Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Other Conditions”
Suicide continues to be a leading cause of death for Americans, especially younger people, where homicide and accidents lag far behind suicide in fatality rates. Budgets for suicide research and suicide prevention are woefully small, and stigma is still a barrier to seeking help, both for suicidal people and for their family members and supporters. However, amidst all the bad …
Loneliness is implicated in shortened lifespans, worsened physical and mental health, addiction, economic disruption and homelessness, among others. Its spread constitutes a true public health crisis in the USA, and intervention is urgently called for. However, at present, only individual efforts are offered as a solution. Reach out. Make sure your elderly relatives are getting a phone call regularly. Join …
Addiction is a potent topic for debate in our debate-happy society, but, as with so many of those topics, the debates usually generate more heat than light. That’s why we are glad that the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association have put out this handy, easy to read guide about addiction, separating fact from myth. Addiction is an …
Who Matters? Do you? Mattering is an important component of well-being Struggling with depression, Isaac slept late every morning, just dashing out in time to be “only a little” late to work each day. His apartment never got cleaned, and meals were a hit-and-miss combination of takeout and supermarket junk food. Then his mom went on vacation and brought her …
Why are some illnesses and conditions stigmatized while others are not? Writing in the New York Times, Dr. Aaron Carroll, chief health officer of Indiana University, suggests that stigma arises when we don’t understand the causes of a condition. Mental disorders like bipolar and supposedly “lifestyle” problems like obesity and alcoholism may appear to be more under the control of …
Tending to relationships is as important as watching cholesterol An 80-year-old longitudinal study of men, originally Harvard undergrads in the late 1930’s, looks at the determinants of good health, and has some surprising findings. Men who, in their 50’s felt “satisfaction” with their relationships with family, friends, and community had better overall health in the subsequent decades of life. Blood …
A new campaign launched by the American Psychiatric Association Foundation aims to change the conversation around mental wellness and illness from anti-stigma to prioritizing mental health in the same way we have prioritized physical health. APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D. said: “we all know there is no health without mental health. [This campaign is about] saying to …
Self-care is critical for a healthy life. Because we can’t meet others’ needs if our own go unheeded. Because to lead by example for our families, for our workplaces, for our communities, we have to show what a healthy life looks like. Because self-care is not a reward, it’s the basic fuel that keeps the whole show running. But how …
We want to highlight the work, and especially the website of Cara T Hoepner MS, RN, CS, PMHNP-BC, a Bay Area colleague of ours who has spent years investigating whole-body treatments for traditional and integrative psychiatry. Recently, we reached out to her for consultation with a particular patient, and found out that she has a huge amount to offer all …
Are you breathing wrong? Breathing is about the most basic thing we do as living beings, and it’s hard to imagine there being a right and wrong way to do it, but experts say that constant high stress stimulates rapid, shallow breathing, which raises the heart rate, suppresses digestion, and heightens the brain’s tendency to detect danger, whether real or …
Perfectionism is defined as refusing to accept anything except flawlessness. At first glance, this may seem like an admirable trait that will lead to, if not perfection, at least much higher quality in everything we do. However, perfectionism doesn’t work that way, it makes sufferers fearful of attempting anything that may turn out to have flaws. Human life being what …
Loneliness is an important public health issue The American Medical Association has defined loneliness as a public health issue for all Americans. Why loneliness? Why public health? Loneliness is found across demographics, at every age level. It is not a matter of how many friends you have, rather, loneliness is feeling a lack of connection with other people. You may …
10 USEFUL* things you can do for suicide prevention *Spoiler: none of these things are about “fixing” a suicidal person. I’d like to apologize for missing the actual National Suicide Prevention Day, which was September 10, but, really, any day is a good day to talk about suicide prevention. Suicide prevention is not a matter of telling your distressed friend …
Consumers’ Checkbook for the San Francisco Bay Area has a ratings table for medical care practitioners in the area that looks at a number of important criteria, including patient recommendations and peer recommendations (other doctors). This is a subscription service, and you have to sign up for at least the free 7-day trial period to get the list, but if …
Inflammation in the body may be associated with depression, but until recently, the evidence was confusing. Now, a study has looked at symptoms of depression separately, and has found that certain symptoms associated with depression are also correlated with systemic inflammation. Common symptoms of depression that are classified as physical: “changes in appetite”, “felt everything was an effort”, “loss of …
Sleep and melatonin Sleep-disruption and circadian rhythm-disruption problems are quite common in people with mood disorders, and insomnia is one of the most common symptoms we help patients deal with. Far and away the best treatment for any kind of insomnia is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), which we use in a wide variety of situations. In the case of sleep …
As days get shorter and nights get longer in the northern hemisphere, seasonal affective disorder starts once again to rear its ugly head. Feeling sad or depressed during times when the outside world is literally darker is a not uncommon experience. According to research, the experience of laziness, avoidance, and even despair in the winter season may affect up to …
ADHD lasts into adulthood more frequently than thought Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may last into adulthood more frequently than previously thought. A recent study took a longitudinal perspective and retested individuals with childhood-onset ADHD up to eight times within a 16-year period after the baseline assessment. Although it is not uncommon to find young adults have completely recovered from childhood …
Three-minute exercise benefits People who sit for many hours at a desk, computer, or in front of the TV are at higher risk for health problems like obesity and other risk factors for heart disease, and a recent study finds that a three-minute break every 30 minutes can improve measures of blood sugar and blood sugar fluctuations. The study participants …
Films and documentaries about mental illness, gay and lesbian issues, mental illness and creativity, and hidden and untold histories are coming out of the metaphorical closet in 2021. MoodSurfing has received notice of several important new contributions in the film and mental illness field, and we are looking forward to more in the future. Mysteries of Mental Illness The Public …
