Dual Diagnosis
How to Help a Loved One Overcome Trauma
Traumatic events occur every day to untold numbers of people. But no matter how widespread the trauma, what it comes right down to is how trauma affects the individual. Trauma could be the result of a natural disaster, terrorism, mass violence, or it could be closer to home and involve domestic violence or sexual abuse, the loss of a job or economic stability. Sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start to help a loved one overcome trauma and resume a normal life, but there are some basic things that you can do.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorders Bear Heavy Costs and Often Go Undiagnosed
The strange or quirky behaviors people with obsessive compulsive disorder exhibit may seem like an exaggeration of normal processes, but these behaviors are part of a life-debilitating condition and recognized as an anxiety disorder.
Learn more about Obsessive Compulsive Disorders Bear Heavy Costs and Often Go Undiagnosed
Hoarding: A Compulsive Mental Disorder
Many of us hang on to treasures and memorabilia from the past, but our homes are not so overwhelmed with clutter that it becomes detrimental to our health and safety, let alone our sanity. Others are not so lucky. For some individuals, hoarding, or the obsessive compulsion to collect anything and everything – has become a danger to themselves and others. Often hoarding co-occurs with substance abuse, including alcohol, nicotine, prescription and illegal street drugs.
Process Identified for Diagnosing PTSD
The first step toward treating those with post-traumatic stress disorder is successfully identifying the problem. According to a post in the Science Daily, researchers at the University of Minnesota VA Medical Center have identified a biological marker in the brains of those who exhibit PTSD.
The study findings are published January 20 in the Journal of Neural Engineering. Apostolos Georgopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., and Brian Engdahl., Ph.D. – both members of the Brain Sciences Center at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center and University of Minnesota – led the study.
Eating Disorders and Alcoholism
In recent years, studies have shown that almost half of those who have an eating disorder also regularly abuse drugs or alcohol. Approximately 35% of people who abuse drugs or alcohol also have an eating disorder. This trend is particularly common in young teenage girls, so parents should take note of this in case they are ever faced with either problem.
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