Disorders / Diseases
Depression, including Post-Natal depression
Anxiety Disorder and Phobias
Depression is a state
of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts,
behavior, feelings and sense of well-being. Depressed people may feel sad,
anxious, empty, hopeless, worried, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable,
hurt, or restless. They may lose interest in activities that once were
pleasurable, experience loss of appetite or overeating, have problems
concentrating, remembering details, or making decisions, and may contemplate or
attempt suicide. Insomnia, excessive sleeping, fatigue, loss of energy, or
aches, pains, or digestive problems that are resistant to treatment may also be
present.
Post-natal Depression, is a type of clinical depression which can affect women, and less frequently men, typically after childbirth. Studies report prevalence rates among women from 5% to 25%, but methodological differences among the studies make the actual prevalence rate unclear. Among men, in particular new fathers, the incidence of postpartum depression has been estimated to be between 1% and 25.5%. Symptoms include sadness, fatigue, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, reduced libido, crying episodes, anxiety, and irritability. Although a number of risk factors have been identified, the causes of PPD are not well understood. Many women recover with a treatment consisting of a support group or counseling.
Anxiety disorder is an umbrella term that covers several different forms of a type of common psychiatric disorder, characterized by excessive rumination, worrying, uneasiness, apprehension and fear about future uncertainties either based on real or imagined events, which may affect both physical and psychological health. There are numerous psychiatric and medical syndromes which may mimic the symptoms of an anxiety disorder such as hyperthyroidism which may be misdiagnosed as generalized anxiety disorder.
Individuals diagnosed with an anxiety disorder may be classified in one of two categories; based on whether they experience continuous or episodic symptoms.
A phobia (from the Greek: φόβος, Phóbos, meaning "fear" or "morbid fear") is, when used in the context of clinical psychology, a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational. In the event the phobia cannot be avoided entirely, the sufferer will endure the situation or object with marked distress and significant interference in social or occupational activities.
Psychosomatic Diseases (Migraine, Eczema, Asthma, Tension Headaches)
Somatoform Disorders (Ongoing Somatoform Pain Disorder, Somatoform Autonomic Dysfunction)
Psychosomatic disorder, also called Psychophysiologic Disorder, condition in which psychological stresses adversely affect physiological (somatic) functioning to the point of distress. It is a condition of dysfunction or structural damage in bodily organs through inappropriate activation of the involuntary nervous system and the glands of internal secretion. Thus, the psychosomatic symptom emerges as a physiological concomitant of an emotional state. In a state of rage, for example, the angry person’s blood pressure is likely to be elevated and his pulse and respiratory rate to be increased. When the anger passes, the heightened physiologic processes usually subside. If the person has a persistent inhibited aggression (chronic rage), however, which he is unable to express overtly, the emotional state remains unchanged, though unexpressed in the overt behaviour, and the physiological symptoms associated with the angry state persist. With time, such a person becomes aware of the physiological dysfunction. Very often he develops concern over the resulting physical signs and symptoms, but he denies or is unaware of the emotions that have evoked the symptoms.
A somatoform
disorder is a mental disorder characterized by symptoms that suggest physical
illness or injury – symptoms that cannot be explained fully by a general
medical condition or by the direct effect of a substance, and are not
attributable to another mental disorder (e.g., panic disorder). In people
who have a somatoform disorder, medical test results are either normal or do
not explain the person's symptoms, and history and physical examination do not
indicate the presence of a medical condition that could cause them.
Sexual Problems (Anorgasmia, Vaginismus, Male Erectile Dysfunction)
Pain Therapy
Anorgasmia, or Coughlan's syndrome, is a type of sexual dysfunction in which a person cannot achieve orgasm, even with adequate stimulation. In males, the condition is often related to delayed ejaculation. Anorgasmia can often cause sexual frustration. Anorgasmia is far more common in females than in males and is especially rare in younger men.
A woman is
said to have primary vaginismus when she has never been able to have
penetrative sex or experience vaginal penetration without pain. It is commonly
discovered in teenagers and women in their early twenties, as this is when many
young women in the Western world first attempt to use tampons, have penetrative
sex, or undergo a Pap smear. Women with vaginismus may be unaware of the
condition until they attempt vaginal penetration. A woman may be unaware of the
reasons for her condition.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence is sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sexual performance. A penile erection is the hydraulic effect of blood entering and being retained in sponge-like bodies within the penis. The process is often initiated as a result of sexual arousal, when signals are transmitted from the brain to nerves in the penis. The most important organic causes are cardiovascular disease and diabetes, neurological problems (for example, trauma from prostatectomy surgery), hormonal insufficiencies (hypogonadism) and drug side effects.
Psychological impotence is where erection or penetration fails due to thoughts or feelings (psychological reasons) rather than physical impossibility; this is somewhat less frequent but often can be helped. Erectile dysfunction, can have severe psychological consequences as it can be tied to relationship difficulties and masculine self image generally.
PMS en Dysmenorrhoea
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or perimenstrual syndrome is a collection of emotional symptoms, with or without physical symptoms, related to a woman's menstrual cycle. While most women of childbearing age (up to 85%) report having experienced physical symptoms related to normal ovulatory function, such as bloating or breast tenderness, medical definitions of PMS are limited to a consistent pattern of emotional and physical symptoms occurring only during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle that are of "sufficient severity to interfere with some aspects of life". In particular, emotional symptoms must be present consistently to diagnose PMS. The specific emotional and physical symptoms attributable to PMS vary from woman to woman, but each individual woman's pattern of symptoms is predictable, occurs consistently during the ten days prior to menses, and vanishes either shortly before or shortly after the start of menstrual flow.
Dysmenorrhoea
or painful periods is a medical condition of pain during menstruation that
interferes with daily activities.
Anesthetization of applicable areas for operations and childbirth.
Study Problems
Introducing of relaxation techniques, improving of memory and concentration capability.
