LiveWellTalk - Overcoming Mental Health Challenges

Symptoms of Clinical Depression Symptoms of clinical depression (or major depressive disorder) can be widely varied, both between people and in the same person. In fact, one person may have many different symptoms that seem unrelated, but all stem from depression. There are two types of symptoms of major depression : mental and physical: Mental Symptoms of Depression The most common mental symptom is excessive sadness. This can be difficult to recognize in another person, but easy to recognize in yourself. If you’ve been feeling sad for more than a few weeks (especially if there hasn’t been a traumatic event in your life), you should talk to your doctor. This pervasive sadness is one of the characteristic qualities of someone suffering from major depressive disorder. Related to this are feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. Other people may find that they don’t feel sad, but are consistently irritable or easily annoyed. Another characteristic of many people suffering f...

Separation Anxiety Disorder in Children Separation anxiety disorder is a chronic psychological condition that occurs when a separation from a loved one (i.e. parent, relative, close friend, etc.) causes a child to become overly anxious, apprehensive and/or “panicky.” In addition, it is common for children with this condition to develop an intense fear of monsters, nighttime, animals, kidnappers, heights, the unknown, car accidents, death, burglars or other situations that they deem dangerous or harmful to loved ones. Separation anxiety symptoms may include: a reluctance to go to school or attend public events, temper tantrums when separated from loved ones, preoccupation with death and dying, clinginess, illogical fear of abandonment and a “doom and gloom” mentality.  It can be quite frustrating to watch your child go through separation anxiety. Moreover, it can be especially challenging to watch your child grapple with separation anxiety disorder. In most cases, separation anxiety...

Depression in Pregnancy: Antenatal/Prenatal Depression  Antenatal depression, a.k.a. prenatal depression, can make your pregnancy a living nightmare. Feelings of guilt, fatigue, irritability and inability to connect with the life growing inside you can emotionally and physically draining. But take this to heart. You're not weird, or a bad person, because you feel this way. You're not going out of your mind, even though you may feel like you are. And you're definitely not alone. According to statistics, about 20 percent of pregnant women suffer from antenatal (or prenatal) depression. Antenatal (Prenatal) Depression Symptoms It's common to experience a lot of changes in mood, eating habits, sleep and energy levels during pregnancy. But when these changes alter your daily life, and last for more than two weeks, it may be signs of antenatal depression. Symptoms of prenatal depression include: Memory problems Feeling numb emotionally Irritability- bordering on anger...