Reading Time: 3 minutes It is important for physicians to thoroughly screen for all conditions if the patient is to be treated properly
Author: Dr. Paul Latimer
Dr. Latimer is president of Okanagan Clinical Trials and an Okanagan psychiatrist. He has over 40 years experience in clinical practice, research and administration.
Suffering from chronic pain? Don’t give up hope
Reading Time: 3 minutes Many people have ongoing pain where there is no obvious injury, or continue to have pain at the site of an injury long after it has healed
Women are twice as likely as men to experience mood disorders
Reading Time: 3 minutes Not only are women more likely to have a mood disorder, but women experience different symptoms than men
Is a hypochondriac faking it?
Reading Time: 3 minutes A hypochondriac is suffering a disorder of the mind rather than a disorder of the body
Coping with panic attacks
Reading Time: 3 minutes Getting enough sleep and regular exercise and avoiding stimulants such as caffeine are among the effective treatments available for panic disorder
Severe shyness can be an indication of several anxiety disorders
Reading Time: 3 minutes Even with treatment, people with these disorders will not become the life of the party
Booze can trip up psychiatric diagnosis
Reading Time: 3 minutes When intoxicated, people often exhibit signs that can resemble psychiatric conditions
Smoking alleviates psychiatric symptoms
Reading Time: 3 minutes Smoking cigarettes seems to have a positive effect on some of the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia
Coping with borderline personality disorder
Reading Time: 3 minutes For the two per cent of Canadians with this disorder, life is chaotic – often moving from one crisis to the next
Are you suffering mood swings or bipolar disorder?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Bipolar disorder affects between one and two per cent of the adult population