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Long Term Psychoanalytic Therapy Found To Be Valuable

It seems, with the hustle and bustle of today’s environment many prefer whatever is quickest, from grabbing a bite to eat at a fast food joint to in-and-out medical care. However, the quickest solution may not always be the best. Whether it is a result of rampant drug therapy or the busy lives we live, extended psychoanalytic therapy through discussion with a trained therapist has seemed to dwindle away. People may want to think again about the quick fix. In a recent study there is evidence showing “talk therapy" can be very effective in treating chronic mental problems

Youngsters and Antipsychotics: Old vs. New

Contrary to popular belief, schizophrenia is not split personality. It is a serious brain disorder—the most chronic and disabling of the major mental illnesses—that distorts the way a person acts, thinks, expresses emotions, perceives reality and relates to others. No one knows exactly what causes schizophrenia, but genetic makeup and brain chemistry may play a role. There is no cure for schizophrenia but medicines can relieve many of the symptoms.

National Suicide Prevention Week

Standing on the Golden Gate Bridge, with the fog whipping through your hair, watching the tourists take pictures, couples falling in love, and San Francisco bustling across the way is nothing short of beautiful. Sadly, a lot of people have used it as their last escape, a way of welcoming death from a beautiful place, a kind of suicidal paradise. Since its completion, the Golden Gate Bridge has seen over 1,300 people lose their life.

Youth Suicides on an Upward Trend

Being a teen isn't easy—it's a time of growing self-identity, pressure to fit in socially and to perform academically accompanied by the awakening of sexual feelings, which can bring about a great deal of confusion and anxiety. And life can feel even more difficult for teens that have additional problems to deal with, such as living in violent or abusive environments or experiencing a stressful life event, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend. For a growing number of teens, suicide may appear to be a solution to their problems and stress.

Genetic Traits Link to Bipolar Disorder

Two genes in the brain that control the activity of the nerve cells may play a big role in a person's risk for developing bipolar disorder, which is marked by dramatic swings from being depressed to manic behavior and affects between one and three percent of the population worldwide. While identifying these genes is important, it is not expected that it will lead to a genetic test for the risk of bipolar disorder. It could, however, help unravel the mystery of how it arises and could lead to better treatments

Depression Meds May Be Prescription for Bad Driving

Depression is a serious medical illness that affects more than 20 million Americans. Antidepressants are often prescribed to help relieve the symptoms of depression, such as mood changes, insomnia or excessive sleepiness, and feelings of worthlessness that can interfere with everyday life. But while these drugs bring about positive changes for many users, they may also negatively affect the person's cognitive abilities-and consequently their performance behind the wheel.

Psychiatrists Are Choosing Medications Over Traditional Psychotherapy

Many U.S. psychiatrists in today's environment are opting to break out the prescription pad and write prescriptions rather than inviting a patient to their couch for talk therapy. Some patients may like the new idea of prescribing medication rather than the more traditional therapy from their psychiatrists, especially for a quick fix, but is it just a band-aid or an actual resolution to the problem?

Hormones May Help Women with Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia usually affects more men than women, and women usually develop symptoms around five years later than men. Thus far, the treatment for both men and women has been the same.

New Genetic Clues to Schizophrenia Discovered

Ancient documents identify diseases with the symptoms of schizophrenia as far back as Egypt in the second millennium before Christ, and the condition has probably followed mankind through history. The word schizophrenia is less than 100 years old and the modern identification of the disease was first done by Dr. Emile Kraepelin in 1887 as a discrete mental illness. The exact cause of schizophrenia, as with other mental disorders has eluded research for years, but researchers believe that they are moving closer to the causes and the possibility of an effective treatment for the condition.

Substance Use and Mental Illness Across the United States

Substance use and mental health problems have now been pinpointed in individual geographical areas throughout the nation through a major survey conducted between 2004 and 2006. This survey was able to identify variations and patterns in 340 different localities across the United States by studying and analyzing the use of 23 substances.