Mental Health

Parenthood has been described by many as the most joyous experiences in a person's life and a milestone looked forward to by most. But with its share of challenges comes the possibility of depression and anxiety becoming a part of the formula... such is the case of empty nest syndrome. Also in this month's issue, we explore the effects of hormonal changes in a body during pregnancy. Sometimes these hormonal fluctuations are so extreme that symptoms of depression and anxiety can occur.

Senility is defined as the weakness or mental infirmity of old age, and is associated with the deterioration of the body and mind. It is commonly referred to as dementia.

Dyslexia has been described as a difficulty in processing information which may be linked to deficiencies in short-term memory and visual coordination. It is an inherent weakness in short-term memory, that is either auditory or visual, which can make it extremely difficult for that person to learn and understand the relation between symbols and spoken sounds. This difficulty allows the person to be unable to correctly speak the correct flow of auditory sounds needed to make a word or sentence sound proper.

Hypochondriasis is described as the obsessive, persistent fear of having a serious medical condition. A person with hypochondriasis (referred to as a hypochondriac) exhibits the characteristics of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and is preoccupied with his or her physical health.

Problems associated with mental health and learning disabilities often include difficulty in reading, writing, spelling, recalling, and reasoning, as well as impaired motor skills and problems with mathematical concepts.

Mood swings are characterized by a drastic change in emotion from one side of the spectrum to the other. If one moment someone is contentedly going about their daily tasks, and the next moment is suddenly upset, irritated or downright hostile, they may suffer from mood swings.

Whether we are trying to remember history dates for an upcoming exam, trying to recall where we put the car keys, or attempting to hang on to the golden moments of our youth, memory is key! Our memory is an important and treasured capacity because it plays such a central role in our daily lives and even in our identity as human beings.

It is normal to experience ups-and-downs, good days and bad days and the
occasional I should never have gotten out of bed day, but as a general rule it is
important to retain an inner calm or a middle ground to which we always return.
However, individuals with Bipolar disorder experience extreme fluctuations of mood. They tend to lose their inner balance, finding themselves at the far ends
of the emotional spectrum.

While we have all heard about autism, most of us have only vague ideas of what the diagnosis means. Individuals with autism have difficulties making friends and participating in everyday social interactions. They often have restricted interests and behavioral patterns, and find comfort in routine and repetition.

Asperger's Syndrome is a neurobiological disorder that is classified as one of the pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Often it may be incorrectly called Asperger's disease; however, it is actually a condition characterized by significant impairment in social interaction as well as the development of repetitive and restricted fields of interest, activities, and interests.