What is melancholy? Melancholy is a type of extreme depression that makes people lose interest in almost all activities. Melancholy or melancholia is a severe form of depression and it is now termed “melancholic depression.” The word “melancholia” is a Greek word to describe the feeling of intense sadness and hopelessness. Melancholic depression makes people...
What is emotional intelligence? Sympathy is observation and acceptance of what someone else is going through. Empathy involves taking on someone else's feelings. Empathy is better than sympathy, so it is considered better. Emotional intelligence is an important quality that maintains a healthy personal and professional life. Two important components of emotional intelligence are empathy...
Is pseudotumor cerebri serious? Pseudomotor cerebri can be serious if it is untreated. Pseudotumor cerebri is a medical condition that causes increased pressure inside the skull (intracranial pressure). This is due to increased fluid accumulation inside the skull. This fluid called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is produced inside the brain cavities and lubricates the coverings of...
What is bipolar disorder? The manic episodes of bipolar 1 are typically worse than the hypomanic episodes of bipolar 2. Bipolar disorders are a group of mental disorders that cause dramatic changes in a person's mood, activity level, and ability to function. People who have bipolar disorders have emotional states that are extreme and intense....
Fragile X syndrome facts* *Fragile X syndrome facts medically reviewed by Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD on 1/15/2015. Fragile X syndrome (also called Fragile X) is the most common inherited form of mental problems (mental retardation). Fragile X syndrome is caused by changes in a single X chromosome (FMR1). FMR1 does not produce enough protein...
Gambling addiction facts Compulsive gambling affects 2%-3% of Americans, can involve a variety of ways and places to bet, and symptoms may differ somewhat between males and females, as well as teenagers versus adults. Although men tend to develop a gambling addiction at a higher rate and at younger ages than women, women now make...
Dissociative identity disorder (DID) facts Individuals with DID often also suffer from other mental illnesses, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), borderline and other personality disorders, and conversion disorder. Dissociative identity disorder (DID), formerly called multiple personality disorder, is a condition that is characterized by the presence of at least two clear personality/self states, called alters,...
Factitious disorders are conditions in which a person acts as if he or she has a physical or mental illness when he or she is not really sick. Factitious disorder by proxy is when a person acts as if a person in their care has an illness when they do not. People with factitious disorders...
What Is psychosis vs. schizophrenia? Psychosis itself is a symptom and not a mental illness that describes experiencing the world in a different way. Schizophrenia, on the other hand, is a serious, long-term mental illness of which there are five types. Psychosis and schizophrenia are conditions that have similar symptoms and can greatly affect your...
Grief: Loss of a loved one facts Readers Comments 1 Share Your Story Grief is the feeling one experiences after the death of a loved one or other significant loss. Grief is quite common and is the normal internal feeling one experiences in reaction to a loss, while bereavement is the state of having experienced...