MAIN Health Mental Health

While physical aches & pains often result in doctors' visits and evoke compassion from friends and family, mental health concerns often go unrecognized.

Fatigue, forgetfulness, irritability or irrational behavior caused by pyschological illness may cause annoyance in the same people who are the best support system during a physical illness.

Family relationships can become strained if no one knows that there are physical causes of dysfunctional behavior. Treating the person with the illness, therefore, often results in healing for the entire family.

Psychological disorders can be mild and cause little interference with an individual's life.

In instances like severe depression and post traumatic stress, they go way beyond symptoms of everyday stress and may prevent normal day to day activities, or result in patients descending into alcoholism or drug addiction as a form of self-treatment.

Unfortunately, the initial signs are not easy to spot in victims of depression or psychological illess. Symptoms may be dismissed by those around them as "moody" "bad" or "strange", but with growing awareness of the signs of these hidden illnesses more people who suffer from mental disorders are seeking help, finding treatment, and reclaiming their lives.

On the Net, there is a wealth of information on psychological disorders and treatment options. Along with assistance in finding professional treatments, there are self-help support groups, forums and live online chats, as well as expert guides & advice for others struggling with a loved one's psychological or mental health issues ...

Internet Mental Health - Featuring a database of descriptions and warnings for the most commonly prescribed drugs for mental illness, with discussion boards focusing on bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia, and suggested reading, helpful tips, related links.

Psych Web - Well-maintained site with liberal links to everything psych related. Link lists and information portals, research info, APA format and journals, self-help sites and top schools to study psychology...

American Psychological Association (APA) - Premier site for psych information from the APA. Resources for the professional and the general public are presented in an easy to use format. Good articles, good links, great site.

Psych Net - UK - Hundreds of links on this site lead to chat rooms, newsgroups, forums, and links to more about mental health. Geared to the mental health professional, but a good resource for anyone interested in the topic.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) - The mission of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is to diminish the burden of mental illness through research, providing access to fact sheets, clinical trials and funding opportunities for researchers.

Mental Help Net - Topics are introduced by an article with links to additional information and resources.

Psych Central - Mental Health & Psychology Resources Online - Extensive directory of mental health sites listed by diagnosis and professional resources. Includes plenty of information on self help support group forums and chats.

also see -> Alzheimer's Disease | Dementia