Mental health

Young Children Develop In an Environment of Relationships

Young Children Develop In an Environment of Relationships NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL ON THE DEVELOPING CHILD is a multidisciplinary collaboration of leading scientists in early childhood and early brain development. Its mission is to bring sound and accurate science to bear on public decision-making affecting the lives of young children. THE ISSUE Healthy development depends on the quality and reliability of a young child’s relationships with the important people in his or her life, both within and outside the family. Even the development of a child’s brain architecture depends on the establishment of these relationships.

What Causes Dementia?

What Causes Dementia? The exact cause of Alzheimer's Disease, a form of dementia, is still unknown. However, scientists have been able to indentify several contributing factors. Alzheimer's Disease is known to have a genetic componant as well as an environmental one. While Alzheimer's is a form of dementia, dementia is not necessarily Alzheimer's. There are many forms of demetia, some which are entirely curable. It is imporatant to understand the distinction between Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Possibly Other Dementias

Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) Given the reduced risk of AD for persons with at least 8 years of education, it is reasonable to recommend active, regular use of thinking skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic. For example, research in the area of use-dependent plasticity has shown that persons who use language skills have larger, more elaborate connections in the areas of the brain related to language function. Also, we routinely see, clinically, patients with AD who have particular talents that are well preserved until moderately demented.

Three-year-olds Capable of Firing Available Guns

Three-year-olds Capable of Firing Available Guns Contrary to the belief of some parents, police officers, and other professionals familiar with firearms, many young children are strong enough to fire most commercially available guns, according to an article in the December 1995 issue of the AMA's Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Sara M. Naureckas, M.D., Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Ill., and colleagues tested the pull strength of 556 children. The mothers of the children were also tested.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) More than 150 symptoms have been reported in association with PMS. There are five basic categories: Anxiety (includes nervousness, mood swings, irritability & impatience) Depression (includes crying, confusion, social withdrawal & insomnia) Pain (includes backache, cramps and breast pain) Water retention (includes abdominal bloating, weight gain & swelling) Hypoglycemia (includes headache, craving sweets, increased appetite & fatigue)

10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease

10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease Alzheimer's disease, a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain in which brain cells die and are not replaced. According to the Alzheimer's Association, its ten chief warning signs are: Recent memory loss that affects job skills Difficulty performing familiar tasks Problems with language Disorientation of time and place Poor or decreased judgment Problems with abstract thinking Misplacing things Changes in mood or behavior Changes in personality Loss of initiative

Parenting for Self-Esteem

Parenting for Self-Esteem Virtually every child, teen, and even adult I see in my clinical practice, suffers from a self-esteem problem in some way, shape, or form. And essentially all parents seeking information or counseling about their child's emotional development want to know how to build their child's self-esteem. Whether intuitively or from exposure to psychological research findings, we all seem to recognize the importance of self-esteem to a person's emotional well-being and mental health.

Exercise: Staying With the Program is the Challenge

Exercise: Staying With the Program You've heard it a thousand times: "exercise to lose weight, live longer and feel your best." But how do you find a program you can stick with? The good news is that just 15 to 30 minutes of moderate to brisk exercise even walking at least three times a week can make a difference in your life. Many medical studies show that exercise lowers your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis a bone-thinning disease. Regular exercise also may lower your risk of colon cancer and reduce some of the effects of aging.

Master the Art of Relaxation

Master the Art of Relaxation The techniques you use (or don't use) to unwind can have a tremendous impact on your mental health. Here are a few tips on learning to unwind: Relax by trying something new and different. If you think you'll enjoy an activity -- whether it's needlepoint or mountain biking -- don't be afraid to try something just because it's new. Take a night course at a community college. Learn to dance. Swim, jog, play golf. Be a gourmet cook. Shoot some hoops. Go for walks. Try yoga. Learn to play the piano. Take a bubble bath.

Take a Mentally Healthy Vacation

Take a Mentally Healthy Vacation Mental Health Association of Colorado would like to offer the following tips to make your vacation mentally healthy. Where you go on vacation, what you choose to do and how long you stay tell a lot about the kind of person you are -- and the kind of person you'll be when you return. Before you make any plans, here is some advice about taking vacations: Shorter vacations taken more frequently are better than long ones. Don't look to vacations as a solution to your problems; you'll only end up taking them with you and feeling worse.

Steroids - You May Not Get What You Bargained For

Steroids - You May Not Get What You Bargained For Anabolic steroids are derivatives of the male hormone testosterone that are typically injected into the body. Many brands must be administered with huge syringes, and the needle must penetrate the muscle deeply. An estimated one million Americans, half of them teenagers, use anabolic steroids. Most are obtained illegally...through the black market. And...the market for black-market steroids is huge: in excess of $400 million. It's highly likely that huge profits are being made in some circles at the expense of our young people.

Good Preventive Medicine: How to Avoid Burning Out

Good Preventive Medicine: How to Avoid Burning Out A substantial percentage of professional working people will experience burnout at some point in their lives. Don't let it happen to you! Take action before you place yourself at risk. Set priorities in your own life Identity your core values, and develop your schedule accordingly, making time for people and activities most important and meaningful to you. Share your feelings with others

Beware of Professional Burnout

Beware of Professional Burnout Consider this article a beep on your emotional beeper...an existential wake-up call of critical importance. You or your co-workers may be suffering from Professional Burnout and not realize it. Or maybe you just want to prevent burning out. A wise decision. Professional Burnout -- hereafter referred to as "PBO" -- is a serious problem. Not only can it cause executives and their families great unhappiness and emotional pain, but it can also impair their judgment and put their businesses and careers at risk.

Treating Depression: Patients were not Healing With the First Medicine That I Tried had A Good Chance of Success The Second Time

Treating Depression: Patients were not Healing With the First Medicine (AP) - The largest study ever done on treating depression has found that patients were not healing with the first medicine that I tried had a good chance of success the second time. A third of those who added or changed medication were healing from illness mill which is in first place in the American mental health problems, researchers said.

FACT SHEET - Women and Depression

FACT SHEET - Women and Depression Facts on Women and Depression Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from clinical depression. More than 11 million American women are afflicted with clinical depression each year. Clinical depression is most prevalent in women during childbearing years but can occur at any age. Symptoms of Depression: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says symptoms of depression include the following: Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood;

When You Lose A Loved One, Allowing Yourself Time to Grieve will Help

When You Lose A Loved One, Allowing Yourself Time to Grieve will Help Every one of us has experienced the loss of a loved one. Sometimes death occurs suddenly, as the result of an accident. While other times it takes place over a long period of time due to chronic illness or aging. Either way, there are few things more emotionally painful than losing a loved one.

Diet High in Monounsaturated Fatty Acids Protects Against Memory Loss

Diet High in Monounsaturated Fatty Acids What you eat now could prevent loss of memory and mental ability later in life. According to a study published in the May 1999 issue of Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology’s scientific journal, a diet high in monounsaturated fatty acids protects against a decline in memory performance and cognitive processing functions often associated with aging.

Climbed the Mountain, Therapy for Brain

Climbed the Mountain, Therapy for Brain Want to have a greater power of concentration and synthesis in daily activities? Climbed the mountain is the action that you need, researchers think. But this exercise is not only good for the brain. Do not forget that in an hour of walking on the mountains Burn 1,500 calories. According to a New Zealand study, people who often climb the mountain are more optimistic and believe that they have more perspective in life. These people have a greater power of concentration and synthesis, supports the research. Explanation?