One of the most frequent cause of hypersomnia is narcolepsy. Victims of this strange disorder do not necessarily feel tired during the day; however, they are frequently overwhelmed by sudden, uncontrollable attacks of sleepiness. One of the most prominent—and troubling—features of narcolepsy is cataplexy, or muscle paralysis, a symptom that distinguishes this condition from other [...]

SRIs usually begin to work gradually: Occasionally, the medication begins to work in a dramatic fashion. Sometimes people can pinpoint the day, or even the hour, that it starts working. But typically it starts working gradually. People say things like “I felt a little better three days ago and today, but not for very long, [...]

“I started worrying about my skin when one of my friends in high school called me ‘pizza face,’ ” Patrick told me. “I know he was only kidding, but it stuck in my mind. I started feeling very self-conscious about my skin.” Scott started parents split up unexpectedly,” he said. “It was especially rough on [...]

Alcohol use and suicide go together. Recall from Chapter 1 that in 65% of all suicide attempts the individual had been drinking, and that 40% of all successful suicides are related to alcohol. The suicide rate in alcoholics is fifty-five times that of the general population. Before we all commit suicide ourselves over these statistics, [...]

THE SELF-MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC PAIN This involves the understanding and practice of the various ideas which we have discussed. Remember that this is not difficult, but it requires a little time and a little perseverance. Remember that many patients whom I have told these things verbally have succeeded. The only difference with you is that [...]

The key to our management of stress lies in those moments when our brain runs quietly in a way that restores harmony of function. This occurs naturally in our moments of repose and day-dreaming, in moments of stillness as we ponder some aspect of nature, and in the quiet that comes to our mind in [...]

In stress there is an over-alertness of brain cells. They fire off more easily than they should to minor stimuli which in normal circumstances would go unheeded. The result of this situation is that our aggression is aroused easily, and we tend to react with aggressive behaviour in a way that is less than appropriate. [...]

Stress may manifest itself in a great number of different bodily symptoms. Many of these bodily symptoms have a close resemblance to the symptoms of serious organic illness. So it is natural for the individual suffering from stress symptoms to think that he may in fact have some serious, life-threatening illness, rather than the unpleasantly [...]