Mental Health

Bipolar disorder is an episodic mood disorder, the hallmark of which are manic episodes - characterized by grandiosity, distractibility, increased activity, excessive involvement in indiscreet activities, racin... continue reading  about  Is there a test to confirm if you are bipolar? And would you have symptoms from birth or does it develop?

Depression is a common occurrence after stroke, and can occur in approximately 20-60 percent of stroke patients, depending on which research study you look at. The depressive symptoms may be in addition to the ... continue reading  about  My mom had a stroke about seven months ago. Although she is slowly recovering from it, she seems depressed to me. Is this just part of the recovery, or should I talk to her about it so that she can get some sort of treatment?

Congratulations on the hard work of addiction recovery. Sugar cravings are a problem for many people and can become all the more difficult when recovering from alcoholism. Research on food, mood, substance abus... continue reading  about  I am a 49-year-old recovering alcoholic and have three years of sobriety. Since I got sober I have not been able to control my sugar cravings. Is there any thing I can do?

The way your body metabolizes alcohol does not change if it is wine, beer or hard spirits. Addiction depends upon the quantity of alcohol that is consumed, not the type. A 12 oz beer has the same alcohol conten... continue reading  about  Is drinking hard alcohol more likely to contribute to addiction than wine or beer?

Bipolar II disorder is a major mood disorder characterized by a history of one or more major depressive episodes, as well as one or more hypomanic episodes. Hypomanic episodes are similar to manic episodes - co... continue reading  about  I come from a long line of insomniacs who struggle to put together more than three hours of sleep at once. I've heard that chronic insomnia that runs in families can be an indicator of Type 2 Bipolar Depression. What are your thoughts?

You are correct, in framing your question, to suggest that the vicissitudes of normal teenage development can often appear as emotional or behavioral problems. Adolescence is a period of development when young ... continue reading  about  I can't tell if my son (age 14) is just being a teenager or if his symptoms might be early signs of a mental health problem. He's not doing as well in school, is overly sensitive to comments, sleeping more, and binging on junk food.

There are many potential causes of insomnia. If you have not done so already, I would recommend that you speak with your physician in order to determine the most likely cause of your insomnia. If, in the opinio... continue reading  about  What can I do if my SSRI is causing me to have insomnia? I've been on Prozac for a year (and it's been a huge help with my OCD), but I can't seem to string together more than two hours of sleep at a time.

It is often very difficult to differentiate the symptoms of a heart attack from other causes. Even in the Emergency Department, with access to X-rays, EKG's, and fancy lab work, we sometimes cannot be 100 perce... continue reading  about  Awhile ago my husband complained of a pounding heart. He said it felt like it was thumping against his chest. Tests showed that he was fine and it was probably caused by stress. How can we tell the difference between severe anxiety and a heart attack?

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that typically begins early in life - and which, for most afflicted individuals, has a chronic fluctuating course. Exacerbations of this disorder are o... continue reading  about  What are your thoughts on the long-term use of SSRIs like Prozac? I have OCD and think I'll probably need it for the rest of my life.