Swaprerana

Behavior of a child should always be closely monitored during his/her early development. Sometimes signs of several personality disorders tend to show up early in life. Proper monitoring of the child's behavior helps to identify the signs and properly diagnose the condition if the child is suffering from any potential personality disorder. 

Here are a few facts you should keep in mind:

1. You might often find it difficult to differentiate between the normal and abnormal behavior of your child. You might consult the pediatrician in this case to compare the child's general behavioral patterns with that of other children in the same age group.
2. It is very important to understand your child's development process. It helps you to interpret his/her behavior and to identify signs of personality disorder.
3. There are a few common behavior patterns, which tend to act as a guide to understanding the behavior of your child. Some of these patterns should be encouraged as they lead to proper behavioral development of your child while patterns of negative behavior should be discouraged. 
4. You should also consult a doctor if your child shows negative behavior persistently even after disciplining measures.
5. Being polite, doing chores on a regular basis, following instructions should be encouraged and rewarded as it helps in the proper personality development of your child.
6. Behavioral patterns like an inclination towards defensive, regressive and aggressive behavior should not be encouraged but can be tolerated in certain situations like illness or in times of stress.
7. Behavioral patterns like an increased inclination to violence or an excessive competitive attitude towards their siblings should never be allowed. 
8. Prejudice or racism, stealing or inclination towards substance abuse, angry outbursts point towards problems in the child's mental, physical or social well-being. You are also advised to take your child to a psychological expert to find out whether he/she is suffering from any sort of behavioral disorder. 
9. Your behavior also plays a major role in development of your child and his/her behavioral patterns. It is often seen that if a child is subjected to excessive physical, mental or emotional abuse or is engaged in too many curricular and extracurricular activities, he/she is likely to develop several behavioral disorders over time.

Manic depression, also known as bipolar disorder in recent days, is a major mood disorder characterized by hypomanic or manic episodes (deviation from one's usual mood along with abnormally high energy levels). Mania involves sleeplessness, along with psychosis, hallucinations, rage, grandiose delusions or paranoia. Mania or hypomania isn’t usually harmful to the patient and they might exhibit increased capacity for work and creativity. Depressive episodes however, can be debilitating and often life threatening as the person becomes self-destructive and suicidal in many instances. 

The extent of mood swings can vary from extreme to very mild. They can occur progressively or suddenly and might last for few days to weeks. Patients affected by bipolar disorder may experience disturbances in thinking apart from depressive or manic episodes. Distortions of perception and impaired social functioning are also not uncommon. The cause of bipolar disorder is not fully understood like most mental health conditions and is often thought to be hereditary.

The extent of the seriousness of the bipolar symptoms varies from person to person. In some people, the disorder is not full blown and they don’t exhibit all the symptoms. Others who aren’t that lucky might have to be hospitalized multiple times in their lives as the symptoms creep into their work and personal life and make living a normal life a tough challenge. 

Psychotic symptoms such as disorganized thinking, hallucinations and delusions might make a person do things that demand the urgency of hospitalization to keep them safe from their suicidal impulses. These symptoms might need to be urgently addressed by a psychiatrist and with the help of medications, the person might be able to regain control of their lives.

The symptoms of bipolar disorder are many and can be mainly categorized into two (sometimes overlapping) categories of mania or hypomania and depression:

Manic symptoms include: 

1. Grandiose delusions (delusion of grandeur) 
2. Racing thoughts which are often disconnected
3. Sense of euphoria or false elation
4. Irritability without cause
5. Hampered social functioning
6. Increased sexual inclination and risky sexual behavior
7. Hyperactivity
8. Increase in talking volume or speed
9. Impaired judgment
10. Reduced sleep requirements owing to extra energy levels
11. Increased productivity and creativity

Depressive symptoms include:

1. Abnormal eating patterns like over or under-eating to the extent of severe medical complications accompanied by drastic changes in weight
2. Difficulty in concentration, making decisions and remembering
3. Lack of energy or fatigue 
4. Contemplating about death for prolonged periods of time and suicidal behavior
5. Oversleeping, insomnia or early awakening
6. Persistent pessimism 
7. Irritability and restlessness
8. Feeling of hopeless and negative attitude

Mood stabilizers, such as lithium are commonly employed to treat bipolar disorder. Anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines and anti psychotics can also be used in the treatment. Along with medications, support from family and friends is of the utmost importance as they need to help provide all the support required in making the person functional and healthy. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a psychiatrist.

Binge drinking is a problem that has been noticed nowadays in many teenagers and youngsters. Whether it is at an event or a party, drinking high doses of alcohol in one sitting is known as binge drinking.

Binge Drinking in Women Is Different from Men

Binge drinking for men is the consumption of more than five alcoholic beverages in one sitting. But the case is different for women. For women binge drinking is defined as a woman consuming more than four alcoholic beverages in a single sitting. Also, it has been found in a survey that almost 75% of the binge drinkers are college students. Among these, the ratio of men is much higher than women.

What Leads to Binge Drinking?

1. Lack of control: One of the most common reasons is, of course, the lack of control. When such a person comes in contact with alcohol, they tend to over drink because they have no control over their drinking.
2. The weekend fun: Secondly, another reason is seen in the case of youngsters between the age of 18 years to 35 years. These are youngsters who have a tendency of meeting friends and going out on weekends after the week’s toil. They know that after this weekend they will be able to enjoy their favorite bottle only in the next weekend. Hence, they binge drink.

Results of Binge Drinking

It becomes difficult to check how much alcohol will affect a person, because it depends on various factors, such as height, weight, age and also at times, alcohol tolerance of the person. But of course, there are some common results of binge drinking. Some of such results are:

• Unintended and unprotected sex leading to pregnancy or even STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) in some cases 
• Accidents that may lead to severe injuries and even death at times
• Physical or mental assault of others that the person may regret later on.

When Is Help Required?

When the person has a habit of driving after drinking, neglecting family and doing harm to others as well, help is surely needed. Here, short 4-5 sessions with a therapist may help. A regular drinking habit is no doubt a reason to worry. But binge drinking is another reason that can lead to bigger problems and hence, needs to be examined closely too. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Psychiatrist.

Anxiety is a very normal emotion, which gives rise to feelings of nervousness every now and then. An anxiety disorder is a serious medical condition in which people experience a high degree of distress and mental trauma, which causes difficulties in leading a normal life. People suffering from this medical condition experience high levels of anxiety and nervousness almost all the time. Here are the symptoms that indicate you're suffering from anxiety disorder.

1. Excessive worry - This condition persists if you worry about the day to day activities a bit too much on a regular basis. It is identified when you start taking too much stress about very petty things, which tends to affect you in an adverse manner. A noticeable sign of excessive worry can be too much fatigue.

2. Sleep problems - Problems falling asleep at the right time and problems in maintaining a sound sleep are two signs that indicate you have an anxiety disorder.

3. Irrational fears - This symptom is not generalized; instead, it is specific and subjective in relation to a particular thing or situation. The fears that are experienced under this category are sudden and unexpected in nature and there is no fixed rationale behind these fears.

4. Muscle tension - Muscle discomfort and pain is one of the leading physiological causes of an anxiety disorder. The pain felt is chronic and pervasive, and is very common among people facing situations of anxiety. If you are exposed to constant periods of anxiety, you will experience fatigue, muscle pains and unwillingness to work.

5. Chronic indigestion - Problems related to the digestive system are also a sign of anxiety disorder. In this case, you may face constant digestive problems accompanied by a common disorder called IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). IBS refers to an anxiety situation in the digestive tract, which is characterized by stomach aches, cramping, bloating, gas, constipation, and/or diarrhea.

Apart from the above-mentioned symptoms, other symptoms of an anxiety disorder include stage fright, self- consciousness, panic attacks, memory flashbacks, perfectionism, compulsive behaviors, self- doubt, and such others. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Psychiatrist.

Fear, anxiety and stress can often lead humans to either escape the situation or fight it by defending themselves. But there are other behaviours that humans turn to when they are under stress. This is not unnatural at all; we all face it at some point in time. What’s more, even dogs revert to the four Fs when under stress. Let us find out what are they and also how to deal with them.

1. Fight: Fighting back is the natural reaction, which we turn to when we want to defend ourselves. Shouting at someone might give you some confidence for the time being. But again, it is not a permanent solution. We might end up apologising for our behaviour later but do nothing to address the situation that brought about that kind of behaviour.
2. Flight: This is the escape mode that we turn to when we want to avoid a certain person or scenario, that might lead to stress. However, it must be remembered that, fleeing stress will help in fixing it temporarily. But since the situation remains unchanged, it will keep happening again and again.
3. Freeze: For some people, the shock is so overwhelming that it becomes difficult for them to react at all. They simply freeze. The person goes into the panic mode and fails to move or say anything.
4. Fool around: This option seems to be not a very bad idea in times of stress and anxiety depending on exactly what you mean by fooling around. If you can crack a joke at a tensed situation and lighten the mood, it helps immensely. However, if your idea of fooling around is to avoid talking about the situation and instead have fun, talk about other silly things, then it might not be a good idea.

Dealing with stress is not easy, but if you have realised the cause for your stress, your problem is half solved. If it is something you can change, then start working on it. If not, then it is best to let things happen in their own sweet way, while you change your attitude towards it. If you have realised what kind of behaviour your turn to when under stress, it is easier to face the situation. Listen to some of your favourite music, wear clothes that make you feel good and think about the situation and the possible solution later. Don’t let stress get to you, face situations, keep calm and be positive!
 

A panic attack is a sudden fit of anxiety or fear. In this situation, a person’s heart starts pounding and they are unable to breathe. Sometimes, they may even feel like throwing up or even dying. It may even make a person withdraw from their daily routine and reach a point of hopelessness. If left untreated, these panic attacks can lead to a panic disorder. These attacks can have more physical symptoms including shaking, nausea, dry mouth, sweating or dizziness.

There are certain medications and treatments to cure this disorder. These include antidepressants and benzodiazepines, which are anti-anxiety medications. Taking them brings rapid relief, however; these are highly addictive and can have certain withdrawal symptoms. To avoid medications, there are certain self-help tips to cope with the problem. These include:

1. Avoid smoking, alcohol and caffeine. These are substances that can provoke your panic attacks.
2. Learn how to control your breathing while you are experiencing an attack. Deep breathing can relieve the symptoms that come with this disorder. This can help you calm down.
3. Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation. These strengthen the body’s ability to respond to situations that can cause anxiety. Not only do they release stress but they also increase the feelings of joy and happiness.
4. Try to exercise regularly. It is a natural anxiety reliever. Therefore, one should exercise in any form, for at least thirty minutes a day.
5. You should try to get as much sleep as possible. Insufficient amounts of sleep can make the anxiety even worse. Dancing, swimming or cycling can be highly effective.
6. Try not to stay alone. Anxiety levels and the chances of a panic attack are high when you are alone. If you feel that you do not have anyone to go to or turn to, try to explore ways to meet and build supportive relationships.
7. Go to a therapist or a psychologist to vent out your feelings and anxieties. This can help you by giving you a cathartic release and get over your pent up emotions.

If someone is suffering from a panic disorder, make sure that you do not let it go unnoticed because people who suffer from this condition usually like to keep it to themselves. This smothers them even further and leaves them at a great risk and vulnerability. Those who have this condition should try to seek medical or psychological help in order to feel better.

Panic disorders are very dangerous and unpredictable. These can mess with your work and performance. In order to avoid that, keep noticing the signs and symptoms and reach for the correct type of medical or clinical attention. Ignoring such a condition can hamper your future and lead to a lot of other allied health problems. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can ask a free question.

Social anxiety disorder is a chronic mental health condition in which a person has excessive and unreasonable fear of certain social situations. Anxiety and self-consciousness arise from a fear of being scrutinized, embarrassed or judged by others. The fear may be made worse by a lack of social skills or experience in social situations. This persistent anxiety can build into a panic attack, and the affected person may start avoiding social situations under extreme distress. People with social anxiety disorder also suffer anticipatory anxiety, which is the fear of a situation even before it happens. In many cases, the person is aware that the fear is unreasonable and overblown, yet is unable to overcome it.

Like many other mental health conditions, social anxiety disorder arises from a complex interaction of environment and genes. The possible causes are:

1. Inherited traits - Genetic factors may contribute to the development of social anxiety disorder if it is present in a first-degree relative (parents, siblings or child).
2. Brain structure - Nuclei shaped part of the brain called amygdala may play a role in controlling the fear response. People with overactive amygdala may have a heightened fear response, increasing anxiety in social situations.
3. Environmental factors - Social anxiety disorder may be a learned behavior. You may develop the condition after witnessing the anxious behavior of others. Also, there may be an association between social anxiety disorder and overprotective parents wanting to control their children.

Social anxiety disorder is the second most common type of anxiety disorder, which most often surfaces in adolescence or early adulthood. It is more common in women than in men. There is no way to predict what will cause social anxiety disorder, but some steps can be taken to reduce the impact of symptoms by getting help early instead of delaying, managing stress in daily life and avoiding unhealthy substances like alcohol, drugs and caffeine.