RELAX YOUR MIND AND BODY
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Sunday, March 20, 2011
Cause Schizophrenia
Can Toxoplasmosis Cause Schizophrenia?
Thursday August 5, 2010
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that infects mice and makes them less afraid of cats. The fearless mice are more likely to be eaten by cats, and the parasite reproduces in the cats' digestive tract. Toxoplasma's ability to alter mouse behavior has led to a bit of evidence and a lot of theories about how human brains might be affected by the parasite. Since about a third of adult humans worldwide have toxoplasmosis, this is a pretty important question.
The most obvious starting point is behavior driven by fear or fearlessness. According to Stanford researcher Robert Sapolsky, "Two different groups independently have reported that people who are Toxo-infected have three to four times the likelihood of being killed in car accidents involving reckless speeding." Patrick House of Slate observes that countries where rates of toxoplasmosis are higher have better soccer teams. Less obvious but perhaps more intriguing is a possible link between toxoplasmosis and schizophrenia. According to Physorg:
The most obvious starting point is behavior driven by fear or fearlessness. According to Stanford researcher Robert Sapolsky, "Two different groups independently have reported that people who are Toxo-infected have three to four times the likelihood of being killed in car accidents involving reckless speeding." Patrick House of Slate observes that countries where rates of toxoplasmosis are higher have better soccer teams. Less obvious but perhaps more intriguing is a possible link between toxoplasmosis and schizophrenia. According to Physorg:
Evidence that T. gondii infections may be a cause of schizophrenia, while not yet conclusive, is growing, [Johns Hopkins researcher] Yolken said. A review of past studies, published last year by Yolken and Torrey, collected a variety of intriguing correlations. For example: People with schizophrenia have a higher prevalence of T. gondii antibodies in their blood. There are unusually low rates of schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis in countries where cats are rare, and unusually high rates in places where eating uncooked meat is customary. And some adults with toxoplasmosis show psychotic symptoms similar to schizophrenia.Even seemingly clear-cut research results are open to interpretation: witness Sapolsky talking about recklessness while the Physorg article connects the auto accidents to slow reflexes. The practical question of whether the symptoms of schizophrenia can be effectively and efficiently reduced by treating toxoplasmosis--which is itself a difficult task due to T. gondii's talent for hiding and protecting itself--remains to be answered. Nonetheless, it's always interesting to see physical causes suggested for mental illness, even as we stay wary of anyone offering a simple cure.
Studies have linked a history of toxoplasmosis with increased rates of other mental changes, too, including bipolar disorders and depression. A 2002 study in the Czech Republic noted slowed reflexes in Toxoplasma-positive people and found links between the infection and increased rates of auto accidents.
A University of Maryland study last year found that people with mood disorders who attempt suicide had higher levels of T. gondii antibodies than those who don't try to take their own lives. Still, the links between schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis are not simple. For example, most people infected with T. gondii never become schizophrenic. And not all schizophrenics have been exposed to Toxoplasma.
Mental Illness - Mental Disorders
Mental Illness - Mental Disorders
Information about different mental disorders. Diagnosis is not always exact, and some of these disorders overlap. Most of the content is in the "More Categories" folders in the right-hand column. Life With a Mental Health Concern
Living with a mental health condition means not only taking efforts to manage it, but coping with the ways in which it can affect your life and those in it. If you're faced with a mental health concern, or if you are the loved one of someone who is, there are things you can do to help make way for a better life.
Mental Illness - Mental Disorders
Life With a Mental Health Concern
Living with a mental health condition means not only taking efforts to manage it, but coping with the ways in which it can affect your life and those in it. If you're faced with a mental health concern, or if you are the loved one of someone who is, there are things you can do to help make way for a better life.
Symptoms and Diagnosis of Mental Health Concerns
Diagnosing a mental health condition can only be done by a qualified health professional. But there are some symptoms that may raise awareness that there's a concern brewing. Knowing more about the symptoms of various mental health conditions, and how they are diagnosed, can help you better understand if you or a loved one is in need of help.
Do I have a Mental Disorder?
Most of us wonder this at sometime in our life. We all have moods that swing at times, and we all worry. Here are some ways to know if it's time to seek help
What You Need to Know About Eating Disorders
An overview of what you need to know about eating disorders, including their general characteristics, the main types, who is at risk, and other health effects.
About Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia - Facts and research information.
The Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
There are several disorders that go by this label. Learn how they differ.
Anxiety Disorders - An Overview
In-depth information about anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, PTSD, and more.
Borderline Personality Disorder
Information about a controversial diagnosis and a discussion of how to diagnose more accurately.
Mental Disorders Common Throughout the World
The World Health Organization has found mental disorders to be common throughout the world. Reallocating treatment resources could provide needed treatment in developed and developing countries.
Mental Health Recovery Tools and Peer Support
Mental Health Recovery Tools and Peer Support
Facts
- Mental challenges are very common; in fact, they are more common than cancer, diabetes or heart disease.- According to the U.S. Surgeon General, an estimated 23% of American adults(those ages 18 and older)--about 44 million people--suffer from a mental challenge during a given year.
- More than 7 million American adults, and more than 5 million children and adolescents experience a serious mental condition(one that significantly interferes with functioning).
- You can recover.
- THERE IS HOPE! Numerous studies show that the majority of people experiencing serious and persistent mental challenges can and do recover.
- Recovery is a journey or a process, not a destination or a cure! The goal of recovery is to move away from defining yourself by the labels given to you by an illness or the symptoms you may experience. Recovery is about rebuilding a sense of self you are happy with and that allows you to establish meaningful life roles.
What is Mental Health Recovery and why do I need it?
We define mental health recovery as the "individual process of overcoming the negative impact of a psychiatric disability despite its continued presence". More simply said, recovery is the process by which an individual recovers their self-esteem, identity, self-worth, dreams, pride, choice, dignity and a meaningful life.How Peer Support Enhances the Recovery Process
When a person experiences a potentially life threatening illness, who do they want to talk to? An expert in treating the illness and someone who has survived it.Because The Main Place's staff is made up of individuals who have overcome the impact that mental challenges had on their lives, they can:
1) Share their wisdom, knowledge and experience in recovery;
2) Make you aware of choices you have and assist in implementing your own personal plan of recovery;
3) Link you to resources beyond the mental health system;
4) Help you master the skills necessary to recover; and
5) Provide comfort and support along the journey.
By coming together we build better lives for ourselves, gain employment, maintain independence, and earn acceptance within the community.
Mental Health Challenges
Mental Health Challenges
What is a Mental Challenge?
A mental challenge is any disease or condition affecting the brain that influences the way a person thinks, feels, behaves and/or relates to others and to his or her surroundingsWhat Causes Emotional or Mental Challenges and Who is Affected?
Although the exact cause of most mental challenges is not known, it is becoming clear through research that many of these conditions are caused by a combination of genetic, biological, psychological and environmental factors. One thing is for sure--mental challenges are not the result of personal weakness, a character defect or poor upbringing, and recovery from a mental challenge is not simply a matter of will and self-discipline.Examples of Mental Challenges Include:
- Depression /Bipolar disorder- Anxiety disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Stress disorder
- Social phobia
- Eating disorders(anorexia, bulimia or over-eating)
- Addiction
Symptoms of Mental Challenges can Include:
- Confused thinking- Long-lasting sadness or irritability
- Extreme highs and lows in mood
- Excessive fear, worrying or anxiety
- Social or family withdrawal
- Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits
- Strong feelings of anger
- Delusions or hallucinations(seeing or hearing things that are not really there)
- Increasing inability to cope with daily problems and activities
- Thoughts of suicide
- Denial of obvious problems
- Many unexplained physical problems
- Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
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