AguiLeon Health Tech

Substance abuse disorders (including alcohol and prescription drugs) frequently co-exist with depression. Substance abuse must be discontinued in order to clarify the diagnosis and maximize the effectiveness of psychiatric interventions. Additional treatment is necessary if the depression remains after the substance use and withdrawal effects have ended. Individuals or family members with concerns about the co-occurence of depression with another illness or chemical dependency, should discuss these issues with the physician. Many factors can contribute to depression. Some people become depressed for a combination of reasons. For others, a single factor appears to trigger depression. Some become depressed for no apparent reason. Regardless of the cause, depression needs to be diagnosed and rated. Check any symptoms experienced for more than 2 weeks. If four or more of the symptoms for depression or mania have been checked, physical and psychological evaluation by a physician and...

For some adults, insomnia may be caused by a fear of the dark, finds a new study by researchers at Ryerson University in Toronto. In the study of 93 students, nearly half acknowledged being afraid of the dark, and they were more likely to poor sleepers than good ones. "We never thought we would see this," says Dr. Colleen Carney, assistant professor of psychology at Ryerson University. "We didn't think people would admit or acknowledge this fear. They would say it's for kids, or be too embarrassed." The participants filled out questionnaires on their sleep behavior, whether or not they had been afraid of the dark as children and they were still afraid of the dark. They also completed an insomnia assessment; based on their responses, the researchers divided the participants into two groups: good and poor sleepers. Following the questionnaires, the participants confirmed the participants' fear of the dark by putting them in either a dark or lit lab r...