schizophrenia in children

Schizophrenia is a serious psychiatric illness that causes strange thinking, strange feelings, and unusual behavior.  It is uncommon in children and hard to recognize in its early phases. The cause of schizophrenia is not known. Current research suggests a combination of brain changes, biochemical causes, and genetic and environmental factors. Early diagnosis and medical treatment are important. Schizophrenia is a life-long disease that can be controlled but not cured.

When childhood schizophrenia begins very early in life, it is quite difficult to notice the symptoms but later on the symptoms may build up gradually. The early signs and symptoms may be so vague that you can't quite decide what's wrong, or you may attribute them to a developmental phase.

This is some of the early sings. Trouble discerning dreams from reality, Seeing things and hearing voices that are not real, Confused thinking, Vivid and bizarre thoughts and ideas, Extreme moodiness, Peculiar behavior, Behaving younger than chronological age, Severe anxiety and fearfulness, Confusing television or movies with reality, Severe problems in making and keeping friends.

Early diagnosis and medical treatment are important. Kids with the symptoms listed above must have a complete evaluation. These children may need individual treatment plans involving other professionals. A combination of medication and individual, family, and specialized therapy is often necessary.  Psychiatric medication can be helpful for many of the symptoms and problems identified.

bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a condition in which people go back and forth between periods of a very good or irritable mood and depression. The "mood swings" between mania and depression can be very quick. Also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day to day tasks. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe.

Bipolar disorder is not easy to spot when it starts. The symptoms may seem like separate problems, not recognized as parts of a larger problem. Some people suffer for years before they are properly diagnosed and treated. Like diabetes or heart disease, bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that must be carefully managed throughout a person's life.

To date, there is no cure for bipolar disorder. But proper treatment helps most people with bipolar disorder gain better control of their mood swings and related symptoms. This is also true for people with the most severe forms of the illness.

stress

Stress is defined as a to environmental demands. When stress was first studied in the 50's, the term was used to denote both the causes and the experienced effects of these pressures.

 Stress in humans results from interactions between persons and their environment that are perceived as straining or exceeding their adaptive capacities. human stress responses reflect differences in personality, as well as differences in physical strength or general health.

The causes of stress can include any event or occurrence that a person considers a threat to his or her coping strategies or resources.

The symptoms of stress can be either physical and psychological. Stress-related physical illnesses, such as heart attack, and chronic headache, result from long-term over stimulation of a part of the nervous system that regulates the heart rate, blood pressure, and digestive system.