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Mental Health
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says mental health deals with how a person thinks, feels and acts, when faced with life's situations. Mental health deals with how people look at themselves, their lives and the other people in their lives; evaluate their challenges and problems; and explore their choices. This includes handling stress (Read about "Stress"), relating to other people and making decisions.
HHS calls mental health problems real issues for many. They affect one's thoughts, body, feelings and behavior. Mental health problems are not just a passing phase. They can be severe, seriously interfere with a person's life and even cause a person to become disabled. Mental health problems include depression, bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia and conduct disorder. (Read about "Depressive Illnesses" "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" "Anxiety" "Eating Disorders" "Schizophrenia")
Mental health issues affect all ages. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says many children have mental health problems that interfere with normal development and functioning. NIMH estimates that, in the United States today, one in ten children suffers from a mental disorder severe enough to cause some level of impairment.
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) says much of what we call mental illness is very physical in nature. APA uses the example of major depression, where the brain chemistry of the depressed person is different from someone who isn't depressed. In such a case, APA says drugs can be used to help bring the brain chemistry back into balance.
There are also many forms of psychotherapy, some short-term, others conducted on longer term basis. Talk therapists help patients gain insight into and resolve their problems through verbal exchanges. Behavioral therapists help patients learn how to gain more satisfaction from their activities. Interpersonal therapists focus on the patient's personal relationships. Cognitive/behavioral therapists help patients change the negative styles of thinking and behaving that are often associated with their condition. All of these therapists are talk therapists; each of them uses different techniques.
Following the links below will give you more information on some conditions that affect our brains and nervous system, including mental health conditions.
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Acoustic neuroma: see Balance Disorders Addiction: see Addiction Alzheimer's: see Alzheimer's Disease Anencephaly: see Neural Tube Defects Aneurysms: see Aneurysm Anxiety disorder: see Anxiety Aphasia: see Aphasia Arachnoid cysts: see Arachnoid Cysts Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs): see Vascular Lesions of the Central Nervous System Asperger's disorder: see Autism Spectrum Disorders Astrocytomas: see Brain Tumors Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: see ADHD Autism: see Autism Spectrum Disorders Balance disorders: see Balance Disorders Bell's palsy: see Bell's Palsy Bipolar disorder: see Depressive Illnesses Birth defects: see Birth Defects Brain anatomy: see The Brain Brain stem gliomas: see Brain Tumors Brain tumors: see Brain Tumors Broca's aphasia: see Aphasia Capillary telangiectases: see Vascular Lesions of the Central Nervous System Cavernous malformations: see Vascular Lesions of the Central Nervous System Cerebral palsy: see Cerebral Palsy Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT): see Neuromuscular Diseases Childhood disintegrative syndrome: see Autism Spectrum Disorders Chronic pain: see Chronic Pain Concussion: see Head Injury Craniopharyngiomas: see Brain Tumors Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: see Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Cysts, arachnoid: see Arachnoid Cysts Cysts, spinal: see The Spine Dementia: see Dementia Depression: see Depressive Illnesses Developmental disorders: see Autism Spectrum Disorders Down syndrome: see Down Syndrome Dyslexia: see Dyslexia Dysthymia: see Depressive Illnesses Dystonia: see Dystonia Dystrophies: see Neuromuscular Diseases EEG - electroencephalograph: see EEG - Electroencephalograph Encephalitis: see Encephalitis & Meningitis Encephaloceles: see Neural Tube Defects Encephalopathy: see Encephalopathy Epilepsy: see Epilepsy Fainting: see Syncope (Fainting) Fluent aphasia: see Aphasia GBS (Guillain-Barre syndrome): see Guillain-Barre Syndrome Germ cell tumors: see Brain Tumors Global aphasia: see Aphasia Guillain-Barre syndrome: see Guillain-Barre Syndrome Headaches: see Headaches Head injury: see Head Injury Huntington's disease: see Huntington's Disease Hydrocephalus: see Hydrocephalus Inflammatory myopathies: see Neuromuscular Diseases Lyme disease: see Lyme Disease Mad cow disease: see Mad Cow Disease Medulloblastomas: see Brain Tumors Meningiomas: see Brain Tumors Meningitis: see Encephalitis & Meningitis Mental health: see Mental Health Migraine: see Migraine Headaches Motor neuron diseases: see Neuromuscular Diseases Multiple sclerosis: see Multiple Sclerosis Muscular dystrophies: see Neuromuscular Diseases Myasthenia gravis: see Neuromuscular Diseases Myopathies: see Neuromuscular Diseases Nervous system: see Nervous System Neural tube defects: see Neural Tube Defects Neurofibromatosis: see Neurofibromatosis Neuromuscular diseases: see Neuromuscular Diseases Neuromuscular junction diseases: see Neuromuscular Diseases Neuropathy: see Peripheral Neuropathy Neuropathy, diabetic: see Diabetes Neurosurgery: see Neurosurgery Non-fluent aphasia: see Aphasia Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): see OCD Oligodendrogliomas: see Brain Tumors Panic disorder: see Panic Disorder Paresthesia: see Paresthesia Parkinson's disease: see Parkinson's Disease Peripheral nerve diseases: see Neuromuscular Diseases Peripheral neuropathy: see Peripheral Neuropathy Pervasive developmental disorders: see Autism Spectrum Disorders Phobias: see Phobias Pineal region tumors: see Brain Tumors Post-polio syndrome: see Post-Polio Syndrome Postpartum depression: see Depressive Illnesses Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): see PTSD Prion diseases: see Encephalopathy Rett syndrome: see Autism Spectrum Disorders Schizophrenia: see Schizophrenia Schwannomas, brain: see Brain Tumors Seasonal affective disorder (SAD): see Depressive Illnesses Seizures: see Seizures Shaken baby syndrome: see Head Injury Shingles: see Shingles Social phobia: see Social Phobia Spina bifida: see Neural Tube Defects Spine: see The Spine Stroke: see Stroke Stuttering: see Stuttering Suicide: see Suicide Prevention Syncope: see Syncope (Fainting) Tay-Sachs disease: see Tay-Sachs Disease TIA's: see Stroke Tourette syndrome: see Tourette Syndrome Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE): see Encephalopathy Traumatic brain injury: see Head Injury Tumors, brain: see Brain Tumors Tumors, spine: see The Spine Venous malformations: see Vascular Lesions of the Central Nervous System Vertigo: see Balance Disorders Vestibular schwannoma: see Balance Disorders Wernicke's aphasia: see Aphasia Wilson's disease: see The Liver |
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