Monthly Archives: March 2014

What are the symptoms of phobia? If you come near to, or into contact with, the feared situation you become anxious or distressed. In addition you may also have one or more unpleasant physical symptoms. These can be, for example, … Continue reading →

Schizophrenia is a mental illness. Symptoms include hallucinations (such as hearing voices), false ideas (delusions), disordered thoughts and problems with feelings, behaviour and motivation. The cause is not clear. In many people symptoms come back (recur) or persist long-term but … Continue reading →

If you have been taking a benzodiazepine or Z drug long-term (for more than four weeks) then it can be difficult to stop it because of withdrawal effects. However, this can be overcome by a variety of ways. One method … Continue reading →

Tourette’s syndrome is a condition that causes you to have involuntary movements or noises called tics. It starts in childhood and is associated with various other problems such as behavioural problems and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It can often … Continue reading →

Chronic fatigue syndrome/ME is a condition where you have long-term disabling tiredness (fatigue). Most people with chronic fatigue syndrome/ME also have one or more other symptoms such as muscular pains, joint pains, disturbed sleep patterns, poor concentration, headaches. The cause … Continue reading →

What are the symptoms of phobia? If you come near to, or into contact with, the feared situation you become anxious or distressed. In addition you may also have one or more unpleasant physical symptoms. These can be, for example, … Continue reading →

Schizoaffective disorder was first described in the 1930s. This psychiatric condition has features of both schizophrenia and mood disorders, eg depression. Questions have been raised about whether it truly exists as a disease entity, although the term is still in … Continue reading →

About 1 in 10 mothers develop postnatal depression. Support and understanding from family, friends, and sometimes from a professional such as a health visitor can help you to recover. Other treatment options include psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy … Continue reading →

Tricyclic antidepressants are used to treat depression and some other conditions. They often take 2-4 weeks to work fully. A normal course of antidepressants lasts at least six months after symptoms have eased. Side-effects may occur, but are often minor … Continue reading →

Low mood during winter months has been noted as far back as 1845; however, it was not formally recognised as a disorder until the 1980s. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is now classified as a variant of depression, characterised by depressive … Continue reading →