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Mental Health, Meditation and Medications
From the series "I want you to know what I know." by Dr Cyril M.J. Puhalla M.D., Board Certified Child, Adolescent and Adult psychiatrist. An introduction into Psychiatry, Practical Clinical Psychopharmacology, and "Applied Clinical Mindfulness"
Getting Rid of the Fears and the Anxieties about Mental Health Disorders and their Treatments.
How? First teach what is known, for knowing itself lessens anxiety. Second diagnosis & treat based on individual needs &response.
Introduction to the series” I want you to know what I know.”
Mental Health Problems that Shouldn’t be Missed and their Treatments
The primary focus of this series is on common biologically based mental health problems, that should not be missed, because diagnosis and adequate treatment at the earliest age offers the most hope for symptom relief, remission, and prevention of relapses and complications.
Treatment for these biologically based problems often require medication, and sometimes medication may be essential, but should be used with appropriate education and psychosocial interventions, and only after appropriate medical evaluation.
The greatest obstacles to evaluation and treatment are fears of what it means to have a mental health problem and fears about negative effects of medication used for mental health problems. The goals of this series is to dispel these fears by teaching you what I know. As you begin to know what I know about these problems the unknowns will be made more understandable and inaccurate information will be corrected.
I have chosen three areas to primarily discuss because I believe their understanding will make you an informed and enlightened consumer, so you can better help yourself, and provide your mental health professional with information that will facilitate treatment and diagnosis. The areas are 1. Diagnosis, not just knowing what the label stands for but also a deeper biochemical understanding that should guide medication management, 2. a simplified approach to practical clinical psychopharmacology giving your some basic information about the medications and their management, and 3. an introduction to "Applied Clinical Mindfulness" which any one can learn to use on their own to aid diagnosis and as an adjunct to other treatments.
The series “I want you to know what I know.” Is only a guide to help you understand, not a substitute for seeking help for yourself or others with qualified health care practitioners.
The list of mental health topics and links to their pages on this site follows:
For interested readers wanting more on my motivations and goals , read the complete intro: Introduction
Start here for first visit screening tool: Initial Diagnostic Mental Health History and Checklist, Brief one page screen: One Page MH History and Screen, Checklist only: One Page Checklist, Original One Page Screen
Next read the expanded version of initial screen to see its application with example diagnoses and medications used: Initial Screen with Example Diagnosis and Medication Responsiveness
What is adequate treatment, and how do you know? Adequate Treatment-What it is and its importance. Do you really need a mental health evaluation? When is it Time for Evaluation and Treatment
Join an informal conversation, look for the Q and A, Who can benefit from reading this- Q and A, Not getting better with your present treatment Q and A , Picking the Right Medication Class, How to start. Q and A,
Physical Problems not getting better? Headaches, Stomach-Bowel-other Physical Problems caused by Brain Chemistry of MH disorders. Does your child have one of these? Childhood Problems that should not be Missed
Overwhelmed! Want a non medication approach that you can do yourself ? Too Much Worry, Anger, Depression, Negative Thinking, Physical Pain, Mindfulness Can Help Q and A
A great beginning to understanding Depression, just follow the links: Depression Meds- Which one? - Q and A
Suicide and its prevention: Suicide, What to Know and What to do. Q and A
Diagnosis using medication responsive symptom clusters: How to make a Diagnosis
More on diagnosis: Diagnostic Symptom Clusters or Groups, Useful screen: MoodAnxietyScreen
Mental Health Symptom Screen for Professionals: ProSymptomScreenExpanded, Thinking Problems-Reality Testing Checklist and Early Screening
Common Childhood Problems that may warn of Serious Mental Health Disorders and the role of the Child Psychiatrist in Compressive Pediatric Health Care and Screening: Common Problems with Possible Serious Outcomes of Childhood and Adolescence
Infant & Childhood Screening with explanatory examples using ADHD, Mood Disorders of Early Childhood, and Autistic Spectrum Disorder, also applies to the Atypical Child: Zero to Three Screen Tool for Early Childhood
ADHD: Diagnosis: ADHDtheDiagnosis Treatment: ADHD-Stimulant Medications-Intro Q and A,
These 24 points are much needed information if you think you may have UADHD : ADHD Fact Sheet a brief but comprehensive review of what you need to know!
Meds or not for ADHD Correct diagnosis, telling these apart: ODD,ADHD or Mood
Non med approach: ADHD and Meditation Questions & Answers: Q and A How stimulants can help ADHD
What kind of depression is present ? Try to be very sure because the treatment involved for one can make the other much worse? Depression which is it, Unipolar or the unstable Bipolar type, Q and A
Unipolar Stable Depressive Disorders Q and A
OCD: OCD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Mood Problems:Bipolar and Unstable Mood Disorders
Video Games and electronic media like TV, Movies, recreational Internet use can make the mind more excitable causing and worsening mental health problems including ADHD. VideoGamesElectronicMedia
Reviews: Panic Disorder , Anxiety and its Disorders , TouretteTicDisorders
Worry with physical symptoms? Too Much Worry Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Comprehensive discussion of: School Avoidance and Refusal a true Child Psychiatric Emergency.
Certain problems in childhood represent markers than may progress into a Unstable Mood Disorder of the "Bipolar" type. Specific symptoms can be used to measure treatment response to the overall symptom pictures. Use these scales: Unstable Mood Scales Historical Markers, Treatment Scale, Symptom Picture
Childhood Bipolar: Childhood Bipolar and Atypical Mood Disorders Q and A
My general principles of using medications: Principles of Med Management What you need to know about picking the right medication: Right Medication for the Right Diagnosis, Part 1.Intro-A higher standard of care is needed! QandA
Could the medications used be better managed? Common Mistakes in Medication Management
AntiDepressants Worsening Depression and Causing Rage: AntiDepressantWorsenSymptoms
Side Effects of AntiDepressants and Warning! Warning AntiDepressants Neuroleptics: NeurolepticFactSheet
The Excitable Brain and Mood Disorders, Diagnostic Group Check List: ExcitableBrain, Mood,DxGroups
Walking on Egg Shells and Living with Dr Jeckle and Mr. Hyde: IrritabilityAngerRage
"Something is Just not Right!" the "Atypical Child/Person", a proposed diagnosis for these special people who often are inappropriately placed in another diagnostic group who have special treatment, educational and occupational needs. The Atypical Child-Person a proposed special diagnositic entity.
Start here to learn more about mindfulness and its psychology.
Mindfulness has many applications in daily life, see [How Anything can be turned into a Mindfulness Meditation Experience] and as a helpful diagnostic tool to help one really know what is wrong, and as an aid to help calm one down, improve concentration, and deal with the emotional components of mental health problems, Too Much Worry, Anger, Depression, Negative Thinking, Physical Pain, Mindfulness Can Help Q and A, especially when our usual thinking is making matters worse or is no longer helpful. It can be used together with any other mental health treatment, or by itself. See Applied Clinical Mindfulness Q and A and Q and A: Getting Started Guide -Part 1. Switching into the Mindfulness Experiencing Mode.
If you need help with doing the breathing mindfully.Technique of Breathing with Mindfulness the Fine Points
Children are excellent candidates for mindfulness based mental health interventions and can easily learn meditation techniques. Child Mindful Breathing to help anything
How Mindfulness using Breathing in daily life and during meditation can change your life, by allowing you to have 1. more satisfaction with pleasurable things, 2. less suffering with painful ones, and 3. to not be bored or lose interest in the things that seem neutral. How Mindfulness Can Help You
Simple introduction for meditation to help any problem where strong feelings, thoughts or physical problems are being made worse by usual thinking and doing. Beginning Meditation using Mindful Breathing
Theory of mindfulness meditation and its uses. IntroMindfulness
Meditation practice for adults: BareBonesMeditation Making Meditation Easier: Labeling and Distractions
Use of Meditation to help sleep: Theory: Sleep With Meditation The Practice: Sleep and Meditation