Posts Tagged ‘Disorders’

Basic Forms of Eating Disorders

Sunday, December 13th, 2009

Mental health is defined as the absence of a mental disorder. It is a balance between the activities of daily living and achieves a strike of psychological resistance. This is a person’s ability to enjoy life while feeling emotional well being. If a person says that good mental health may have been aware of their abilities, can cope with stress, can bring the productivity of labor and society.

Mental Disorder:

Mental disorder known as mental illness is a psychological or behavioral level are an obstacle to a particular cause. This inability or anxiety is not part of a normal growth cycle of people in mental health and progress.

Eating disorders:

Eating disorders are a form of mental disorder. This hurts people with a physical and mental health. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating are the three known eating disorders. It is a reflection of underlying physiological problem.

Binge eating, is a condition in which people experience episodes of uncontrolled consumption. People can eat more food at one time or eat faster than normal. Also eating when not hungry and eat just because you are sad, depressed, or even bored.

Orthorexia nervosa – another form of the disease in an individual that contains only healthy food, and is well chosen, including food, hygiene and natural ingredients, which in the end times suffer food obsession.

Causes of Eating Disorders:

Eating disorders are a combination of family psychological, genetic, social and family factors. Intense fear of gaining weight or looks bigger than it really is, naturally, lead to more eating.

Problems at home may lead to the risk of eating disorders. Persons who are very sensitive teenagers can affect boys and girls to think that the ideal of beauty is very thin, which in the eyes and abnormal eating drive.

Another reason for eating disorders, low self-esteem is, where people feel that the concentrations can help to weight a sense of control over their lives

Effects of Eating Disorders:

Eating disorder can cause negative effects on mental health and lead to various health conditions. It can lead to heart and kidney failure.

Effects of Anorexia

Reduced pulse rate, breathing problem and low blood pressure
Hair loss and brittle nails
Changes in menstrual cycle in women
Lack of focus and concentration
Joint and bone problems
Mild anemia and muscle weakness and loss
Low blood pressure, respiration and heart rate slow
The drop in body temperature, feeling cold a person all the time
Dry and yellowish skin

Effects of Bulimia

Stomach pain
Kidney failure
Abnormal menstrual cycle
Loss of potassium contributing to heart problem

Treatment

Treatment is not only the curing but identification and prevention of eating disorders. Symptoms such as obsession with weight control or eating, withdrawal from social activities, being depressed or lethargic, and weighing you regularly give an indication that an individual is suffering from mental health problems

People who are faced with the problem often react defensively at first. An encouraging family members and have received treatment, can be very useful for the person suffering. What are the professional help and the use of statements rather than confrontation instructions that can accept a long way in helping the person to go to their problems?

Treatment consists of medical examinations, therapy and nutritional counseling. The goal of treatment should be new ways of thinking and approaching the food concentrate. People, who are under severe malnutrition, are entitled to hospital. Early diagnosis will ensure that treatment is of short duration, like any other disease.

Prevention includes the development of healthy attitudes towards food and nutrition. It is important to talk about health claims is a person and not against them. And regular exercise is fun and rewarding activities can contribute to a healthy lifestyle. We can improve mental health and physical condition. It is important to learn about the agency’s own image of what it is and I think the body healthy and strong and a wonderful gift.

Causes of Mediocre Performance in Elite Athletes: Physical and Mental Disorders

Saturday, December 5th, 2009

It is so disappointing and sad to see some of our best athletes cannot perform at their best during the final stages of a championship game. More often than not, they are blamed because not doing very well is interpreted by others as not doing their best. Unknown to others, these athletes are experiencing some low moments or ailments which resulted to a poor performance. Athletes, however good they may be, are still human who experiences Physical, Mental and Behavioral disorders. These mostly cause mediocre performance in elite athletes.

Physical injuries include those that had harmed or abuse the body causing it to function improperly. These involve injuries, fatigue, eating disorders and substance abuse. Osteoporosis is one of those old-age degenerative diseases that are seen as unending and persistent. Medical risk factors along with physical risk factors of osteoporosis were discussed thoroughly to further understand why osteoporosis was treated as a dead-end bone disease especially to the aged people.

In another study, the effects of a performance intervention were studied on patients with arthritis. Controlled observations were based on the variables that represented pain, strength, motion, joint circumference, tenderness, and hand function using the Stanford Hand Assessment questionnaire. To get the results for their study, selected osteoarthritis patients were randomly assigned to undergo the yoga program and others received no therapy.

On the other hand, the number of individuals that suffer from both substance abuse and mental disorders in the United States is estimated at 10 million. Approximately 50% of the individuals that have a sever brain disorder also have a substance abuse problem. The two disorders are interrelated in that the substance abuse inhibits the individual from obtaining adequate treatment for the mental disorder while the mental disorder contributes to the substance abuse. With some types of mental disorders such as schizophrenia, the substance abuse is the outcome of self-medication in an attempt to alleviate some of the symptoms of the disorder. Most experience fear and anxiety or even lack of motivation and anger resulting to low self-esteem which has a very strong relationship with morale. The loss of self-confidence or a feeling of discouragement may also be caused by frustration, which in turn causes mental efficiency to be lowered. In this case, it affects the performance of Elite players.

Sleep Disorders Can Lead to Mental Disorders

Monday, November 9th, 2009

The phenomenon of sleep has intrigued scientists for a very long time now. Many of its facets have been studied in detail and quite a few results have come to light. Although still a mysterious activity for us humans it has nevertheless been found that sleep has many positives associated with it.

For instance, a good night’s sleep replenishes bodies used up energy; it helps in augmenting memory, and helps in improving the learning capability of the human beings. Howsoever not everybody is able to enjoy a good night’s sleep. There are many disorders that are associated with sleep. Some of the most common are sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, and restless leg syndrome. Among all such sleep disorders sleep apnea is the most perilous disorder. In sleep apnea the patient finds it difficult to breathe during sleeping. The problem of sleep apnea is associated with loud snoring although not all the people who snore suffer from this disorder. What happens during sleep apnea is that the person’s effort to inhale air creates a suction that leads to the collapsing of the wind pipe. The airflow is thus blocked for some 10 seconds to a minute and hence the person ends up struggling to breathe properly. This leads to a fall in the blood oxygen level. When that happens the brain awakens the person enough to open the windpipe. The person might snort or sometimes gasp and then resume snoring. This cycle might repeat itself for say a hundred times in a single night. The frequent disturbance during the night of a sleep apnea patient might lead to some personality disorders like, depression or irritability or some other mental disorder. Some of the major sleep apnea symptoms are morning headaches, decline in mental functioning, and reduced interest in sex, sometimes irregular heartbeats and an increased risk of heart attack.

People who are suffering from sleep apnea should immediately get themselves treated. There are several sleep apnea treatments that the patient can undergo. One of the most common is the CPAP treatment. There are also many sleep labs available where the patient can get himself treated. These sleep labs offer various facilities to the patient which the patient can avail.

The Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders and Mental Illness in Children

Friday, September 25th, 2009

Mental health disorders and mental illnesses affect a greater number of children and juveniles than many people are aware of. These emotional and behavioral disorders can have profound negative effects on the growth and development of children, especially when they go unnoticed and untreated. A greater proportion of children and youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems have mental health problems than children and youth in the general population.

-50% of children and youth in the child welfare system have mental health problems.
-67% to 70% of youth in the juvenile justice system have a diagnosable mental health disorder.

Prevalence Estimates of Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders In Young People

DISORDER                                            PERCENTAGE OF YOUNG PEOPLE AFFECTED

Learning D/O:                                                                5%
Substance use / addiction disorder:                                  10.3%
CD:                                                                              3.5%
ODD:                                                                            2.8%
ADHD:                                                                           4.5%
Anxiety Disorders (various):                                             8%
Unipolar Disorder:                                                           5.2%
One or more disorders:                                                   17%

(D/O = Disorder; CD = Conduct Disorder; ODD = Oppositional Defiant Disorder; ADHD = Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Source: Preventing Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People, 2009. National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, of the National Academies.)

Early Detection and Intervention are Critical

The onset of major mental illness may occur as early as 7 to 11 years old.
-Research supported by the National Institute of Mental Health indicates that half of adults with MEB disorders were first diagnosed by age 14 and three fourths were diagnosed by age 24. Â
-Factors that predict mental health problems can be identified in the early years, with children and youth from low-income  households at increased risk for mental health problems. Â

Age at Onset of First Symptom of Full Psychiatric Disorder, by Age 21

DISORDER                        AVG. AGE OF FIRST SYMPTOM            AVG. AGE OF FIRST DIAGNOSIS

ADHD:                                            Age 5                                                 Age 5
ODD:                                              Age 5                                                 Age 10
CD:                                                Age 6                                                 Age 11
Anxiety Disorders (Various):              Age 7                                                 Age 8
Depression:                                     Age 12                                               Age 15
Substance Abuse:                             Age 14                                               Age 15
Substance Dependence:                    Age 16                                               Age 17
Any Psychiatric Diagnosis:                  Age 9                                                 Age 11

(Source: Preventing Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People, 2009. National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, of the National Academies)

Obstacles to Access and Quality in Mental Healthcare

Several federal commissions and workgroups federal task forces have documented the need for improved and expanded mental health services for children and youth.

-It is estimated that less than 1 in 5 of these children receive the appropriate needed treatment Â
-Only 15% of youths who had difficulties had parents that actively talked to a health care provider or school staff about their child?s emotional or behavioral difficulties. Â

There is not adequate financial support for quality services to prevent and treat mental health problems of children and youth. Many child mental health services are not covered by managed care payers. In 2007, 3.1 million youths, (12.5 percent of 12 to 17 year olds) received treatment or counseling for problems with behavior or emotional disturbances in specialty mental health settings (which include inpatient and outpatient care).

Effective Treatment and Prevention Exists

Clear windows of opportunity are available to prevent MEB disorders and related problems before they occur. An intervention before a disorder manifests itself is possible and offers the best opportunity to protect young people. Effective prevention includes strengthening families by targeting problems, strengthening individuals by building resilience and skills, preventing specific disorders by screening individuals at risk, promoting mental health in schools and promoting mental health through health care and community programs. The key to most approaches is to identify risks (biological, psychological and social factors) that may increase a child?s risk of MEB disorders.

Treatment And Diagnosis Of Mental Disorders In Children

Monday, September 21st, 2009

In the field of mental health the studies are necessarily done to provide the best treatments for the children with emotional and behavioral problems. In the development stage children are in a fast change and growth. The identification and the treatment of the mental disorders have to be viewed with these changes in mind.
There are few mental disorders in children that can be treated with medicines. There are a few problems that are serious and persistent and these mental disorders have to be treated by a medical practitioner. The brain disorders such as anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder begins after the childhood days.
Recent studies show that the brain disorders sets in some children in a very early stage. There is an assessment of around 1 in 10 children and adolescents in the United States suffer from mental disorders that are severe to cause some level of damage. The most studied, diagnosed and treated child onset disorder is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Treatment of the children with mental disorders

The symptoms that are worrying the person whose child has some behavioral problems can ask questions and find out the reasons for the same. One should talk to the doctor for these reasons.
The development of each child varies and is different. Language, sensory processing and motor skills develop at the early childhood and also the ability to relate with their peer, parents and care takers. If your child has been troublesome and is displaying some changes in the behavior that are worrying the caretakers, then it’s advisable to discuss the problem with the child specialist. The stresses cause a change in behavior.
The problems that need attention are those which are severe, persistent and have a disturbing effect in the day to day activities. If there are problems relating to the changes in appetite or sleep, social withdrawal, or fearfulness, signs such as the sadness or tearfulness, self destructing nature, bed wetting etc.
Diagnosis of mental disorders

A complete check up and examination of your child is a must. Discuss the behavioral problems of the child. The specialists who can diagnosis the problem may include the psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and behavioral therapists.
The signs and symptoms are observed and thus, this helps in identifying the disorders. The doctor will observe the child’s development level, social and physical environment and also consider the reports from parents and the caretakers.