Severe Mental Illness

What Are the Different Types of Psychiatrists?

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have specialized in psychiatry by completing an additional four years of training in the specialty of psychiatry. Psychiatrists can undertake additional training and become subspecialists.

Dangers of Drug Abuse

Any drug—alcohol, marijuana, cocaine or any prescription or street drug—may be subject to abuse by an individual. For an individual addicted to drugs, use persists despite the existence of negative consequences. Rates of drug use...

Causes of Schizophrenia Disorder

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental illness that makes it difficult to function and have normal relationships with others. Common symptoms of schizophrenia include hearing...

About Mental Illness and Substance Abuse

People who struggle with a mental health disorder such as depression and abuse substances such as alcohol are categorized as dual diagnosis patients. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about 50 percent of people who suffer from...

What Are the Dangers of Seroquel Withdrawal?

Seroquel, or quetiapine fumarate, is an antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These mental illnesses are caused by severe chemical imbalances in the brain. Schizophrenia symptoms include disabling interference...

3 Ways to Manage Psychotic Depression

Psychotic depression is a commonly overlooked disease, leaving many people suffering for years before a proper diagnosis and treatment plan is created. Not only does the illness share similarities with schizophrenia, but it also requires the...

Side Effects of Fastin

Fastin is one of many brand names for a sympathomimetic appetite suppressant that is used in the early stages of the treatment of obesity. It is a prescription drug administered as a capsule or pill that can help reduce your appetite. The Mayo...

Side Effects of Psychotropic Medicines

Psychotropic medications are used to treat psychiatric disorders. Psychotropics include antidepressants such as fluoxetine, antipsychotics such as Haloperidol, and anxiolytics such as Valium. Despite the array of potential side effects, several...

Exercises for Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia patients are susceptible to weight gain and associated illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the July 2008 issue of "Postgraduate Medicine." Lifestyle and certain types of medications are contributing...

How Exercise Helps Battle Alcoholism

Exercise may help you to beat alcoholism, according to a 2010 study by J. David Glass and colleagues in "Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research." Seek help if you show signs of alcoholism, such as drinking alone, a compulsion to drink,...

Chemical Diseases of the Brain

On any given day, millions of chemical processes occur in the brain. Chemical synapses occur between cells in the brain, called neurons. These neurons communicate with each other, or with other types of cells in the body, to form networks of...

Types of Common Mental Health Problems

Everyone feels emotions like worry, stress, sadness or confusion. When someone experiences these emotions and they do not go away, creating problems in her daily life and functioning, she may have a mental health problem. Mental illnesses are...

Eating Disorder Support

Anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating disorder are classified as mental disorders in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Adrienne Ressler, president of the International Association of Eating...

Natural Home Remedies for Depression & Anxiety

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), one in four adults suffers from a mental illness each year. Additionally, 14.8 million American adults suffer from major depressive disorder, the most pronounced form of depression....

How to Cope With Anxiety & Depression

Coping with anxiety and depression is no easy task. How you feel as a result of anxiety and depression can have a significant impact on your daily life. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in four adults suffers from a mental...

Tyrosine & Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness causing debilitating symptoms. While the causes of schizophrenia aren't entirely clear, researchers believe a combination of genetic, environmental and chemical factors play a role in its development. Brain...

What Is a Dopamine Antagonist?

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, or brain chemical, which regulates many physical and emotional processes. Some health disorders involve too low or too high levels of dopamine activity, explain scientists at the Addiction Science Research and...

Child Custody Considerations

The dissolution of a relationship can be difficult under the best of circumstances. When decisions about child custody enter the picture, the situation can become much more complicated and stressful. It is important to understand the legal...

Grandparent Child Adoption Rights in Texas

In Texas, a Petition for Adoption must be filed to adopt a grandchild. According to retired juvenile court judge Ramona Freeman John, the adoption will not be considered unless the child has no living parents or a judge has terminated the...

Child Anxiety & Excessive Worry

Many children worry and experience anxiety from time to time --- a common emotion. When symptoms of anxiety lead to panic or worrying excessively over everyday events or when they interfere with daily function, it could be the sign of a serious...

Fish Oil and Bipolar Disorder

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in abundance in fish oil supplements, remain one of the top-selling nutritional supplements in the United States. In fact, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) notes that fish oil is the...

Circumstances that Might Influence Alcohol & Drug Problems

Alcohol is one of the most widely abused substances in the world accounting for nearly 75,000 deaths a year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Illicit drug use is also problematic on a variety of levels with the drug...

About Dual Diagnosis Management

Dual diagnosis occurs when both a mental illness and a behavioral factor, usually substance abuse, are ongoing difficulties for a patient. Both sides of the difficulty must be addressed for the patient to improve. Due to the interaction of the two...

How Does a Severe Bipolar Parent Affect Children?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar disorder is a severe mental illness that affects 5.7 million adults in the United States. Bipolar patients display symptoms of severe highs that are manic in nature. The disease can...

Ten Signs of Mental Illness

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 26.2 percent of adults suffer from a mental illness each year. Mental illness is a broad term that encompasses neuroses such as anxiety, psychoses such as schizophrenia, and personality...

Short-Term Memory Loss in Teens

Short-term memory loss in teens has a variety of causes. The place where true memory is stored lies deep in the brain in subcortical areas called the temporal lobe and hippocampus. Actual memory loss that rises from damage to these structures is...

Bipolar & Progesterone

Bipolar disorder is a severe mental illness causing debilitating symptoms that can have a drastic impact on your life. Interestingly, a form of bipolar disorder, known as rapid-cycling bipolar disorder, is often diagnosed more frequently in women...

About Mental Health Care Planning

Individuals with severe mental illnesses often need a mental health care plan. These plans focus on the immediate, intermittent or future needs of the mental health care client. The planning team often consists of family members, psychiatric...