The decision of whether or not to take psychiatric medication is ultimately a decision for the patient to make in partnership with their physician. Decisions informed by the current foundation of research on best practices in prescribing, patient education, and adherence strategies will yield the best long-term outcomes for patients and likely prevent adverse reactions and side effects that make some people skeptical about the utility of psychopharmacology.
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by Sheila O’Shea I’m a pretty introverted and self-contained individual, which are not always the best traits to have when dealing with mental illness. To really handle your symptoms and flourish despite them, you need help from other people. Help can take all kinds of forms, so let me introduce you to three people—who were…
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by Sheila O’Shea Living with bipolar disorder has been a challenge for me—especially when I spent years with the wrong diagnosis—but I’ve learned a lot from it. I carry those lessons with me to this day. Boldness If there’s one thing hypomania gives you, it’s confidence. It gave me the confidence to book a flight…
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By Sheila O’Shea I have a lot of mindfulness techniques in my mental toolbox that I use to handle my bipolar disorder, particularly the depressive ends of it. I refined my knowledge of mindfulness meditation at Skyland Trail, and I have a few methods that I came up with on my own. Mindfulness In Hearing…
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Discover the effects of caffeine on the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorders.
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By Sheila O’Shea [Trigger warning: suicidal ideation] I knew it wasn’t Attention Deficit Disorder. I went through a battery of tests for ADD—pointing at pictures of aliens and reciting their names, holding a metal rod steady so it wouldn’t touch the inside of a metal ring, filling out questionnaires—and the doctor concluded that I didn’t…
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In order to fully understand how to best treat mental illness, we must first understand the factors that can cause mental illness, specifically the balance between nature and nurture. It’s important to remember that psychiatric conditions are medical problems that deserve the same kind of attention, research, and treatment as any physical ailment. What Causes…
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By: Raymond J. Kotwicki, MD, MPH, Charles B. West Chief Medical Officer We all struggle through times when sleep is in short supply: when college exams, a new baby, or a financial worry prevent us from getting a peaceful night’s rest. But research continues to uncover the consequences of regularly missing out on healthy sleep and…
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Bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder are two mental illnesses that can cause significant disability and disruption in someone’s life. Despite being commonly grouped together or even used interchangeably in movies, TV, and other pop culture references, they are two separate and distinct illnesses that have different diagnostic criteria and require different treatments. Find out more about how…
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You may think that once you’re out of high school, you’re finished growing up. Physically, you’re probably as tall as you will ever get, and from this point forward, you may remain the same overall size throughout much of your adult life. Whether you head off to college or out to make your own way…
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