It is natural for expecting mothers to do whatever they can in their power to make sure their newborn babies have the best start to life. Women suffering from major depression undergo an additional obstacle of deciding whether to continue taking antidepressants or stop taking them for the sake of their babies. Researchers have conducted […]
Author: Jessica
OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is a term that is often misused and misunderstood. A person’s preference for tidiness, tendency to colour-code all of his or her possessions, or perfectionism might be, inaccurately, referred to as “OCD” for the sake of exaggeration. The reality of OCD, however, is that it can cause serious anxiety and […]
In recent years, it has become widely accepted as common knowledge that exercising is a major factor in maintaining positive mental health. However, the reasons behind how exercise plays a role in increasing our mental well-being may not be nearly as clear. Although the chemistry behind it is still largely understood, studies have shown that […]
Making the effort to maintain your mental health is just as important as keeping your body in shape! Need ideas? Here are 10 Mental Fitness Tips from the Canadian Mental Health Association: Collect positive emotional moments. – store moments in your memory when you experience positive emotions like pleasure, comfort, tenderness, or confidence, and pull […]
We know from past studies that depression in adults is linked to heart disease and risk of serious complications. New studies have found that teens who were depressed as children are more likely to suffer from obesity, increased likelihood of smoking cigarettes, and living sedentary lives. This increases heart risks later in life, even when […]
It has been announced that the next edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) will be adding a new type of somatic symptom disorder. The new category will eliminate the requirement that somatic symptoms must be “medically unexplained”, and will instead be shifted to focus on “excessive” responses […]
You may be familiar with the body’s fight-or-flight response – that “adrenaline rush” that results from your sympathetic nervous system kicking in. It may be that feeling you get right before writing a final exam, or while being chased by an angry dog. Well actually, along with adrenaline, the hypothalamus in the brain controls the […]
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is widely perceived as a problem only in children. The Canadian Mental Health Association defines it as a disorder that “reduce[s] the child’s ability to pay attention” and outlines the effects of ADHD on children, which can include violent behaviour, low self-esteem, physical pains, and social difficulties. The Association does not, […]
Loneliness has been found to significantly affect ones mental and physical health both in the short and long term. Three major findings include: 1.Loneliness adversely affects how one behaves and it increases the resistance of blood flow through the cardiovascular system. 2.Loneliness is linked to higher cortisol levels in the morning; altered gene expression in […]
Researchers at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center have reported that twenty-three percent of women who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This PTSD diagnosis is especially seen among African-American and Asian women, as well as women under the age of fifty. This […]