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All Depression and Anxiety Special Reports
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What Happens When Stress Doesn't Go Away
Can constant stress literally cause a mood disorder? Possibly. Of course, not everyone with depression or anxiety has experienced a very stressful event -- such as the death of a loved one, moving to a new town, or losing a job. And not everyone who is under stress develops depression or anxiety. But stressful events may induce changes in brain chemistry that predispose you to depression and anxiety. … More...
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The Pain-Mood Connection
Pain is one of the most common symptoms people with depression complain about, and people who are depressed experience more impairment from their pain than those who are not depressed. Often, the depression-pain scenario plays out in a vicious cycle, and to find relief from one, you must treat the other. … More...
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Report on Substance Abuse and Aging
Alcohol and drug use is on the rise among older adults. Researchers are beginning to acknowledge the prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse among people over age 60, saying that it affects as many as 17% of older adults. Recent government statistics reveal that 12% of adults over age 50 report binge alcohol drinking over the past month and 3% say that they drink heavily on a frequent basis. … More...
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Anxiety and Your Physical Health
The link between depression and physical illness has been well explored, and now researchers are turning their attention to the role of anxiety disorders in prompting medical problems. Johns Hopkins sheds light on this intriguing connection. More...
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Eating Disorders: Not Just for the Young
Body dissatisfaction is not only a signature problem of youth, as an increasing number of middle-age and older women are developing eating disorders. In this Special Report, Johns Hopkins explores this all-too-common disorder.
Our cultural obsession with thinness as well as looking and feeling young may be contributing factors to a surge in eating disorders, leading women to fixate on dieting and exercise as a way to combat the signs of aging. … More...
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Coping With Panic Attacks
Johns Hopkins shares four strategies for managing panic attacks so they frighten you less, are less intense, and occur less frequently.
It comes on suddenly, without warning. Your heart races and pounds in your chest, you sweat, you feel short of breath, dizzy, sick to your stomach, faint even. You fear you're having a heart attack or maybe losing your mind. You have a distinct feeling of unreality and, perhaps, a desire to run away and… More...
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Managing Anxiety Without Drugs
Do you worry excessively? Johns Hopkins provides nine strategies to help you take control of your anxiety.
We live in anxious times, full of bad news. We worry about our families, our country, our basic health and safety. But while a little bit of worry can be a good thing -- it can steer us away from taking unreasonable risks, for instance -- free-floating anxiety can be paralyzing, unproductive, and self-defeating. If you think… More...
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The Anatomy of Mood -- Biology and the Brain
Scientists are beginning to understand the connection between brain atrophy, neurogenesis, and depression. How does this affect our understanding of the role of antidepressant medication? Johns Hopkins doctors explain …
What happens within the brain when a person is depressed? Our concept of that is rapidly shifting, thanks to work in brain imaging and molecular medicine. … More...
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Antidepressant Warnings
Is the cure worse than the disease? Johns Hopkins psychiatrist Dr. Karen L. Swartz discusses the risks and benefits of SSRIs.
Call it the pill paradox: Some 20 years ago, serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) burst onto the scene, lauded for their ability to treat depression. Today, however, some studies have linked SSRIs to an increased incidence of suicidal thoughts and behavior, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the midst of an extensive… More...
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Could You Benefit From Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy?
Over the past 20 years, cognitive-behavioral therapy has become increasingly popular for the treatment of depression. Like standard cognitive therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy is based on the idea that mood problems stem from irrational thoughts and that identifying and changing these distorted thought patterns can improve emotional symptoms. In cognitive-behavioral therapy, this theory is combined with the principles of behavioral therapy, which is aimed primarily at modifying specific problematic or unwanted behaviors. More...
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Treating Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is characterized by alternating periods of major depression and mania. In rare case, mania—episodes of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood—can occur on its own.
For people with bipolar disorder, an accurate diagnosis is important to ensure appropriate
treatment. But making an accurate diagnosis of bipolar disorder can be difficult. People
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Recognizing Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is marked by recurrent, repetitive thoughts (obsessions), behaviors (compulsions), or both that a person recognizes as unreasonable, unnecessary, or foolish yet are intrusive and cannot be resisted. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder do not necessarily have both obsessions and compulsions, but either one often interferes with day-to-day activities and relationships with others.
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Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Phobias
The hallmarks of a phobia are persistent, irrational fears and avoidance of the specific things (for example, animals, heights, or closed spaces) or activities that induce these fears. The diagnosis of a phobic disorder is made only when the phobia significantly impairs the individual’s social or occupational functioning. More...
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Combating Sexual Dysfunction Caused by Antidepressants
Sex and satisfaction with one’s sex life are important parts of the lives of most adults. But having a satisfying sex life may be a challenge for some of the 12 to 18 million Americans who take antidepressants.
While sexual dysfunction is a frequent symptom of depression itself and successful treatment might eliminate it, antidepressants may exacerbate sexual dysfunction or even
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