Category: Mental Health

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s

When word Alzheimer’s is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is memory loss. This assumption is correct given that the doctor’s have determined this to be a disorder that usually happens to old folk.

There are many symptoms of Alzheimer’s and doctors often associate it with the seven stages. There is no cause of alarm yet in the first two stages since even the smartest people tend to forget things every so often.

The first two stages may last for four years. However, when this happens more frequently, the patient could already be in the third or fourth stage and this is just going to get worse. A simple example could be if the individual is unable to complete a simple task that was easily done in the past like doing some basic arithmetic.

People will definitely notice the changes. This is the reason some family members take shifts watching over the loved one or get a nurse to watch over the person.

The fifth stage is better known as moderate Alzheimer’s because aside from not being able to recall names or do things without assistance, the individual will become disoriented and may at times get lost.

One precaution often being taken is for the patient to wear an ID card in the neck or placed in the pocket. This contains the name, address and contact person of who should be called when this happens.

The sixth stage of Alzheimer’s is when the person also begins to have mood swings. The patient may be jolly to talking to other people when suddenly everything changes and the attitude is now hostile to whoever is there.

The worse part about the disorder during this stage is that the person will act like a baby. Tantrums may be thrown but the worse part is seeing the patient defecate on his or herself. The caretaker will have to clean up the mess as though the person was an infant and are advised to use adult diapers, which is more convenient when cleaning up the mess.

The seventh stage of Alzheimer’s is not that bad anymore. This is because the body’s systems will slowly shut down. The patient won’t speak or do anything and will usually just stare into space.

It is like the person gave up the will to live. The body may be there but the mind or the soul has gone off to another place.

Anyone who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s will have less than 10 years left to live. Doctors only catch on in the third and fourth stages since the symptoms of short-term memory loss are hardly noticeable and often attributed to aging.

What can people do for those who have Alzheimer’s? Unfortunately, there is not that much anyone can do because there is no cure yet for this disorder. There are drugs available that can only slow down the process before it gets worse but those who care are just delaying the inevitable.

Research shows that there are more than four million people in the country that are suffering from this disease. The figure will go higher as the baby boom generation also reaches the same age.

As long as there are drugs that can delay the process, doctors may be able to buy a little more time so that the person may live to see the day that a cure has been made.

Stages of Alzheimer’s

Medical science has determined a lot of things through the years. It has discovered various diseases and its causes. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of unknowns. Doctors are unable to determine the cause of cancer, the cure for AIDS and even something that called Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s is considered to be a disorder that will affect one’s mental and physical state. It normally happens to people 65 years of age and above that can affect anyone regardless of sex.

There are seven known stages for this type of disorder and it only gets worse as time goes by.

In the first stage, the individual and those around will not notice anything wrong. The person may forget a thing or two, which everyone experiences so there is no cause for alarm yet.

During the second stage, the person may already feel something wrong as this memory lapses happen more frequently. Again, there is no need yet to be alarmed because people tend to forget things due to aging.

The third stage is the time when someone can be suspected of having this disease. The person will falter at work or be unable to accomplish some simple tasks and people will take notice of these changes.

In the fourth stage, the individual can no longer handle certain activities and will require the assistance of those around to accomplish it.

The fifth stage is what doctors describe to be moderate Alzheimer’s disease. The individual will not only forget other people but also be unable to recall certain facts about oneself. There will also be periods of disorientation.

In the sixth stage better known as moderately severe Alzheimer’s, there will already mood swings. The patient may be happy and in the next minute appear hostile to those around. There will also be fecal and urinary incontinence just like a baby who is not yet toilet trained.

The seventh and final stage is called severe Alzheimer’s. The individual will not be able to speak much and do anything anymore. The patient will probably just stare into space so there will be times that those around will have to carry and force feed to be able to stay alive.

Alzheimer’s disease happens gradually. The only thing people can do is slow down the process before it gets to the succeeding stage by using drugs and giving proper care to the patient.

As the patient’s condition gets worse, the person is no longer treated as a human being by merely as a subject with the disorder. This shouldn’t be the case given that the individual at point in life accomplished a lot of things and never wanted this to happen in the end.

There are more than four million people in the United States that are diagnosed with this disorder. This number will definitely grow in the years to come as more and more Americans will reach the retirement age.

Those who have family members who are suffering from this disease should learn about the various stages to be able to understand what the patient is going through to give the proper help.

There are books and other information on the web as well as support groups since this disease affects not only the patient but also those who have to live with it.

What to Know about Stress and Anxiety Medication

Many people believe that they need to take medication in order to alleviate the amount of stress and anxiety in their lives. This may or may not be true in your case.

To Take or Not to Take Medication
Remember that you always have a choice between taking medication or not to reduce the amount of stress and anxiety youre presently suffering from. There are natural ways of combating stress and anxiety but they of course take a longer time to become affective. Medications on the other hand can produce faster results but at the same time, expose you to higher risks. You may have an allergic reaction to the medication or it has several side effects that hadnt yet been discovered. Lastly, you risk becoming addicted or overly dependent on the medication which is another illness as itself.

The Types of Medication
Most medication prescribed for people suffering from stress and anxiety are of the oral variety: pills, tablets and capsules. These medications naturally have varying weights and whether or not you have to take a 500mg pill is entirely based on the severity of your situation.

What to Remember When Taking Medication for Stress and Anxiety
Consult your physician first, preferably one who has access to your medical records. See if he gives you the go ahead to take medication for your condition.

Read and follow the instructions carefully and completely. Do not take the role of a pharmacist and become innovative with the dosage. Theres a logical reason behind the prescription given to you and it is more often than not for your own good.

Never purchase or change medication without securing your physicians approval first. If that is impossible, have the FDA or Food and Drug Authority verify if the contents of the pill is not harmful in any way to the human body and are truly effective.

If youre not satisfied with your present medication, you can always browse online for a medication that you think will perform better. Ask for recommendations from trusted friends and relatives.

Do not be impatient when its your first time to try a particular medication or your first time at all to try any medication for stress and anxiety. These things take time so do show a little more patience.

What about Therapy
If the painkillers and all the colorful pills arent causing things to turn out for the better, you may wish to consider other alternatives to resolve your present situation.

Could it be Something Else?
Did you simply assume that you were suffering from stress and anxiety? It could be something more serious and if so, that may be why the medications arent enough to make the headaches go away.

Maybe Youre Meant for the Natural Way
Its possible. Some bodies just respond better to natural healing ingredients. The simple act of walking, for instance, is a relaxing and enlivening activity that could be your best chance to get rid of unwanted stress and anxiety.

Consider Going Out
Its not like running away from your problems. Rather, youre just taking some time off to put more things into perspective. Book a flight or ride to a place where only few people know who you are and where you can live in relative comfort. Stay until youre feeling relaxed and ready to take on the world once more.

What is Center for Anxiety and Stress Disorder?

Stress is a physical or psychological pressure that is caused by emotional, physical, or chemical reasons. On the other hand, anxiety is a condition of powerful fear, uncertainty, uneasiness, or panic brought about by expectancy of a hostile condition or event.

These things are considered one of the most common psychological problems in the society today. In the U.S., about 40 million people will undergo impairment due to stress and anxiety for this year.

For this reason, it is important that people go to center for anxiety and stress disorders to obtain proper treatment and medication regarding the disorder.

Center for anxiety and stress disorders is usually a nationally acknowledged medical research facility that focuses on providing solutions to relieve people from stress and anxiety problems.

Normally, the center for anxiety and stress disorders is comprised of anxiety and stress disorder treatment centers. It aims to perform thorough investigation on the assessment, classification, etiology, and therapy of more than a few frequent anxiety and stress-related disorders.

In center for anxiety and stress disorders, people who have undergone events such as divorce, death of a spouse, or any drastic change in work or place can be subjective for consultation and treatment.

In most cases, people who have been diagnosed for stress-related and anxiety disorders have been subject of countless research as well. This is because experts could not possibly come up with a specific cause for such disorders.

Hence, most of the medical activities happening in the center for anxiety and stress disorders take place in the research environment.

There are also some counseling center for anxiety and stress. These centers were created to provide people with reliable counseling that will enable them to realize the factors influencing stress and anxiety disorders. Counseling makes them realize the most important stimulus that will instigate stress and anxiety development.

Furthermore, since stress and anxiety treatment requires medications, it is important for people to have a common ground where they can get access to various prescriptions daily.

In fact, statistics show that more than 64% of North Americans are actually taking prescription medications every day, with more than 42% taking mood altering prescriptions on a regular basis.

Sad to say, out of the 4 million people who are suffering from anxiety and stress disorders, only 400,000 will be able to receive appropriate medication. This is because the nation still lacks suitable centers for anxiety and stress management and cure.

Nevertheless, center for stress and anxiety can definitely make a great impact on a patients life. Here are the other benefits of going to a center for stress and anxiety disorder.

1. Bridge the gap between their selves and their faith in God

With the center for stress and anxiety disorders, people will not just be able to cure their problems but they can also reconnect their trust in God and bridge the gap in between. The center will help them create a nearer connection with God.

2. Recuperate

The center for stress and anxiety disorder helps people recuperate from their stressors and problems instigating the disorders. With the available programs and medications in the center, patients are ensured with reliable strategies that will help them recuperate and get back on track.

Indeed, treating stress and anxiety disorder is not that easy. One can never tell which program will work for him if it is not from a reputable center for the said psychological disorders. Hence, it is important that you know the best center to provide you with the things that you need.