A dual diagnosis occurs when a patient with a mood disorder such as depression also suffers from alcohol or drug abuse. The depression and substance abuse problems may need separate treatment, but under the same plan, as the patient undergoes...
Major depressive disorder is the most common diagnosis that reflects the sadness and despair of someone experiencing depression. However, a clinician must evaluate symptoms carefully because several other diagnoses exist that might prove more...
When a patient has clinical depression, she has symptoms like sadness and anger that interfere in her life. Not all forms of depression are the same: each type of depression has different diagnostic criteria, such as the duration and number of...
Major depression is a diagnosis found in the DSM-IV-TR, the diagnostic manual used by mental health professionals, and is characterized by a persistent sad mood as well as other symptoms. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that 15...
According to the Mayo Clinic, depression (also known as major depressive disorder) is one of the most common diseases in the world. Most physicians view it as a chronic illness (similar to high blood pressure or diabetes), and it can be...
Venlafaxine, brand name Effexor, is categorized as an antidepressant drug and has many other psychological benefits. According to MedlinePlus, more than 20 million Americans suffer depression and its effects. The drug Effexor works in the brain,...
Manic depression, or bipolar disorder, is a mood disorder defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that patients can be diagnosed with one of three types of manic...
Screening for depression is an important first step in getting treatment for people who are depressed. Primary care physicians and mental health professionals use a number of brief surveys and interviews to assist in making a depression diagnosis....
There are several paper-and-pencil or computer assessments used often for depression and many less well-known or particularized assessments. These assessment instruments must be interpreted by mental health professionals familiar with the scoring,...
Vitamin B-12 can be good for anxiety if you have a B-12 deficiency. If you have a poor diet, are a vegetarian, are older than 50, or if you have celiac disease or Crohn's disease, you are more likely to have a B-12 deficiency than the rest of the...
According to Dr. Jay Hoecker, writing for MayoClinic.com, in years past many doctors did not believe that children could develop problems with depression. Today, there is wide recognition that children suffer from problems with depression. Kenneth...
According to the National Institute of Mental Health or NIMH, childhood depression has gained considerable attention in the last two decades, as the rates of depression in young and adolescent males continues to rise. In an article for...
Before the 1980s, it was widely believed that children didn't get despressed, Mary H. Sarafolean, PhD, wrote in the July/August 2000 issue of "A Pediatric Perspective," published by the Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare Hospital. "Today, we...
Depression for many people carries a stigma that prevents them from seeking the treatment necessary to help combat this mental illness. But those suffering from depression are in good company; many famous and successful people have struggled with...
Fibromyalgia, a condition that causes long-term pain, affects one in 50 people in the United States, according to Arthur Schoenstadt, MD, author of the eMedTV article “Fibromyalgia.” The National Women's Health Information Center adds...
Highs and lows are a normal part of life. Those with bipolar depression and mania, however, experience these in extreme and often have problems with daily life and relationships. Recognizing the symptoms, understanding treatment options, and...
Attention deficit disorder, or attention hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD), is a disorder that typically presents in children at the age of 3, but is often diagnosed at school age. The symptoms vary in presence and severity according to each...
Cymbalta is a brand-name prescription medication available to treat mental depression and other disorders. The medication is an antidepressant and belongs to a group of medications called selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors...
Stimulant medications are most commonly prescribed and are known for their effectiveness in reducing many of the symptoms associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These medications can be associated with some side effects,...
Depression is a serious medical illness caused by a combination of environmental, physical and psychological factors. "Comparing everyday 'blues' to a depressive disorder is like comparing a cold to pneumonia," wrote Dianne Hales in the textbook...
Because some of the diagnostic criterion overlaps, it is easy to confuse bipolar disorder with borderline personality disorder (BPD). In fact, BPD is co-diagnosed (comorbid) with mood disorders, such as bipolar, about 50% of the time (Adams et...
Depression is a psychological illness that is often over-diagnosed whenever someone is feeling the slightest bit sad, reports psychiatrist Gordon Parker of the University of New South Wales, based on a 15-year-study that he conducted. He describes...
Secondary bone cancer indicates the spread, or metastasis, of a primary cancer from elsewhere in the body to the bones. Metastatic disease to bone or other sites represents an advanced stage of cancer, with fewer treatment options and generally...
Depression is a medical disorder that may make it hard to function in daily life and may impact relationships, jobs, self esteem and sexuality. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that in America, more than 6 million men have...
Depression, a mood disorder that tends to be a chronic condition for those it afflicts, can be caused by a number of factors, including genetics, chronic medical conditions, stress and the environment a person finds herself in, notes...
Depression and other similar mood disorders affects approximately 20 million Americans according to the National Institute of Mental Health. There are many different types that depression can manifest and each may depend on a person's environment,...
Bipolar disorder can be managed effectively with medication and lifestyle changes. Among the recommended lifestyle changes is a program of consistent exercise. Exercise can be helpful in dealing with the excess energy of manic episodes as well as...
Fibromyalgia is a condition where the sufferer experiences widespread pain and has extra sensitivity to pressure points on her body. Most often diagnosed in young women, the condition is thought to be caused by a mix of factors, including genetic...
A herpes infection results from skin-to-skin contact with the herpes simplex virus. This virus occurs commonly, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that one in six Americans aged 14 to 49 has been infected. Despite its...
Postpartum depression refers to the clinical depression that can occur in women after childbirth. Learn more about post partum depression, including symptoms and treatments, in this health video.
Deciding on a type of therapy and a particular therapist can be a difficult process. Get tips on therapy and choosing a therapist from a licensed clinical social worker in this video.
Many use acupuncture to treat depression or depression-related symptoms; learn how to treat depression with acupuncture in this acupuncture video.
Mania, depression, recklessness and listlessness are the extremes associated with bipolar disorder, a mental illness characterized by mood instability that can be serious and disabling. Bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depression or...
Chronic fatigue syndrome covers a group of poorly understood diseases of the central nervous system leading to fatigue. Learn about chronic fatigue syndrome, including treatments and symptoms, in this health video.
