Is depression really common during the Christmas holiday? The answer is that, yes, it’s common. There are multiple reasons for this. Below we will analyze a few of these reasons. The expectation of happiness underlines one’s current state of sadness The general expectation in most Western cultures is that during the holiday season one is supposed to be celebrating and feel happy. But those people who don’t feel happy no matter what the…
How frequent is depression? Major depressive disorder (oftentimes referred to as “depression” by the general public) is the most common major psychiatric disorder. Approximately 15% of the general population is affected by this illness at some point during their lifetime. Depression is almost twice as common in women as it is in men. Symptoms and course Major depressive disorder is characterized by the occurrence of episodes of clinical depression which are called…
What is naltrexone? Naltrexone is a medication approved for the treatment of opioid use disorder (opioid dependence). It blocks the μ (mu) opioid receptor in the brain, displacing most other opioids and rendering them basically inactive in that regard. If a person under treatment with naltrexone, takes an opioid (e.g. heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone etc), the opioid ingestedcannot activate the μ opioid receptors and thus exert its actions to the body…
What is Suboxone? Suboxone is the brand name for a medication approved for the treatment of opioid use disorder combining buprenorphine and naloxone. In other words, it is approved for the treatment of patients who suffer from addiction to opioids (such as heroin, oxycodone, fentanyl, morphine). Buprenorphine is the active ingredient of the medication. It works principally as a partial agonist to the mu-opioid receptors of the brain, i.e. it partially…
Alcohol use disorder (alcohol addiction) What is alcohol use disorder? It’s the new term introduced in the latest diagnostic manual of the American Psychiatric Association for alcohol addiction (this syndrome was previously classified as 2 separate illnesses: alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence). How is alcohol use disorder defined? In simple words, it is defined by drinking alcohol in a problematic way which leads to impairment or distress and suffering from at least 2 of…
What are the diagnostic criteria for Bipolar disorder? According to the DSM-5, the diagnosis of bipolar disorder requires the presence of at least one episode of mania or hypomania. There are two main types: Bipolar I Disorder: Characterized by at least one manic episode (may be preceded or followed by hypomanic or major depressive episodes). A manic episode is defined by an elevated mood lasting for at least one week and includes at…
