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Other comorbid conditions include physical ailments such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, infectious diseases, and dementia. Mental health conditions that tend to show comorbidity include eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse. The term comorbidity was coined in the 1970s by A.R. Feinstein, a renowned American doctor and epidemiologist. Feinstein demonstrated comorbidity through the example of how people with rheumatic fever also usually suffered from multiple other diseases. Since that time, comorbidity has come to be associated with the presence of multiple mental or physical health conditions in the same person....

If you are in denial, it often means that you are struggling to accept something that seems overwhelming or stressful. However, in the short term, this defense mechanism can have a useful purpose. It can allow you to have time to adjust to a sudden change in your reality. By giving yourself time, you might be able to accept, adapt, and eventually move on. But denial can also cause problems in your life, particularly if it keeps you from addressing a problem or making a needed change....

While some people find that their mood improves if their medical symptoms are better after the surgical procedure, others may develop post-surgical depression, says Jeffrey Zabinski, MD, a consultation-liaison psychiatrist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, who works with medical patients that also need psychiatric care. This article discusses the symptoms, causes, and effects of depression after surgery, as well as some treatment and prevention strategies that may be helpful....

Depression is an illness with many causes and many forms. It is a disorder of a person’s moods or emotions—not an attitude that someone can “control” or “snap out of.” But it is treatable with psychotherapy and/or medication, which is why it’s especially important for parents and caregivers to educate themselves about the disorder. Symptoms Adults sometimes don’t recognize symptoms of depression in teens because the disorder can look quite different from that in adults....

Dissociative amnesia is a relatively rare condition. In a small study, it was shown only to affect about 1% of men and 2.6% of women. The memory loss could last for minutes, hours, months, or in some rare cases, years. In severe cases, a person might completely forget their life history, their family, and friends. They might even have apparently purposeful travel or confused wandering known as dissociative fugue....

Both DWI and DUI can apply to alcohol and other drugs (including recreational drugs and those prescribed by a physician) that impair your ability to drive. One is not worse than the other and both can have a big effect on a person’s life. This article discusses how DWI and DUI vary in terms of state laws as well as how impaired driving is defined in different areas. It also explores the legal consequences of impaired driving including fines, jail time, and court-ordered treatment....

Metaphorically speaking, an emotional breakdown can be likened to a total tire blowout that has a car stranded on the side of the road, according to the Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah. It’s important to note that an emotional breakdown isn’t a formal mental health diagnosis, explains Dr. Romanoff. Rather, she explains that the phrase is used informally as an umbrella term that can encompass several mental health conditions....

“Emotional numbing is the mental and emotional process of shutting out feelings and may be experienced as deficits of emotional responses or reactivity,” explains Mayra Mendez, PhD, LMFT, a licensed psychotherapist and program coordinator at Providence Saint John’s Child and Family Development Center. Quite often, feeling numb is temporary. However, for some, emotional numbness becomes a strategy to protect themselves from further emotional or physical pain. While it may provide temporary relief, learning to cope with difficult feelings this way can have long-lasting consequences....

This article explores the potential causes of stress during pregnancy, the effects of prenatal stress, and some coping strategies that may be helpful. Potential Causes of Prenatal Stress Pregnancy itself can be a stressful time, as you may find yourself worried about the baby and all the changes in your body and your life. You may also find yourself feeling stressed about other aspects of your life. Both pregnancy-related stress as well as other psychosocial causes of stress can affect your health and the baby’s development....

The old belief was that the distinction was necessary and that each type of depression had to be treated differently. Today, depression formerly referred to as “endogenous” is known as major depressive disorder (MDD). The current philosophy is that the same types of treatment can be used for MDD whether it is “endogenous or exogenous.” It can still sometimes be helpful for healthcare and mental health professionals to note the concept of endogenous and exogenous causes of major depression when helping people understand the condition....

ExtravertedIntuitiveThinkingPerceiving People with this personality type are often described as innovative, clever, and expressive. ENTPs are also known for being idea-oriented, which is why this personality type has been described as “the innovator,” “the visionary,” and “the debater.” ENTPs are less interested in the here-and-now details than they are in generating ideas and theories. Because of this, they sometimes tend to come up with one idea after another without actually going forward with plans and actions to bring their creative notions into fruition....

The short answer is that yes, you can get high from exercise. And while the feeling of getting high itself is not harmful, like with drugs, you can be harmed while under the influence of this high feeling, as you may be less aware of the potential and real harm to your body. There is also a risk of getting addicted to the high you get from exercise, which can also be harmful....

Ketamine is sometimes prescribed off-label for depression, under medical supervision and in a clinical setting. But if proven in clinical trials, R-ketamine could be a safe antidepressant for people to use at home. With more than 30% of adults with major depressive disorder affected by treatment-resistant depression, potentially millions of people could be helped by ketamine therapy. FDA Approval for R-ketamine One form of ketamine has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in a life science study, to be carried out by German psychedelics startup Atai Life Sciences....

Like Freud, Erikson recognized the importance of the unconscious on development. He also believed that personality develops in a series of predetermined stages. Unlike Freud’s theory of psychosexual stages, Erikson’s theory describes the impact of social experience across the whole lifespan. Let’s compare and contrast these two theories by looking at some of the key similarities and differences at each stage. Freud’s Theory The first stage of psychosexual development is known as the oral stage....

Friday Fix: Episode 148 While most people understand what it takes to become physically strong, there’s a lot of confusion about how to grow mentally strong. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to develop mental strength. You might even do some of them already without realizing that they’re helping you grow mentally stronger. Mental strength isn’t the same as mental health. In fact, as a therapist, some of the strongest people I’ve ever met were battling mental health issues, like depression and anxiety....

The Best Types of Goals An acronym often used in relation to goal setting is “S.M.A.R.T.“ S.M.A.R.T. stands for: SpecificMeasurableAttainableRealisticTime-Bound For example, you might choose a goal to make five new friends this year. Your goal is specific (5 friends), measurable (whether or not you meet this target), attainable (if you work hard at meeting new people), realistic (many people have at least 5 friends) and time-bound (to be achieved in the next 12 months)....

Overview If you have become addicted to heroin, you are likely to experience withdrawal when you quit, but withdrawal symptoms can also appear following heavy use. Physically, heroin withdrawal may feel like having the flu. People often experience nausea, diarrhea, runny nose, achiness, tremors, fatigue, chills, and sweats. More severe symptoms can also occur such as difficulty breathing, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Signs & Symptoms Using heroin is a bit like taking out a loan—you experience some borrowed good feelings during the high, but then you have to pay back that debt as you go through withdrawal....

A recent study published in the Oxford Academic’s Sleep suggests there is a direct link between housing insecurity and mental and physical wellness, which in turn impacts an individual’s sleep quality. What Did the Study Show? Researchers conducted a study using data from 1,046 California residents who received welfare assistance from 2015 to 2018. These numbers were collected in three waves 12 months apart, then were analyzed next to the individuals’ sleep patterns, including duration and quality....

What Are REBT and Disputation? REBT is a form of psychotherapy focused on changing emotional and behavioral problems to empower you to live a fuller life. Through REBT, you will better understand your motivations and how you create irrational or self-defeating thoughts. It is an educational process in which your therapist will work with you to identify these thoughts and practice how to question them and replace them with more productive and rational ideas....