How Can It Be Treated
OCD is treated using a combination of medication and behavioral therapy. Medicines used include antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers. Talk therapy (cognitive behavioral therapy; CBT) has been shown to be effective for this disorder. During therapy, the patient is exposed many times to a situation that triggers the obsessive thoughts, and learns to gradually tolerate […]
What Causes It?
Doctors do not know the exact cause of OCD. Factors that may play a role include head injury, infections, and abnormal function in certain areas of the brain. Genes (family history) seems to play a strong role. Most people who develop it show symptoms by age 30.
How Can It Be Treated
Each person’s treatment will depend on the type of eating disorder, but generally it will include psychotherapy along with medical monitoring and nutritional counseling. Family-based treatment is especially important for families with children and adolescents because it enlists the families’ help to better insure healthy eating patterns and increases awareness and support. Many people receive […]
What Causes It?
Eating disorders are very complex conditions, and scientists are still learning about the causes. Although eating disorders all have food and weight issues in common, most experts now believe that eating disorders are caused by people attempting to cope with overwhelming feelings and painful emotions by controlling food. Unfortunately, this will eventually damage a person’s […]
Signs and Symptoms
Eating disorders are a group of related conditions that cause serious emotional and physical problems. Each condition involves extreme food and weight issues; however, each has unique symptoms that separate it from the others. Anorexia Nervosa. A person with anorexia will deny themselves food to the point of self-starvation as she obsesses about weight loss. […]
How Can It Be Treated?
Bipolar disorder cannot be cured, but it can be treated effectively over the long-term. Proper treatment helps many people with bipolar disorder—even those with the most severe forms of the illness—gain better control of their mood swings and related symptoms. But because it is a lifelong illness, long-term, continuous treatment is needed to control symptoms. […]
Signs and Symptoms
People with bipolar disorder experience unusually intense emotional states that occur in distinct periods called “mood episodes.” Each mood episode represents a drastic change from a person’s usual mood and behavior. An overly joyful or overexcited state is called a manic episode, and an extremely sad or hopeless state is called a depressive episode. Sometimes, […]
What Causes It
Scientists are studying the possible causes of bipolar disorder. Most scientists agree that there is no single cause. Rather, many factors likely act together to produce the illness or increase risk. Genetics Bipolar disorder tends to run in families. Some research has suggested that people with certain genes are more likely to develop bipolar disorder […]
ADHD: How Can It Be Treated?
Treatment and Therapies While there is no cure for ADHD, currently available treatments can help reduce symptoms and improve functioning. Treatments include medication, psychotherapy, education or training, or a combination of treatments. Medication For many people, ADHD medications reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity and improve their ability to focus, work, and learn. Medication also may improve […]
ADHD: What Causes It
Risk Factors Scientists are not sure what causes ADHD. Like many other illnesses, a number of factors can contribute to ADHD, such as: Genes Cigarette smoking, alcohol use, or drug use during pregnancy Exposure to environmental toxins during pregnancy Exposure to environmental toxins, such as high levels of lead, at a young age Low birth […]
ADHD: Signs and Symptoms
Signs and Symptoms Inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity are the key behaviors of ADHD. Some people with ADHD only have problems with one of the behaviors, while others have both inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity.Most children have the combined type of ADHD. In preschool, the most common ADHD symptom is hyperactivity. It is normal to have some inattention, unfocused […]
How Can It Be Treated?
Treatments and Therapies Anxiety disorders are generally treated with psychotherapy, medication, or both. Psychotherapy Psychotherapy or “talk therapy” can help people with anxiety disorders. To be effective, psychotherapy must be directed at the person’s specific anxieties and tailored to his or her needs. A typical “side effect” of psychotherapy is temporary discomfort involved with thinking […]