Month: April 2013

Separation Anxiety Disorder Treatment Separation Anxiety Disorder Treatment April 22, 2013 By drmikeadmin 0 Comments

Separation Anxiety Disorder Treatment

Have you ever noticed that your child refuses to go to school, refuses to be alone without you, refuses to go to another part of the house without you or to a party or play-date at another’s house, and may even refuse to sleep alone? If this is the case, your child could be suffering and may need Separation Anxiety Disorder treatment.

This condition can be painful for parents to witness and extremely disabling for their children. However, there is hope with Separation Anxiety Disorder treatment.

In mild to moderate cases the best form of Separation Anxiety Disorder treatment is psychotherapy or parent guidance. There are several different forms of psychotherapy, but the one of the most commonly used for this is known as Cognitive-Behavioral therapy. However, an important thing to keep in mind is that the sooner you treat the problem the less impact the problem will have down the line and the better the ultimate results in Separation Anxiety Disorder treatment.

So what should you do if you think your child may need Separation Anxiety Disorder treatment? If this is the case go seek help from a professional with experience in the treatment for Separation Anxiety Disorder. Unfortunately, this is not as easy as it seems. The reason is that there are a number of factors involved in Separation Anxiety Disorder treatment.

Most often both the child and the parents need help. The reason the parents need help is because they are torn between seeing their child suffer; yet feeling they need to “push” the child past this. This parental dilemma can occur, for instance, if parents recall their own childhood anxiety. They would like to empathize with the child and are unable to give the child the loving “push” the child needs. This is where parent guidance plays a role in Separation Anxiety Disorder treatment.

Here at Proliance Center our team of professionals have a lot of experience with this and we are here to help. Give us a call today.

Symptoms of Attachment Disorder Symptoms of Attachment Disorder April 15, 2013 By drmikeadmin 0 Comments

Symptoms of Attachment Disorder

Before discussing symptoms of Attachment Disorder let’s define what it is. Reactive attachment disorder is a problem with social interaction that occurs when a child’s most basic emotional and physical needs are neglected, particularly when the child is an infant. These would be the need for physical safety, touching, food and most importantly the ability to develop an emotional bond with an individual who is entrusted with the emotional care and support of the child (i.e. the Caregiver). These are imperative as the formation of a predictable attachment contributes to a person’s sense of security and trust. Commonly affected, are children who are adopted from foreign orphanages. This is most common if they were removed from their birth parents during the first weeks of life.

So what are symptoms of Attachment Disorder? There are several of these symptoms. One of these symptoms of Attachment Disorder is an avoidance of the caregiver. This may be evident in the child not caring to be near or around the very person the child needs to provide him or her with the most basic of emotional and physical needs. Another of the symptoms of Attachment Disorder is avoidance of physical contact. These children pull away from hugs, kisses and such and certainly don’t seek these out. Difficulty in being physically comforted is another of the symptoms of Attachment Disorder. When they are suffering, hungry, in pain, sad or any other situation where anyone else would seek to be comforted, they don’t. They are “on their own”, or at least they act that way.

An inability to make distinctions when socializing with strangers is yet another of the symptoms of Attachment Disorder. These are the kids that will run up to a complete stranger and give them a hug, kiss, sit on their lap or worse, walk away with them. Can you say “prime candidate for abuse or kidnapping”? An additional one of the symptoms of Attachment Disorder is resisting social interaction. Again if the child believes they are “on their own” who needs other people, so why talk or mingle with others. One last of the symptoms of Attachment Disorder is the desire to be alone. This is an extreme version of the desire to resist social interaction.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) April 8, 2013 By drmikeadmin 0 Comments

What Causes Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

People often ask what causes Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? To answer this question studies have been done to determine what causes Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). These studies have shown that a combination of environmental and biological factors are likely involved in what causes Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Our brain is a very complex structure. As such, it contains billions of nerve cells. These nerve cells are called neurons and they must communicate and work together in order for the body to function normally. These neurons communicate via electrical signals. These electrical signals take place through the use of special chemicals, called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters help move these electrical messages from neuron to neuron. So to answer the question of what causes Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) research has found a link between low levels of one neurotransmitter, called serotonin, and the development of this condition. Additionally, to answer the question of what causes Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), there is a lot of evidence that a serotonin imbalance could be passed on from parents to their children. This means that the tendency to develop this condition could be inherited. However, this doesn’t mean a child will definitely develop symptoms if their parent has the disorder. In fact, a child could also develop this condition without any previous family history.

Furthermore, in exploring the question of what causes Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), there are environmental stressors that can trigger this condition in people. These include such events as: abuse, illness, work- or school-related problems or changes, death of a loved one, changes in living situation, and also relationship concerns.

Lastly, in exploring the question of what causes Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), some studies also have found a link between a certain type of infection caused by the Streptococcus bacteria and this condition. This infection, if recurrent and untreated, may lead to the development of this condition and other disorders in children or adults.

Anxiety Disorders Anxiety April 1, 2013 By drmikeadmin 0 Comments

How Common is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a state of angst or worry characterized by somatic, emotional cognitive and/or behavioral symptoms. Individuals usually experience symptoms of this because of a feeling of fear or concern. Everyone experiences some degree of this at various stages in life, related to differing factors. However, those who have experienced this often wonder how common it is, as this state sometimes elicits a feeling of isolation.

When determining the incidence of this, it is important to differentiate between symptoms of anxiety or a diagnosable anxiety disorder. Symptoms of the former are experienced by just about everyone at one point or another. They can include emotional symptoms such as apprehension or tension or physical symptoms such as stomach aches or heart palpitations. While everyone experiences symptoms of anxiety, once these symptoms cause a disruption to an individual’s ability to function properly, they may be categorized as an anxiety disorder.

It is difficult to accurately determine how common these disorders are as many people go undiagnosed and without treatment. What we do know is that it is classified as the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting approximately 40 million adults. Though it is present among individuals of all ages and backgrounds, it seems to be more common in females than males. Unfortunately, only about half of people who suffer from an anxiety disorder actually seek treatment, leaving those without treatment to suffer in silence.

It is important to recognize that there are a variety of treatments for these problems. Medications are available to lessen symptoms and several therapeutic modalities, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, can identify causes, reduce symptoms and help individuals develop effective coping and relaxation skills to better manage the causes of anxiety. If you feel that symptoms of anxiety have become difficult to manage, a Proliance Center professional can help you identify the best course of treatment to address your individual needs.