Pregnancy is a time of amazing joy. A woman bringing life into the world. You pick out baby furniture, paint the room and begin setting it up. Clothes that always seemed small and darling will be what your child will be wearing. You gain weight slowly and get to see the baby on an ultrasound. However, for many women, the joy of child birth can bring panic attacks too. So how does a pregnant woman deal with panic attacks?

Well, to be honest, the attacks can happen before the...

Bipolar Disorder, as most of you may well know by now, is also called Manic Depression, the old term used for this mood disorder.  Manic Depression was aptly used since the two key extremes of Bipolar Disorder are extreme highs and lows, or a manic, hysterical state alternating with severe depression.  Often people who have Bipolar Disorder swing between these moods with little provocation.  It doesn't take much to "set someone off" when they suffer from this...

Dizziness is a term used to describe when you are feeling woozy, or faint. Vertigo, a symptom of dizziness, is the feeling that the room is spinning around you. When people experience dizziness, it may be a symptom showing the balance mechanism in your inner ear is not working properly.

What causes dizziness?

Circulation: If your brain does not get enough blood flow, you feel lightheaded. Almost everyone has experienced this on occasion when standing up quickly...

Bipolar Disorder, (or Manic Depression as it should still be called), has had its share of media attention lately, with stories of Brittney Spears and others. About one in 70 people are affected by Bipolar Disorder and it does not discriminate -- men and women, all races, all socio-economic levels, and even all ages. Most often it first shows up in the late teens or early 20's.

We know from studies of identical twins, that for about 70% of twins, when one is Bipolar, the...

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT:

Effects on child development, brain development, psychopathology, and interpersonal relationships

Neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse (broadly termed, child maltreatment) have profound and long-term effects on a child’s development. The long-term effects of chronic early maltreatment within a care-giving relationship (also called Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) of a child can be seen in higher rates...

Psycho-physiological disorders are categorized under mental disturbances that arise from psychological dysfunction, disorders or difficulties which are manifested through physical symptoms. However, these physical symptoms cannot be traced back to any serious physical disease or an origin. Nor are they under the conscious control of the patient.

Hein Roth first used the word psychosomatic in 1817, applying it to problems of insomnia. Psychosomatic and Somatoform are two other...

A panic attack affects people differently. During a panic attack, a burning sensation, hot flashes, feeling cold and tingly can all be experienced. There are many feelings that can occur.

Sometimes, you may notice bright red skin during a panic attack. On a personal level, I have experienced my ears (mostly one ear!) feel very hot. On inspection, it was much redder than the other ear.

Some Panic Attack Sensations You Might Experience

Spontaneous panic...

Depression is a problem that a vast number of individuals struggle with nowadays, but it tends to burden pregnant women and new mothers in a very specific and serious way. The change in a woman's life and body linked with the birth of a child often results in a particularly serious form of depression , referred to as postpartum depression.

Physically, when a woman becomes pregnant, her body undergoes great changes in shape and mass. Additionally, an assortment of hormones...

Classification of Mental Disorders &

Multi-Axial Assessment

(DSM IV-TR & ICD 10)

Diagnosis involves accumulation, interpretation & categorization of data. The main aim of this is to enable the clinician to use the most effective treatments available for that condition and to allow them to make accurate assessment of prognosis.

The Importance of diagnosis:

• Allows inter-professional communication
• Allows us to select...

There are many factors affecting the occurrence of anxiety disorder. Some people have a high tendency to have it because some members of their family already have it or their genes have it. For some people the disorder is a result of traumatic experiences and stressful events in their lives. Whatever the reason for the occurrence of this disorder, it is important to find a way to relieve anxiety attacks and live normally.

People with anxiety disorder are experiencing intense...