|
Mild-to-moderate psychological symptoms: Jumpiness or nervousness; Shakiness; Anxiety; Irritability or easy excitability; Rapid emotional changes; Depression; Fatigue; Difficulty thinking clearly; Bad dreams. Mild-to-moderate physical symptoms: He...
|
![]() |
An arrhythmia is a disorder of the heart rate (pulse) or heart rhythm, such as beating too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or irregularly.
|
|
An arrhythmia is an abnormality in the heart ' s rhythm, or heartbeat pattern. The heartbeat can be too slow, too fast, have extra beats, skip a beat, or otherwise beat irregularly.
|
|
Detailed information on arrhythmias, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
|
|
Detailed information on arrhythmias, including symptoms, types, diagnosis, and treatment
|
|
Detailed information on problems involving heart rhythm
|
|
The guidelines for how long to wait before driving after having an ICD implanted have been revised, to reflect the growing number of people who receive the device preventively.
|
![]() |
Stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or anxious. What is stressful to one person is not necessarily stressful to another. Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension or fear. The source of this uneasiness is not always known or recognized, which can add to the distress you feel.
|
|
Anxiety is a bodily response to a perceived threat or danger. It is triggered by a combination of biochemical changes in the body, the patient ' s personal history and memory, and the social situation.
|
|
This report features up-to-date information on the signs, causes, and treatments of many common phobias and anxiety disorders.
|
|
Anxiety is familiar to everyone due to the many stresses and complexities of modern life.
|
|
Anxiety is a multisystem response to a perceived threat or danger. It reflects a combination of biochemical changes in the body, the patient ' s personal history and memory, and the social situation.
|
|
Fears, Phobias, and AnxietyEverybody experiences fear at some time or another. Fear is a powerful emotion that arises in situations that are interpreted as dangerous.
|
|
Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event such as a business presentation or a first date, anxiety disorders are chronic, relentless, and can grow progressively worse if not treated.
|
|
Anxiety is a multisystem response to a perceived threat or danger. It reflects a combination of biochemical changes in the body, the patient's personal history and memory , and the social situation at hand.
|
|
This guide is designed to help you learn about anxiety disorders. Knowing more, you may feel more comfortable talking with a health professional about your experience and your symptoms.
|
|
Anxiety disorders are a group of disorders that can affect adults, adolescents and children. They overwhelm people with chronic feelings of anxiety and fear.
|
|
Treating AnxietyAnxiety—feeling frightened, tense, uneasy—is a normal response to a threat. Anxiety can disrupt your life, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
|
|
You may suffer from generalized anxiety disorder if you go through the day worried, tense or anxious about your family, health or work, even when you know there are no signs of trouble.
|
|
Discussion of the effect of anxiety disorders on children and how they can be treated.
|
|
Anxiety: Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Guided ImagerySymptom and DescriptionIt is common to feel stress or anxiety when you have cancer. Anxiety can be a vague or uneasy feeling of distress.
|
|
Research suggests that for patients who are starting treatment for depression, their type of attachment anxiety should be taken into consideration as a factor in determining the best course of treatment.
|
|
When I get nervous, I get a tic that affects the left side of my face, including my eye. What can I do about this? Is there anything I can take for it?
|
|
There is evidence that certain herbs and supplements may be effective in treating certain types of anxiety disorders.
|
|
Separation anxiety is common in children, but most grow out of it. However, in a small percentage of children (and more rarely, in adults) it becomes a disorder. Typical treatment methods include cognitive and behavioral therapy.
|
|
Understanding Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)You have to give a presentation next week. Just thinking about it makes your heart race.
|
|
Clammy skin is cool, moist, and usually pale.
|
![]() |
Confusion is the inability to think with your usual speed or clarity, including feeling disoriented and having difficulty paying attention, remembering, and making decisions.
|
![]() |
Delirium is sudden severe confusion and rapid changes in brain function that occur with physical or mental illness.
|
|
DeliriumThis patient summary on delirium is adapted from a summary written for health professionals by cancer experts. This and other credible information about cancer treatment, screening, prevention, supportive care, and ongoing clinical trials,...
|
|
Delirium is usually temporary, but older people who experience delirium may suffer permanent damage. It is believed that delirium is linked to dementia, but more research must be done before any conclusions can be made.
|
|
Delirium is a state of mental confusion that develops quickly and usually fluctuates in intensity. Delirium is a syndrome, or group of symptoms, caused by a disturbance in the normal functioning of the brain.
|
|
Delirium is a medical condition characterized by a vascillating general disorientation, which is accompanied by cognitive impairment, mood shift, self-awareness, and inability to attend (the inability to focus and maintain attention). The change occurs over a short period of time- hours to days- and the disturbance in consciousness fluctuates throughout the day.
|
|
Delirium is a transient, abrupt, usually reversible syndrome characterized by a disturbance that impairs consciousness, cognition (ability to think), and perception. The word delirium is derived from the Latin delirare which literally translates " to go out of the furrow.
|
|
Detailed information on depression and depression in women, including types, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
|
|
|
A depressive disorder is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as an illness that involves the body, mood and thoughts. It encompasses feelings of overwhelming sadness and despair that persist or intensify over time.
|
|
|
Depression or depressive disorders (unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that were once pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, and mental processes are a common accompaniment.
|
|
|
Depression or depressive disorders (unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that were once pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, and mental processes are a common accompaniment.
|
|
|
Depression is the general name for a family of illnesses known as depressive disorders. Depression is an illness that affects not only the mood and thoughts, but also the physical functions of affected individuals.
|
|
|
Depression and depressive disorders (unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that once were pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep , appetite, and mental processes are common symptoms of depression.
|
|
|
Depression is the general name for a family of illnesses known as depressive disorders. Depression is an illness that affects not only the mood and thoughts, but also the physical functions of affected individuals.
|
|
An emotional state or mood characterized by one or more of these symptoms: sad mood, low energy, poor concentration, sleep or appetite changes, feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness, and thoughts of suicide. Until recently, it was thought that children and adolescents could not suffer from clinical depression.
|
|
Everybody feels sad sometimes, but to be clinically depressed is not just a matter of feeling sad. A patient with cancer is diagnosed as having major depression only if certain symptoms, such as loss of pleasure or thoughts of death, are present for at least two weeks.
|
|
Depression is sometimes referred to as the common cold of mental illness. It is a debilitating disease with significant societal costs.
|
![]() |
Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended period of time. See also: Adolescent depression; Depression in the elderly.
|
|
|
Depression, also known as depressive disorders or unipolar depression, is a mental illness characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that once were pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, and mental processes are a common accompaniment.
|
|
This report offers in-depth information on the causes of depression and the treatments and medications that can lift your mood.
|
|
People who are depressed have a cluster of symptoms characterized by sadness and a profound lack of energy and well-being.
|
|
It's important not to underestimate the dangers associated with depression, especially if you've had multiple episodes or lingering symptoms. For example, people who don't get treated for their depression have a higher risk for suicide.
|
|
Depression is a complicated and common mental health condition that affects about 10 to 15 percent of Americans. The following questions and answers can help you recognize and get effective treatment for depression.
|
|
Men suffer from depression in smaller numbers than women do, but their treatment needs differ due to responses to medication, especially in older men. Additional medication may be necessary to treat the sexual side effects.
|
|
The analysis of more than 15,000 young people in the United States found about a third of the cases of depression and obesity among those teens could be attributed to being from families with low incomes.
|
|
Many people with depression do not receive adequate medical treatment, and even if they are treated, doctors may not be paying enough attention to their patients' needs.
|
|
In elderly patients, symptoms of depression can be mistaken for symptoms of another medical problem, so it is important for clinicians to consider all physical problems and medications of elderly patients before making a diagnosis.
|
|
A woman’s unique biological, social, and cultural factors may increase her risk for depression.
|
|
Too often, parents miss the signs of depression. Or, they believe their teen will “snap out of it” eventually.
|
|
Learning more about this illness will allow you to understand what your symptoms may mean and make it easier for you to seek help.
|
|
In general, only about three percent of the elderly living independently in the community will experience depression. That figure increases to around 20 to 30 percent of persons in nursing homes or with chronic illnesses like emphysema, heart disease or diabetes.
|
|
Everyone feels down at times, but diabetics are especially prone to depression. An unhappy period that’s intense or lasts for more than a couple of weeks can be a sign of depression. Depression is a serious illness.
|
|
Depression is not "all in your head." It is a real illness that saps your energy. It can leave you feeling sad, hopeless, lonely and guilty. It is related to a chemical imbalance in the brain and to certain traits such as low self-esteem and pessimism. Some kinds of depression may be inherited.
|
|
Depression can often develop as a result of a heart attack or cardiac surgery, and has more serious effects on heart health and overall health than depression that was present before a heart attack.
|
|
Studies of a link between depression and osteoporosis suggest the bone deterioration could be a result of the depression, or may be caused by taking antidepressant medications for a long period of time.
|
|
Studies suggest mental health care following a heart attack can improve patient health and mortality.
|
|
Seasonal affective disorder is thought to be caused by decreased exposure to sunlight during the winter months. Light therapy helps some people, and the FDA has approved the antidepressant bupropion for treatment as well.
|
|
The mind and the body are intimately connected, and our overall health depends on both working well. This is most evident in depression: Research shows that people who suffer from clinical depression face a higher risk of contracting one of the stress-linked illnesses than the rest of the population.
|
|
Discussing the definition and treatment of a contested psychological diagnosis???atypical depression.
|
|
A roundup of studies exploring the beneficial effects of exercise on depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Is it a case of the chicken and the egg?
|
|
Exposure to the right kind of light may go a long way toward reducing seasonal affective disorder symptoms.
|
|
Two studies examine the correlation between depression in adults and its prevalence in their children, and the effect of adults' treatment on the children's mental health.
|
|
Depressed patients are more likely to respond to medical treatment if their doctors practice empathy and effective communication skills.
|
|
Hypotheses explaining how depression manifests itself. The American Psychiatric Association requires any five of nine symptoms for a diagnosis of major depression. As the definition implies, these symptoms do not all appear in everyone who is depressed. Two studies explore the consequences for the understanding of depression and come to contrasting conclusions. One study suggests that an individual patient's symptoms are not consistent, but change more or less unpredictably from one episode of depression to the next. The other study suggests that there are several sets of depressive symptoms that are distinguishable genetically and therefore likely to persist in a given individual.
|
|
Concern about antidepressants increasing the risk of suicide in children could have the unintended effect that children suffering from depression may not receive needed treatment.
|
|
Researchers in China found that Chinese citizens were more likely to express symptoms of depression as having a physical component as well as an emotional one, due to the way their culture interprets such feelings.
|
|
Folate, a B vitamin, breaks down homocysteine, which may be associated with depression. Because of this it has been tested as a possible treatment, but the results have been mixed and more research is needed.
|
|
Behavioral activation therapy is a variation of cognitive therapy that encourages patients to fight depression by examining their feelings and experiences and focusing on their positive accomplishments.
|
|
A study claims that obese people are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, but the findings do not prove that the conditions are causally related to each other.
|
|
During the dark days of winter, many people develop signs of depression that are tied to the changing amount of daylight.
|
|
Teen depression is a serious illness. The benefits of getting help, including taking medications if needed, far outweigh the potential risks.
|
|
My mother has advanced lung cancer and is receiving chemo. I live with her and am also her caregiver. We have been very close all of our lives, and I am having a hard time adjusting well. Sometimes I even get angry with her and then I feel guilty. The next step is I get depressed and have thought about a way out, but have not attempted anything. Can you suggest anything to help me cope?
|
|
Are children with ADD more likely to be depressed?
Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".
|
|
Discusses options for treatment of seasonal affective disorder.The treatment of seasonal affective disorder throws light on dark moods.
|
|
People who suffer from depression are more likely to have a sleep-related breathing problem such as apnea. Treating the sleep problem may help alleviate the depression in some people.
|
|
A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about whether Accutane, a powerful acne medication, has been linked to depression or suicide.
|
|
An explanation of the two-way relationship between depression and stroke. Depressed people are at higher risk for a stroke, but depression often precedes as well as follows a stroke.
|
|
DHEA may not be an anti-aging panacea, as some suggest, but a new study suggests that it may be able to temporarily lift mood.
|
|
Discussion of whether the new antidepressant Cymbalta (duloxetine) has any advantage over other antidepressants on the market.
|
|
While there is a very small risk of suicide in adolescents who take antidepressants, they are also beneficial to many teenagers with depression. All factors should be weighed in treatment decisions, and patients should be monitored carefully.
|
|
Mental health among Americans may have declined during the 1990s.
Revealing information on the mental health of Americans appears in data from three random telephone surveys of the adult population by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
|
|
Reports of risky side effects may have dampened enthusiasm for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are among the world's most widely prescribed medications. A review of concerns and benefits associated with SSRIs.
|
|
According to two studies, women going through menopause are much more likely to develop symptoms of depression, due in part to changes in hormone production. Hormone replacement may provide temporary relief from severe depression.
|
|
A discussion of the social impact of depression in the elderly and the benefits of treatment.
|
|
Most people, most of the time, overestimate themselves. It is pervasive and powerful, but is not the same in all people or in all circumstances.
|
|
A recent study offers evidence that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may help those who develop depression after a heart attack.
|
|
Is there a link between depression and migraines?
Michael Craig Miller, M.D., is editor-in-chief of the Harvard Mental Health Letter and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Miller has an active clinical practice and has been on staff at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for more than 25 years.
|
|
Age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of severe vision loss in people over 55. A recent trial shows that education may help relieve disability and depression in those with the condition.
|
|
A study shows that interaction with animals can be a path to recovery from depression.
|
|
Older people with macular degeneration are more likely to experience depression, but those who received problem-solving therapy to help them adapt to and cope with their condition were less likely to develop depression.
|