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Symptoms could include:
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Euphoria
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Memory Impairment
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Personality Change
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Rambling Speech
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Hard to Awaken
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Inability to Form New Memories
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Illusions
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Racing Thoughts
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Incoherent Speech
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Impaired Abstract Thinking
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Unable to Think Clearly
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Delirium involves a quick change between mental states (for example, from lethargy to agitation and back to lethargy). Symptoms include:Changes in alertness (usually more alert in the morning, less alert at night)Changes in feeling (sensation) and...
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Delirium symptoms typically fluctuate through the day, with periods of relative calm and lucidity alternating with periods of florid delirium. The hallmark of delirium is a fluctuating level of consciousness.
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Symptoms of delirium include a confused state of mind accompanied by poor attention, impaired recent memory, irritability, inappropriate behavior(such as the use of vulgar language, despite lack of a history of such behavior), and anxiety and fear...
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The source of this uneasiness is not always known or recognized, which can add to the distress you feel.Anxiety; Feeling uptight; Stress; Tension; Jitters; Apprehension.Stress is a normal part of life. In small quantities, stress is good-- it can ...
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Anxiety is a bodily response to a perceived threat or danger. It is triggered by a combination of biochemical changes in the body, the patient''s personal history and memory, and the social situation.It is important to distinguish between anxiety a...
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Systematic desensitization is a technique used to treat phobias and other extreme or erroneous fears based on principles of behavior modification.Systematic desensitization is used to help the client cope with phobias and other fears, and to induc...
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Anxiety is familiar to everyone due to the many stresses and complexities of modern life.
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This report features up-to-date information on the signs, causes, and treatments of many common phobias and anxiety disorders.
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Anxiety is a multisystem response to a perceived threat or danger. It reflects a combination of biochemical changes in the body, the patient''s personal history and memory, and the social situation.
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Everybody experiences fear at some time or another. Fear is a powerful emotion that arises in situations that are interpreted as dangerous. The purpose of fear is to alert you to take protective action—usually to fight, flee, or seek assistance. For example, if you were hiking in the woods and encountered a snake, you would naturally interpret this situation as dangerous which would produce the emotion of fear, which, in turn, would motivate some self-preserving behavior—probably an attempt to escape. If, however, you recognize that the snake is harmless, your interpretation of the situation as dangerous and the ensuing emotion of fear would have been erroneous. Notice how important the cognitive act of interpretation is in experiencing fear.
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Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event such as a business presentation or a first date, anxiety disorders are chronic, relentless, and can grow progressively worse if not treated.
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Anxiety is a multisystem response to a perceived threat or danger. It reflects a combination of biochemical changes in the body, the patient''s personal history and memory, and the social situation at hand.
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This guide is designed to help you learn about anxiety disorders. Knowing more, you may feel more comfortable talking with a health professional about your experience and your symptoms.
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Anxiety disorders are a group of disorders that can affect adults, adolescents and children. They overwhelm people with chronic feelings of anxiety and fear.
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Anxiety is a condition of persistent and uncontrollable nervousness, stress, and worry that is triggered by anticipation of future events, memories of past events, or ruminations over day-to-day events, both trivial and major, with disproportionat...
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Some researchers believe anxiety is synonymous with fear, occurring in varying degrees and in situations in which people feel threatened by some danger. Others describe anxiety as an unpleasant emotion caused by unidentifiable dangers or dangers t...
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You may suffer from generalized anxiety disorder if you go through the day worried, tense or anxious about your family, health or work, even when you know there are no signs of trouble.
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Anxiety—feeling frightened, tense, uneasy—is a normal response to a threat. Anxiety can disrupt your life, but it's nothing to be ashamed of. Don't suffer in silence. Anxiety disorders are covered by most health plans. Check what's covered under your plan. Then ask your doctor or another mental health professional for help.
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Discussion of the effect of anxiety disorders on children and how they can be treated.
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Despite their age, benzodiazepines still provide unique benefits and are unlikely to be entirely superseded by newer medications. Includes a comparison chart of newer and older drugs for insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
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When I get nervous, I get a tic that affects the left side of my face, including my eye. What can I do about this? Is there anything I can take for it?
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There is evidence that certain herbs and supplements may be effective in treating certain types of anxiety disorders.
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Research suggests that for patients who are starting treatment for depression, their type of attachment anxiety should be taken into consideration as a factor in determining the best course of treatment.
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Separation anxiety is common in children, but most grow out of it. However, in a small percentage of children (and more rarely, in adults) it becomes a disorder. Typical treatment methods include cognitive and behavioral therapy.
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You have to give a presentation next week. Just thinking about it makes your heart race. Your throat gets tight, and you can hardly breathe. Sometimes, you even feel faint. Speaking in front of a group makes most people nervous, but your fear is beyond reason. This is nothing to be ashamed of. You may have an anxiety disorder known as social phobia. Talk to your doctor or mental health professional. They can offer treatment and support.
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It is common to feel stress or anxiety when you have cancer. Anxiety can be a vague or uneasy feeling of distress. There are many things that can bring on these feelings, such as trips to your doctor's office, treatments for your cancer, or fears about your cancer.
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Hallucinations involve sensing things that aren''t there while a person is awake and conscious.Feeling a crawling sensation on the skin Hearing voices when no one has spoken Seeing patterns, lights, beings, or objects that aren''t there.Many recreat...
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Hallucinations are false or distorted sensory experiences that appear to be real perceptions. These sensory impressions are generated by the mind rather than by any external stimuli, and may be seen, heard, felt, and even smelled or tasted.A hallu...
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A hallucination is a false perception occurring without any identifiable external stimulus and indicates an abnormality in perception. The false perceptions can occur in any of the five sensory modalities.
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Forgetfulness; Amnesia; Impaired memory; Loss of memory; Mild cognitive impairment.The cause determines whether amnesia comes on slowly or suddenly, and whether it is temporary or permanent.Normal aging may lead to trouble learning new material or...
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A practical guide to the causes of memory loss and the steps you can take to improve your ability to learn and remember for a lifetime.
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Memory loss can be partial or total. Most memory loss occurs as part of the normal aging process.
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In older people, it's easy to mistake memory problems for the everyday forgetfulness that some people experience as they grow older.
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The health of your heart can affect your mind: Research shows risk factors for heart disease and stroke may also contribute to memory loss or Alzheimer's disease.
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This report is an important reference tool for patients and caregivers alike. Offers information on the symptoms, causes, and treatments for this debilitating condition, as well as caregiving tips.
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Amnesia refers to the loss of memory. Memory loss may result from two-sided(bilateral) damage to parts of.
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Unpredictable, frustrating and, at times, embarrassing memory lapses can be common. So if frequent bouts of forgetfulness are causing you stress and worry, take note: there is most likely a simple explanation.
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Drowsiness refers to feeling abnormally sleepy during the day-- often with a strong tendency to actually fall asleep in inappropriate situations or at inappropriate times.Sleepiness- during the day; Hypersomnia; Somnolence.Excessive daytime sleepi...
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Each year, at least 100,000 vehicular crashes and 1,550 deaths are caused by drivers who are impaired by sleepiness.
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When drowsiness occurs most of the time or causes a person to fall asleep at inappropriate times, quality of life and performance can be affected.
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Hypersomnia refers to a set of related disorders that involve excessive daytime sleepiness.There are two main categories of hypersomnia: primary hypersomnia(sometimes called idiopathic hypersomnia) and recurrent hypersomnia(sometimes called recurr...
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The term"irritability" is used for infants and young children who, when ill, are especially fussy, whiny, and fretful, despite attempts at comforting and soothing them.Parents are usually very aware of their child''s normal behavior and may pick up...
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Children can become cranky, fussy or irritable for many reasons. Often it's because they're hungry or just tired. But sometimes irritability can be a sign of illness in children.
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One of the best ways to respond to other people's emotions is to "reflect" their mood back to them.
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Agitation is an unpleasant state of extreme arousal, increased tension, and irritability.
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Disorientation, the lack of being able to correctly identify oneself, one's location, or the date and time, is a sign of an altered mental status. An alteration in mental status is often an indication of a serious medical problem, requiring prompt medical attention.
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Many people with cancer experience memory changes—such as mild forgetfulness, an inability to concentrate on more than one task, or more severe memory loss—after undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments. In other cases, as in a ...
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Personality changes are alterations in the behavior, thinking and interactions of a person from their established character. These changes may be indicative of chemical dependencies, psychiatric illness, dementia, trauma, illness, altered body chemistry or temperature, or poisoning.
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Fidgeting is usually used to describe someone who is seen as not being able to sit still. Fidgety people move in their seats constantly, move their hands and feet and appear to be in perpetual motion.
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Problem behavior is often associated with adolescence but may manifest in the very young or in adults. Delinquency, drug use, academic failure, risky sexual behavior, violence, property damage, vandalism and disregard of the rights of others are all problem behaviors.
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The ability to concentrate is a function of mental status and cognition. Impairment of the ability to concentrate can be a problem of neurologic or psychiatric origin or a combination of behavior and mentation.
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With today's world filled with flashing images of MTV, quick news reports, and fast-food restaurants on every corner, are we capable of concentrating as well as we used to?
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Decreased consciousness is reduced alertness or awareness.Stuporous; Mental status- decreased; Loss of alertness; Decreased consciousness; Alertness- decreased; Changes in consciousness; Obtundation; Coma; Unresponsiveness.Many conditions can caus...
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Depression, also known as depressive disorders or unipolar depression, is a mental illness characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that once were pleasurable. Disturbance in slee...
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This report offers in-depth information on the causes of depression and the treatments and medications that can lift your mood.
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People who are depressed have a cluster of symptoms characterized by sadness and a profound lack of energy and well-being.
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It's important not to underestimate the dangers associated with depression, especially if you've had multiple episodes or lingering symptoms. For example, people who don't get treated for their depression have a higher risk for suicide.
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Depression is a complicated and common mental health condition that affects about 10 to 15 percent of Americans. The following questions and answers can help you recognize and get effective treatment for depression.
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Men suffer from depression in smaller numbers than women do, but their treatment needs differ due to responses to medication, especially in older men. Additional medication may be necessary to treat the sexual side effects.
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The analysis of more than 15,000 young people in the United States found about a third of the cases of depression and obesity among those teens could be attributed to being from families with low incomes.
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Many people with depression do not receive adequate medical treatment, and even if they are treated, doctors may not be paying enough attention to their patients' needs.
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In elderly patients, symptoms of depression can be mistaken for symptoms of another medical problem, so it is important for clinicians to consider all physical problems and medications of elderly patients before making a diagnosis.
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A woman's unique biological, social, and cultural factors may increase her risk for depression.
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Too often, parents miss the signs of depression. Or, they believe their teen will "snap out of it” eventually.
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Learning more about this illness will allow you to understand what your symptoms may mean and make it easier for you to seek help.
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In general, only about three percent of the elderly living independently in the community will experience depression. That figure increases to around 20 to 30 percent of persons in nursing homes or with chronic illnesses like emphysema, heart disease or diabetes.
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Depression is not "all in your head." It is a real illness that saps your energy. It can leave you feeling sad, hopeless, lonely and guilty. It is related to a chemical imbalance in the brain and to certain traits such as low self-esteem and pessimism. Some kinds of depression may be inherited.
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Everyone feels down at times, but diabetics are especially prone to depression. An unhappy period that's intense or lasts for more than a couple of weeks can be a sign of depression. Depression is a serious illness.
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The mind and the body are intimately connected, and our overall health depends on both working well. This is most evident in depression: Research shows that people who suffer from clinical depression face a higher risk of contracting one of the stress-linked illnesses than the rest of the population.
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Depression can often develop as a result of a heart attack or cardiac surgery, and has more serious effects on heart health and overall health than depression that was present before a heart attack.
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Seasonal affective disorder is thought to be caused by decreased exposure to sunlight during the winter months. Light therapy helps some people, and the FDA has approved the antidepressant bupropion for treatment as well.
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Studies suggest mental health care following a heart attack can improve patient health and mortality.
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Studies of a link between depression and osteoporosis suggest the bone deterioration could be a result of the depression, or may be caused by taking antidepressant medications for a long period of time.
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Discussing the definition and treatment of a contested psychological diagnosis???atypical depression.
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Two studies examine the correlation between depression in adults and its prevalence in their children, and the effect of adults' treatment on the children's mental health.
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Exposure to the right kind of light may go a long way toward reducing seasonal affective disorder symptoms.
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Depressed patients are more likely to respond to medical treatment if their doctors practice empathy and effective communication skills.
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A roundup of studies exploring the beneficial effects of exercise on depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Is it a case of the chicken and the egg?
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A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about whether Accutane, a powerful acne medication, has been linked to depression or suicide.
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An explanation of the two-way relationship between depression and stroke. Depressed people are at higher risk for a stroke, but depression often precedes as well as follows a stroke.
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Hypotheses explaining how depression manifests itself. The American Psychiatric Association requires any five of nine symptoms for a diagnosis of major depression. As the definition implies, these symptoms do not all appear in everyone who is depressed. Two studies explore the consequences for the understanding of depression and come to contrasting conclusions. One study suggests that an individual patient's symptoms are not consistent, but change more or less unpredictably from one episode of depression to the next. The other study suggests that there are several sets of depressive symptoms that are distinguishable genetically and therefore likely to persist in a given individual.
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Concern about antidepressants increasing the risk of suicide in children could have the unintended effect that children suffering from depression may not receive needed treatment.
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People who suffer from depression are more likely to have a sleep-related breathing problem such as apnea. Treating the sleep problem may help alleviate the depression in some people.
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Discusses options for treatment of seasonal affective disorder.The treatment of seasonal affective disorder throws light on dark moods.
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Teen depression is a serious illness. The benefits of getting help, including taking medications if needed, far outweigh the potential risks.
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A study claims that obese people are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, but the findings do not prove that the conditions are causally related to each other.
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Behavioral activation therapy is a variation of cognitive therapy that encourages patients to fight depression by examining their feelings and experiences and focusing on their positive accomplishments.
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Folate, a B vitamin, breaks down homocysteine, which may be associated with depression. Because of this it has been tested as a possible treatment, but the results have been mixed and more research is needed.
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During the dark days of winter, many people develop signs of depression that are tied to the changing amount of daylight.
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Are children with ADD more likely to be depressed?
Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".
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My mother has advanced lung cancer and is receiving chemo. I live with her and am also her caregiver. We have been very close all of our lives, and I am having a hard time adjusting well. Sometimes I even get angry with her and then I feel guilty. The next step is I get depressed and have thought about a way out, but have not attempted anything. Can you suggest anything to help me cope?
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Researchers in China found that Chinese citizens were more likely to express symptoms of depression as having a physical component as well as an emotional one, due to the way their culture interprets such feelings.
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Mental health among Americans may have declined during the 1990s.
Revealing information on the mental health of Americans appears in data from three random telephone surveys of the adult population by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
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While there is a very small risk of suicide in adolescents who take antidepressants, they are also beneficial to many teenagers with depression. All factors should be weighed in treatment decisions, and patients should be monitored carefully.
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Discussion of whether the new antidepressant Cymbalta (duloxetine) has any advantage over other antidepressants on the market.
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DHEA may not be an anti-aging panacea, as some suggest, but a new study suggests that it may be able to temporarily lift mood.
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Older people with macular degeneration are more likely to experience depression, but those who received problem-solving therapy to help them adapt to and cope with their condition were less likely to develop depression.
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A study shows that interaction with animals can be a path to recovery from depression.
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Age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of severe vision loss in people over 55. A recent trial shows that education may help relieve disability and depression in those with the condition.
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Is there a link between depression and migraines?
Michael Craig Miller, M.D., is editor-in-chief of the Harvard Mental Health Letter and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Miller has an active clinical practice and has been on staff at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for more than 25 years.
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Reports of risky side effects may have dampened enthusiasm for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are among the world's most widely prescribed medications. A review of concerns and benefits associated with SSRIs.
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According to two studies, women going through menopause are much more likely to develop symptoms of depression, due in part to changes in hormone production. Hormone replacement may provide temporary relief from severe depression.
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A discussion of the social impact of depression in the elderly and the benefits of treatment.
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Most people, most of the time, overestimate themselves. It is pervasive and powerful, but is not the same in all people or in all circumstances.
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A recent study offers evidence that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may help those who develop depression after a heart attack.
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Living with diabetes may increase the likelihood of depression. The connection may be go both ways: information from a diabetes trial suggests the possibility of a link between antidepressant use and diabetes.
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Having a chronic condition such as COPD can lead to depression. You can get help. Talk with your doctor about your symptoms.
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Primary care physicians should be asking their patients questions about five "warning flag" symptoms to determine whether they should be screened for depression or other mood disorders, researchers say.
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What's the difference between a bad case of the blues and the painful mental disorder known as depression? According to the experts, impaired functioning is usually a clear-cut indication of clinical depression.
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Although sadness touches all our lives, true depression is different in its intensity and persistence.
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Instead of asking for help, men who are depressed are likely to drink alcohol to excess, take drugs, or become frustrated, discouraged, and irritable.
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Everyone gets down in the dumps from time to time. But you may have clinical depression if a feeling of sadness or loss of interest in life and friends lingers for two weeks or more.
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Because depression isn't a normal part of growing older, it's important to learn the signs of this condition and seek help if you or a loved one could be suffering from it.
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Although anyone can suffer from depression, it is particularly common among older adults. Depression affects 15 out of every 100 adults older than 65.
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The medical community once thought depression affected only adults. The risk for the condition begins in the early teens, however, and increases steadily through the mid-20s.
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The unrealistic expectations of the season, time and financial pressures, missing loved ones and reflecting on past events as the year comes to an end all contribute to the blues.
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Take action if you suspect a friend and/or family member suffers from depression. It's a condition that can cloud thinking and make people believe they aren't worth helping, so they often can't help themselves.
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When recommending treatment for clinical depression, physicians typically prescribe a tried-and-true regimen: anti-depressant medication and "talk" therapy. In the future, however, health professionals may be advocating a healthy dose of exercise.
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Chances are you know the difference between occasional sadness and depression. But here's a fact you may not know: Hypothyroidism, a common thyroid disorder, can cause depression.
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A combination of factors causes depression. Some cases are triggered by a stressful experience, such as the death of a spouse or loss of a job. Some illnesses, such as cancer, also can cause depression, as can alcohol and drug abuse.
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Because of their egocentric focus, children, unlike healthy adults, can have trouble distinguishing their fantasies from reality. In addition to developing creativity, fantasy can serve the important function of helping a child confront her fears ...
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Having more money does not make people happier, even though we tend to believe it will. The tendency to overestimate the importance of something's effect on one's level of happiness is called the focusing illusion.
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Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods.True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or...
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Detailed information on depression and depression in women, including types, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
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Depression is the general name for a family of illnesses known as depressive disorders. Depression is an illness that affects not only the mood and thoughts, but also the physical functions of affected individuals.
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Depression and depressive disorders(unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that once were pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, ...
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Depression is the general name for a family of illnesses known as depressive disorders. Depression is an illness that affects not only the mood and thoughts, but also the physical functions of affected individuals.
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Depression or depressive disorders(unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that were once pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, a...
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Depression or depressive disorders(unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that were once pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, a...
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A depressive disorder is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health(NIMH) as an illness that involves the body, mood and thoughts. It encompasses feelings of overwhelming sadness and despair that persist or intensify over time.Occasional f...
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An emotional state or mood characterized by one or more of these symptoms: sad mood, low energy, poor concentration,.sleep or appetite changes, feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness, and thoughts of suicide.Until recently, it was thought that ...
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Everybody feels sad sometimes, but to be clinically depressed is not just a matter of feeling sad. A patient with cancer is diagnosed as having major depression only if certain symptoms, such as loss of pleasure or thoughts of death, are present f...
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Depression is sometimes referred to as the common cold of mental illness. It is a debilitating disease with significant societal costs.
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Impaired sensation is often a signal that there something affecting a nerve or the nervous system. Changes in sensations are often subjective and difficult to describe, that is, experienced by the patient but difficult for the provider to diagnose and treat.
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Aimless movements can be a symptom of a primary or secondary movement disorder, side effect of a medication, psychiatric disturbance or dementia. Aimless or purposeless movement is therefore a significant symptom requiring evaluation by a physician to determine the origin of the problem.
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The amnestic disorders are a group of disorders that involve loss of memories previously established, loss of the ability to create new memories, or loss of the ability to learn new information. As defined by the mental health professional''s handb...
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