How Bullying Can Cause Co-Occurring Disorders in Adolescents
The teenage years are some of the most intense developmental years of the brain. This period is when the majority of mental illnesses develop, as well as when the brain is most vulnerable to undergoing significant damage from substance use. It’s not uncommon for teens to suffer from mental conditions such as depression or anxiety and then turn to substances in an attempt to cope with the symptoms of their poor mental health. This is what’s called a co-occurring disorder. Co-occurring disorders in adolescents — also known as comorbidity or dual diagnosis — are when drug abuse and mental disorders [...]
Should I Consider Interventional Psychiatry?
In the fields of clinical mental health and psychology, treatments and techniques are constantly being evaluated and reevaluated for the sake of the patients. When dealing with mental health conditions that can be as unique and complex as the patient, it can be challenging to find a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach to treatment. Obviously, no such treatment formula exists; and even tried and true methods of psychiatry have seen resistance from certain mental health disorders. For this reason, alternative methods of care are constantly being explored in order to provide better care to all. Complications of traditional treatments Traditionally, the way [...]
Does My Teen Have a Mental Health Disorder?
If you’re the parent of a teenager, you’ve probably wondered whether your teen is displaying signs of a mental health disorder or whether the behaviors you’ve noticed are just typical of that age. The teenage years are fraught with growing personalities, friendship drama, dating troubles, hormonal changes and severe shifts in mood. It’s no surprise that your child’s emotional health has fluctuated with all the stress and changes that happen during this period of life. As a parent, you’re looking for clear information to help your child, and this article can guide you through this sensitive process. Here, we’ll look [...]
Helping Your Teen Overcome Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Mood swings and other symptoms are often dismissed as typical behavior for teenagers, so it’s easy to miss signs of underlying mental health disorders in this group. In addition, teens may not want to share about the experiences that can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Like adult PTSD, PTSD in teens is characterized by extreme fear and adverse reactions triggered by a traumatic event. In this article, we’ll explain the clinical diagnosis, symptoms of PTSD in teens and what kind of treatment to look for. Defining PTSD While it’s normal for people of all ages to experience adverse reactions [...]
Identifying Seasonal Depression in Your Child
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or seasonal depression as it’s most commonly known, doesn’t only affect adults, it can also affect children and teens. As the days get colder and gloomier, you might notice your child becoming colder and gloomier as well. If that happens, chances are it’s not a coincidence; they are most likely struggling with seasonal depression, even if they don’t recognize it themselves. Children often don’t vocalize what they’re going through, not because they can’t, but more often than not they aren’t exactly sure what they’re going through. They might assume it’s normal and not worth mentioning. That’s [...]
Knowing the Obsessive and Compulsive Behaviors Linked to OCD
According to Mayo Clinic, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) “features a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions). These obsessions and compulsions interfere with daily activities and cause significant distress.” OCD affects about 1 percent of the population, both men and women, typically beginning around teen or young adult years. While it is a lifelong condition, those who struggle with OCD can, and do, find help and relief through therapy. How to recognize OCD The obsessions of OCD are intrusive, anxious and unwanted thoughts that lead to a compulsive behavior/repeated actions meant to lessen [...]
A Quick Reference Guide to the 8 Most Common Mood Disorders
Although everyone’s mood fluctuates from day to day, for some individuals it prevents them from living their everyday lives. This article is a quick reference guide to the most common mood disorder types and how to treat them. Mood disorder types and mood disorder symptoms are diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (5th Edition). Additionally, a person cannot be diagnosed with a mood disorder if the symptoms are better explained by another medical condition. Major Depressive Disorder Definition: A person who experiences a depressed mood for the majority of the day on most days and has [...]
What You Need to Know About the Ups and Downs of Bipolar Disorder
We all have days when life feels like a roller coaster. The highs and lows of ordinary life can feel dramatic at times, but for most people they are manageable and daily life continues as normal. If life’s ups and downs leave you feeling like you’re on a roller coaster with no seatbelt, you may be affected by bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is manifested by highs and lows, but they are much more intense than the average person’s experience. Episodes of depression and mania interfere with regular life for a person with bipolar disorder. What is bipolar disorder? Bipolar disorder [...]
What could be triggering my anxiety attacks?
Everyone feels anxious at some point. A little anxiety can even be helpful, like when nervousness about a test spurs you to study. However, not everyone has clinical anxiety. Clinical anxiety is when persistent anxiety becomes overwhelming or prevents a person from completing daily life activities. Finding professional help is the first step to take if you suspect you’re dealing with an anxiety disorder. No one should face anxiety alone, and a therapist can diagnose and offer treatment so you can get back to your normal life. What is anxiety? The word anxiety can be used to mean two things. [...]
How Mental Health Challenges Can Affect Eating Disorder Issues
Eating disorders are all too common. In the United States, about nine percent of people will be affected at some point in their lifetime according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. Although these numbers are high, eating disorders are not often talked about. Whether it’s due to social stigma or shame about mental illness, you may have questions without immediate answers. One of the first questions people often wonder about when faced with an eating disorder themselves, or upon hearing about them, is “how do eating disorders affect mental health?” This is a complex question, but [...]
How to Stop a Panic Attack
The American Psychological Association conducts a study on stress in the United States every year and focuses on both the emotional and physical symptoms that result. The magnitude of the pandemic’s effect on stress is so significant, the resulting fear, stress and worry that people face have been considered a national mental health crisis. While panic attack symptoms may have been present before the pandemic and many people have struggled with the disorder for years, it wouldn’t be surprising if you first experienced a panic attack in the past few years. Whether panic disorder is something that is new to [...]
The Difference Between Persistent Depressive and Major Depressive Disorders
As with many mental health conditions, we have a general concept of what they entail and what their symptoms most often look like. But, too easily we get boxed into this general idea and forget that other forms of mental health conditions exist that don't show the symptoms we expected — or they don't show outward symptoms at all. For example, we might envision depression as being sad and isolated, not wanting to leave the house and sleeping a lot. But this is not a complete picture of depression. There are a number of people who struggle with depression that [...]
