Insomnia - Causes And Treatments

Insomnia is a recognised sleep disorder which can have a number of widely different causes, from physical illness, suffering pain or discomfort, anxiety, worry over personal, financial or work situations and also mental health disorders such as depression, post traumatic stress disorder etc. Many soldiers returning from a tour of duty in a war zone will suffer from insomnia due to vivid memories and flashbacks.

Insomnia can be characterized by any or all of the following statements:

Inability to fall asleepWaking in the early hours after very little sleepInterrupted sleep - waking every hour and taking a while to return to sleep

If your family doctor has diagnosed you with insomnia there are a number of treatments he or she will want to try. Getting to the bottom of what is actually causing your insomnia is extremely important in deciding what course of action to take. In the past medication would be the first port of call with many sufferers being given sleeping tablets on their first visit to the doctor. Nowadays, after much research into the disorder and what causes it there are other options available.

The two main methods of treatment are:

Medication - usually by a drug known as an hypnotic such as Zopiclone or Zimovane (also known as the z drugs). These drugs work in much the same way as a benzodiazepine tranquilizer and can be highly addictive if taken any longer than a short term course.
Talking therapy - such as cognitive behavioural therapy by a trained specialist, counselling to get to the root of the cause of your insomnia and psychotherapy by a qualified psychologist.

There are also various self help measures which can be tried, either first or alongside other treatment methods. Here are some suggestions which have been proven to help:

Practice a regular sleeping and waking time - go to bed and get up at the same time each day regardless of how much sleep you may have had.
Take regular physical exercise preferably outside in the fresh air - do this earlier in the day as exercising close to bedtime will tend to kick start the body and leave you feeling energised instead of sleepy.
Try to avoid watching tv or reading in bed - both will keep your mind active when it should be preparing for sleep.
Cut back on alcohol, nicotine and especially caffeine - all will disrupt your sleep pattern.

So if you are suffering with lack of sleep regularly you probably have insomnia and should first get a correct diagnosis from your doctor and then discuss the preferred method of treatment with him or her. If they think a short course of sleep medication will help to resume a normal sleep pattern they will be able to prescribe the best one for your particular circumstances. You may be referred for therapy and given advice on self help measures to practice, after which hopefully you will regain a normal sleep pattern and get the rest you need.

© Andrew Tudor Jones

Andrew Tudor Jones is the owner of http://www.anxietydepressionselfhelp.com/, a website dedicated to anyone who suffers from anxiety and depression.The website offers valuable information on these conditions as well as 2 e-books which can be downloaded for free and a Blog,updated on a regular basis with relevant information. You can connect with Andrew on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/selfhelpforanxietyanddepression.

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Schizophrenia - Causes and Cure

Knowing Causes Can Help in Curing Schizophrenia

Factors responsible for Schizophrenia and steps to cure it

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder involving a distorted or abnormal perception of reality. These distortions could involve any of the five senses but are most often auditory hallucinations, paranoia, disorganized speech and thinking, or bizarre delusions. The disorder impairs cognition and in turn impacts emotional or behavioral problems. It can coincide with anxiety disorders and major depression.

Patients often have a difficulty telling inner speech from what is actually said to them, and have impaired reasoning about social situations.

At present, there is no clinical test for schizophrenia. Diagnoses are usually from reported experiences of the patient. However, increased dopamine activity in the brain is usually found. Imaging scans have also been able to find differences in the brains of schizophrenic people, which do not indicate the disease itself, but the memory and problem-solving issues associated with it.

Patients sometimes think they are being controlled, their thoughts are being transmitted to other people, or that thoughts are inserted or withdrawn from their minds. The delusions can be different from those described.

The causes of schizophrenia could be both genetic and environmental, but the specific combination of factors is not yet known.

1. Genetic factors would involve more than one type of gene working in tandem to cause the problem, but these same genes may develop bipolar disorder or another problem instead. Since known patients seem to have fewer children than average, it is not known how the condition could continue to exist if it has a strong genetic component.

2. The early development of the brain while in the womb is considered a possible factor. Prenatal exposure to infections can increase the risk of developing schizophrenia later in life.

3. Living in an urban setting is a risk factor, as is poverty, poor housing conditions, or migration due to racism or family dysfunction.

4. A childhood of trauma or abuse may be a factor, but parenting style is not the definite cause.

5. Drug abuse is not a proven cause, but may be related.

Currently, there is no existing cure for schizophrenia, but there are antipsychotic medications with varied effects. Some cases will resist more than one medication.

1. Typical antipsychotics can reduce psychosis and take 7 to 14 days to start working.
2. Atypical antipsychotics are now preferred for initial treatment but can induce weight gain.

Both types of medication are considered equally effective. The former type can, in rare cases, lead to potentially fatal neurological problems, and it is not yet known if the latter type does the same.

Two countries, the United States and Australia, are legally allowed to administer medications to uncooperative patients who are otherwise stable and living within the community.

Some patients may in the long term do better by not taking antipsychotics.

There are also therapies to alleviate symptoms which may have a greater appeal than medications and their side-effects.

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, available since the mid 1990s, can increase self-esteem and insight. Brain scans have shown significant improvements in cognition when patients use this therapy.

2. Family therapy is used to help patients socialize better in the context of a family system. The burden on the family is recognized.

3. Creative therapies such as music therapy have some benefit.

4. The Soteria method is a community therapy that creates a stable, quiet space for people recovering from mental crises, with minimal medication. It is just as effective as full medication in some cases.

5. Electroconvulsive Therapy still exists for patients who do not respond to other treatments, but it is not generally recommended.

In addition to these methods, the Hearing Voices and Paranoia networks provide a self-help approach outside the mainstream medical model. As large support groups, they attempt to encourage responsibility and a positive self-image. Hospitals are increasingly working with these groups to help patients integrate back into society.

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What Are the Causes of Bipolar Disorder? Links to Genetics

Bipolar Disorder & Genetics

Bipolar disorder tends to run in families, as such researchers are looking for specific genes that may increase a person's chance of developing the illness. Genes are the "building blocks" of heredity. They help control how the body and brain work and grow. Genes are contained inside a person's cells that are passed down from parents to children.

Children with a parent or sibling who has bipolar disorder are four to six times more likely to develop the illness, compared with children who do not have a family history of the illness. However, most children with a family history of manic-depression will not develop the bipolar.

Advances in technology have aided researches to go more in depth of Genetic connection. The research is now much quicker and more far-reaching than in the past. One example is the launch of the Bipolar Disorder Phenome Database. This database, will allow scientists to link visible signs of bipolar with the genes that may influence them. With the aid of this database, researchers have found that most people with bipolar had:

Missed work because of their illnessOther illnesses at the same time, especially alcohol and/or substance abuse and panic disordersBeen treated or hospitalized for bipolar.

The researchers also identified certain traits that appeared to run in families, including:

History of psychiatric hospitalizationCo-occurring obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)Age at first manic episodeNumber and frequency of manic episodes

Traits found in this study, may help researches find the genes that cause bipolar disorder some day. However, genes are not the only risk factor for manic-depression. Studies of identical twins have shown that the twin of a person with bipolar illness does not always develop the disorder. This is important because identical twins share all of the same genes. The study results suggest factors besides genes are also at work. Rather, it is likely that many different genes and a person's environment are involved. However, scientists do not yet fully understand how these factors interact to cause bipolar.

A recent study in germany suggests that rare sponteous mutations are a vital contributor to risk for bipolar as other brain related physicatric diseases, such as schizophrenia. The study also concluded that there is a strong association of rare de novo copy-number-variants or (CNV's) with bipolar. The rare de novo CNV's infuence the age of when bipolar disorder begins. The same instances were found in schizophrenia earlier studies. Although unclear the role of CNVs in bipolar disorder, the study suggests mood disorders could be evident for de novo mutations.

Educate your self on the causes, symptoms, signs, treatment centers, types of Bipolar Disorder Here at Bipolar Disorder Assist. Medications, free resources for financial aid, housing programs, 12 step programs, free education and therapy, legal information, help for children, adults, parents with children, care for supporters/caretakers, even ways to earn extra income, how to successfully apply for SSDI and SSI. Visit us today at BipolarDisorderassist.com

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ADHD Causes: Head Injury in Early Childhood

While heredity is certainly among the causes of ADHD, not everyone with the genetic predisposition to the disorder will necessarily it. For ADHD to occur, the child must meet certain environmental triggers that will set off the disorder. Among these such environmental triggers are head injuries and minor brain trauma in early childhood.

The relationship between head injury and ADHD is a rather compelling one. Early research has shown that very young children who sustained head trauma often meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD in two years - even if they did not have ADHD prior to the injury. Spurred by these findings, a study published in the British Medical Journal investigated if there is a relationship between head injuries and childhood ADHD. The research team collected data from 62,088 children and divided them into two groups - children who had head, burns, or scald injuries before they reached the age of 2, and children who were injury-free. They discovered that those who received head injuries in early childhood are 90% more likely to get diagnosed with ADHD before they turned 10.

For these reasons, it is important for your child to receive an annual check-up or exam if he or she sustained any head injuries in childhood. Prevention can go a long way too. Here are some ways to protect your infant or child from head trauma:
Never leave a baby alone on raised surfaces like beds, changing tables, or chairs. If you have to leave the baby unattended, place him or her on the floor, in a crib, or in a playpen.
Child-proof your home thoroughly - install window guards, place a safety gate near stairs and doors, and get rid of furniture with sharp edges in the play area. If there's a playground at home, make sure there are shock-absorbing surfaces like sand or rubber mats under the playground equipment.
In the car, make sure your child is properly buckled up. Always use a child safety seat or seat belt.
Your children should always wear appropriate headgear and other safety equipment when skating, riding a bike, skiing, or playing contact sports.
Make sure your child takes it easy when recovering from a head injury. No sports or rough play until the injury has healed completely. Not only will it take longer for the brain to heal if it gets re-injured so soon, but every injury does additional damage.

Dr. Yannick Pauli is an expert on natural approaches to ADHD and the author of the popular self-help home-program The Unritalin Solution. He is Director of the Centre Neurofit in Lausanne, Switzerland and has a passion taking care of children with ADHD. Click on the link for more great information about what is ADHD.

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What Causes Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

Narcissists are people who are extremely egocentric or self-centered. They are obsessed with their personal abilities and physical appearances. They have this strong belief that they are superior to other individuals. Consequently, their self-esteem is easily threatened by negative feedbacks from other people. Narcissists hardly accept criticisms because they feel being overpowered by others. Likewise, they are close-minded about the idea of being defeated. When the previously mentioned behaviors become persistent and cause distress to a person's social life during adulthood, they become components of the condition called narcissistic personality disorder.

People with narcissistic personality disorder are indeed highly competent. Their self-confidence contributes enormously in every success they achieve in life. They are self-assured that they are versatile and capable of doing anything. They view themselves as extremely admirable and important beings. However, behind this self-confidence is a bunch of insecurity. Narcissists feel humiliation and self-inadequacy when someone overshadows their abilities.

The cause of narcissistic personality disorder remains unknown. However, various researchers had determined contributory factors from childhood that might have lead to the development of this disorder.

1. Oversensitive persona during childhood

A person with narcissistic personality disorder exhibits an oversensitive character during childhood. This type of person easily becomes very emotional.

2. Too much praise for professed outstanding appearance or abilities of the child by the adults

Adults have the tendency to over praise a child with outstanding appearance or looks. As a result, this child develops the feeling of superiority against others. Apart from this, the sense of supremacy triggers the child's manipulative and dominant behavior. However, commending the child's outstanding appearance or abilities has positive consequence as well, which is building up the child's self-confidence. On the other hand, excessive admiration can be a risk of making the child arrogantly confident. This is considered another factor that could possibly result to narcissistic personality disorder.

3. Unrealistic feedback on behaviors

Adults may excessively honor positive conducts or excessively condemn negative conducts of a child. This makes the child oversensitive to criticisms. The fear of receiving negative comments encourages the child to continue the good behaviors. However, the child might consider any negative feedback as threat to his/her self-esteem.

4. Being overvalued by parents

In general, parents give great value to their child. In fact, the happiness and satisfaction of their child is usually their top priority. However, parents may become overprotective and overly generous sometimes. They have the habit of providing more than what their child desires. In the same way, they have the passion on making their child feel much secured. Consequently, being too much valued by parents may result to the child's selfish behavior. The child ends up considering himself/herself more excessively important than other people. This is also evident on individuals with narcissistic personality disorder.

The childhood behaviors that might be developed from the abovementioned factors could be considered normal depending on the child's age. However, such behaviors must be retained during childhood only. If they are still possessed by the person until adulthood and had severely affected the person's social life, then the person might have developed narcissistic personality disorder. There are no laboratory examinations to diagnose this disorder. On the other hand, mental health experts had developed a tool to categorize mental illness, including narcissistic personality disorder.

For more information on Different Types of Diseases, Symptoms and Diagnoses, Please visit: Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Personality Disorder Test.

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