According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly a fourth (24.9%) of the adult population in the United States will struggle with an anxiety disorder sometime during their lives.1 If you or someone you love is struggling with an anxiety disorder, the following organizations* offer help: Anxiety Disorders Association of America6000 Executive Boulevard, Suite…
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Panic – What are Anxiety Disorders?
Everyone experiences anxiety, whether it’s dreading tomorrow’s math test or fearing a dangerous situation. However, anxiety disorders cause anxiety out of proportion to the situation and interfere with normal, daily activities. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), exaggerated tension without apparent cause, can be debilitating but doesn’t usually cause people to avoid certain situations. People with GAD…
Read moreMind Games – Manic-depression & Schizophrenia
Manic-depression Manic-depression usually results from a personality disorder. Extreme stress can also trigger it. Mild cases can be treated with medication, psychotherapy, and rehabilitation. Symptoms Extreme mood swings Mood cycles of elated overactivity (mania) to irregular, deep depression Sleep disturbances, awakening earlier each day; inability to stay in bed Decreased work output; distraction and restlessness…
Read moreMind Games – Mental illness vs. mental retardation
Contrary to what some think, mental illness isn’t the same as mental retardation. Retardation stems from a learning and intellectual disability. Mental illness is a biologically based brain disease that hinders a person’s ability to reason or relate to reality. Mental illness is far more common than cancer, diabetes, heart disease, or arthritis. One in…
Read moreMind Games – Criminal law
Insanity is used as a defense against responsibility for a crime. The first modern test of insanity was the M’Naghten rule (1843). It held that a person was insane if he or she had such a defect of reason at the time of committing a criminal act that he or she did not know…
Read moreMind Games – If a loved one threatens violence
Don’t think you can handle it alone. Contact a mental health organization, such as NAMI, and call a friend or neighbor to help. Don’t leave the person alone. List all peculiar behavior and behavior patterns: times, dates, length of pattern. List questions, suspicions, and fears to ask professionals. If the person refuses to see a…
Read moreMind Games – Additional Organizations
Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 800-826-2950 Grief Recovery Helpline 800-445-4808 Information Referrals & Crisis Helpline 800-233-4357 National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association 800-826-DMDA (3632) National Foundation for Depressive Illness (NAFDI) 800-248-4381 National Institute of Mental Health Information, Resources and Inquiries Branch 800-64PANIC (72642); provides information on panic disorders. National Mental Health Association 800-969-NMHA (6642) National…
Read moreWhat to Do If You’re Depressed
If you think you’re depressed, be sure to get help: See your doctor. He can test for illnesses that can cause depression, such as low thyroid, mononucleosis, anemia, diabetes, and hepatitis. He can also prescribe antidepressant medication. Talk to a pastor. The most effective treatment for depression is a combination of medication and psychotherapy….
Read moreIs Depression Sin?
The Bible never says it is a sin to be depressed. Several strong men in the Bible who followed God became depressed: the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 19); David, who wrote many of the psalms (Psalms 42, 43, and others); even the perfect Jesus (Matthew 26:38). So to be depressed is not the same as…
Read moreFacts about Depression
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 17 million Americans suffer from depressive illness each year. About twice as many women are affected as men. Although medication and psychotherapy can help 80 to 90 percent of depressed people, only one third of them will seek treatment. Depression is likely present when a…
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