Concerns

Anxiety is a very common problem. About 18.9% of people suffer with it over their lifetimes as either acute, chronic or episodic.

Alcohol abuse or dependancy and treatment using anti-craving medication.

Attention and Concentration Problems present with or without hyperactivity in childhood and includes symptoms of inattention, distractibility, poor concentration, difficulty with organization and forgetfulness. Other symptoms may include impulsivity, impatience, restlessness, and difficulty with task completion. The treatments most commonly include use of stimulants or Strattera as well as focus on acquiring appropriate skills and behaviors.

Bipolar Disorder, manic depressive illness, occurs classically with euphoric, manic symptoms alternating with depressive symptoms. A more common variant is one with high irritability alternating with depression characterized by lethargy, weight gain, and excessive sleep. The primary treatments include use of mood stabilizing agents and education that includes family.

Cognitive Difficulties A delirium is a transient disturbance caused by medical problems or intoxications. Dementias include Alzheimer’s, multifarct and frontal temporal type. Two types of medications may slow the progression; one group is acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and the other drug is Namenda. Patients with dementia may develop secondary behavioral problems such as anxiety, depression and psychosis which may respond to medication management. Family education regarding the illness and expectations is important. Head injuries can cause problems of memory, attention and concentration which may respond to medication management.

Developmental Disabilities begin in childhood with developmental delays, cognitive impairment, and may include behavioral issues. These disabilities include Down’s Syndrome, Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism. Medication management is targeted at the mitigation of symptoms.

Depressive Disorder may occur singly, episodically or seasonally and can be triggered by conflicts or secondary to medical problems. The best results are usually obtained with anti-depressants, education and psychosocial treatments including cognitive therapy.

Psychosis is a general name for being out of touch with reality, having delusions and hallucinations as well as apathy and social withdrawal. Schizophrenia is the most common disorder. Schizoaffective disorder appears as a blend of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. Other problems that include psychotic thinking are delusional disorder and some depressions. Medication, psychotherapy and family education are used with rehabilitative focus.

Relationship Issues occur in the family settings of couples, siblings or parent/child relationships.

Weight Gain Secondary to Psychotropic Medications Agents that have been associated with weight gain have typically been in use for many years. There are excellent alternatives available that are not associated with weight gain. The agents that are associated with metabolic syndrome are:

Work Concerns may be relational with superiors, peers or subordinates. These may be related to managerial styles or to personal issues. Family business relationships pose a special set of challenges related to boundaries and expectations. Other areas of concern include job seeking, promotion, retirement, education, training and security.

Sexual Concerns can be biologically, psychologically, or relationally based. Typically, a clear explicit discussion of the problem is a start to the problem solving process. Other problems include, but are not limited to, anxiety and self-esteem as they may interfere with interest, initiation, arousal or satisfaction. Problems of abuse, incest, history of sexual assaults as well as addictive behaviors commonly cause blocks to intimacy and sexual satisfaction.