Many patients who are moderately to severely obese elect to take part in medical weight-loss programs that are designed to offer nutritional and psychological support for successful weight loss and weight management. Diets, especially in the early...
Fibromyalgia is characterized by pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as bouts of fatigue and sleep disturbance. This condition is more prominent in women and the risk for developing fibromyalgia increases with age. The exact cause...
Claustrophobia is a specific form of anxiety disorder characterized by irrational fear of confined or enclosed spaces. A person with claustrophobia may panic when in an elevator or automobile, having extreme emotional and physical reactions....
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that each year 6.7 percent of all Americans over age 18 suffer from severe depression and 1.5 percent suffer from mild depression. If you have a case of the "blues" that has dragged on for months,...
Prescription medications are the second most common drugs abused in the United States, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy. This trend is attributed to the incorrect assumption that prescription drugs are safer than street...
Few things can contribute to depression more than grief. Neither grief nor depression are something you can just "snap out of." For those experiencing prolonged feelings of depression and grief, professional help may be in order. For those living...
According to the American Psychiatric Association, up to five percent of the population suffers from clinical levels of anxiety at some point in their life. If you are suffering from symptoms of anxiety and have insurance, first go to the...
Juvenile boot camps garner a good deal of media attention as an alternative to other types of reform programs for youthful offenders. The outcomes and success rates associated with juvenile boot camps is mixed, according to a number of different...
Stress can be caused by a wide range of circumstances; physical, psychological or emotional and mental stress are all a part of the human condition. The strain and the impact of stress on your health and well-being is generally the same, no...
Thankfully, many forms of stress relief are available to us without a doctor's prescription or a hefty bank account. Simple actions like taking a walk, saying "no," and enjoying a moment or two alone with a pet can all relieve a great deal of...
Depression is a disorder that affects both the mind and the body. It not only can affect self-image and cause feelings of sadness and isolation; it also can disrupt sleep patterns, eating habits and energy levels, according to Dr. James F. Balch,...
When looking at what your day's activities might contain, design physical activities that are compatible for your children's ages and levels of stamina. Simple walks around the block or the park as well as more intense hikes and water activities...
Non-epileptic seizures, unlike epileptic seizures, are not caused by abnormal electrical activity in the cerebral cortex. Formerly called pseudoseizures, professionals prefer the term "non-epileptic seizures," as the patients view themselves as...
Everyone has occasional bad moods, according to Brown University's Psychological Services, but a down feeling that lasts more than a week or two is classified as depression. Clinical depression, according to Brown's Psychological Services, can...
Dietary supplements help meet the demand of your body's required nutrients when diet alone is not enough, or if you have certain medical conditions. It's important to use only dietary supplements as directed as it is possible for an overdose to...
Bruises are not uncommon injuries to find on infants, especially infants who are mobile and curious. Most of the time, bruises on infants result from accidental injuries incurred while playing and exploring. However, certain medical conditions as...
Stress hormones are excreted when a threat or danger crosses your path. Typically, the threat or danger passes and then the stress hormones recede to a normal level. You can continue with your activities without coping with the residual effects...
The first stress studies took place in the 1930s at McGill University in Canada; researchers tested and documented effects of stress and the resulting reports were stunning. Though the study of stress is only 80 years old, we have gained an...
Stress hormones, like adrenaline, can definitely be too much of a good thing. Such hormones help the body defend itself when threatened, but too much adrenaline traveling through the bloodstream can make the heart more vulnerable to disease....
Just because kids are thinking something, it doesn't mean they know it, and that's okay! Kindergartners are lucky; when they think about thinking, they have little awareness of making mistakes and, therefore, little reason to feel hard on...
Babies begin their intellectual development much sooner than many of us suspect. Certain reflexive behaviors that babies do over and over in the early months of life, like sucking, holding onto objects of varying size and density, kicking at...
Stress does not have to characterize purely negative experiences. Even positive experiences are stressful when they bring about extreme change like graduations and weddings. The type of stress associated with these kinds of events in small...
There are many reasons why people decide to undergo therapy or grief counseling. A significant loss, divorce, work problems, sleep issues and excessive worrying are all common reasons why a person might chose to see a therapist. When life's...
Medication is often used successfully if you suffer from bipolar disorder, but counseling is also a necessary part of recovery to help in understanding the illness and managing it. Bipolar disorder, once called manic depression, can cause mood...
Impotence is the inability to develop or maintain an erection that is sufficient to complete sexual intercourse. According to the National Institutes of Health, impotence affects from 15 to 30 million men. The impact of impotence increases with...
Today, almost any woman undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) can use egg donation to conceive. Egg donation is most often used by women who have been unable to conceive with their own eggs. Donor eggs can also help women who cannot get pregnant...
Autism was once an obscure disorder, but now one in every 110 children is diagnosed with the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People with autism often struggle with poor balance, clumsiness and lack of movement...
During a panic attack, also called an anxiety attack, you may notice that your heart is pounding very quickly. A normal heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute, depending on your activity level, age and overall health, but during a panic...
The textbook "The Science and Philosophy of Teaching Yoga and Yoga Therapy," lists several benefits of yoga instructional therapy. It describes yoga instructional therapy as a systematic method of developing your yoga practice to physically build...
