Unipolar disorder is another term used for major depressive disorder. Statistics suggest that close to 14.8 billion adult American residents get diagnosed with unipolar disorder every year. The most defining characteristics of unipolar disorder are loss of interest and depression. Besides that patients with this condition can experience some secondary symptoms like appetite changes, weight changes, sleep changes, surfacing of suicidal thoughts etc. This article will inform you briefly about the most commonly occurring signs of unipolar disorder. To be diagnosed with unipolar disorder one needs to experience decreased interest or depressed mood for a minimum of 2 consecutive weeks. Most of the patients diagnosed with this condition withdraw themselves from all kinds of social interactions and normal  [...]

A recent research has shown that women with major mood disorders and the ones experiencing both SUD (substance abuse disorders) and psychosis are at higher risk of developing osteoporosis. Deanna Kelly, the leader of the research team said that people having schizophrenia are believed to be at higher risk of having osteoporosis and bone loss as schizophrenia comes with associated factors like early menopause, low exercise, poor diet and hyperprolactinemia (a condition marked by increased levels of prolactin in blood) induced by antipsychotics.  The research team working under Kelly also noted that bone loss and osteoporosis is more common among the substance abusers and smokers, two common habits noticed in people having psychotic disorders. The research team analyzed data belonging to one of the Medicaid administrative databases; the aim of the research was investigating occurrence and frequency of osteoporosis diagnosis among women having psychotic disorders, nonpsychotic mood disorders  [...]

‘What is addiction?’ is a question that has been doing the rounds for centuries now. In most cases, people have attributed addiction as being a habit that has turned uncontrollable and it will involve the use of alcohol or other such drugs. Given the fact that these substances are known to have real and physical effects on the body, and more specifically the brain, people would often brand behavior as being an ‘addiction’ only when the affected people end up regularly using (or abusing) these substances in relatively large amounts. It has only been recently that a lot of other truths about addictions have come to the forefront. People have now begun realizing that it is possible to develop an addiction to behavior that could be harmful to your health. For instance, a lot of people today are being treated for their addiction to say, shopping or gambling. Addiction to eating and exercising are also turning out to be quite common these days. What Distinguishes  [...]

Did you know that there are different types of bipolar disorder? The condition of bipolar disorder is one that lasts a lifetime; and all of the episodes and all of that mania will keep recurring, unless you get the right sort of treatment for it. The types of bipolar disorder include Bipolar I disorder Bipolar II disorder Cyclothymic disorder Mixed bipolar disorder Rapid-cycling bipolar disorder One of these types of bipolar disorder is cyclothymia disorder, and that is the one we’re going to discuss here. Cyclothymia – One of the types of bipolar disorder: Cyclothymia is also known by the name cyclothymic disorder. It is one of the milder forms of bipolar disorder (BD). Just like BD, cyclothymia  [...]

It is common knowledge that all of us undergo a traumatic experience sometime or the other in our lives. But in the case of some people, it could go on to developing into a disorder called PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. What is PTSD? PTSD is a form of anxiety disorder that is known to occur post-trauma or after someone has been exposed to an event that was extremely traumatic. Symptoms of PTSD: Through years of research, some symptoms of PTSD have come to the forefront. These are the symptoms that can develop post a traumatic event. They can be divided into three clusters of symptoms: Re-Experiencing Symptoms: Frequently having thoughts about the traumatic event; and such thoughts can be upsetting. Having nightmares that are recurring. Acting or believing that you’re undergoing  [...]

Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is also known as winter depression or winter blues. It falls under the category of mood disorders and is said to affect people in such a way that otherwise normal people, who seem to be happy and fine throughout the year, suddenly start displaying depressive symptoms only when winter sets in. About Seasonal Affective Disorder Some people might actually feel a little down when there is a change in the season. A change in mood, when directly brought about due to a change in seasons can be termed as Seasonal Affective Disorder. Victims of this disorder generally fall prey to depression. The symptoms could, in some cases be severe; but they generally tend to clear up soon. Even though this disorder is called ‘seasonal’ affective, it generally tends to affect people in the winter. A less common type of this disorder will happen during the summer. Till date, this disorder hasn’t gotten  [...]

When the Blue Lagoon star, Brooke Shields, had her baby Rowan, she was ecstatic, like most women are. Problems began appearing, however, when she realized that she was incapable of forging a bond with her baby girl. In her book 'Down Came The Rain', Shields was quoted as saying 'She felt like a complete stranger to me'. She also confessed that on her lowest days, she'd felt like jumping out of a window; and she'd imagined what it would be like to see her baby being thrown against a wall. After several sessions of therapy and going onto anti-depressants, Shields managed to recover. Understanding Postpartum depression It is a major depressive episode that starts within 4 weeks of a woman's delivery; and is being touted as a significant public health problem. There are a number of emotions that are attached to the birth of a baby – the woman is excited, anxious, joyful and scared – all of this at the same time. Depression, however, may not be one of the expected reactions,  [...]

Commonly called as mania- depressive disorder, bipolar disorder is a medical condition that enables an individual to perform regular task. It affects the nervous system and thus results in frequent mood swings. These mood swings range from high to low level of depression. This disorder shows various symptoms such as irritation, loss of appetite, mood swings, and difficulty in performing regular task. Depression is the major symptom of bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder can be treated with various methods. It is not curable, but can be controlled with medications and psychotherapy. Apart from these, even dietary therapy is useful to control the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Nutritional deficiency can also trigger the symptoms of bipolar disorder. The deficiencies are as follows: Lack of omega-3 fatty acids Imbalanced level of blood sugar

Commonly known as, mania depression- Bipolar disorder causes severe mood swings. It also affects the energy levels, thought process, and pattern of behavior. It fluctuates from high to low level of depression. The cycle of bipolar disorder sometimes, last for few minutes, whereas sometimes the cycle last for weeks or months. These mood patterns are not similar to ordinary mood swings. Bipolar disorder is an intense mood swing, which does not allow the body to function properly. Our body is not able to perform regular task. Bipolar disorder treatment helps to lower down the intensity of mood swings. During a manic cycle, an individual may unwisely quit a job; spend exclusively on credit cards, and have disturbed sleep. While, the person suffering from depressive cycle may easily get too tired, behave lazily, and feel worthlessness. These symptoms are dangerous and destroy an individual’s health. Even with immense development in medical science, scientists have yet not  [...]

Also known as maniac depression- bipolar disorder is a disease that is associated with psychological disorders. Bipolar disorder is a medical condition that affects your nervous system, which enables an individual to perform regular task. This disease hammers your daily life schedule. Generally, most of the people are not aware of bipolar disorder. Thus, it is very much essential to understand the exact meaning of what is bipolar disorder. Many health programs organize awareness camps that provide exact information in regards to such ailments. These awareness programs answers what is bipolar disorder, which will prevent an individual from severe complications. The most common symptoms of this disease are maniac behavior and depression. They are included in the mood swings pattern. These mood swings sometimes last for just few minutes and sometimes it also last for many days. Even psychosis and suicide are some of the symptoms diagnosed with this disorder.  [...]