Mental Health Alliance

Tips on Child Therapists

If your child is struggling, you'll do whatever it takes to help her. The problem could be an emotional, physical, social or behavioral one. You may not know exactly how to select the best therapist to help resolve her specific issue. According to...

How to Convert Cookie Recipes to Gluten Free

Many kinds of cookies must be avoided if you eat a gluten-free diet. Any cookie that contains flour is one that you will have to skip or modify to make it safe to eat. Gluten-free diets are generally followed by people who have celiac disease, a...

Avoiding Exhaustion

Both physical and mental exhaustion can cause serious consequences, including depression and heart disease. Exhaustion can result from excessive physical demands and emotional conflicts. Health, work, relationships and overall well-being can be...

Substance Abuse Dual Diagnosis

People who are diagnosed with mental health disorders and substance abuse disorders have a dual diagnosis. For example, someone with a diagnosis of major depression and alcohol abuse has a dual diagnosis.

Bipolar Disorder Dangers During Pregnancy

Some women who struggle with a mood disorder such as bipolar disorder want to have children or become pregnant unexpectedly. When a woman with bipolar disorder becomes pregnant or plans on becoming pregnant, she should consult her therapist and...

Resources on Bipolar Disorder

Considered a lifelong condition, bipolar disorder affects more than 10 million people in the United States, according to National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI). Bipolar disorder symptoms include shifts in energy levels, extreme mood swings and...

The Best Medications for Bipolar

Medication is a very important piece of treatment for people suffering from bipolar disorder, which is a disorder characterized by extreme mood swings. The risk of suicide increases when bipolar disorder is left undiagnosed and untreated. Most...

Definition of Manic Depression

Manic depression is also known as bipolar disorder. Mondofacto.com defines it as alternating moods of abnormal highs (mania) and lows (depression). According to the National Institute of Mental Health, it causes "unusual shifts in mood, energy,...

Types of Psychotropic Drugs

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, psychotropic medications are drugs used to treat mental disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD....

Facts About a Dual Diagnosis

Dual diagnosis refers to a medical condition in which you have a mood disorder such as depression or bipolar disorder (disease of sadness and extreme euphoria) and an alcohol or drug problem. According to Mental Health America, 53 percent of drug...

Overcoming ADHD & Bipolar Bias

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 1 in 4 U.S. adults experiences a diagnosable mental disorder each year. Yet, psychological problems still carry a stigma in society. MayoClinic.com states that societal stigmas...

Treatment of Bipolar Disorder During Pregnancy

Bipolar disorder is characterized by intense highs and lows known as manic and depressive episodes. Some women who suffer from bipolar disorder want to get pregnant and have children and others become pregnant without knowing it. Certain risk...

How to Deal With a Bipolar Person

Bipolar disorder, sometimes referred to as manic depression, is characterized by extremely high and low moods. People learning how to deal with a bipolar person often are confused by the sudden mood swings and may feel responsible for the changes...

Bipolar Psychotic Symptoms

Two bipolar disorders are recognized by the American Psychological Association. These are categorized as Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2. Both disorders have in common severe mood swings. Decades of research have produced medications that are effective in...

About Bipolar Disease

Bipolar disease is also known as bipolar disorder or manic depression. According to the National institute of Mental Health, it causes "unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks." Symptoms of...

What is Seroquel Used For & Why?

Seroquel or quetiapine, is classified as an antipsychotic drug. The medication works by affecting the way that nerves communicate with in the brain. Seroquel works by affecting numerous neurotransmitters. The two major neurotransmitters affected...

Depression Signs of Withdrawal From People

Depression is a mood disorder that affects more than 14 million Americans each year, according to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. It is characterized by sadness, loss of interest in regular activities and despair. Many people with...

Nutrients to Combat Depression

Depression is a serious mental disorder that can interfere with many aspects of daily life. Although antidepressant drugs and psychological therapy are common treatments for depressive disorders, certain nutrients are also crucial to good mental...

Bipolar Disorder Signs & Symptoms

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is characterized by severe mood swings. A person with this disorder suffers from periods of depression and mania. Their moods range from high to low.

Diagnosing Bipolar Disease

Bipolar disease, also known as manic depression, is a mental illness where the patient experiences massive mood swings. Nearly 6 million people suffer from bipolar disorders, according to The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. People may go...

How to Stop Aggressive Behavior in Children

Aggressive behavior in children can result from many different psychosocial and psychological issues, but can also be a normal stage for many children as they navigate social norms. Parents can help their child develop socially acceptable ways to...

Causes of Low Potassium & Electrolyte Levels

Numerous conditions can cause low potassium and electrolyte levels. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC, potassium is both a mineral and an electrolyte. An electrolyte is a substance that conducts electricity in the...

Mental Illness & Omega-3

Traditional psychiatry is being challenged by new ways of thinking about mental illness. Among these emerging alternative views is the perspective that nutrition plays a role in the onset, development and management of mental illness. Research on...

About Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depression or manic-depressive illness. It results in extreme mood swings that can make a person go from being highly energetic and happy to being severely depressed. A chemical imbalance in the brain may...

The Effects of Lithium Orotate

Lithium is a naturally occurring element that can be used to treat depression and mood swings, as stated by the National Alliance of Mental Health. High doses exceeding 400mg of lithium have been used as an ingredient in prescription drugs, such...

Dangers of Adderall

Adderall is a combination of the prescription drugs dextroamphetamine and amphetamine. Adderall is commonly prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. The side effects of Adderall are typically mild; however, certain...

Anxiety & Panic Disorder Symptoms

Panic disorder is one of several specific types of anxiety disorder. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) explains that panic disorder is set apart from other anxiety conditions by the repeated and unexpected bouts of extreme fear and...

How Does Depakote Affect the Brain?

Depakote is the brand name for the medication divalproex sodium (or valproate semisodium). Depakote is a medication that affects the brain and is prescribed to manage many neurological diseases and conditions, including mania episodes of bipolar...

Healthy Eating & Anorexia

With fad diets gaining in popularity and confusion about nutrition information, many people are confused about what to eat. Obesity is on the rise because many people eat more daily calories than are needed; however, a small number of people...