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Depression, Help for Mental Illnesses and Older Adults

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Depression is not just an illness that affects younger people and although it is not something that is acknowledged as much within the older community, it can have very negative effects on individuals health. Depression in individuals with chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke can cause their physical health to rapidly decline (NIMH, 2018). It can also interfere with the treatment of illnesses which is why it is so important that illness within the older community be acknowledged and more widely accepted. The best thing that individuals can do for an elderly individual suffering from depression is to recognize the warning signs and get the individual to a health practitioner for treatment (NIMH, 2018). The warning signs for depression within the elderly community are as follows; noticeable changes in mood, energy level, or appetite, feeling flat or having trouble feeling positive emotions, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, difficulty concent...
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Schizophrenia, Medicaiton and Men

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Schizophrenia is a terrible mental illness that greatly affects how an individual thinks, feels and behaves. If this disease is left untreated it can become debilitating for an individual, however, there are treatments that have proven to be very successful for individuals with schizophrenia. The first sign of schizophrenia generally comes after an individual's first psychotic episode, however, gradual changes in the way an individual thinks, feels and functions begins long before the first psychotic break (NIMH, 2020). Whilst schizophrenia is possible in young children, it is very unlikely that it will occur before adolescents (NIMH, 2020). Schizophrenia falls into three main categories; psychotic symptoms, negative symptoms and cognitive symptoms. Psychotic symptoms come in the form of altered perceptions such as changes in vision, hearing, smell, touch, taste, abnormal thinking and odd behaviors. An individual who is suffering from psychotic symptoms is likely to experience; H...
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Blog 3 - Depression, Brain Stimulation and Men

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  Depression is a topic that a lot of people know a little bit about. It is a taboo topic of discussion that many avoid but is mental illness that is very prevalent and needs addressing. Depression is a very common and very serious mood disorder that can affect the way an individual thinks, feels and handles day to day activities. An individual's risk or susceptibility to depression is caused by a combination of personal/family history, major life changes, such as stress or trauma and certain physical illnesses (The National Institute of Mental Health, 2018). In order for an individual to be diagnosed with depression they have to experience multiple of the following symptoms for 2 or more weeks in conjunction with a persistent low mood (The National Institute of Mental Health, 2018); Feeling sad, anxious or empty. Experiencing hopelessness or pessimism. Irritability. Experiencing guilt, worthlessness or helplessness. Loss of interest in pleasure and hobbies. Decreased energy and ...
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Blog 2 - Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Medication and Children.

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  When it comes to mental illnesses and disorders in children and adolescents the earlier that a disorder or illness is detected and the sooner treatment is started the more effective it can be (NIMH, 2019). Although early treatment and detection is very important for the best possible treatment, it can be hard to diagnose children as it can be difficult to determine if certain behaviors are disorders or just a part of a child's normal development (NIMH, 2019). If a child's behavior does start to affect their everyday home and school life and interferes with friendships it is best to contact a healthcare provider (NIMH, 2019). In terms of children and adolescents it is important to have them undergo an Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder assessment if they struggle academically or have recently began experiencing a decline in grades, if they find themselves in constant motion and have trouble sitting still or quietly and if they become uninterested in playing with other ...
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Blog 1 - Anxiety Disorders, Women and Technology

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  Anxiety disorders have been prevalent in our society since the beginning of time but we are just now beginning to understand them and provide the necessary treatments. There are several types of anxiety, all of which present themselves in a variety of different ways. The first and most common type of anxiety disorder is generalized anxiety disorder (NIMH, 2018) . This is when an individual experiences excessive worry from things such as health, socialization and day to day activities (NIMH, 2018) . Another disorder is panic disorder, this form of anxiety holds more physiological symptoms and can cause heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, feelings of impending doom and being out of control (NIMH, 2018) . This can be triggered by any one thing or by a compilation of things that becomes too overwhelming for an individual (NIMH, 2018) . The third type of anxiety disorder is phobia related anxiety (NIMH, 2018) . This means that an individual's intense fear o...
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