Daily Archives: February 6, 2017

Some types of depression run in families, suggesting that a biological vulnerability can be inherited. This seems to be the case with bipolar disorder. Studies of families in which members of each generation develop bipolar disorder found that those with … Continue reading →

What are depressive disorders? A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A … Continue reading →

In any given 1-year period, 9.5 percent of the population, or about 18.8 million American adults, suffer from a depressive illness5 The economic cost for this disorder is high, but the cost in human suffering cannot be estimated. Depressive illnesses … Continue reading →

Agoraphobia is a form of anxiety disorder. The name is literally translated as “a fear of the marketplace”, from the Greek agora, and thus of open or public spaces. Many people suffering from agoraphobia, however, are not afraid of the … Continue reading →

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that can develop following a terrifying event. Often, people with PTSD have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to. … Continue reading →