June, 2010
Self-Stigma Brought on by Mental Illness Can Make Problem Worse
There is a certain stigma amongst those with mental problems. For some, this stigma is brought about by peers or acquaintances who do not understand the anguish mental illness can create. For others, it is their own fears of reactions among their peers, family members or colleagues that drives them deeper into depression or significantly impacts their self-esteem.
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PTSD in Veterans Linked to Dementia in Later Life
A new study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Institute on Aging investigated the relationships between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias in aging veterans. After researching the trends of these older service members’ mental health over a seven-year time span, the study found that veterans diagnosed with PTSD were nearly twice more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or dementia as they age than veterans without PTSD.
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Bulimia May Result from Comparison of Self to Others
Bulimia is often associated with an intense self-focus, with sufferers placing unusual amounts of attention on their own faces and body image. Some research has identified that those who suffer from eating disorders such as bulimia are often impacted by images placed before them in movies, television and advertisements.
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Vegetarians at Risk for Eating Disorders
There are many reasons to become a vegetarian. Many do it to live a healthier lifestyle, lowering their risk for heart disease and many types of cancer. Others choose a vegetarian lifestyle because of a moral conviction to not eat meat.
Impulsivity Over Time Decreases Along With Substance Use
Impulses can make us do interesting things. Sometimes they make us want to buy things we don’t need, while at others it will lead us into decisions that are not in our best interest in the long run. Research into this field indicates that impulsive behavior traits will normally decline during early adulthood.
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Stigma Prevents those with Mental Illnesses from Overcoming their Disorders, Especially Adolescents
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading barrier that prevents individuals suffering from a mental illness to seek treatment is stigmatization. Admitting to having a mental illness can generate many negative feelings for an adult, such as a sense of failure, shame, guilt, or weakness. Feeling judged or ostracized makes two out of every three individuals who are diagnosed with a mental disorder refuse to seek treatment, and more still remain undiagnosed. Even with treatment, many feel outcast by their disease, and potentially experience further complications to their mental health, such as depression or anxiety disorders. For adolescents, this challenge can be especially difficult during their developing years when they are still shaping their identities. A new study sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that 90 percent of adolescents with a mental illness are likely to cope with a stigma regarding their disorder.
Childhood Sleep Problems May Spell Trouble Later
Parents of newborns often have anxiety about teaching their new baby to sleep. With every well-meaning friend offering a different strategy and companion book for getting a baby to sleep through the night and take naps on a schedule, they may wonder, “is it really that big of a deal?”
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Gaming Addiction Likened to Cocaine Addiction
The average individual may perceive a teenager playing a video game as something teens do to pass the time. In some cases this is true; while in others it is much more complicated than that. In fact, according to a recent news report, it is as addictive as cocaine for a number of people.
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Study Shows Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury More Likely to Experience Major Depression
It appears that a traumatic brain injury can do more than just cause a physical upset in an individual’s life. According to a recent Science Daily release, the majority of patients also experienced major depression.
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