How Speech is Affected by Mental Illness

Unlike many other physical disorders, which tend to affect a localized part of the body, mental illness tends to impact the entire being of a person. The way an individual moves, interacts with others, functions and even their physical appearance can all be affected by the slightest of alterations within the brain and nervous system.

A person struggling with the effects of a mental illness may show certain quirks in their behavior, or partial impairment of their physical movements. The most significant impacts, though, can come in communication.

For individuals considering careers in speech pathology, it is important to understand how altered brain chemistry or physical damage in certain parts of the brain can partially or fully impair speech. This will impact the types of treatment that are prescribed by medical professionals.

For people suffering from mental illness, it is crucial to seek professional, medical and therapeutic help if you experience a loss or alteration of speech. It is also important to understand some of the ways mental illness can impact communication skills.

  • Slurred or incoherent speech: This can often occur at the onset of illness. As the untreated condition worsens, slurring increases and may reach the point where communicating is impossible.
  • Different social skills: It is very common for people suffering from mental disease to develop inappropriate or abnormal social skills. These can manifest themselves through loud or inappropriate speech; remarks that are disjointed from the rest of the conversation; and an inability to understand the normal social cues from the people around them.

These are just a few indications of possible mental disease. Disorders of the brain can be tricky to diagnose and treat, making it very important to stick with the treatment plan your doctor prescribes.

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Caring for Someone with a Mental Illness

It is sad when you find out someone in your family has a mental illness, whether it is a relative or your own child. Mental illnesses can appear at any stage of life, and some even have them from birth. There are many different types of mental illnesses. Some of the most common types are Down syndrome and schizophrenia, however, a mental illness can be as simple as a learning impairment or disability. No matter what the mental illness, if someone in your family has one, you might be responsible for his or her care.

If someone with a mental illness has been entrusted in your care, it can make your life very stressful. Whether you are responsible for their meals, taking them places, or just checking in on them every once in a while, you have to take time out of your busy day to make sure their needs are met. There are support groups that can help you understand mental illnesses better and teach you how to cope and help the best.

Depending on the mental illness, you may also be responsible for helping in other ways. For instance, people with mental illness might need help preparing meals or managing their money. With the help of a doctor, you can better determine the role you’ll have to play.

It is a big responsibility to care for someone with a disability. You are doing a very good thing if you take on this responsibility. Plus, you can ensure that your loved one gets the help he or she needs.

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Training A Global Health Workforce

Global Training: Pet Insurance & A Global Staff

Have pet insurance questions? You’re not alone. When training a global health workforce, it’s essential these and many other questions be answered along the way. Pet insurance is becoming a part of the healthcare discussion and with the rising medical costs across the board, it’s really no surprise. No one wants to pay more than they have to, for anything, really. By asking the right questions, you won’t have to pay for anything more than you actually need, and that Fido needs.

With so many people in the world denied access to even basic healthcare, it is essential to train a global health workforce in an attempt to redress the balance.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are fifty seven countries in the world facing a severe crisis in terms of numbers health workforce. They also estimate that over 4 million (yes, million) extra health workers are needed to fill that gap. Not surprisingly, most of these countries are located in Africa and Asia. Figures show that whilst only 14% of the world’s population lives in the Americas, they are home to 42% of the world’s healthcare workers and more than 50% of the global expenditure on healthcare. In contrast to this, sub-Saharan Africa is home to 11% of the world’s population, but has only 3% of the healthcare workers and less than 1% of the expenditure.

On the other hand, the increasing number and age of the population in US is partly to blame for a massive deficit in the number of healthcare workers actually needed to provide adequate healthcare, and there is a great difference in the number of places in medical schools to train the doctors and other healthcare professionals of the future, and the number of healthcare workers needed.

Health Education Worldwide

The International Health and Medical Education Center (IHMEC) has been instrumental in initiating policies to regulate an international medical education policy to ensure that equal standards of health education can be reached in different medical schools all over the world. This has facilitated in the training of more healthcare workers, who are adequately trained to provide health care on a global scale. Opening up a world of possibilities for students to train in many different countries of the world has helped to globalize the healthcare profession. Having a workforce which is trained to cope with the many multicultural differences around the world can only be beneficial to the healthcare of all, and hopefully with more new initiatives it will be possible to ensure that all people have access to adequate healthcare, wherever they may live. We live in hope that some day the dream will become a reality.

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Why "Mental Health Days" Are Important

Panic attack 

Image via Wikipedia

Many people, adults and kids alike, may be good at working under pressure, but sometimes, we all need to get away from the hustle of daily work and school.

We call these “Mental health days,” and the are very important.

When taking one of these days, many people ust call in sick. Sometimes, though, we really feel that way. Anxiety attacks happen to many people and they cause the heart to race or pound unusually hard. Headaches are also a symptom, so when taking a mental health day, you may actually believe you’re sick.

Anxiety and panic attacks are one of the most important signs to watch out for, because they are tell-tale signs that you need a mental health day. Depression and lack of interest in things that were once enjoyable are a couple other important signs. Stress is something all of us deal with on a daily basis, and if it’s left to eat away at us, we could end up in a hospital.

Mental health days can be whatever you want them to be. The one hardened rule is that you keep work and school out of them. Avoid anything you believe causes you stress. If lying in bed all day listening to music is what you want to do, then do it. If you want to visit a local museum, go right ahead. Just be sure that you avoid anything stressful.

Taking a day out for relaxation will improve your mood, concentration, and energy levels. We all need to relax once and a while, so if you’re feeling beat down, take a mental health day. Your body will thank you for it.

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What is an Anxiety Attack?

Scared child 

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Anxiety attacks are fairly common and many people will have them and think little of it. These attacks can signal other possible mental health issues, though, so be sure to pay attention when you suffer from anxiety attacks.

What causes anxiety attacks?

In most cases, it’s fear. The body knows fear and will react to it in different ways. In many cases, symptoms include rapid heartbeat/palpitations, headaches, shortness of breath, and nausea. Some people experience such serious attacks that they will cry.The fear can be wrk or school related, but really, anything can trigger it.

What are other symptoms?

People suffering anxiety attacks can experience a multitude of different symptoms. Some of these are:

  • Chills/hot flashes
  • Shaking/twitching/trembling
  • stomach/digestion issues
  • difficulty sleeping/irregular sleeping patterns
  • tingling or numbness in the arms and legs
  • headaches (some so severe they cause vomiting)
  • body tension/pain
  • chest pains (of varying degrees)
  • feelings of nervousness (“butterflies”)

Anxiety attacks can be incapacitating. In some cases, people won’t leave home, withdraw from family and friends, and in some of the more severe cases, end up in hospitals.

How do I treat an anxiety attack?

The first and most important step is to visit your doctor. Discuss your symptoms and anything else you’ve noticed as a result of those symptoms. In most cases, doctors will prescribe an anti-anxiety medication to help with symptoms. it is important to try to learn what is causing your attacks and then try to avoid those situations, people, etc. For some people, that is harder said than done, in which case, medication may be the best alternative.

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What is Medical Education?

What is medical education? Medical education differs around the world, although all medical schools strive to work towards the same standard of qualifications.

Medical education is basically any education which leads to or is for the purpose of becoming a medical practitioner, either in the initial training of becoming say, a doctor, or any additional training taken afterwards.

There are some diverse and alternate routes into the medical profession, which vary around the world, but well take a look at one of the most general courses of medical education often followed by doctors and other medical staff in the US.

Entry Level Education

Medical schools in the US generally require you to have some former University education, so these courses are known as second entry degrees. Competition is pretty fierce for entry to medical schools in the US, as there are nowhere near enough places available for the number of potential candidates. Some figures quote that in 2006 there were over 400,000 applicants for only 14,000 vacant positions, so they really can afford to choose the cream of the crop.

Post Graduate Education

After the entry level training is completed, it is usual for newly graduated doctors to undertake a period of time during supervised practice, before they are granted full registration. This one year period is sometimes referred to as provisional registration, residency, or more often internship.

It is at this point that many opt for further training specific to their chosen field of medicine. In some cases this can be started following immediate completion of the entry level training, but often it is necessary for junior doctors to follow general training for a period of time before specialized training can begin.

Online Medical Education

The internet is playing an increased role in continued medical education, with many possibilities for continuing medical education online, also known as distance learning. This has opened up extra training from medical schools around the world, for junior doctors who are already practicing in a different location. There has been lots of research conducted about online medical education including the following particular areas:

  • The varying roles of the participants (teacher, student etc)
  • Generation of content
  • Practical applications in relation to virtual patients
  • Assessment
  • Distance learning
  • Legal and ethical issues
  • Accessibility
  • Economics
  • Standards and specifications

International Medical Education

Globalization of the medical profession has made it increasingly important to create a basic standard for international medical education. This has been created by IHMEC (International Health and Medical Education Center) and ensures that medical students from around the world reach the necessary standards of expertise to be employed globally. This is of increasing importance, as places like US which simply does not have the medical school places available to train enough doctors to fill its own requirements, can employ medical staff from other places around the world. It has also opened up medical education possibilities for students to train in foreign countries and know that they will be gaining the necessary qualifications for worldwide employment.

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New Age of Photos in Healthcare

Technology moves faster than we may notice. We see technology take leaps and bounds so often that we may not notice when something great comes along. In the medical field, new technology is taken very seriously because efficiency and accuracy is so important to a patient’s health and health care professionals’ careers. One of the recent steps technology has taken has given life to a new, more efficient form of picture taking in the medical field that helps replace x-ray film.

The picture archiving and communication system (PACS) is the system in the medical field that stores digital images in a computer system as an alternative to x-rays. The reason PACS is so popular is that instead of x-ray film, patients’ photos are available on the hospital’s system, where almost any employee has access, making the use of photos more effective. The reports for the imaging study are also connected to the photo, which allows easy understanding of the photos. PACS allows results to be reported to the patients faster, and it is more efficient for the hospital employees.

The PACS system is much easier to use and more useful than previous technology. Replacing hard copies of images helps to create easier access for the doctors, and a faster way of tending to the patient because the pictures don’t take as long to process. PACS also helps in remote access, radiology workflow management, and electronic image integration platform.

PACS handles many different types of images. PACS can handle almost any picture, such as ultrasound photos, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, endoscopy, mammograms, positron emission tomography, and plenty of others.

 

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Diagnosis and Treatment for Binge Eating Disorders

On a few rare occassions, almost everyone takes the opportunity to overeat. Who doesn’t take an extra helping of seconds on Thanksgiving or enjoys a large piece of cake on their birthday? If the uncontrollable urge to overeat becomes a regularly patterned habit, you may a binge eating disorder sufferer.

Binge eating disorder can be characterized bythe act of compulsive overeating. The person consumes large quantities of food, feels powerless and out of control, but does not purge themselves of the food afterwards.  They often feel guilty, disgusted, and depressed which leads them to beat themselves up for the lack of self-control.

The binge eater engages in conducts which are behavioral and emotional natural. These include:

  • Eating excessive amount of foods whether hungry or not
  • Eating until they feel sick or physically uncomfortable
  • Hiding eating habits due to embarrassment over how much is being consumed
  • Eating normally around others, but gorging behind closed doors
  • Keeping secret stashes of food to binge on later
  • Eating to numb the feelings of stress and tension
  • Expressing disgust at their weight, eating, and body appearance

Treatment and therapies for binge eating include:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy
  • Interpersonal psychotherapy
  • Nutritional counseling and planning
  • Dialectical behavior therapy
  • Talk therapy
  • Appetite suppressants and anti-depressants can sometimes be prescribed
  • Alternative therapies including acupuncture, aromatherapy, homeopathy, meditation, and massage therapy

There are no exact causes for eating disorders such as binge eating, but researchers believe it has to do with genetics, hormones, and certain personality types. As more studies are completed, information about binge eating disorder along with treatment and prevention will be more readily available.

 

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Diagnosis and Treatment for Panic Disorders

What started as a fun planned day with friends ended with Ann in the emergency room believing she was having a heart attack. As her husband started to list Ann’s symptoms including a raging heartbeat, chest pains, dizziness, trembling, and nausea the doctor listened intently. After a quick EKG, the diagnosis was not a heart attack but instead a panic attack.

Panic attacks have a tendency to reach maximum intensity within a few minutes once they begin and slowly diminish over the next 30 minutes or longer. It is not uncommon for a first time attack to cause a person to seek medical attention. Further attacks occur several times a month and are just as severe as the initial attack.

Women make up three fourths of all panic disorder patients. The disorder often begins when a person is between the ages of 20-30 and is less often to occur in teenagers or those over the age of forty. It is uncommon for panic disorder to afflict the elderly. It is uncommon for panic disorder to afflict the elderly.

Additional symptoms of a panic attack include:

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Terror
  • Feeling of dread
  • Lightheadedness
  • Choking
  • Intense fear, anxiousness, and fright
  • Hot flashes or sudden chills
  • Tingling feeling in toes and fingers
  • Trembling, shaking, and sweating
  • Fear of going crazy or about to die

The treatment for panic disorder is a combination of:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy – sessions geared towards cognitive modeling with desensitization and behavioral retraining
  • Medication – to prevent or reduce severity and frequency of attacks along with medication to reduce anxiety and depression
  • Psychodynamic therapy – talk therapy
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Diagnosis and Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

There are times when we all have our ups and down, but for a person suffering from bipolar disorder, those up and down times are more severe. Bipolar disorder if left untreated can hurt a person’s work and school performance, damage relationships, and disrupt daily life.

Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depression. It causes serious shifts in behavior, mood, thinking and energy. During an episode, a person can suffer from the highs of mania to the lows of severe depression. The cycles of the disorder last for days, weeks, and sometimes months with such intensity that it interferes with the person’s ability to function.

The causes of the disorder are not completely understood, but have been found to run in families. The first episode usually occurs in early adulthood with system that are subtle and confusion, which often leads to a misdiagnosis.

Bipolar disorder has three different faces:

  • Bipolar I Disorder – the person experiences at least one manic or mixed episode
  • Bipolar II Disorder – the person experiences episodes of hypomania and severe depression
  • Cyclothymia – the person experiences episodes of hypomania and mild depression or cyclical mood swings

Bipolar disorder requires treatment and will not go away by ignoring the problem. In fact, left untreated the individual will get worse causing problems in everything from relationships to careers to mental and physical health.

Psychological and external environment are contributors in the development of the disorder. Certain triggers can set off an episode or make existing symptoms worse. These triggers include:

  • Substance abuse
  • Stress
  • Changes in season
  • Medication
  • Deprivation of sleep

The basic treatment for bipolar disorder includes:

  • A long term treatment program due to chronic relapses
  • Prescribed medication but the focus is on therapy, lifestyle changes, and social support
  • Working with an experienced psychiatrist for monitoring and helping to navigate the patient through his up and down periods

 

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