If for more than two weeks you’ve felt sad and have lost interest or pleasure in your usual activities, you may be depressed.

Symptoms of depression, on the other hand, aren’t as clear-cut as they are for a common cold. Intense sadness and a feeling of hopelessness often comes into play. Depressive symptoms can also range from mild to severe overnight, and they often disguise themselves as everyday habits and emotions that you wouldn’t necessarily consider depressive behavior.

If you’ve experienced several of the signs listed below, call NeuroHealth for a neuropsychological assessment and treatment plan.

Depressive Behaviors

• Not having the energy to go out anymore
• Withdrawing from family and friends
• A lack of concentration
• Relying on alcohol and other sedatives
• No longer wanting to do the activities you usually enjoy

Feelings of Depression

• Disappointed
• Indecisive
• Irritable
• Frustrated
• Guilty
• A lack of confidence
• Miserable
• Sad

Depressive Thoughts

• ‘I must be weak to have become depressed.’
• ‘I don’t think depression is worth talking about.’
• ‘I’m worthless.’
• ‘I am a burden on others.’
• ‘I either figure this out or I end my life.’
• ‘People would be better off without me.’

Symptoms of Physical Depression

• Headaches
• Back pain
• Muscle aches and joint pain
• Chest pain
• Digestive problems
• Exhaustion and fatigue
• Problems with sleeping
• Change in appetite and fluctuation
• Dizziness or feeling lightheaded

Did you know that 40 million American adults over the age of 18 have an anxiety disorder? Despite 18.1 percent of people having anxiety, but only 1/3 seek treatment for it.

Many anxiety sufferers avoid getting treatment out of fear of being judged by their family and friends. Some are in denial of how detrimental their anxiety has become, while some may not know how to ago about seeking treatment.

As a mental health service and treatment center, NeuroHealth will be highlighting 5 signs that it’s time to get help for your anxiety and how you should go about seeking treatment.

Many people are battling anxiety on a daily basis, and there is nothing to be ashamed about.

We are here for you.

If Anxiety is Affecting Your Physical Health

Anxiety disorders don’t just affect your mental health, they also can take a toll on you physically.

Physical symptoms of an anxiety may include shortness of breath, chest pains, dizziness, upset stomach and diarrhea. Anxiety and stress can really beat up your body if you don’t seek help.

Anxiety can also have a negative effect on an already existing illness or medical condition you have. If your anxiety is causing you to become physically ill, it’s time to seek treatment.

If Anxiety Starts to Affect Your Work

Work can cause stress as it is, but anxiety can really have a negative affect on you.

If you find yourself missing a lot of work days, coming in late, or having trouble focusing or performing everyday tasks, it might be time to get some help.

The last thing you want to do is jeopardize your career. If you don’t seek help for your anxiety related issues, there’s a chance you could lose your job due for nonperformance.

If you have anxiety, seek the proper help.

If Anxiety Starts Having a Negative Impact on Your Relationships

If your loved ones start to worry about you, it may be a sign that your anxiety is out of control.

Anxiety can have many negative effects on your relationships, such as: constant worry turning into jealousy, avoiding friends and family at social events or people in general, and a lack of communication on your end.

Treatment for anxiety is to help improve your mental health. Doing so can also improve the relationships that you have with your loved ones.

If Anxiety Starts Affecting Your Social Life

Not only can anxiety have a negative effect on your relationships, but it can also destroy your social life and the things you used to love to do.

If you’re starting to feel trapped, isolated, and fearful on a daily basis then it’s absolutely time to get some help for your disorder. You shouldn’t be a prisoner within your own body and mind. There’s an endless amount of help and support available to those who need it.

Take advantage of it before your anxiety takes advantage of you.

If Anxiety is Causing Your to Abuse Drugs and Alcohol

According to The National Institute on Drug Abuse, those addicted to drugs are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety and mood disorders.

Many people use and abuse drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism to temporarily deal with their anxiety. The only problem is that what goes up, eventually must come down.

Once the temporary high wears off, the symptoms of anxiety returns then it’s back to square one.

Abusing drugs and alcohol while suffering from anxiety can develop a possible life threatening addiction. If you’re anxiety is also causing addition, it’s time to get some help.

Get the Treatment you Deserve

When you visit NeuroHealth, we make it our mission to help every person from every age group succeed in life. If you want to learn more about our anxiety treatment services, call (847) 584-1894.

[ Source: https://www.healthcentral.com/article/five-signs-that-it-is-time-to-get-help-for-your-anxiety ]

Neuropsychological and psychological testing are different medical approaches used in diagnosing and providing suitable treatment for mental related ailments. To gain better clarity of the cognitive function, strength, and weakness, these two medical testing are used.

These mental evaluations involve an interview process and the performance of a series of tests. They can be used to treat brain injuries, learning disabilities, dementia, psychiatric disorders and neurological defects.

What Is Psychological And Neuropsychological Testing?

Neuropsychological testing is a complete assessment of the cognitive processes. This cognitive evaluation is based on the theory that the etiology of a disorder will be understood better if the neurodevelopmental pathway is evaluated. This testing is performed by neuropsychologists who are well-trained in brain function and activity.

The tests are conducted to characterize the changes associated with the cognitive disorders through systematic and structured behavioral observation.

Psychological testing is an evaluation carried out on an individual by a psychologist to ascertain the behavioral, intellectual and emotional functioning. Some of the tests are designed to be in an interview format while some entail an individual responding interactively to a virtual-like environment.

The Benefits of Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing

Some of the benefits of psychological and neuropsychological testing include:

Complete Evaluation of Psychological Patterns

A neuropsychological testing provides a full evaluation and diagnosis of the pattern of the psychological changes of an individual. This pattern of changes is used to proffer adequate treatments that will cure the ailment.

Detect Learning Disabilities

Neuropsychological testing can be used to detect learning disabilities. Treating learning disabilities with medications only will amount to treating half of the problem. Most learning disabilities are detected and treated through neuropsychological testing.

Improved Decision Making

Through psychological testing, patients get to become better at decision making. Most individuals lean heavily on psychologists to make a better decision. Through thorough and accurate information gathered during this testing, the patient’s knowledge will be increased and will enable him to make decisions that are more informed.

Detect Ailment

Psychological and neuropsychological testing can be used as an alternative to detecting an ailment when a physical pathology is not observed. They are used as a reinforcement of supportive drug therapies as well.

Are There Risks and Complications?

There are usually no risks associated with physiological and neuropsychological testing. The tests provide a deep understanding of an individual’s behavior and mental abilities without any side effect.

Reliable Provider of Psychological and Neuropsychological Testing

At NeuroHealth, we believe that the unique traits and abilities of each individual makes them react or respond to situations in different ways. We offer psychological and neuropsychological testing to individuals of all ages including infants, children, adolescents, adults, and so forth.

Our psychological and neuropsychological assessments are customized to give you the information you need to help the growth and development of your child.

We are known to provide excellent psychological and neuropsychological testing services. We make use of state-of-the-art testing equipment and innovative techniques to help determine your mental abilities, cognitive abilities, academic abilities, emotional stability, neurological functioning, and hands-on learning abilities.

For more information about our psychological and neuropsychological testing, get in touch with us today. Our experts will be available to discuss with you and provide adequate answers to your questions and concerns.

A child with common signs of a learning disability often has several related signs of difficulty with reading, writing, and other learning-related tasks.

The good news about learning disabilities is that research provided by scientists provide hope and direction.

A recent study showed that 10 percent of people have difficulty reading, including those of average and above average intelligence.  

Discovering a child’s learning disability early and providing the right kind of help can give the child a chance to develop skills needed to be successful and live a productive life.

Look for the following common signs of learning disabilities:

• Poor memory
• Short attention span
• Difficulty following directions
• Speaks later than most children
• Slow vocabulary growth
• Trouble learning the alphabet, days of the week, numbers, etc
• Poor reading and/or writing ability
• Easily distracted and extremely restless
• Lack of eye-hand coordination

Other signs of a child with a learning disability might include:

• Difficulty staying on task
• Difficulty listening well
• Says one thing, means another
• Problems dealing with new things in life
• Doesn’t adjust well to change
• Reverses letters
• Immature way of speaking
• Places letters in sentences incorrectly

If any of the signs listed above are present in a child’s behavior, it is still required to seek a professional assessment, just to be sure.

Not every person with a particular disability will have all the common signs of a learning disability, and each learning disability has its own signs.

Many children and adults go through life with a “hidden handicap” due to their learning disabilities not being diagnosed early on. The results can lead to poor self esteem, struggling in the work place, and having a difficulty in school.

Assessing a learning disability early on increases a child’s chances to be able to learn how to cope with a disability. Every child learns in their own individual ways, and most children — even those with a learning disability — still have normal or above-average intelligence.

If you’re concerned about your child, reach out to our experts in Arlington Heights, IL. We provide neuropsychological treatments and assessments for patients of every age group. Reach out today by calling (847) 383-0639 or contacting us online.

Divorce is inevitably difficult for children no matter how much parents try to protect them. All kids handle it differently. Therapy is an especially good idea for kids when divorce brings dramatic changes to their lives. If you decide that counseling is right for your kids, follow these tips to best support them throughout the therapeutic process.

The transition from high school to college is a big step for any student, but for students with learning disabilities, making the change is even more challenging. Although there are no Section 504 plans or individual education plans (IEPs) in college, students with learning disabilities have a right to reasonable accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Therefore, if you are a learning-disabled student who aspires to go to college, it’s important to know your rights when planning your transition from high school so that you can succeed in college.

If your child has been diagnosed with hemiplegia or hemiparesis, you probably have concerns and questions about how this condition will affect your child’s life both in the present and the future. Hemiplegia and hemiparesis affect children differently depending on the cause and severity of the neurological disorder.

One in every 1,000 children has some type of hemiparesis or hemiplegia, so the condition is well-known and relatively common. There are a variety of treatments available for hemiplegia and hemiparesis. Below are more facts about these conditions to help you understand the symptoms and treatment options available to your child.

A hard blow or fall on the head can cause mild traumatic brain injury, or mild TBI, even if there is no loss of consciousness. This type of brain injury is also known as a concussion.

In the United States, brain injury is suffered most by young children under four years of age, teenagers, and adults who are past retirement age. While sports activities often lead to injury-related concussions in children, any jolt to the head can cause a concussion.

Parents should understand how to recognize concussion symptoms in children. Parents should also understand the treatment options and long-term management guidelines, which are detailed below.

There has been increased attention in the media about the prevalence of concussions in professional sports. But the prevalence of concussions for college athletes should not be ignored.

An NCAA study revealed that college athletes experience about 10,560 sports-related concussions each year. In fact, the Sports Concussion Institute reports that 36% of college athletes have experienced multiple concussions.

Concussions in college students are particularly concerning because the brain continues to develop until about age 25. Damaging the brain at a young age can have devastating consequences. Head injuries like concussions can negatively impact the development of skills like advanced problem solving, decision making, reasoning, and social consciousness.

Fortunately, if you experience cognitive symptoms after a sports-related concussion, a neuropsychologist can help.

After you deliver your bundle of joy, many couples are shocked to discover that there is little joy to be found. On average, 15% of new mothers experience postpartum depression. As weeks of “baby blues” extend into months of anxiety, anger, and sadness, many marriages can suffer from the strain.

Couples should take special care to make sure their marriage survives the trial of postpartum depression, as many cases can be severe, even leading to psychosis. Here are some tips that all couples should consider with a diagnosis of PPD to help fortify the relationship during the tough road to recovery.