Archives for March 2014

If you or a member of your family is struggling with a mood disorder, you should know about recent research. Strong links are turning up between heredity and mood disorders such as bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. These disabling conditions are among some of the most common, affecting about 9.5 percent of adults in the U.S., according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

You probably know that mood disorders have a physical component, as antidepressant medications confirm. For example, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Zoloft focus on rewiring reactions in the brain that affect your mood.

New evidence suggests that your genome helps determine whether you’re at risk for developing bipolar disorder or major depression. This breakthrough research will someday help doctors predict and possibly prevent these genetic disorders.

Insight into Depression
As the number one disabling illness for Americans aged 15 to 44, major depressive disorder is a widespread problem that affects nearly 15 million people in the U.S. each year. If you have depression, you probably have a parent, a grandparent or a sibling who suffers from the same disease. As it turns out, major depression and bipolar disorder run in families.

Research studying identical twins has been especially conclusive. Results of one study show that if one twin has a mood disorder, the second twin stands around a 50 percent chance of developing the same illness. Another study reveals that 46 percent of the time, depression in identical twin sets affects both twins. Since identical twins have identical genes, this supports the theory that the seeds for major depressive disorder are rooted in some people’s DNA.

Bipolar Disorder Research
If you have bipolar disorder, you’re in good company. Nearly 5.7 million American adults – that’s 2.6 percent of everyone over 18 — are bipolar. Even though it’s becoming clearer that specific genes can trigger mood disorders, scientists haven’t pinpointed which ones link to bipolar and which to depression.

University of Michigan researcher Jun Li, Ph.D., has been studying family groups in which several members are bipolar. He has isolated a few common genomes that could be the culprits. So far, his team has identified FOXD4, DRD5 and GRIK3, all genes with known connections to mental illnesses like schizophrenia, ADHD and OCD. The next step is further scrutiny of Dr. Li’s identified genes and developing new micro therapies to address them.

The Environmental Wild Card
The environment in which you grew up is also a deciding factor in whether you develop a genetic disorder. For example, children born with a genetic tendency for depression who experience abuse are more likely to develop the disorder. Other environmental stress factors such as poor parenting, neglect or bullying might also add to your genetic risk for mood disorders.

Epigenetics, or factors that shape your inherited traits, could also be at play in your early years. According to the tenets of this science, environmental factors actually drive physiological changes that affect the way your genes ultimately express themselves. Epigenetics may work for you, reducing your risk of mood disorders, or against you, making you more susceptible to them.

Genetics and Mood Disorder Treatment
Besides acting as an indicator of risk, your genome may also suggest the best treatment for your mood disorder. Family members are more likely to respond well to the same types of medications, so that gives your doctor a starting place for drug therapy. Once researchers know the specific genes that increase your risk for bipolar or major depressive disorder, they will have data that is key to finding a cure. Read more about treatment of mood disorders in New York City, or get help by contacting our psychologists at comprehendthemind.com today.

Cognitive therapy is a method where the therapist explores how thoughts and perceptions affect you. For example, if you mess up a certain task, you might begin to think you could never do it right. Further, you might also think that messing up other things reinforces your original mistake. This rapidly snowballing effect is commonly known as the self-fulfilling prophecy. A cognitive therapist will try to help you weed out the bad thoughts and not only accomplish the original task but also overcome other past and future failures by giving you the right ammunition.

Behavioral therapy bases itself on learned behaviors and conditioned responses. The main idea is: Something happens to you, and you create false ideas about it. For example, after getting punched in the gut by someone you tried to hug, you might start mistrusting anyone who wants to hug you.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy combines these two approaches. It asks you not only to think about your “thinking” but also about how your thoughts affect your behavior. You, as the patient, develop ways to avoid destructive thoughts and methods for assessing your behavior. You’ll also learn the difference between an irrational fear of a perceived outcome and the actual outcome of a certain behavior. The best example of this is exposure therapy. For example, if you’re afraid of cats, the therapist puts you on a sofa next to a cat so that you can see the cat for what it is and not what you think it is.

If you need this kind of help, Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services, P.C. is just what the doctor ordered. Contact us today.

Everyone experiences anxiety in certain situations, but for some people, the feeling can be so strong that it interferes with living a regular life. According to the Mayo Clinic, only two types of treatment are available for anxiety, but before taking drugs with possible side effects, it is best to try cognitive behavior therapy. While it may sound complicated, behavior therapy is really nothing more than learning skills that teach you how to cope with anxiety. Following are 10 tips for overcoming anxiety to get you started.

1. Acknowledge the anxiety.
The first step to overcoming anxiety is to acknowledge it and accept that you are experiencing it.

2. Think through the problem.
Don’t fight your anxiety. Just think about your problems, understand them and try to develop solutions to them.

3. Consider the reality of the situation.
Are you sure your anxiety is over something that could actually happen? There’s no sense in worrying over a situation that’s not real.

4. Know that you can’t be perfect.
Don’t set your personal standards too high. You must understand that no one is perfect. Everyone has weaknesses, everyone makes mistakes and, sometimes, life is just dirty.

5. Chase away the fear.
Most instances of anxiety are closely related to fear, but you can chase those fears away by imagining the worst that can happen. You will soon realize that the worst is not going to happen, and your fear will naturally subside.

6. Talk to yourself.
Encourage and reassure yourself out loud by repeating a few calming phrases, such as the following:

• This feeling is only temporary. It will pass.
• I am in no danger.
• My heartbeat is returning to normal as I speak.
• I am strong and will make it through this.

7. Talk to others.
Discuss your problems, fears and concerns with a trusted friend or family member. In many instances, you won’t even need to receive any advice. Airing out your problems often makes them dissipate.

8. Go to bed.
When you are experiencing anxiety, it is important to get the proper amount of rest. If you can’t sleep at night, find time to nap during the day.

9. Create a distraction.
Sometimes anxiety becomes a problem when you find yourself unable to stop thinking about it. This calls for setting up a distraction that will change the focus of your attention, such as taking a walk, playing a game or making a cup of tea.

10. Give yourself a treat.
Pets are not the only animals to respond to treats. Give yourself a reward for all of your past accomplishments or just for being alive.

If you feel you need further help with your anxiety, find a top-rated psychologist by giving us a call or visiting our website at http://comprehendthemind.com/psychologist-queens/.

If you’re a parent with an autistic child, you may be spending much of your time scratching your head, pacing and wondering what you’ve done wrong. In most cases, parents take the blame unnecessarily, so you can stop beating your head against the wall. Although there may be links to certain prenatal behaviors, the causes of autism in babies have more to do with the environment and genetics than you might suspect.

The Apple Doesn’t Fall far From the Tree
Autism is a multifaceted developmental disability, and there is no single cause for the disorder. However, research has shown that it may have a genetic foundation. This means if Grandma Betty or Uncle Rich are autistic, the family genetic code has been compromised, which increases the likelihood of your baby developing the condition. If your child is autistic, you can probably blame biology more than anything.

In some cases, volatile genes may inhibit brain development, which means some babies are just susceptible to autism. When there is already a history of the disorder in the family, the risk of a vulnerable baby developing autism increases. Unfortunately, heredity involves more than just passing on your killer sapphire eyes or untamed auburn locks. Parents who have one autistic child may be at a higher risk for having a second child with the disability.

Life on the Prenatal Planet
Genetics aren’t the only contributing factors when it comes to a baby developing autism. In many cases, the prenatal environment is the culprit. When a pregnant female is exposed to chemical contaminants, such as traffic-related air pollution, pesticides and certain metals, the unborn baby is at risk. Exposure outside the womb can also trigger autism if the baby is genetically vulnerable to the disorder.

Maintaining a healthy prenatal atmosphere may reduce the risk of autism in babies. Nutritional deficiencies, antibiotic and antidepressant usage, persistent high fever and the development of infections or influenza during pregnancy can compromise the wellness of a fetus. Even the mother’s age can adversely affect the cozy little nook an unborn baby resides in. Autism has been linked to low birth weight and other neonatal complications as well.

Playing the Blame Game
Some theories connect autism with certain genetic disorders, food allergies, mercury-based vaccines and anti-seizure medications taken during pregnancy. With so many possibilities, pointing fingers like an injured toddler on a playground can be futile. Getting a diagnosis as early as possible is more worthwhile. There are numerous facilities that can provide the proper psychological testing in NYC and other major cities around the world.

Although some causes of autism are easy to detect, many parents don’t ever obtain definitive answers. New evidence is continually uncovered regarding the disorder’s origins, which can annihilate even the most gratifying aha moments. Autism is a sneaky and mysterious foe, and getting answers can be as frustrating as the disability itself. Parents facing this struggle may find relief simply by taking action and getting early treatment.