Depression affects nearly 15 million Americans, according to 2010 information from the National Institute of Mental Health. As a leading cause of disability, depression affects individuals, their loved ones and the community. Psychiatrists...
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have the legal right to prescribe drugs to their patients when they believe it's necessary. Psychiatrists often attempt to help people with severe mental problems, and they may fulfill the role of counselor as...
Child psychiatrists are mental health professionals who diagnose and treat mental, behavioral and emotional disorders in children. Professionals in the field of child psychiatry work in a variety of settings, such as schools, hospitals, clinics,...
When a child displays abnormal behavior, excessive sadness or aggression, the first step for parents is to figure out what's going on. If you can't figure this out on your own, or if you know what the problem is but can't solve it on your own,...
Your child may be experiencing difficulties at home, at school or both. You could be seeing behaviors that worry or even frighten you and decide it may be time for professional help. You should consider several factors when choosing the right...
Mental health care encompasses a wide array of services for individuals needing minimal mental health care to those needing hospitalization. Mental health care is provided by psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and mental health aids. Mental...
If you are one of the millions of American suffering from a sleep problem, finding a sleep expert may be the first step towards a resolution. Common symptoms of sleep problems includes difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep,...
Almost 50 percent of people in the United States will experience a mental illness sometime in their lifetime according to Ronald Kessler and colleagues at the Harvard Medical School in a study published in "Archives of General Psychiatry." Half of...
As many as 1 in 13 adolescents will experience signs of depression at some point during his teen years, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. It can be difficult for parents and other adults to know when a teen is depressed because the...
While psychiatrists consider therapy the most effective way to treat bulimia, antidepressants can also speed recovery. The most effective of these medications are specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors. So far the only FDA approved SSRI is...
There are numerous mental-health hospitals and facilities in and around Philadelphia. The prestigious College of Physicians of Philadelphia---the oldest professional organization in America, which has as its mission the advancement of medicine and...
A doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathic medicine maintains or restores health through diagnosis and treatment of health conditions. The title "physician" refers to both a doctor of medicine and doctor of osteopathic medicine in the United...
Cerebral palsy is a condition in which movement is impaired because the brain is unable to send proper signals to the muscles. In spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy, movement on one side of the body is affected.
Some people who suffer from depression actively seek help. Some people are too depressed to do so. Others might be embarrassed and reluctant to seek help. Sometimes people don't recognize they are depressed. In all these cases, a friend or...
Anxiety generally comes in five forms: generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and specific phobia disorder. The relief for any of these forms of anxiety depends on the...
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that more than 20 million American adults suffer from a mood disorder each year. Unfortunately, many of them do not seek professional treatment, according to a study published in the Annual Review...
Methylphenidate drugs are used for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Understanding their mechanism requires an understanding of the brain changes that cause ADHD. As an article in the McGill Journal of Medicine...
Those suffering from anxiety, a highly treatable mental health illness, can get the help they need from a number of mental health professionals, including social workers, psychologists, counselors and psychiatrists. It is important to remember...
Many people rely on their morning hit of caffeine to get them going. Caffeine is present in tea, coffee and soda and gives people a quick pick me up. A cup or two isn't usually harmful, but consuming more than 200 to 300mg per day can cause...
Anorexia nervosa is a life threatening disorder riddled with physical and emotional ramifications. The American Dietetic Association states that up to 20 percent of sufferers will die from disease-related complications. As such, medical...
There are many services available in most communities to help people battling mental illness. They are available at many different levels, from municipality-run programs to hospitals and private doctors. Many such services are free or provided on...
Living with bipolar affective disorder is an ongoing battle for the patient and those around him. Many people, however, lead successful and productive lives with the right treatment. Treatment for this disorder is provided by a psychiatrist who...
Some of the factors that are found in depression--including low mood, anxiety, poor sleep and reduced appetite--are also affected by alcohol. Stressful events have been known to result in drinking problems and depression. Child neglect and poor...
Science has come a long way in its understanding of schizophrenia, but that doesn't mean there is a cure yet. This is a complex brain disorder that is biological in nature, and there is little that can be done in the way of psychotherapy....
Because advanced stages of dementia frequently include emotional outbursts and aggressive behavior, physicians may prescribe antipsychotic drugs to sedate the patient and relieve care partners and staff from never-ending demands on their time....
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders affect about one-fifth of the adult population in the United States. There are several different treatment modalities commonly used, including therapy and several types of...
Psychiatrists prescribe Lexapro to treat depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Lexapro is a selective seratonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI. Psychiatrists and physicians prescribe these drugs most commonly to treat depression. As with other...
Communication in all its forms---verbal and non-verbal has the power to influence an entire family in either a positive or negative way. In fact, Nathan Ward Ackerman, chief psychiatrist at the Menninger Child Guidance Clinic in 1937, was a...
Psychiatrists prescribe Lexapro, the brand name for escitalopram, for depression and for generalized anxiety disorder. It was introduced to the United States in 2002. A generic form of escitalopram is expected in 2012, but until then only brand...
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.
Asperger's Syndrome, or NLD, is a form of Autism. Find out what it is like to be a caregiver for someone who has Asperger's Syndrome in this video.
Post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is an psychiatric disorder most often associated with any serious psychological trauma. Learn more about the causes, symptoms and treatments for PTSD in this medical video.
Zoloft is frequently prescribed to patients by their psychologist, and usually takes two weeks to take effect. Learn how to treat anxiety with Zoloft from a licensed professional psychotherapist in this video.