LiveWellTalk - Overcoming Mental Health Challenges

We all agree that climate change is one of the severe problems affecting humanity today, and the idea of climate breakdown is drastically affecting people’s mental health. Environmental and climate issues are causing PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) and anxiety-related symptoms on a large scale. Eco-anxiety is affecting millennials more than any other generation. What is Eco-anxiety/ climate anxiety ? The Handbook of Climate Psychology defines climate anxiety as a ‘heightened emotional, mental or somatic distress in response to dangerous changes in the climate system’ [ Ref. Climate Psychology Alliance. The Handbook of Climate Psychology. Climate Psychology Alliance, 2020 ] In simple words, eco-anxiety (or climate anxiety) is when someone feels worried or afraid about the future of the planet and the impacts of climate change. In other words, climate anxiety, also called eco-anxiety and climate distress, refers to the feelings of helplessness, fear, guilt, and frustration tha...

Using Marijuana for Treating Anxiety Marijuana – also called weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, ganja, Mary Jane, and a vast number of other slang terms – is a drug that is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried flowers of the plant Cannabis sativa . While it’s illegal in several states, many other US states have legalized marijuana to some extent, both for medicinal and recreational use. Marijuana can alter your feelings, perceptions, and your mood. As of now, there is some anecdotal and scientific reporting of marijuana relieving the symptoms of anxiety by having a calming effect. However, its long-term benefits in this regard are not proven. Benefits of Marijuana for Anxiety The “high” you experience with marijuana is due to the presence of the chemical compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in it. When a person smokes marijuana, THC quickly passes from the lungs into the blood, and through the bloodstream, it reaches the brain and other organs. THC acts on specific brain cell receptors ...

With all that modern medical science knows and understands about this disorder, there is just as much misinformation and misconceptions that the general public has. The more bad information that exists out there, the worse people battling the disorder have to suffer without the appropriate treatments or therapy. In this article, I aim to  debunk some of the most common misconceptions about OCD , shedding light on the reality of this often misunderstood disorder. Common Misconceptions about OCD Debunked Let me now introduce you to a few of the most common misconceptions or sources of misinformation about OCD . Hopefully, you can leave from here better informed about what’s real and what isn’t for those that have to manage an OCD in their life. Myth #1. OCDs  Just Focus On Cleanliness There is a serious belief that Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders tend to only really be related to keeping things clean. While this is certainly one variety of this increasingly comm...

Even normal persons may collect items, but the collection of persons with hoarding disorder is purposeful and organized. They take pride in their collection. They find it difficult to part with possessions. Often these items are of little value. It does not inconvenience them. But, in hoarding disorder, the items clutter the living areas. One cannot use such living areas fully. In this article, we will explore the nature of hoarding disorder , its causes, symptoms, and available treatment options. Items that are most often hoarded are newspapers, magazines, paper, plastic bags, cardboard boxes, photographs, household supplies, food, and clothing. Some may hoard animals. People feel upset or anxious if you attempt to clean it up. People who hoard are perfectionists. They dread making wrong decisions. They fear wasting things or losing items that might be “important”. These worries lead to behaviors like indecision, not getting rid of things, and collecting objects that may be of va...

Paranoid Schizophrenia Paranoid schizophrenia is the most common type of schizophrenia characterized by the presence of persecutory or grandiose delusions, often accompanied by hallucinations. Paranoid schizophrenia is no longer included in DSM-5. Psychiatrists now refer to paranoid schizophrenia as schizophrenia with paranoia . Not everyone with schizophrenia will develop paranoia. The average age of onset is late adolescence to early adulthood, usually between the ages of 18 to 30. Symptoms of Paranoid Schizophrenia Prominent symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia are delusions, sometimes accompanied by hallucinations. Other less common symptoms can include disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and negative symptoms. Suicidal thoughts can also occur. Depression and anxiety might accompany the disease. Delusions Delusions are fixed false beliefs about things, which the patient is resistant to correct even if shown opposite evidence. Usually, these beliefs are not in keeping with th...

Depression and Sleep Disturbances It is well-known that people with depression sleep too little or too much. Sleeping too little, a cardinal sign of depression often is characterized by multiple awakenings, especially in the early morning, rather than by difficulty falling asleep. Almost all people suffering from depression report low energy (or fatigue) and some sleep problems. Although sleeping too little ( insomnia ) is much more common (prevalence rates of 2/3rds to 4/5ths in most clinical samples), sleeping too much (hypersomnia) is not uncommon, particularly earlier in life. Young depressed patients, especially those with bipolar tendencies, often sleep too much and have difficulty getting up in the morning. About 40 percent or more of adults under 30 with depression are estimated to experience hypersomnia. 35 percent of patients seen in sleep disorders center with sleeping too little as their chief complaint had a mental disorder, and half of these patients had a mood disorder....

Prevent Depression Naturally Annually, about 21 million adults (8.4% of all U.S. adults) in the United States have at least one major depressive episode. [ Read the NIMH statistics article ] Along with therapy and medication, there is a lot more you can do to not only beat depression but also even prevent it altogether. I detail below some of the best ways to prevent depression naturally . 7 Best Natural Ways to Prevent Depression Follow a Routine by Making a Schedule When you are depressed, it can be hard to motivate yourself to do much of anything. Depression can distort the structure of your life. One day melts into the next. Making a gentle daily schedule and forcing yourself to do “one or two things every day” can get you back on track. This can mean sticking to your daily exercise schedule, following a healthy eating plan, and sleeping on a regular schedule. The disease robs you of your motivation and your energy. So sometimes you may have to force yourself into action. So, foll...

The symptoms of depression – technically known as major depressive disorder (also known as major depression (MDD) or clinical depression) – are characterized by an overwhelming sense of sadness, isolation, and despair that lasts for two weeks or more. Depression isn't just an occasional feeling of sadness or loneliness like most people experience from time to time. Instead, a person suffering from depression feels as if they have sunk into a deep, dark hole from which there is no way out – and little or no hope that things will ever change (ref. PsychCentral ). 9 Symptoms of Clinical Depression (MDD) What is Depression (MDD)? Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is characterized by a persistently low or depressed mood, a loss of interest or pleasure in activities (anhedonia), feelings of guilt or worthlessness, lack of energy, poor concentration, appetite changes, psychomotor retardation or agitation, sleep disturbances, and suicidal thoughts. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical...