What causes conversion disorder?

The exact cause of conversion disorder is unknown but it is believed that the area of brain responsible for muscle control somehow is now controlled by emotions. It is believed that this is one way in which the brain reacts to an apparent menace.

What is a Conversion Disorder?

Conversion disorder is a situation where psychological stress (e.g. depression) is manifested in a physical way. Conversion disorder frequently develops after an intensely stressful event. The physical features of Conversion disorder may have no underlying cause and one has not control over the symptoms. In most cases, conversion disorder will present with an inability walk or use the arms, have difficulty hearing or seeing or one may not be able to speak. In rare cases, one can even have seizures, hallucinations, inability to feel pain and inability to urinate. The symptoms may be very dramatic but in the majority there is rapid improvement in several days or weeks.

Besides drugs, how else can I treat my anxiety attacks?

Life style and home remedies may help diminish anxiety. Try to exercise regularly, eat healthy, avoid alcohol and prescription medications, use some type of relaxing technique like yoga or meditation and get adequate sleep. Exercise is one of the most powerful reducers of stress and can help improve your mood and keep you healthy. Perform exercises that you like and gradually increase the intensity. 

Other alternative remedies that can be used to relieve anxiety include the use of Kava, valerian and vitamin B. Remember, except for the vitamins there is no solid evidence that any herb can relieve anxiety. Moreover, these plant products are also expensive and can have side effects. To help you manage anxiety, join an anxiety support group and address what is bothering you. Try not to dwell on the past and break the cycle when you feel anxious by going for a long walk.  Socialize with friends and family as these interactions can help reduce stress and develop loving relationships.  

Why Do I Keep on Physically Hurting My Body? A Look at Self Injury

There are, unfortunately, some people who deliberately harm their own bodies. Self injury is not intended to be a suicide attempt but rather a detrimental means to cope with emotional pain, anger, frustration or hopelessness. Self injury brings a transient sense of calm and a release of stress but this is soon followed by guilt, humiliation and going back to the same agonizing emotions. Self injury usually starts as minor injuries but can lead to severe disfigurement.Self injury is felt to be an impulsive behavior problem but may be associated with depression, an eating disorder (bulimia) and borderline personality. Individuals who self injure may have a variety of symptoms including physical scars, scratches, broken bones, being lonely, having difficulty with interpersonal relationship, wearing long sleeved garments even in hot weather or blaming the injury on others. Self injury is not only cutting oneself but may involve piercing the skin, breaking bones, head banging, biting, pulling out hair and making the wounds worse by probing.

Self injury is rarely a one-time episode and for some people it is a repetitive behavior that is often impulsive. Like most things in psychiatry, the cause of self injury is a mystery. Some people simply are not able to cope with their emotions and find self injury one way to relieve the psychological pain. It is believed that the physical injury distracts the individual from the painful emotions. Some people self injure their bodies to chastise themselves for alleged faults, and in others self injury may be a way of manipulation or getting attention.

Besides the direct physical injury to the body, this behavior also has other complications including accidental suicide, permanent scars, disfigurement or worsening of shame and guilt. The number of people who self injure themselves remains unknown but the disorder appears to be slightly more common in women. The disorder tends to peak in the second or third decade of life.

Self injury is a very difficult disorder to treat. There is no one treatment for everyone.The treatment is usually long-term psychotherapy, which can help one learn skills to manage stress control emotions, enhance a better body image, and develop a healthy lifestyle.There are no drugs to treat self injury but sometimes anti depressants may be prescribed to improve depression, reduce anxiety or control the impulse behavior. 

Depending on the degree of injury, one may even need hospitalization. Because of the seriousness of the problem, there are national hotlines where one can call for immediate help. The national suicide prevention lifeline (800- 273-8255) is available 24 hours a day. For people who have this problem, it is recommended that they try to reach out to their family and friends for support. Try to enroll in a support group and do not underestimate your ability to change. Avoid abuse of drugs and alcohol and get to know more about your medical illness. Unfortunately there is no way to prevent this behavior. For people who have no mental health disorder and injure themselves, the prognosis is good but for those who have other mental health problems, the prognosis is poor.

How does one develop an anxious personality?

The truth is that no one knows. As with most mental health disorders, there are many speculations and everything or everyone has been blamed at one point in time. Experts believe that it is perhaps due to altered level of neurotransmitters in the brain but why the levels of these darn chemicals change is a mystery. Bad genes and bad environment are two universal themes for almost all mental health disorders.

Anxiety disorders tend to develop 1) in females more often than males, 2) in those who have had a trouble childhood, 3) those with a certain personality (A-type) and 4) in those who abuse illicit drugs or alcohol. When the disorder is not treated it can leads to severe anxiety, depression, trouble sleeping, headaches, teeth grinding and problems with the bowel. Moreover, severe anxiety can affect interpersonal relationships, your job and make life for everyone around you miserable.

I think I may have anxiety. Is there any online testing available for my disorder?

Yes, there are several anxiety disorder tests available online that can help determine if you have an anxious personality. All humans develop some degree of anxiety but the symptoms are always well controlled and rapidly disappear. However, in some people, anxiety takes over the person’s mind and can be very troubling. Over the long period, one can develop anxiety, depression, panic attacks, hysteria, paranoia and the quality of life becomes poor.  There are many online mental health sites that offer social anxiety tests and the results are available instantly. In fact, many of these tests are free. 

The tests for anxiety are in a simple question and answer format. The questions pertain to everyday life scenarios. Moreover, the questions also ask if you have any physical symptoms when you develop anxiety. For example, one may develop tremors, sweating, fast heart rate, rapid breathing or even diarrhea during an anxiety attack. Other aspects of the social anxiety tests include your emotional mood. Are you very afraid of trivial things, do you develop intense anger, disappointment, are you depressed or have uncontrolled episodes of crying or feelings of helplessness?  The tests for anxiety  will also determine your behavior during the attack like fidgeting, pacing, cussing or avoidance. What should be understood that everyone has such symptoms to some degree. However, if these symptoms persist and affect your life style, then the anxiety is serious.

Is ginseng good for the mind?

For decades Orientals have been ingesting ginseng in large amounts. Now this fad has started in North America. Ginseng is a herb widely touted to treat many medical disorders of the brain and nerves. This herb is always listed as a best seller and brings in billions of dollars to the health supplement industry. But does it really work?

The latest studies show that ginseng when administered to healthy individuals does have very mild benefits on behavior cognition and quality of life. However, the results were not very impressive, not seen in all individuals and only seen with the panaz ginseng.

So the bottom line is that if you have money, then buy ginseng. If you do not have money, eat a healthy diet of fruit and vegetables, walk everyday and do not smoke- these simple lifestyle changes beat ginseng any day.