mental health: mind the gray matter

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, mental disorders affect 26.2 percent of all Americans 18 and older. Statistics like these should compel any rational thinking individual to regularly evaluate the status of their mental health. To get you moving in the right direction, here is the lowdown on the top three major mental disorders impacting the community.

Clinical Depression
Also known as as major depressive disorder, depression is an intense state of sadness and despair that can affect the subject’s social and personal life. Although it is more prevalent in women than men, its important for everyone to learn how to cope with depression.
The everyday use of the word “depression” implies sadness, but does not accurately portray the despair felt by someone who is clinically depressed. Clinical depression often leads the subject to think negatively and decreases their sense of self worth. It is not uncommon for depression to result in substance abuse and even suicide.

Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that can cause changes in behavior and affects one’s ability to perform day-to-day tasks. Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia characterized by memory loss and the subsequent impairment of one’s intellect, speech and motor skills. While the cause of the disease is unknown, researchers believe that the missing piece of the puzzle may lie in one’s genetic makeup. What is certain, is that the risk of Alzheimer’s increases with age, making Alzheimer’s screening inevitable for us all.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is a developmental disorder that is characterized by hyperactivity, short attention span and the loss of impulse control. ADHD is a developmental disorder which is usually expressed in childhood, mainly the preschool and early elementary school years. Without treatment, ADHD symptoms become habitual as the child develops into adulthood. There are an increasing number of medications available to control the disorder such as Adderall, Concerta and Ritalin. –delgie jones II