Mental Health

Recent media reports have focused on the peculiar case of Purushottam Naidu and his spouse Padmaja, who murdered their daughters. This gory incident took place in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. When police rushed to the scene, they found the bodies of the couple's daughters, Alekhya, 27, and Sai Divya, 22. They were allegedly bludgeoned to death using dumbbells. The Naidus thought that 'evil spirits' had infested their younger daughter's head, which is why they had to break open her skull to rid her of the 'evil forces'. The couple was distressed that their 'ritual' was broken by the police while they tried to resurrect their dead daughters. The wife even instructed the police to come back the next day to witness a miracle, wherein the dead daughters would be brought back to life. Police found the couple to be in a state of complete denial, trance and disorientation, amid a pool of blood. The Naidus told the police, that they received signals from ...

Antidepressant withdrawal may have associations with antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. Therefore, under the advice of a doctor, a person should reduce or taper their medication gradually. Symptoms of antidepressant withdrawal can include flu-like symptoms and occur within 2–4 days after drug stoppage. Ceasing antidepressant medications without slowly reducing them can lead to a number of symptoms, most of which are mild. These symptoms do not necessarily signify a relapse into depression but are instead due to antidepressant withdrawal. Possible reasons to stop taking antidepressants include: wanting to become pregnant reducing a person's reliance on medication the circumstances surrounding the initial depression have improved Withdrawal symptoms can vary according to the individual, the dose of medication they are taking, and the length of time involved. These symptoms may include: flu-like symptoms, including headache, lethargy, aching, fatigue, or sweating insomnia, whic...

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health condition that interferes with a person's perception of reality. People with schizophrenia have difficulty with emotions, thinking rationally and clearly, and in interactions and relationships with others. Verywell / Cindy Chung Until the most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM-5 ) was published in 2013, schizophrenia was officially recognized as having five distinct subtypes. Because the symptoms of these subtypes were not felt to be reliable or consistently valid, the American Psychiatric Association determined that having distinct subtypes hindered diagnosis and removed them when they published the DSM-5 . Although they are no longer used for diagnostic categorization, some mental health professionals still find these subtypes useful for understanding the ways in which schizophrenia can present. This nuanced understanding can help determine the best ways t...

Share on Pinterest New research finds a link between depressive symptoms and social media use among adults. peepo/Getty Images Researchers investigated the link between social media use and depression in adults, including older adults. They found that the use of some social media, but not all, has associations with an increased risk of depressive symptoms. Alongside expert commentators, the team asks for caution when interpreting the results due to study limitations and uncertainty around causation. The use of social media has correlations with reduced well-being and increased anxiety and depression among adolescents and young adults . One review highlighted a study that found using the internet to communicate and play games for more than 4 hours a day predicts depressive symptoms 1 year later. The research also found that depressive symptoms predict increased internet use and decreased participation in nonscreen activities. Another study involving 990 participants in the United State...

Find a clear chart with the updated and consolidated codes for bipolar disorder below. Since the DSM-5 was published in 2013, updates have been made to the codes for bipolar I and bipolar II disorders. After a long period of revisions and adaptation, the ICD-10 coding system replaced the ICD-9 code set on October 1, 2015. The main goals of changing to the ICD-10 system were to: increase the specificity of diagnoses keep up to date with changes in clinical practices and medical technology improve tracking of conditions The change to ICD-10 has had a relatively small impact on the rates of bipolar diagnoses, unlike those of some other medical conditions. For your convenience, we've displayed the new ICD-10-CM codes for bipolar disorder here, with the old DSM-IV codes listed below. Bipolar I disorder Related codes F31.8 Other bipolar disorders F31.81 Bipolar II disorder F31.89 Other bipolar disorder F31.9 Bipolar disorder, unspecified F34.0 Cyclothymic disorder Now consolidated: Bipo...

Tasmania's coroner has revealed the harrowing story of a man described as an "athletic and talented child" who was found in his room alone, dead at just 36 years of age, from complications of morbid obesity after a long battle with mental illness. Key points: The coroner praised staff at Bayview Lodge for their treatment of the deceased man  He also acknowledged the man was a "challenging patient" due to his several ailments It was staff at Bayview Lodge who found the man, deceased, in his room The investigation into the 2019 death of Dwayne Edward Rosendale has revealed he was plagued by hallucinations and delusions so severe that he once attacked his own mother or, as coroner Simon Cooper wrote, "A life terribly impacted by mental illness".  Mr Rosendale was in his late teens and living in Tasmania, when he began to struggle with mental health issues, suffering from hallucinations and "significant and...

Scientists who've studied the curious chemistry of the opioid tramadol use an array of adjectives to describe it: "unpredictable," "messy," "crazy." Tramadol is unlike most other opioids in that it must pass through the liver to be metabolized into its most potent form. At the same time, it releases another type of drug that acts as an antidepressant because it increases levels of serotonin in the brain, which elevates mood. But how much opioid and how much antidepressant is released is heavily dependent on users' genetics, said Bertha Madras, professor of psychobiology at Harvard Medical School. One person might get a potent dose of opioid, while the next gets nearly none. Research has shown that some ethnic groups are prone to process tramadol as a far more potent opioid, upping the risk of addiction, Madras said. In a cruel twist, those groups are largely clustered in the areas that lack access to other opioid medications, so are dependent on t...

When you live with mood disorders, you may experience prolonged mood episodes or significant mood changes. What does it depend on? Suppose you're having trouble finding pleasure in things you used to enjoy, or you find yourself constantly switching from being extremely happy to extremely sad. If that's the case, it could be worth exploring what you're going through so that you can regain your balance. Two things worth exploring and learning more about to see whether they resonate with your personal experience are unipolar depression and bipolar depression — both of which are treatable. To put it simply, unipolar depression is another name for major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression. This mood disorder is characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness or a lack of interest in things that you used to enjoy. To consider a diagnosis of MDD, a health professional will assess whether you meet the criteria set in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual o...

Dopamine D2‑blocking agents have long been the mainstay of the pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia. But although these agents can reduce hallucinations and delusions, they do come with collateral damage of adverse events. Is there a way to treat schizophrenia without blocking dopamine D2 receptors? In this second of four exclusive episodes, MedPage Today brought together three expert leaders in the field -- moderator Leslie Citrome, MD, of New York Medical College in Valhalla, is joined by John Kane, MD, of Northwell Health in Long Island, New York, and Jonathan Meyer, MD, of the University of California San Diego -- for a virtual roundtable discussion about two novel mechanisms that were reported at Psych Congress, held virtually and in San Antonio. Following is a transcript of their remarks: Citrome: Hello, and welcome to our Psych Congress video roundtable. We'll be talking about hot issues in schizophrenia. Joining me today are doctors John Kane and Jonatha...

While genetics are an important potential factor in developing bipolar disorder, there are others as well. For example, stressful circumstances, traumatic events, or drug or alcohol abuse could incite a bipolar episode. Studies show difficult events during childhood, such as maltreatment and emotional abuse by parents, may also increase a person's risk for developing bipolar disorder later on in life 5 . Bipolar disorder symptoms can appear at any time, but the average age of onset of bipolar disorder is early adulthood, between 18-20 years of age, according to the Cleveland Clinic 6 . In some cases, bipolar disorder symptoms can appear during pregnancy or following childbirth, and sometimes, children exhibit bipolar symptoms. Bipolar disorder also co-occurs in people who have seasonal depression and anxiety disorders (such as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD). While bipolar disorder can occur in people of any gender, women are more likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for...

Share on Pinterest As we approach another pandemic winter, seasonal affective disorder is once again being compounded by COVID-19 anxiety. Yelizaveta Tomashevska/Getty Images Colder and darker days mean many Americans are beginning to feel the effects of seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. As we head into another pandemic winter, SAD can make it more difficult to manage COVID-19 anxiety. Several coping mechanisms can help ease symptoms of both seasonal affective disorder and COVID-19 anxiety. As the days get darker and temperatures dip in most areas of the country, many Americans are beginning to feel the effects of seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. SAD is a type of depression that typically comes on in the fall and winter months. It leads to mood changes and other symptoms of depression. "It's an annual decrease in mood and can lead to feeling lethargic, difficulty sleeping, poor appetite, and weight loss" explained Adam Borland, PsyD, a psychologist at the Cleveland...

Mental-health struggles go hand-in-hand with this challenging condition. Here's your roadmap to relief. November 24, 2021 iStock November 24, 2021 It's a vicious cycle: Parkinson's Disease (PD) leads to depression and anxiety, which research suggests can contribute to more and worsened symptoms of Parkinson's disease psychosis, including hallucinations, delusions, and memory loss. In turn, having PD psychosis can leave you feeling anxious and depressed. But you don't have to just "live with it." There are things you or your loved one with PD can do to ease mental-health struggles and stop, or at least slow down, the cycle. Here's what we know about the relationship between mental health and PD psychosis and how your healthcare team can help. The Parkinson's Psychosis and Depression Link Anywhere from 20% to 70% of people with Parkinson's disease will develop psychosis over the course of the disease. It can be caused by natural disease progress...