothing to provoke it. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions)…
The singer has been vocal about her mental health and her struggles with addiction, cutting and eating disorders since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder while receiving inpatient treatment in 2011. “If you know someone or if you’re dealing with it yourself, just know that it is possible to live well, ” Lovato, 24, told PEOPLE exclusively. “I’m living proof…
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Fifth Edition (DSM-5), no longer uses the terms substance abuse and substance dependence, rather it refers to substance use disorders, which are defined as mild, moderate, or severe to indicate the level of severity, which is determined by the number of diagnostic criteria met by an individual. Substance…
Raising children is difficult, and raising difficult children can be life disrupting. But being able to tell whether your child is just going through a stage, or if something is really wrong isn’t always that easy. A tantrum doesn’t automatically mean your 2-year-old has a problem with authority, and a kindergartner who doesn’t want to sit still doesn’t necessarily…
We have cells in the brain and the rest of the body that die and get replaced with new ones. But sometimes this process can go wrong and there may be an imbalance between cells born and those dying. More cells being born will lead to an accumulation of them, leading to what is called a tumor. These tumors can be cancerous or non-cancerous. It is suspected that…
A new genetic disorder called NGLY1 deficiency is identified in eight patients NGLY1 deficiency causes developmental delays, liver disease Kids with the disorder are usually unable to produce tears Fathers of two kids with NGLY1 deficiency propose new model for scientists What do you do when your baby lies limp in your arms, staring blankly into the distance…
Adolescent psychotic experiences (PEs) are common, and are associated with both psychotic and non-psychotic illnesses. In order to examine psychopathological and cognitive antecedents of adolescent PEs, we have conducted a longitudinal study of common childhood psychiatric disorders and subsequent adolescent PEs in the population-based prospective ALSPAC birth…
What are Behavioural Disorders (Disruptive, Impulse-Control, and Conduct Disorders)? There are several types of behavioural disorders, including, oppositional defiant disorder conduct disorder intermittent explosive disorder kleptomania pyromania and others These disorders affect the way a child or youth acts or behaves. Some people think a child or youth with…
Welcome to Optimal Living. In today’s podcast I’m going to make the case for medical marijuana in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. First I want to give you a general defense of medical marijuana. Then, I’ll tell you what I’ve seen in my own practice. Finally, I will explain in brief three studies, two for anxiety and one for depression where medical marijuana…
Do other illnesses mimic symptoms of bipolar disorder? Mood swings and impulsive behavior can sometimes reflect psychiatric problems other than bipolar disorder, including: Psychosis (delusions and hallucinations) can occur not only in bipolar disorder but other conditions such as schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. In addition, people with bipolar disorder…
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome Alice-In-Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS), as you can probably guess, was named after the famous character from the books by Lewis Carroll People who suffer from this disorder, which may be brought on by migraines, brain tumours or drugs, experience warped and distorted perceptions about the size or shape of their own body, or parts of…
We are taking a look at the countries with the highest rates of eating disorders today. Eating disorders are essentially psychological illnesses attributable to abnormal eating habits. What can be termed as ‘abnormal’ eating varies though, and both excessive and inadequate eating can be detrimental to health. Physical, as well as mental health issues, may arise…
Brain damage is an injury that causes the destruction or deterioration of brain cells. In the U.S., every year, about 2.6 million people have some type of brain injury - whether as a result of trauma, stroke, tumor, or other illnesses, according to the Brain Injury Association of America. About 52, die as a result of traumatic brain injury, and more than 5 million…
Joseph W. Lopano is Our 2017 Person of Vision Preserve Vision Florida honored Joseph W. Lopano, Chief Executive Officer of Tampa International Airport, as the 2017 Person of Vision at the Person of Vision Award Dinner on Monday, February 13 at the Tampa Airport Marriott. Preserve Vision Florida hosts the annual dinner to honor a person of vision who has had a…
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) is a tool that list symptoms and criteria that mental health professionals use to diagnose a person. A new DSM, the DSM-V, is coming out soon and minor changes will be seen in the criteria for social anxiety. Below is a list of the proposed criteria for Social Anxiety Disorder DSM-V: Marked fear or anxiety about one…
Sometimes physical problems can cause depression. But other times, symptoms of depression are part of a more complex psychiatric problem. There are several different types or subtypes of depression, including: What Are the Symptoms of Major Depression? Sadness Irritability Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed Withdrawal from social activities Inability…
Emmy-winning actress Mariette Hartley, well known for her Polaroid commercials with actor James Garner, went public with her bipolar diagnosis in an interview with USA Today. She was diagnosed in 1994 during a serious suicidal depression. She had a family history that included suicide; her father committed suicide in 1963 and her mother attempted suicide soon…
The gut microbiota is increasingly considered as a symbiotic partner in the maintenance of good health. Metagenomic approaches could help to discover how the complex gut microbial ecosystem participates in the control of the host s brain development and function, and could be relevant for future therapeutic developments, such as probiotics, prebiotics and nutritional…
