Psychiatry News

Women Fight The Effects Of Chemotherapy Long After Treatment Ends

Kevin Craig — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:18:52 +0000

For some women, the effects of breast cancer, the most common cancer affecting women, do not end when they leave the hospital. Now, researchers in the University of Missouri School of Health Professions have studied the lives of breast cancer patients following chemotherapy and found that their environments and available support systems help determine the quality of their lives. Read More >>

Gene Therapy May Be Powerful New Treatment For Major Depression

Kevin Craig — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:16:08 +0000

In a report published in the Oct. 20 issue of Science Translational Medicine, researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center say animal and human data suggest gene therapy to the brain may be able to treat patients with major depression who do not respond to traditional drug treatment. Read more >>

NHS Services "Failing to support people who self-harm"

Kevin Craig — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:09:00 +0000

Many people who harm themselves are failing to receive the help they need because of a 'patchy' provision of services across the UK and a lack of supervision and training of NHS staff, the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) says.

In a new report, Self-harm, suicide and risk: helping people who self-harm, the RCPsych examines the current provision of care for people at risk from self-harm and suicide, and makes a series of recommendations to improve standards of care. Read More >>

What Are Suicidal Thoughts And Suicidal Behaviors? What Causes Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors?

Kevin Craig — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:05:47 +0000

one's life intentionally. It is a tragic reaction to stressful life situations. However, suicide can be prevented. Learning what are suicide warning signs and how to reach out for immediate help and professional treatment could save your life or someone else's.

It may seem like there is no way to solve problems and that suicide is the only way to end the pain. But steps can be taken to be safe and start enjoying life again.

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, suicide is:

1. The act of taking one's own life.

2. A person who commits such an act.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Suicidal Thoughts?

A symptom is something the patient senses and describes, while a sign is something other people, such as the doctor notice. For example, drowsiness may be a symptom while dilated pupils may be a sign.

Suicide warning signs or suicidal thoughts include:

Being preoccupied with death, dying or violence
Changing normal routine, including eating or sleeping patterns
Developing personality changes, such as becoming very outgoing after being shy
Doing risky or self-destructive things, such as using drugs or driving recklessly
Feeling trapped or hopeless about a situation
Getting the means to commit suicide, such as getting a gun or stockpiling pills
Giving away belongings or getting affairs in order
Having mood swings ( for example, being emotionally high one day and deeply discouraged the next)
Increased use of alcohol or drugs
Saying goodbye to people as if they will not be seen again
Talking about suicide, including making such statements as "I'm going to kill myself," "I wish I was dead" or "I wish I hadn't been born"
Withdrawing from social contact
Wanting to be left alone

Warning signs are not always obvious. They also vary from person to person. Some people make their intentions clear, while others keep suicidal thoughts and feelings secret.

Getting Help

Get help right away if you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide:

Call local emergency number immediately.
Call a suicide hot line number to reach to a trained counselor. There are telephone help lines with specially trained volunteers who will listen to you, understand what you are going through, and help you through the immediate crisis.

If you are feeling suicidal but you are not immediately thinking of hurting yourself:

Call a suicide crisis center hot line. Those services are available 24 hours a day for people who want to talk in confidence to someone about their distress, including self-destructive thoughts.
Contact a minister, spiritual leader or someone in your faith community.
Make an appointment with your primary care doctor or other health care provider or mental health provider.
Reach out to a close friend or loved one (even though you may feel reluctant to talk about your feelings). Contact a friend, family member or someone you trust.
Seek help from a doctor, a mental health provider or other health care professional.

If you start by seeing a family doctor or general practitioner, you may be referred immediately to a psychiatrist. If you are in danger of committing suicide, your doctor may have you get emergency help at the hospital.

It is absolutely normal to occasionally feel sad, upset or unhappy with situations in life. However, if these feelings remain for a long time or provoke thoughts about killing or harming yourself, seek medical help as soon as possible.

Suicidal thinking usually does not get better on its own. It is important to get help.

Grove Psychiatry Group (GPG) is expanding to offer more appointments in more locations.

Kevin Craig — Thu, 27 May 2010 11:24:49 +0000

Psychiatric disorders can affect people of all ages and lifestyles and are often highly distressing, affecting work, relationships and quality of life. That is why we constantly strive to offer appointments within a week of referral.

Grove Psychiatry Group is a partnership of Consultant Psychiatrists across London and South East England, specialising in the assessment and treatment of the full range of psychiatric disorders by combining psychologically-minded approaches with the very latest treatments.

At Grove Psychiatry, our responsiveness to your patients needs is the primary focus and the team will work tirelessly and diligently to provide valuable services to improve the quality of life for each and every individual, every day.

As part of our expansion, Dr Vimal Sivasanker has set up a Private Practice in central and north London. He has consulting rooms at 142-144 Harley Street in London, with rooms at the BMI Garden Hospital in Hendon and the Priory Hospital in North London coming soon.

Dr Sivasanker is a Consultant in adult psychiatry who has been involved in treating people with mental health problems in the NHS since 2000. He offers treatment for the full range of psychiatric disorders, and specialises in the management of complex psychological problems such as bipolar affective disorder and psychosis.

Should you wish to know more about Grove Psychiatry Group and the range of services on offer please do not hesitate to contact us to set up a meeting. If there is anything else we can help you with please do get in touch.

For appointments please telephone 0208 123 2651, secure fax 01223 864678 or email: info@grovepsychiatrygroup.com

Study Shows Combining L-methylfolate With An Antidepressant At The Start Of Treatment Significantly Improves Depression Symptoms

Kevin Craig — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:54:02 +0000

New data presented at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting suggests a benefit to combining L-methylfolate, a prescription medical food called Deplin®, with an antidepressant at the start of treatment. This retrospective analysis showed a significantly greater improvement in depression symptoms in a shorter period of time, when patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) were started on combination therapy. The retrospective study compared patients taking L-methylfolate with either a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or a serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) versus patients who were only prescribed an SSRI or SNRI. Read More >>

A Healthy Relationship Depends On Your Patterns Of Love

Kevin Craig — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:39:39 +0000

Do you make the same mistakes in love over and over again? For example, do you always seem to pick the wrong partner or always experience the same negative romantic outcome? If so, you need to understand your developmental history of love and break the pattern, according to Dr. Mark Beitel, a licensed clinical psychologist and psychotherapist at Greenwich Hospital's Center for Integrative Medicine in Cos Cob, CT.

"Certain conditions for loving, and being loved, are created and then maintained across a person's lifespan," explains Beitel. "Negative life experiences can damage the developing capacity for love. People get stuck because the conditions that they have set up for loving tend to operate just outside of awareness." Read more >>

Brain injury linked to gambling

Kevin Craig — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:50:01 +0000

Californian scientists think they may have discovered the part of the brain which makes people fear losing money.

The study, reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, looked at two patients who had damaged their amygdala, deep within the brain.

These patients were less worried about financial losses than the normal volunteers they were compared with.

The scientists say this could translate to how people make decisions in fields ranging from politics to game shows.

'Loss aversion' describes the avoidance of choices which can lead to losses, even when accompanied by equal or much larger gains. Read more >>

The need for mental health professionals in family law

Kevin Craig — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:07:06 +0000

Outcomes for children and parents in dispute are greatly improved by the use of mental health care professionals alongside lawyers to resolve disputes. The feedback from both clients and the mental health care professionals has been extremely positive according to an article in Family Law Week. Read more >>

Working Through Grief: It's Different For Everyone

Kevin Craig — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 12:05:29 +0000

A death of a loved one, a job loss, the end of a marriage, an illness or disability. Everyone faces losses and grief, but the toll that grief can take on the mind and body can catch many people by surprise.

The December issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource provides an overview of grief -- a normal reaction to loss. In years past, grief often was described as following a certain pattern or orderly progression from one feeling to another.

But there is no one way to grieve. People who are grieving experience many different emotions in any number of combinations. They may include denial, sadness, anger, confusion, despair and even guilt. Physical reactions can include sleeping problems, changes in appetite, a drop in energy level, body aches and pain or the development or worsening of an illness. Read More >>