Hallucinations: From 1 Different Sources
False perceptions arising without an adequate external stimulus, as opposed to illusions, which are misinterpretations of stimuli arising from an external object. Hallucinations come from ‘within’, although the affected individual may see them as coming from ‘without’. Nevertheless, they may occur at the same time as real perceptions, and may affect any sense (vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, etc.).
Causes They may be the result of intense emotion or suggestion, sensory deprivation (for example, overwork or lack of sleep), disorders of sense organs, or disorders of the central nervous system. Although hallucinations may occur in perfectly sane people, they are more commonly an indication of a MENTAL ILLNESS. They may be deliberately induced by the use of HALLUCINOGENS.
One of a group of mental disorders in which the affected person loses contact with reality. Thought processes are so disturbed that the person does not always realise that he or she is ill. Symptoms include DELUSIONS, HALLUCINATIONS, loss of emotion, MANIA, DEPRESSION, poverty of thought and seriously abnormal behaviour. Psychoses include SCHIZOPHRENIA, MANIC DEPRESSION and organically based mental disorders. (See also MENTAL ILLNESS.)... psychosis
An overall title for a group of psychiatric disorders typ?ed by disturbances in thinking, behaviour and emotional response. Despite its inaccurate colloquial description as ‘split personality’, schizophrenia should not be confused with MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER. The illness is disabling, running a protracted course that usually results in ill-health and, often, personality change. Schizophrenia is really a collection of symptoms and signs, but there is no speci?c diagnostic test for it. Similarity in the early stages to other mental disorders, such as MANIC DEPRESSION, means that the diagnosis may not be con?rmed until its response to treatment and its outcome can be assessed and other diseases excluded.
Causes There is an inherited element: parents, children or siblings of schizophrenic sufferers have a one in ten chance of developing the disorder; a twin has a 50 per cent chance if the other twin has schizophrenia. Some BRAIN disorders such as temporal lobe EPILEPSY, tumours and ENCEPHALITIS seem to be linked with schizophrenia. Certain drugs – for example, AMPHETAMINES – can precipitate schizophrenia and DOPAMINE-blocking drugs often relieve schizophrenic symptoms. Stress may worsen schizophrenia and recreational drugs may trigger an attack.
Symptoms These usually develop gradually until the individual’s behaviour becomes so distrubing or debilitating that work, relationships and basic activities such as eating and sleeping are interrupted. The patient may have disturbed perception with auditory HALLUCINATIONS, illogical thought-processes and DELUSIONS; low-key emotions (‘?at affect’); a sense of being invaded or controlled by outside forces; a lack of INSIGHT and inability to acknowledge reality; lethargy and/or agitation; a disrespect for personal appearance and hygiene; and a tendency to act strangely. Violence is rare although some sufferers commit violent acts which they believe their ‘inner voices’ have commanded.
Relatives and friends may try to cope with the affected person at home, but as severe episodes may last several months and require regular administration of powerful drugs – patients are not always good at taking their medication
– hospital admission may be necessary.
Treatment So far there is no cure for schizophrenia. Since the 1950s, however, a group of drugs called antipsychotics – also described as NEUROLEPTICS or major tranquillisers – have relieved ?orid symptoms such as thought disorder, hallucinations and delusions as well as preventing relapses, thus allowing many people to leave psychiatric hospitals and live more independently outside. Only some of these drugs have a tranquillising e?ect, but their sedative properties can calm patients with an acute attack. CHLORPROMAZINE is one such drug and is commonly used when treatment starts or to deal with an emergency. Halperidol, tri?uoperazine and pimozide are other drugs in the group; these have less sedative effects so are useful in treating those whose prominent symptoms are apathy and lethargy.
The antipsychotics’ mode of action is by blocking the activity of DOPAMINE, the chemical messenger in the brain that is faulty in schizophrenia. The drugs quicken the onset and prolong the remission of the disorder, and it is very important that patients take them inde?nitely. This is easier to ensure when a patient is in hospital or in a stable domestic environment.
CLOZAPINE – a newer, atypical antipsychotic drug – is used for treating schizophrenic patients unresponsive to, or intolerant of, conventional antipsychotics. It may cause AGRANULOCYTOSIS and use is con?ned to patients registered with the Clorazil (the drug’s registered name) Patient Monitoring Service. Amisulpride, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, sertindole and zotepine are other antipsychotic drugs described as ‘atypical’ by the British National Formulary; they may be better tolerated than other antipsychotics, and their varying properties mean that they can be targeted at patients with a particular grouping of symptoms. They should, however, be used with caution.
The welcome long-term shift of mentally ill patients from large hospitals to community care (often in small units) has, because of a lack of resources, led to some schizophrenic patients not being properly supervised with the result that they fail to take their medication regularly. This leads to a recurrence of symptoms and there have been occasional episodes of such patients in community care becoming a danger to themselves and to the public.
The antipsychotic drugs are powerful agents and have a range of potentially troubling side-effects. These include blurred vision, constipation, dizziness, dry mouth, limb restlessness, shaking, sti?ness, weight gain, and in the long term, TARDIVE DYSKINESIA (abnormal movements and walking) which affects about 20 per cent of those under treatment. Some drugs can be given by long-term depot injection: these include compounds of ?upenthixol, zuclopenthixol and haloperidol.
Prognosis About 25 per cent of sufferers recover fully from their ?rst attack. Another 25 per cent are disabled by chronic schizophrenia, never recover and are unable to live independently. The remainder are between these extremes. There is a high risk of suicide.... schizophrenia
Depression is a word that is regularly misused. Most people experience days or weeks when they feel low and fed up (feelings that may recur), but generally they get over it without needing to seek medical help. This is not clinical depression, best de?ned as a collection of psychological symptoms including sadness; unhappy thoughts characterised by worry, poor self-image, self-blame, guilt and low self-con?dence; downbeat views on the future; and a feeling of hopelessness. Su?erers may consider suicide, and in severe depression may soon develop HALLUCINATIONS and DELUSIONS.
Doctors make the diagnosis of depression when they believe a patient to be ill with the latter condition, which may affect physical health and in some instances be life-threatening. This form of depression is common, with up to 15 per cent of the population suffering from it at any one time, while about 20 per cent of adults have ‘medical’ depression at some time during their lives – such that it is one of the most commonly presenting disorders in general practice. Women seem more liable to develop depression than men, with one in six of the former and one in nine of the latter seeking medical help.
Manic depression is a serious form of the disorder that recurs throughout life and is manifested by bouts of abnormal elation – the manic stage. Both the manic and depressive phases are commonly accompanied by psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations and a loss of sense of reality. This combination is sometimes termed a manic-depressive psychosis or bipolar affective disorder because of the illness’s division into two parts. Another psychiatric description is the catch-all term ‘affective disorder’.
Symptoms These vary with the illness’s severity. Anxiety and variable moods are the main symptoms in mild depression. The sufferer may cry without any reason or be unresponsive to relatives and friends. In its more severe form, depression presents with a loss of appetite, sleeping problems, lack of interest in and enjoyment of social activities, tiredness for no obvious reason, an indi?erence to sexual activity and a lack of concentration. The individual’s physical and mental activities slow down and he or she may contemplate suicide. Symptoms may vary during the 24 hours, being less troublesome during the latter part of the day and worse at night. Some people get depressed during the winter months, probably a consequence of the long hours of darkness: this disorder – SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER SYNDROME, or SADS – is thought to be more common in populations living in areas with long winters and limited daylight. Untreated, a person with depressive symptoms may steadily worsen, even withdrawing to bed for much of the time, and allowing his or her personal appearance, hygiene and environment to deteriorate. Children and adolescents may also suffer from depression and the disorder is not always recognised.
Causes A real depressive illness rarely has a single obvious cause, although sometimes the death of a close relative, loss of employment or a broken personal relationship may trigger a bout. Depression probably has a genetic background; for instance, manic depression seems to run in some families. Viral infections sometimes cause depression, and hormonal disorders – for example, HYPOTHYROIDISM or postnatal hormonal disturbances (postnatal depression) – will cause it. Di?cult family or social relations can contribute to the development of the disorder. Depression is believed to occur because of chemical changes in the transmission of signals in the nervous system, with a reduction in the neurochemicals that facilitate the passage of messages throughout the system.
Treatment This depends on the type and severity of the depression. These are three main forms. PSYCHOTHERAPY either on a one-to-one basis or as part of a group: this is valuable for those whose depression is the result of lifestyle or personality problems. Various types of psychotherapy are available. DRUG TREATMENT is the most common method and is particularly helpful for those with physical symptoms. ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS are divided into three main groups: TRICYCLIC ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS (amitriptyline, imipramine and dothiepin are examples); MONOAMINE OXIDASE INHIBITORS (MAOIS) (phenelzine, isocarboxazid and tranylcypromine are examples); and SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS (SSRIS) (?uoxetine – well known as Prozac®, ?uvoxamine and paroxetine are examples). For manic depression, lithium carbonate is the main preventive drug and it is also used for persistent depression that fails to respond to other treatments. Long-term lithium treatment reduces the likelihood of relapse in about 80 per cent of manic depressives, but the margin between control and toxic side-effects is narrow, so the drug must be carefully supervised. Indeed, all drug treatment for depression needs regular monitoring as the substances have powerful chemical properties with consequential side-effects in some people. Furthermore, the nature of the illness means that some sufferers forget or do not want to take the medication. ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY (ECT) If drug treatments fail, severely depressed patients may be considered for ECT. This treatment has been used for many years but is now only rarely recommended. Given under general anaesthetic, in appropriate circumstances, ECT is safe and e?ective and may even be life-saving, though temporary impairment of memory may occur. Because the treatment was often misused in the past, it still carries a reputation that worries patients and relatives; hence careful assessment and counselling are essential before use is recommended.
Some patients with depression – particularly those with manic depression or who are a danger to themselves or to the public, or who are suicidal – may need admission to hospital, or in severe cases to a secure unit, in order to initiate treatment. But as far as possible patients are treated in the community (see MENTAL ILLNESS).... depression
The interpretation of a sensation. Information is received through the 5 senses (taste, smell, hearing, vision, and touch) and organized into a pattern by the brain. Factors such as attitude, mood, and expectations affect the final interpretation. Hallucinations are false perceptions that occur in the absence of sensory stimuli.... perception
The removal of normal external stimuli, such as sight and sound, from a person’s environment. Prolonged sensory deprivation can produce feelings of unreality, difficulty in thinking, and hallucinations.... sensory deprivation
(See also FIT; SEIZURE.) Epilepsy is the name given to any condition in which a person suffers repeated ?ts or seizures. It is present in one in 200 (0·5 per cent) of the population and up to 5 per cent of all children will have had a ?t by the age of 12, although most of these are harmless accompaniments of an acute feverish illness.
It is a recurrent and paroxysmal disorder starting suddenly and ceasing spontaneously due to occasional sudden excessive rapid and local discharge of the nerve cells in the grey matter (cortex) of the BRAIN. Epilepsy always arises in this way from the brain, but its origin is often of microscopic size. It is diagnosed by the clinical symptoms based on the observations of witnesses. Its cause can sometimes be established by laboratory tests, and brain scanning. Fits can be the ?rst sign of a tumour, or follow a stroke, brain injury or infection, but in the large majority no underlying cause is found – so-called idiopathic epilepsy.
A single epileptic ?t is not epilepsy. Of those people who have a single seizure, a signi?cant minority (20 per cent) have no further attacks.
Major (generalised) seizures have a sudden, often unprovoked onset; the patient emits a cry, then falls to the ground, rigid, blue, and then twitching or jerking both sides of the body: the tonic-clonic convulsion. Drowsiness and confusion may last for some hours after recovering consciousness. Some experience a momentary warning (AURA): a smell, or sensation in the head or abdomen, vision, or déjà vu.
Partial seizures: focal motor (Jacksonian) begin with twitching of the angle of the mouth, the thumb, or the big toe. If the seizure discharge then spreads, the twitching or jerking spreads gradually through the limbs. Consciousness is preserved unless the seizure spreads to produce a secondary generalised ?t. In some attacks the eyes and head may turn, the arm may rise, and the body may turn, while some patients feel tingling in the limbs.
Complex partial seizures (temporal lobe epilepsy) The patient usually appears blank, vacant and may be unable to talk, or may mumble or chatter – though later they often have no memory of this period. They may be able to carry out complex tasks, taking o? gloves or clothes, and may smack their lips or rub repeatedly on one limb (automatisms). A sense of strangeness supervenes: unreality, or a feeling of having experienced it all before (déja vu). There may be a sense of panic. Strange unpleasant smells and tastes are olfactory and gustatory hallucinations. The visual hallucinations evoke complex scenes. An initial rising sense of warmth or discomfort in the stomach, or ‘speeding-up’ of thoughts are common psychomotor symptoms. All these strange symptoms are brief, disappearing within a few seconds or up to 3–4 minutes.
Minor seizures (petit mal) Attacks start in childhood. They last a few seconds. The child ceases what he or she is doing, stares, looks a little pale, and may ?utter the eyelids. The head may drop forwards. Attacks are commonly provoked by overbreathing. The child and parents may be unaware of the attacks
– ‘just daydreaming’. Major ?ts develop in one-third of subjects. By contrast with other types of epilepsy, the ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM (EEG) is diagnostic.
Precautions Children with epilepsy should take normal school exercises and games, and can swim under supervision. Adults must avoid working at heights, with exposed dangerous machinery, and driving vehicles on public roads. Current legislation allows driving after two years of complete freedom from attacks during waking hours; those who for more than three years have had a history of attacks only while asleep may also drive.
Treatment identi?es, and avoids where possible, any factors (such as shortage of sleep or excessive ?uids) which aggravate or trigger attacks. If ?ts are very infrequent, treatment may not be recommended. However, frequent ?ts may be embarassing, may cause injury or may cause long-term brain damage so treatment is advisable. Anti-epileptic drugs are usually necessary for several years under medical supervision. Carbamazepine and sodium valproate are the most frequently prescribed. The dose is governed by the degree of control of ?ts and sometimes drug levels can be monitored by blood tests to check on dosage. Strict adherence to the drug schedule gives a reasonable chance of total suppression of ?ts, especially in younger patients whose ?ts have started recently. The table summarises anticonvulsant drugs in use. Interactions can occur between anti-epileptics and, if drug treatment is changed, the patient needs careful monitoring. In particular, abrupt withdrawal of a drug should be avoided as this may precipitate severe rebound seizures.
Indications First-choice drugs: Ethosuximide PM, JME Phenobarbitone M, P Phenytoin M, P, CP Carbamazepine M, P, CP Valproate M, PM, JME Second-line drugs: Primidone M, P, CP Clobazam M, CP Vigabatrin M, P, CP Lamotrigine M, P, CP Gabapentin M, P, CP Topirimate P
M = major generalised tonic-clonic; P = partial or focal; CP = complex partial (temporal lobe); PM = petit mal; JME = juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.
Anticonvulsant drugs
As all anticonvulsant drugs have an e?ect on the brain, it is not surprising that there may be side-effects, especially inolving alertness or behaviour. In each case careful assessment is necessary for doctor and patient to agree on the best compromise between stopping ?ts and avoiding ill-effects of medication.
Patients who have an epileptic seizure should not be restrained or have a gag or anything else placed in their mouths; nor should they be moved unless in danger of further injury. Any tight clothing around the neck should be loosened and, when the seizure has passed, the person should be placed in the recovery position to facilitate a return to consciousness (see APPENDIX 1: BASIC FIRST AID).
Patients with epilepsy and their relatives can obtain further advice and information from the British Epilepsy Association or Epilepsy Action Scotland.... epilepsy
Also called a FIT, this is a sudden burst of uncontrolled electrical activity in the BRAIN. A seizure may be generalised or partial: in the former, abnormal electrical activity may affect the whole brain, resulting in unconsciousness and characteristic of EPILEPSY; in partial seizures, abnormal electrical activity occurs in one part of the brain. HALLUCINATIONS may occur and localised symptoms include muscular twitching or a tingling sensation in a small area of the face, arm, leg or trunk. Di?erent neurological or medical disorders may cause seizures: for example, STROKE, brain tumour, head injury, infection or metabolic disturbance (see METABOLISM; METABOLIC DISORDERS). People dependent on alcohol may suffer seizures if they stop drinking. Treatment is of the underlying condition coupled with antiepileptic drgus such as CARBAMAZEPINE, lamotrigine, SODIUM VALPROATE or PHENYTOIN SODIUM.... seizure
A perception that occurs when there is no external stimulus. Auditory hallucinations (the hearing of voices) are a major symptom of schizophrenia but may also be caused by manic–depressive illness and certain brain disorders. Visual hallucinations are most often found in states of delirium brought on by a physical illness (such as pneumonia) or alcohol withdrawal (delirium tremens). Hallucinogenic drugs are another common cause of visual hallucinations. Hallucinations of smell are associated with temporal lobe epilepsy. Those of touch and taste are rare, however, and occur mainly in people with schizophrenia. People subjected to sensory deprivation or overwhelming physical stress sometimes suffer from temporary hallucinations.... hallucination
A colourless liquid, also called ethanol or ethyl-alcohol, produced by the fermentation of carbohydrates by yeast. Medically, alcohol is used as a solvent and an antiseptic; recreationally it is a widely used drug, taken in alcoholic drinks to give a pleasant taste as well as to relax, reduce inhibitions, and increase sociability. Taken to excess, alcohol causes much mental and physical harm – not just to the individual imbibing it, but often to their family, friends, community and work colleagues.
Alcohol depresses the central nervous system and disturbs both mental and physical functioning. Even small doses of alcohol will slow a person’s re?exes and concentration; potentially dangerous effects when, for example, driving or operating machinery. Drunkenness causes slurred speech, muddled thinking, amnesia (memory loss), drowsiness, erectile IMPOTENCE, poor coordination and dulled reactions – thereby making driving or operating machinery especially dangerous. Disinhibition may lead to extreme euphoria, irritability, misery or aggression, depending on the underlying mood at the start of drinking. Severe intoxication may lead to COMA and respiratory failure.
Persistent alcohol misuse leads to physical, mental, social and occupational problems, as well as to a risk of DEPENDENCE (see also ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE). Misuse may follow several patterns: regular but controlled heavy intake, ‘binge’ drinking, and dependence (alcoholism). The ?rst pattern usually leads to mainly physical problems such as gastritis, peptic ulcer, liver disease, heart disease and impotence. The second is most common among young men and usually leads to mainly social and occupational problems – getting into ?ghts, jeopardising personal relationships, overspending on alcohol at weekends, and missing days o? work because of hangovers. The third pattern – alcohol dependence – is the most serious, and can severely disrupt health and social stability.
Many researchers consider alcohol dependence to be an illness that runs in families, with a genetic component which is probably passed on as a vulnerable personality. But it is hard to disentangle genetic, environmental and social factors in such families. In the UK there are estimated to be around a million people suffering from alcohol dependence and a similar number who have di?culty controlling their consumption (together about 1:30 of the population).
Alcohol causes tolerance and both physical and psychological dependence (see DEPENDENCE for de?nitions). Dependent drinkers classically drink early in the morning to relieve overnight withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms include anxiety, restlessness, nausea and vomiting, and tremor. Sudden withdrawal from regular heavy drinking can lead to life-threatening delirium tremens (DTs), with severe tremor, hallucinations (often visual – seeing spiders and monsters, rather than the pink elephants of romantic myth), and CONVULSIONS. This must be treated urgently with sedative drugs, preferably by intravenous drip. Similar symptoms, plus severe INCOORDINATION and double-vision, can occur in WERNICKE’S ENCEPHALOPATHY, a serious neurological condition due to lack of the B vitamin thiamine (whose absorption from the stomach is markedly reduced by alcohol). If not treated urgently with injections of thiamine and other vitamins, this can lead to an irreversible form of brain damage called Korsako?’s psychosis, with severe amnesia. Finally, prolonged alcohol misuse can cause a form of dementia.
In addition to these severe neurological disorders, the wide range of life-threatening problems caused by heavy drinking includes HEPATITIS, liver CIRRHOSIS, pancreatitis (see PANCREAS, DISEASES OF), gastrointestinal haemorrhage, suicide and FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME; pregnant women should not drink alcohol as this syndrome may occur with more than a glass of wine or half-pint of beer a day. The social effects of alcohol misuse – such as marital breakdown, family violence and severe debt – can be equally devastating.
Treatment of alcohol-related problems is only moderately successful. First, many of the physical problems are treated in the short term by doctors who fail to spot, or never ask about, heavy drinking. Second, attempts at treating alcohol dependence by detoxi?cation or ‘drying out’ (substituting a tranquillising drug for alcohol and withdrawing it gradually over about a week) are not always followed-up by adequate support at home, so that drinking starts again. Home support by community alcohol teams comprising doctors, nurses, social workers and, when appropriate, probation o?cers is a recent development that may have better results. Many drinkers ?nd the voluntary organisation Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and its related groups for relatives (Al-Anon) and teenagers (Alateen) helpful because total abstinence from alcohol is encouraged by intensive psychological and social support from fellow ex-drinkers.
Useful contacts are: Alcoholics Anonymous; Al-Anon Family Groups UK and Eire (including Alateen); Alcohol Concern; Alcohol Focus Scotland; and Alcohol and Substance Misuse.
1 standard drink =1 unit
=••• pint of beer
=1 measure of spirits
=1 glass of sherry or vermouth
=1 glass of wine
Limits within which alcohol is believed not to cause long-term health risks:... alcohol
Physical or psychological reliance on a substance or an individual. A baby is naturally dependent on its parents, but as the child develops, this dependence lessens. Some adults, however, remain partly dependent, making abnormal demands for admiration, love and help from parents, relatives and others.
The dependence that most concerns modern society is one in which individuals become dependent on or addicted to certain substances such as alcohol, drugs, tobacco (nicotine), caffeine and solvents. This is often called substance abuse. Some people become addicted to certain foods or activities: examples of the latter include gambling, computer games and use of the Internet.
The 28th report of the World Health Organisation Expert Committee on Drug Dependence in 1993 de?ned drug dependence as: ‘A cluster of physiological, behavioural and cognitive phenomena of variable intensity, in which the use of a psychoactive drug (or drugs) takes on a high priority. The necessary descriptive characteristics are preoccupation with a desire to obtain and take the drug and persistent drug-seeking behaviour. Psychological dependence occurs when the substance abuser craves the drug’s desirable effects. Physical dependence occurs when the user has to continue taking the drug to avoid distressing withdrawal or abstinence symptoms. Thus, determinants and the problematic consequences of drug dependence may be biological, psychological or social and usually interact.’
Di?erent drugs cause di?erent rates of dependence: TOBACCO is the most common substance of addiction; HEROIN and COCAINE cause high rates of addiction; whereas ALCOHOL is much lower, and CANNABIS lower again. Smoking in the western world reached a peak after World War II with almost 80 per cent of the male population smoking. The reports on the link between smoking and cancer in the early 1960s resulted in a decline that has continued so that only around a quarter of the adult populations of the UK and USA smokes. Globally, tobacco consumption continues to grow, particularly in the developing world with multinational tobacco companies marketing their products aggressively.
Accurate ?gures for illegal drug-taking are hard to obtain, but probably approximately 4 per cent of the population is dependent on alcohol and 2 per cent on other drugs, both legal and illegal, at any one time in western countries.
How does dependence occur? More than 40 distinct theories or models of drug misuse have been put forward. One is that the individual consumes drugs to cope with personal problems or diffculties in relations with others. The other main model emphasises environmental in?uences such as drug availability, environmental pressures to consume drugs, and sociocultural in?uences such as peer pressure.
By contrast to these models of why people misuse drugs, models of compulsive drug use – where individuals have a compulsive addiction
– have been amenable to testing in the laboratory. Studies at cellular and nerve-receptor levels are attempting to identify mechanisms of tolerance and dependence for several substances. Classical behaviour theory is a key model for understanding drug dependence. This and current laboratory studies are being used to explain the reinforcing nature of dependent substances and are helping to provide an explanatory framework for dependence. Drug consumption is a learned form of behaviour. Numerous investigators have used conditioning theories to study why people misuse drugs. Laboratory studies are now locating the ‘reward pathways’ in the brain for opiates and stimulants where positive reinforcing mechanisms involve particular sectors of the brain. There is a consensus among experts in addiction that addictive behaviour is amenable to e?ective treatment, and that the extent to which an addict complies with treatment makes it possible to predict a positive outcome. But there is a long way to go before the mechanisms of drug addiction are properly understood or ways of treating it generally agreed.
Effects of drugs Cannabis, derived from the plant Cannabis sativa, is a widely used recreational drug. Its two main forms are marijuana, which comes from the dried leaves, and hashish which comes from the resin. Cannabis may be used in food and drink but is usually smoked in cigarettes to induce relaxation and a feeling of well-being. Heavy use can cause apathy and vagueness and may even cause psychosis. Whether or not cannabis leads people to using harder drugs is arguable, and a national debate is underway on whether its use should be legalised for medicinal use. Cannabis may alleviate the symptoms of some disorders – for example, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) – and there are calls to allow the substance to be classi?ed as a prescribable drug.
About one in ten of Britain’s teenagers misuses volatile substances such as toluene at some time, but only about one in 40 does so regularly. These substances are given o? by certain glues, solvents, varnishes, and liquid fuels, all of which can be bought cheaply in shops, although their sale to children under 16 is illegal. They are often inhaled from plastic bags held over the nose and mouth. Central-nervous-system excitation, with euphoria and disinhibition, is followed by depression and lethargy. Unpleasant effects include facial rash, nausea and vomiting, tremor, dizziness, and clumsiness. Death from COMA and acute cardiac toxicity is a serious risk. Chronic heavy use can cause peripheral neuropathy and irreversible cerebellar damage. (See SOLVENT ABUSE (MISUSE).)
The hallucinogenic or psychedelic drugs include LYSERGIC ACID DIETHYLAMIDE (LSD) or acid, magic mushrooms, ecstasy (MDMA), and phencyclidine (PCP or ‘angel’ dust, mainly used in the USA). These drugs have no medicinal uses. Taken by mouth, they produce vivid ‘trips’, with heightened emotions and perceptions and sometimes with hallucinations. They are not physically addictive but can cause nightmarish bad trips during use and ?ashbacks (vivid reruns of trips) after use, and can probably trigger psychosis and even death, especially if drugs are mixed or taken with alcohol.
Stimulant drugs such as amphetamine and cocaine act like adrenaline and speed up the central nervous system, making the user feel con?dent, energetic, and powerful for several hours. They can also cause severe insomnia, anxiety, paranoia, psychosis, and even sudden death due to convulsions or tachycardia. Depression may occur on withdrawal of these drugs, and in some users this is su?ciently deterrent to cause psychological dependence. Amphetamine (‘speed’) is mainly synthesised illegally and may be eaten, sni?ed, or injected. Related drugs, such as dexamphetamine sulphate (Dexedrine), are prescribed pills that enter the black market. ECSTASY is another amphetamine derivative that has become a popular recreational drug; it may have fatal allergic effects. Cocaine and related drugs are used in medicine as local anaesthetics. Illegal supplies of cocaine (‘snow’ or ‘ice’) and its derivative, ‘crack’, come mainly from South America, where they are made from the plant Erythroxylon coca. Cocaine is usually sni?ed (‘snorted’) or rubbed into the gums; crack is burnt and inhaled.
Opiate drugs are derived from the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. They are described as narcotic because they induce sleep. Their main medical use is as potent oral or injectable analgesics such as MORPHINE, DIAMORPHINE, PETHIDINE HYDROCHLORIDE, and CODEINE. The commonest illegal opiate is heroin, a powdered form of diamorphine that may be smoked, sni?ed, or injected to induce euphoria and drowsiness. Regular opiate misuse leads to tolerance (the need to take ever larger doses to achieve the same e?ect) and marked dependence. A less addictive oral opiate, METHADONE HYDROCHLORIDE, can be prescribed as a substitute that is easier to withdraw.
Some 75,000–150,000 Britons now misuse opiates and other drugs intravenously, and pose a huge public-health problem because injections with shared dirty needles can carry the blood-borne viruses that cause AIDS/HIV and HEPATITIS B. Many clinics now operate schemes to exchange old needles for clean ones, free of charge. Many addicts are often socially disruptive.
For help and advice see APPENDIX 2: ADDRESSES: SOURCES OF INFORMATION, ADVICE, SUPPORT AND SELF-HELP – National Dugs Helpline.
(See ALCOHOL and TOBACCO for detailed entries on those subjects.)... dependence
Ergot poisoning, or ergotism, occasionally results from eating bread made from rye infected with the fungus, Claviceps purpurea. Several terrible epidemics (St Anthony’s Fire), characterised by intense pain and hallucinations, occurred in France and Germany during the Middle Ages (see ERYSIPELAS). Its symptoms are the occurrence of spasmodic muscular contractions, and the gradual production of gangrene in parts like the ?ngers, toes and tips of the ears because of constriction of blood vessels and therefore the blood supply.... ergot poisoning
Producing hallucinations... hallucinogenic
See HALLUCINATIONS.... illusions
An anaesthetic drug, administered by intravenous or intramuscular injection and used mainly in children. The drug has good analgesic properties when used in subanaesthetic doses. One disadvantage is that when used as an anaesthetic, a high incidence of hallucinations occur. Ketamine is contraindicated in patients with HYPERTENSION.... ketamine
Atropa belladonna (deadly nightshade) is a relatively rare plant and severe poisoning is not common. The berries, which are black, ripen from August to October and are the most commonly ingested part of the plant. However, all parts of the plant are toxic. The berries contain ATROPINE and other unidenti?ed ALKALOIDS, the leaves HYOSCINE and atropine, and the roots hyoscine. All these alkaloids have an ANTICHOLINERGIC e?ect which may cause a dry mouth, dilated pupils with blurred vision, TACHYCARDIA, HALLUCINATIONS and PYREXIA. There may also be ATAXIA, agitation, disorientation and confusion. In severe cases there may be CONVULSIONS, COMA, respiratory depression and ARRHYTHMIA. Clinical effects may be delayed in onset for up to 12 hours, and prolonged for several days. Treatment is supportive.... belladonna poisoning
De?ned simply, this is a disorder of the brain’s processes that makes the sufferer feel or seem ill, and may prevent that person from coping with daily life. Psychiatrists – doctors specialising in diagnosing and treating mental illness – have, however, come up with a range of much more complicated de?nitions over the years.
Psychiatrists like to categorise mental illnesses because mental signs and symptoms do occur together in clusters or syndromes, each tending to respond to certain treatments. The idea that illnesses can be diagnosed simply by recognising their symptom patterns may not seem very scienti?c in these days of high technology. For most common mental illnesses, however, this is the only method of diagnosis; whatever is going wrong in the brain is usually too poorly understood and too subtle to show up in laboratory tests or computed tomography scans of the brain. And symptom-based definitions of mental illnesses are, generally, a lot more meaningful than the vague lay term ‘nervous breakdown’, which is used to cover an attack of anything from AGORAPHOBIA to total inability to function.
There is still a lot to learn about the workings of the brain, but psychiatry has developed plenty of practical knowledge about the probable causes of mental illness, ways of relieving symptoms, and ways of aiding recovery. Most experts now believe that mental illnesses generally arise from di?erent combinations of inherited risk and psychological STRESS, sometimes with additional environmental exposure – for example, viruses, drugs or ALCOHOL.
The range of common mental illnesses includes anxiety states, PHOBIA, DEPRESSION, alcohol and drug problems, the EATING DISORDERS anorexia and bulimia nervosa, MANIC DEPRESSION, SCHIZOPHRENIA, DEMENTIA, and a group of problems related to coping with life that psychiatrists call personality disorders.
Of these mental illnesses, dementia is the best understood. It is an irreversible and fatal form of mental deterioration (starting with forgetfulness and eventually leading to severe failure of all the brain’s functions), caused by rapid death of brain cells and consequent brain shrinkage. Schizophrenia is another serious mental illness which disrupts thought-processes, speech, emotions and perception (how the brain handles signals from the ?ve senses). Manic depression, in which prolonged ‘highs’ of extremely elevated mood and overexcitement alternate with abject misery, has similar effects on the mental processes. In both schizophrenia and manic depression the sufferer loses touch with reality, develops unshakeable but completely unrealistic ideas (delusions), and hallucinates (vividly experiences sensations that are not real, e.g. hears voices when there is nobody there). This triad of symptoms is called psychosis and it is what lay people, through fear and lack of understanding, sometimes call lunacy, madness or insanity.
The other mental illnesses mentioned above are sometimes called neuroses. But the term has become derogatory in ordinary lay language; indeed, many people assume that neuroses are mild disorders that only affect weak people who cannot ‘pull themselves together’, while psychoses are always severe. In reality, psychoses can be brief and reversible and neuroses can cause lifelong disability.
However de?ned and categorised, mental illness is a big public-health problem. In the UK, up to one in ?ve women and around one in seven men have had mental illness. About half a million people in Britain suffer from schizophrenia: it is three times commoner than cancer. And at any one time, up to a tenth of the adult population is ill with depression.
Treatment settings Most people with mental-health problems get the help they need from their own family doctor(s), without ever seeing a psychiatrist. General practictitioners in Britain treat nine out of ten recognised mental-health problems and see around 12 million adults with mental illness each year. Even for the one in ten of these patients referred to psychiatrists, general practitioners usually handle those problems that continue or recur.
Psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, social workers, psychologists, counsellors and therapists often see patients at local doctors’ surgeries and will do home visits if necessary. Community mental-health centres – like general-practice health centres but catering solely for mental-health problems – o?er another short-cut to psychiatric help. The more traditional, and still more common, route to a psychiatrist for many people, however, is from the general practititioner to a hospital outpatient department.
Specialist psychiatric help In many ways, a visit to a psychiatrist is much like any trip to a hospital doctor – and, indeed, psychiatric clinics are often based in the outpatient departments of general hospitals. First appointments with psychiatrists can last an hour or more because the psychiatrist – and sometimes other members of the team such as nurses, doctors in training, and social workers – need to ask lots of questions and record the whole consultation in a set of con?dential case notes.
Psychiatric assessment usually includes an interview and an examination, and is sometimes backed up by a range of tests. The interview begins with the patient’s history – the personal story that explains how and, to some extent, why help is needed now. Mental-health problems almost invariably develop from a mixture of causes – emotional, social, physical and familial – and it helps psychiatrists to know what the people they see are normally like and what kind of lives they have led. These questions may seem unnecessarily intrusive, but they allow psychiatrists to understand patients’ problems and decide on the best way to help them.
The next stage in assessment is the mental-state examination. This is how psychiatrists examine minds, or at least their current state. Mental-state examination entails asking more questions and using careful observation to assess feelings, thoughts and mental symptoms, as well as the way the mind is working (for example, in terms of memory and concentration). During ?rst consultations psychiatrists usually make diagnoses and explain them. The boundary between a life problem that will clear up spontaneously and a mental illness that needs treatment is sometimes quite blurred; one consultation may be enough to put the problem in perspective and help to solve it.
Further assessment in the clinic may be needed, or some additional tests. Simple blood tests can be done in outpatient clinics but other investigations will mean referral to another department, usually on another day.
Further assessment and tests
PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS Psychologists work in or alongside the psychiatric team, helping in both assessment and treatment. The range of psychological tests studies memory, intelligence, personality, perception and capability for abstract thinking. PHYSICAL TESTS Blood tests and brain scans may be useful to rule out a physical illness causing psychological symptoms. SOCIAL ASSESSMENT Many patients have social diffculties that can be teased out and helped by a psychiatric social worker. ‘Approved social workers’ have special training in the use of the Mental Health Act, the law that authorises compulsory admissions to psychiatric hospitals and compulsory psychiatric treatments. These social workers also know about all the mental-health services o?ered by local councils and voluntary organisations, and can refer clients to them. The role of some social workers has been widened greatly in recent years by the expansion of community care. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSESSMENT Mental-health problems causing practical disabilities – for instance, inability to work, cook or look after oneself – can be assessed and helped by occupational therapists.
Treatment The aims of psychiatric treatment are to help sufferers shake o?, or at least cope with, symptoms and to gain or regain an acceptable quality of life. A range of psychological and physical treatments is available.
COUNSELLING This is a widely used ‘talking cure’, particularly in general practice. Counsellors listen to their clients, help them to explore feelings, and help them to ?nd personal and practical solutions to their problems. Counsellors do not probe into clients’ pasts or analyse them. PSYCHOTHERAPY This is the best known ‘talking cure’. The term psychotherapy is a generalisation covering many di?erent concepts. They all started, however, with Sigmund Freud (see FREUDIAN THEORY), the father of modern psychotherapy. Freud was a doctor who discovered that, as well as the conscious thoughts that guide our feelings and actions, there are powerful psychological forces of which we are not usually aware. Applying his theories to his patients’ freely expressed thoughts, Freud was able to cure many illnesses, some of which had been presumed completely physical. This was the beginning of individual analytical psychotherapy, or PSYCHOANALYSIS. Although Freud’s principles underpin all subsequent theories about the psyche, many di?erent schools of thought have emerged and in?uenced psychotherapists (see ADLER; JUNGIAN ANALYSIS; PSYCHOTHERAPY). BEHAVIOUR THERAPY This springs from theories of human behaviour, many of which are based on studies of animals. The therapists, mostly psychologists, help people to look at problematic patterns of behaviour and thought, and to change them. Cognitive therapy is very e?ective, particularly in depression and eating disorders. PHYSICAL TREATMENTS The most widely used physical treatments in psychiatry are drugs. Tranquillising and anxiety-reducing BENZODIAZEPINES like diazepam, well known by its trade name of Valium, were prescribed widely in the 1960s and 70s because they seemed an e?ective and safe substitute for barbiturates. Benzodiazepines are, however, addictive and are now recommended only for short-term relief of anxiety that is severe, disabling, or unacceptably distressing. They are also used for short-term treatment of patients drying out from alcohol.
ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS like amitriptyline and ?uoxetine are given to lift depressed mood and to relieve the physical symptoms that sometimes occur in depression, such as insomnia and poor appetite. The side-effects of antidepressants are mostly relatively mild, when recommended doses are not exceeded – although one group, the monoamine oxidase inhibitors, can lead to sudden and dangerous high blood pressure if taken with certain foods.
Manic depression virtually always has to be treated with mood-stabilising drugs. Lithium carbonate is used in acute mania to lower mood and stop psychotic symptoms; it can also be used in severe depression. However lithium’s main use is to prevent relapse in manic depression. Long-term unwanted effects may include kidney and thyroid problems, and short-term problems in the nervous system and kidney may occur if the blood concentration of lithium is too high – therefore it must be monitored by regular blood tests. Carbamazepine, a treatment for EPILEPSY, has also been found to stabilise mood, and also necessitates blood tests.
Antipsychotic drugs, also called neuroleptics, and major tranquillisers are the only e?ective treatments for relieving serious mental illnesses with hallucinations and delusions. They are used mainly in schizophrenia and include the short-acting drugs chlorpromazine and clozapine as well as the long-lasting injections given once every few weeks like ?uphenazine decanoate. In the long term, however, some of the older antipsychotic drugs can cause a brain problem called TARDIVE DYSKINESIA that affects control of movement and is not always reversible. And the antipsychotic drugs’ short-term side-effects such as shaking and sti?ness sometimes have to be counteracted by other drugs called anticholinergic drugs such as procyclidine and benzhexol. Newer antipsychotic drugs such as clozapine do not cause tardive dyskinesia, but clozapine cannot be given as a long-lasting injection and its concentration in the body has to be monitored by regular blood tests to avoid toxicity. OTHER PHYSICAL TREATMENTS The other two physical treatments used in psychiatry are particularly controversial: electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and psychosurgery. In ECT, which can be life-saving for patients who have severe life-threatening depression, a small electric current is passed through the brain to induce a ?t or seizure. Before the treatment the patient is anaesthetised and given a muscle-relaxing injection that reduces the magnitude of the ?t to a slight twitching or shaking. Scientists do not really understand how ECT works, but it does, for carefully selected patients. Psychosurgery – operating on the brain to alleviate psychiatric illness or di?cult personality traits – is extremely uncommon these days. Stereo-tactic surgery, in which small cuts are made in speci?c brain ?bres under X-ray guidance, has super-seded the more generalised lobotomies of old. The Mental Health Act 1983 ensures that psychosurgery is performed only when the patient has given fully informed consent and a second medical opinion has agreed that it is necessary. For all other psychiatric treatments (except another rare treatment, hormone implantation for reducing the sex drive of sex o?enders), either consent or a second opinion is needed – not both. TREATMENT IN HOSPITAL Psychiatric wards do not look like medical or surgical wards and sta? may not wear uniforms. Patients do not need to be in their beds during the day, so the beds are in separate dormitories. The main part of most wards is a living space with a day room, an activity and television room, quiet rooms, a dining room, and a kitchen. Ward life usually has a certain routine. The day often starts with a community meeting at which patients and nurses discuss issues that affect the whole ward. Patients may go to the occupational therapy department during the day, but there may also be some therapy groups on the ward, such as relaxation training. Patients’ symptoms and problems are assessed continuously during a stay in hospital. When patients seem well enough they are allowed home for trial periods; then discharge can be arranged. Patients are usually followed up in the outpatient clinic at least once.
TREATING PATIENTS WITH ACUTE PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS Psychiatric emergencies – patients with acute psychiatric illness – may develop from psychological, physical, or practical crises. Any of these crises may need quick professional intervention. Relatives and friends often have to get this urgent help because the sufferer is not ?t enough to do it or, if psychotic, does not recognise the need. First, they should ring the person’s general practitioner. If the general practitioner is not available and help is needed very urgently, relatives or friends should phone the local social-services department and ask for the duty social worker (on 24-hour call). In a dire emergency, the police will know what to do.
Any disturbed adult who threatens his or her own or others’ health and safety and refuses psychiatric help may be moved and detained by law. The Mental Health Act of 1983 authorises emergency assessment and treatment of any person with apparent psychiatric problems that ful?l these criteria.
Although admission to hospital may be the best solution, there are other ways that psychiatric services can respond to emergencies. In some districts there are ‘crisis intervention’ teams of psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers who can visit patients urgently at home (at a GP’s request) and, sometimes, avert unnecessary admission. And research has shown that home treatment for a range of acute psychiatric problems can be e?ective.
LONG-TERM TREATMENT AND COMMUNITY CARE Long-term treatment is often provided by GPs with support and guidance from psychiatric teams. That is ?ne for people whose problems allow them to look after themselves, and for those with plenty of support from family and friends. But some people need much more intensive long-term treatment and many need help with running their daily lives.
Since the 1950s, successive governments have closed the old psychiatric hospitals and have tried to provide as much care as possible outside hospital – in ‘the community’. Community care is e?ective as long as everyone who needs inpatient care, or residential care, can have it. But demand exceeds supply. Research has shown that some homeless people have long-term mental illnesses and have somehow lost touch with psychiatric services. Many more have developed more general long-term health problems, particularly related to alcohol, without ever getting help.
The NHS and Community Care Act 1990, in force since 1993, established a new breed of professionals called care managers to assess people whose long-term illnesses and disabilities make them unable to cope completely independently with life. Care managers are given budgets by local councils to assess people’s needs and to arrange for them tailor-made packages of care, including services like home helps and day centres. But co-ordination between health and social services has sometimes failed – and resources are limited – and the government decided in 1997 to tighten up arrangements and pool community-care budgets.
Since 1992 psychiatrists have had to ensure that people with severe mental illnesses have full programmes of care set up before discharge from hospital, to be overseen by named key workers. And since 1996 psychiatrists have used a new power called Supervised Discharge to ensure that the most vulnerable patients cannot lose touch with mental-health services. There is not, however, any law that allows compulsory treatment in the community.
There is ample evidence that community care can work and that it need not cost more than hospital care. Critics argue, however, that even one tragedy resulting from inadequate care, perhaps a suicide or even a homicide, should reverse the march to community care. And, according to the National Schizophrenia Fellowship, many of the 10–15 homicides a year carried out by people with severe mental illnesses result from inadequate community care.
Further information can be obtained from the Mental Health Act Commission, and from MIND, the National Association for Mental Health. MIND also acts as a campaigning and advice organisation on all aspects of mental health.... mental illness
More accurately called complex partial seizures, this is a type of EPILEPSY in which the abnormal cerebral activity originates in the temporal lobe of the BRAIN. It is characterised by hallucinations of smell and sometimes of taste, hearing, or sight. There may be disturbances of memory, including déjà vu phenomena. AUTOMATISM may occur, but consciousness is seldom lost.... temporal lobe epilepsy
A drug used for prevention and treatment of malaria in parts of the world where the parasite that causes it is resistant to chloroquine. Mefloquine is one of the preferred treatments for falciparum malaria. Side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Rarely, there may be panic attacks, hallucinations, and psychosis.... mefloquine
An opioid analgesic drug used to relieve moderate or severe pain caused by injury, surgery, cancer, or childbirth. It is rarely used because of its adverse affects, which include dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, and, rarely, hallucinations. Drug dependence may develop if high doses are taken for prolonged periods.... pentazocine
Drinking sassafras tea has both its pros and cons. The health benefits tempt you to give it a try. However, you should be aware of its side effects, as well. Find out more about both the health benefits and the side effects of sassafras tea.
About Sassafras Tea
Sassafras tea is made from the roots or leaves of the sassafras tree. This tree can be found in eastern North America and eastern Asia.
The tree’s height varies between 9m and 18m. It has a thick trunk, with many thin branches and a smooth, orange-brown bark. The leaves have three distinct patterns (unlobed, bilobed, trilobed); they have smooth margins and can be 7-20cm long. The trees have small, yellow flowers with five petals, and a blue-black, egg-shaped fruit.
The leaves are often used to season dishes. Also, rootbeer got its name from the oil extracted from sassafras tree root.
How to make Sassafras Tea
Both sassafras tree root and leaves can be used to make a cup of sassafras tea. Add a handful of either root or leaves to a pot of boiling water. Cover and let it steep for about 20 minutes. Once the steeping time is done, strain to clear the liquid.
Sassafras Tea Benefits
Sassafras tea gets many active constituents from either the root or the leaves of the sassafras tree. Some of them include safrole, tannins, mucilage, asarone, and alpha-pinene. This leads to the tea having many health benefits.
Sassafras tea works both as a blood thinner and as a blood purifier. Drinking it also promotes the process of extracting toxins from your body.
Drinking sassafras tea can help if you’ve got a cold or the flu. Also, it can be used in the treatment for bronchitis and gonorrhea.
With sassafras tea, you can also treat liver and kidney problems, urinary tract problems, arthritis and rheumatism. Drinking it will also help reduce menstrual cramps.
Sassafras Tea Side Effects
Among its active constituents, sassafras tea contains saffron, which is considered to trigger liver cancer. More researches are being done, though until it is known for sure, its trade has been restricted. This is why it is recommended that you not drink sassafras tea for a long period of time.
The amount of tea you drink matters, as well. Don’t drink more than 3-4 cups of sassafras tea a day. If you drink too much, you might get hallucinations, heart palpitations, headaches, or you might feel nauseous.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women shouldn’t drink sassafras tea, either. It can affect the baby, and even lead to miscarriages during pregnancy.
Sassafras tea has both health benefits and side effects. Before you start consuming it, it’s considered best to talk to your doctor and balance the pros and cons, based on your health. If you’re safe to drink it, then enjoy your cup of sassafras tea!... drink sassafras tea!
Most of the people have already used it for cooking, but now it is time to consider drinking fennel as a tea. In ancient times it was believed that this herb had mysterious vitalistic properties.
About fennel tea
Also known as Foeniculum vulgare, fennelis a perennial, edible herb, green and crunchy like celery, with feathery leaves and small yellow flowers. It ressembles to dill as well. Its bulb is white or pale green with closely superimposed stalks. Originated from the Mediterranean regions now it grows almost everywhere.
It is rich in vitamins A, B-complex, C and D, antioxidants and it is a great source of amino acids, fatty acids, calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, potassium, sodium, sulfur and zinc.
Generally, the seeds are used to make fennel tea but some might use the leaves as well.
How to make Fennel tea
A cup of fennel tea will offer you a world of benefits due to its healthy constituents.
For a tasty tea, take one teaspoon of fennel seeds and pour one cup of boiled water. Let the tea steep for about 10 minutes allowing the water to extract the oil from the seeds and then use another cup to drain the tea.
Benefits of Fennel tea
There is a wide range of health benefits for drinking fennel tea. Find out below some of the most important ones.
Fennel tea stimulates milk production (lactation) and has the same impact on the body as estrogen. It also improves the hormone balance and alleviates symptoms of PMS and menopause.
Fennel tea has been shown to be diuretic, bile-producing, pain-reducing, fever-reducing and an antimicrobial fighter.
The seeds and the tea can help with digestive problems by relaxing the smooth muscles of the intestine and it is often used by people to alleviate bloating, constipation, heartburn, indigestion, and gas.
Fennel tea is effective at reducing the symptoms of cold and flu, soothing sore throats, clearing up congestions in the chest and expelling excess phlegm.
It is believed to improve the eyesight.
Side effects of Fennel tea
A part from the many benefits that it has, fennel tea also has some precautions that are better to be taken into consideration.
The consumption of fennel in excessive quantities is not indicated because it can lead to muscular convulsions and even hallucinations.
Pregnant women should avoid drinking fennel tea because it can act as an uterine stimulant. Do not apply fennel directly to your skin because it can irritate it.
Fennel tea is mostly safe for regular consumption as long as you do not drink more than 3 cups a day. Do not ignore its precautions if you want to have a healthy experience.... fennel tea
The sensation of being unable to move at the moment of going to sleep or when waking up, usually lasting only a few seconds. It may be accompanied by hallucinations. Sleep paralysis most often occurs in people with narcolepsy. (See also cataplexy.)... sleep paralysis
*hallucinations in the context of *alcoholism. They are usually shortlived *auditory hallucinations (‘hearing voices’). Although abstinence is the best remedy, they can persist beyond the active use of alcohol and are often difficult to treat (a recent review showed a dearth of data regarding all possible treatment options).... alcoholic hallucinosis
a disorder characterized by a combination of *parkinsonism and *dementia, which typically fluctuates. Visual hallucinations are common, and there is exquisite sensitivity to phenothiazine drugs. Abnormal proteins called Lewy bodies are found within the nerve cells of the cortex and the basal ganglia. It is the third most common cause of dementia (dementia with Lewy bodies) after *Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.... cortical lewy body disease
Around 2,000 mushrooms (toadstools) grow in England, of which 200 are edible and a dozen are classi?ed as poisonous. Not all the poisonous ones are dangerous. It is obviously better to prevent mushroom poisoning by ensuring correct identi?cation of those that are edible; books and charts are available. If in doubt, do not eat a fungus.
Severe poisoning from ingestion of fungi is very rare, since relatively few species are highly toxic and most species do not contain toxic compounds. The most toxic species are those containing amatoxins such as death cap (Amanita phalloides); this species alone is responsible for about 90 per cent of all mushroom-related deaths. There is a latent period of six hours or more between ingestion and the onset of clinical effects with these more toxic species. The small intestine, LIVER and KIDNEYS may be damaged – therefore, any patient with gastrointestinal effects thought to be due to ingestion of a mushroom should be referred immediately to hospital where GASTRIC LAVAGE and treatment with activated charcoal can be carried out, along with parenteral ?uids and haemodialysis if the victim is severely ill. In most cases where effects occur, these are early-onset gastrointestinal effects due to ingestion of mushrooms containing gastrointestinal irritants.
Muscarine is the poisonous constituent of some species. Within two hours of ingestion, the victim starts salivating and sweating, has visual disturbances, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, vertigo, confusion, hallucinations and coma, the severity of symptoms depending on the amount eaten and type of mushroom. Most people recover in 24 hours, with treatment.
‘Magic’ mushrooms are a variety that contains psilocybin, a hallucinogenic substance. Children who take such mushrooms may develop a high fever and need medical care. In adults the symptoms usually disappear within six hours.
Treatment If possible, early gastric lavage should be carried out in all cases of suspected poisoning. Identi?cation of the mushroom species is a valuable guide to treatment. For muscarine poisoning, ATROPINE is a speci?c antidote. As stated above, hospital referral is advisable for people who have ingested poisonous fungi.... fungus poisoning
n. 1. vivid involuntary reliving of the perceptual abnormalities experienced during a previous episode of drug intoxication, including *hallucinations and *derealization, most commonly experienced with LSD. 2. a symptom of *post-traumatic stress disorder characterized by the reliving of a traumatic experience.... flashback
n. a drug that produces hallucinations, e.g. *cannabis and *lysergic acid diethylamide. Hallucinogens were formerly used to treat certain types of mental illness. —hallucinogenic adj.... hallucinogen
a mental disorder characterized by systematic *delusions and commonly auditory *hallucinations, but without any other marked symptoms of *mental illness; it was formerly known as paraphrenia. The only loss of contact with reality is in areas affected by the delusions and hallucinations. It is typically seen in the elderly and can also occur in people with severe hearing impediments. Some people develop other symptoms of *schizophrenia over time but in many the personality remains intact over years. *Antipsychotic medication is often useful in treating the illness.... late-onset schizophrenia
n. an alkaloid present in mescal buttons (the dried tops of the Mexican cactus Lophophora williamsii) that produces inebriation and vivid colourful hallucinations when ingested.... mescaline
n. a drug that stimulates *dopamine receptors in the brain and is now rarely used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Possible side-effects include confusion, hallucinations, sleepiness, heart irregularity, nausea, breathing difficulties, and double vision (see also bromocriptine).... pergolide
(in psychiatry) symptoms of schizophrenia characterized by a distortion of some aspect of functioning, such as delusions, hallucinations, or disordered speech. Compare negative symptoms.... positive symptoms
Tansy Tea is a very good and natural vermifuge, used mainly to treat children. Tansy is a perennial plant, with long narrow leaves and bright yellow flowers. Originally from Asia, Tansy is now grown all over the world and used for medical purposes, even if physicians all over the world are being reticent when it comes to recommending it to patients. For a very large amount of time, Tansy Tea was used in order to induce miscarriage and many women died drinking too much of it.
Tansy Tea Properties
The main substances of Tansy Tea (tanacetin, volatile oil, tannic acid, parthenolides)are toxic in large quantities, so if you’re thinking about starting a treatment based on Tansy Tea it’s best to keep track of how much you drink per day. The parts that can be used for medical purposes are the leaves and the flowering tops and you can either make a tea out of them or use the leaves freshly picked.
Tansy Tea Benefits
Although the main use of the Tansy Tea was to treat worms in children, the modern applications of the alternative medicine point towards using it as a cooking ingredient that can be added in small amounts to a variety of salads and omelets, thanks to its cinnamon-like taste. Tansy Tea can also be used as a natural cosmetic product able to lighten skin and decolorize the unwanted sunspots. Today, the medical uses of the Tansy Tea have been loudly discredited, although you can still find it on markets and it’s legal to grow it in your own yard. However, it’s safe and actually indicated that you use Tansy in order to keep your vegetables pest-free rather than buy some random chemical repellent.
How to make Tansy Tea Infusion
When preparing Tansy Tea Infusion, you need to make sure that the concentration is not going to do you any harm (use a very small amount). Poor boiling water over the Tansy leaves and wait for about 5 minutes. Only take the tea as long as you’re sick (not more than a cup per day) and do not turn it into a daily habit. Tansy Tea cannot replace coffee and it’s toxic in high dosages. If you’ve taken this tea for a while and there are still no results, see a doctor immediately and stop taking Tansy Tea!
Tansy Tea Side Effects
Tansy Tea has many side effects. In fact, few physicians are brave enough to prescribe Tansy tea to their patients. It can cause spasms, hallucinations, convulsions. In very high dosages, it can cause death.
Tansy Tea Contraindications
Do not take Tansy Tea if you are pregnant or breastfeeding under no circumstances! Also, a very strong cup of Tansy Tea can cause death. There have been many reported cases of young women who died after ingesting a concentrated solution of this tea. Before making any moves towards using Tansy leaves or flowers, ask your doctor about the risks.
If Tansy Tea seems a bit strong for your organism, next time you’re looking for a natural repellent, take it into consideration. It’s a very cheap method that will keep all worms away from your delicious vegetables!... tansy tea - a dangerous vermifuge
Back pain is usually an affection caused by both external and internal problems.
Standing too long, pregnancy, weight lifting or pulmonary problems could cause severe back pains.
Other than a prolonged pain localized in your back area, this affection could also interfere with your coronary and circulatory systems: the blood pressure is high and it’s hard for your heart to pump oxygen in your system.
How a Tea for Back Pain Works
A Tea for Back Pain’s main purpose is to make your body release enough endorphins to induce a state of calmness and well-being to your entire organism.
In order to do that, a Tea for Back Pain must contain an important amount of nutrients, acids, volatile oils, antioxidants, enzymes and minerals (such as sodium, iron, magnesium and manganese).
Efficient Tea for Back Pain
An efficient Tea for Back Pain must show results as quickly as possible and be one hundred percent sure (when choosing an herbal treatment, always be well informed of the risks).
If you don’t know which teas could have a positive effect on your health, here’s a list for guidance:
- Ginger Tea – will bring relief to your pain and improve your general health in no time. You can also take it in case you’re suffering from anemia, asthenia, loss of appetite or headaches.
However, in order to avoid other health complications, make sure you’re using a small amount of herbs when preparing this decoction. Otherwise, you might develop an acid foods and drinks intolerance.
- Turmeric Tea – not very popular among Europeans, this Tea for Back pain acts as a great pain reliever, calming all your affected areas and restoring your general health in no time.
You may also want to try it in case you’re suffering from inflammations, bruises, spreads, skin or digestive issues. Make sure you don’t drink more than 2 cups per day and everything will be fine.
- Valerian Tea – used as a great sedative since ancient times, when the Greeks and the Romans drank a cup of it before every night, this Tea for Back Pain will nourish your nervous system and bring relief to your wounded areas.
However, make sure you pay attention to the amount of tea you’re ingesting in order to avoid hallucinations and even death.
Tea for Back Pain Side Effects
When taken properly, these teas are generally safe. However, exceeding the number of cups recommended per day may lead to a series of affections, such as nausea, upset stomach, vomiting and even death.
If you’ve been taking one of these teas for a while and you’ve noticed some unusual reactions from your body, ask for medical assistance immediately!
If you have the green light from your doctor and there’s nothing that could interfere with your treatment, choose a Tea for Back Pain that fits best your needs and enjoy its health benefits!... tea for back pain
n. a controversial term, commonly used in *mental state examinations, for an experience described by the patient as a *hallucination but judged by the psychiatrist as not perceived as such by the patient. It may sometimes be seen as an attempt by patients to pretend that they suffer from genuine hallucinations. The term is generally unhelpful because it implies a value judgment.... pseudohallucination
a personality disorder characterized by cold aloof feelings, eccentricities of behaviour, odd ways of thinking and talking, and occasional short periods of intense illusions, hallucinations, or delusion-like ideas.... schizotypal personality disorder
Cellulite is a painless affection which consists of the fat layer growth.
This is not very unusual and many women around the world suffer from it. Generally, cellulite is your body’s way of protecting your organism when you’re pregnant.
On the other hand, you can develop cellulite from having a very unbalanced diet: unhealthy foods and drinks (sodas and fast food).
Also, the lack of workout and exercise will slow your calories from burning, making them stick mostly to your hips and thighs.
How Tea for Cellulite Works
A Tea for Cellulite’s main purpose is to make your blood veins work properly and eliminate the lipids surplus. Also, their action implies veins dilatation and increased blood pressure so that your entire body will work to get rid of the unwanted fats.
What you need to know about cellulite is that this is not regular fat and, at times, even thin women have it. Keeping a diet will not make it go away so don’t starve yourself to death!
Efficient Tea for Cellulite
When choosing a Tea for Cellulite, you must keep in mind a couple of facts: it must be very efficient and safe. Since having a cellulite will not hurt more than your feelings, alternative medicine practitioners advice against all pills that promise to work miracles on your body and recommend, instead, an herbal treatment. If you don’t know which teas to choose from, here’s a list to guide you on:
- Horse Chestnut Tea – it has anti inflammatory properties. Its main active constituent, Aescin, improves your blood flow by decreasing the pore size of your capillary walls. This will make your skin look a lot smoother and reduce the cellulite level.
- Ginkgo Biloba Tea – is a great vasodilator whose main goal is to improve circulation. This Tea for Cellulite will also stop cholesterol level from enhancing and it can be used to treat memory loss, stress, anxiety, headaches and anemia. However, don’t drink more than 3 cups per day or you’ll get diarrhea.
- Green Tea – has blood thinning properties, so you must avoid it at all costs in case you’re already on regular blood thinners. A cup of Green Tea per day will also improve your general health and bring relief in case you’re suffering from infertility, anemia, headaches or stress.
However, don’t take it if you’re on menopause or menstruation in order to avoid stomach irritations and uterine contractions.
- Dandelion Tea – will enhance your liver’s ability to process lipids faster and energize your entire body. However, this Tea for Cellulite is also a strong diuretic and purgative so you may want to avoid it if you suffer from diarrhea or upset stomach. Also, too much dandelion tea might cause urinary tract infections.
Tea for Cellulite Side Effects
When taken properly, these teas are generally safe. However, exceeding the number of cups recommended per day may weaken your digestive and nervous systems and lead to vomiting, nausea, headaches and even hallucinations.
Before starting a treatment based on a Tea for Cellulite, talk to your doctor in order to find out which are the risks. Don’t take any of these teas if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, on blood thinners, anticoagulants or preparing for a surgery. Children shouldn’t be allowed to take an herbal treatment since there is no study to prove how safe it is for them.
But if you have the green light from your doctor and nothing could interfere with your Tea for Cellulite cure, choose a tea that fits best your needs and enjoy its health benefits!... tea for cellulite
Cough is a response from your body to let you know that you have respiratory problems.
Cough is very often associated with colds or pleurisy, but can also be triggered by both fungal and bacterial infections.
At times, cough is consistent with phlegm, but you can also experience a very rare type of cough in which a virus makes your body think that you suffer from flu or colds.
How a Tea for Cough Works
A Tea for Cough’s main purpose is to dissolve the phlegm or make your body produce enough antibodies to fight all infections. Since cough is not a disease itself, you may want to try an herbal remedy before rushing to the drug store.
However, not any tea is good for cough. When looking for a tea that could have a great effect on you and your body, you must keep in mind that you need a tea that’s both safe and very effective.
Efficient Tea for Cough
If you don’t know which teas to choose, here’s a list to guide you through:
- Licorice Root Tea – brings relief to your bronchial tubes by stimulating your body to produce a thin layer of mucus and protect the membranes.
You can also take it in case you’re suffering from other affections, such as menstrual and menopausal pains, stress, headaches, migraines and asthenia.
- Marshmallow Root Tea – this Tea for Cough with a subtle Christmas scent can treat any respiratory system ailments, cleansing your body and inducing a state of relaxation.
However, you must consult the specialist before taking this remedy in order to make sure everything will go as planned.
- Sundew Tea – is also used as an anti-spastic and has anti-inflammatory properties. This particular Tea for Cough is rich in vitamins, minerals, volatile oils and nutrients and it’s good for any kind of problem that could affect your upper chest area. However, this is not a very safe tea and you should only take it while supervised.
- Lemon Tea – make a decoction of lemons and drink it adding a hint of ginger, honey or mint in order to make it more pleasant. This is a good remedy for any auto-immune and inflammatory problems, starting with colds, flu and ending with sore throats.
You may want to give it a try if you’re also suffering from loss of appetite, sleeplessness or asthenia. This tea can rejuvenate your skin and improve your general health in a heartbeat!
Tea for Cough Side Effects
When taken properly, these teas are generally safe. However, high dosage may lead to a number of problems such as diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or even hallucinations.
Don’t take a Tea for Cough if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, on blood thinners (some of these teas will interfere with their action), anti coagulants or preparing for a surgery.
When in doubt, always ask your doctor about the risks that an herbal remedy implies. If you have his permission and you’re feeling adventurous today, choose a Tea for Cough that fits you best and enjoy its health benefits!... tea for cough
a form of temporal lobe *epilepsy in which hallucinations of taste and smell and inappropriate chewing movements are prominent features.... uncinate fits
Depression is a mental disorder. Patients suffering from this medical condition have a general low mood, they lack self-esteem and may also feel guilty, hopeless and worthless.
There are some obvious symptoms displayed by people suffering from depression, such as: agitation, mental disturbance causing hallucinations and morbid thoughts and loss of sexual appetite.
One of the main causes of this mental disorder is genetic history. There are also several external issues leading to depression: tormented childhood, relationship difficulties, loss of someone dear, money or health problems.
Anti-depressant medications are usually prescribed to patients suffering from depression.
Studies showed that people between the age of 20 and 30 but also those from 30 to 40 years could suffer from depression, if there are right circumstances to cause this disease. Women are more likely to get depressed than men. They also attempt to commit suicide more often than the other sex.
How Tea for Depression works
Tea for depression usually calms down the person affected.
Efficient Teas for Depression
Ginseng tea and Gentian tea are said to be efficient as teas for depression.
General benefits attributed to Ginseng tea are the following: it has cancer-preventive effects and may reduce the risk of several types of cancer, it controls blood-sugar levels and it has the ability to increase resistance to the effects of stress, by improving the circulation and mental functioning.
To prepare Ginseng tea, add 2 tablespoons of the dried plant in a cup of boiling water. Steep it for 5-6 minutes, strain it and you may enjoy this beverage.
Gentian plant has a long healing history, especially in Ayurvedic medicine, where it is used to treat anorexia and sluggish digestion.
The Gentian tea is successful as a tea for depression, as it improves the circulation of blood to all parts of the body.
To prepare Gentian tea, simmer one teaspoon of shredded Gentian root in two cups of water for 20 minutes. Allow it to cool to room temperature and then strain it. It is recommended that Gentian Tea should be drunk 15 to 30 minutes before eating. The tea is bitter and may be sweetened by adding sugar or honey.
Tea for Depression: Side effects
Rarely, teas for depression may cause diarrhea or vomiting. If these side effects occur, ask for your doctor’s advice.
Teas for depression are good to be purchased, especially by patients suffering from this modern medical condition. A cup of the abovementioned beverage may keep away the traditional anti-depressant pills.... tea for depression
Turmeric Tea has been known for centuries thanks to its popularization done by the Ayurvedic medicine. The main field where this tea has the greatest effects is the anti-inflammatory one.
Turmeric is a perennial plant originally from India, but which can be found almost everywhere around the globe, where it’s used as a health adjuvant. Turmeric grows up to 1 meter tall (3 feet) and it has green lance-shaped leaves that hide the stamina in, during the hot season. The roots of this herb resemble to a rhizome and can easily be confused with ginger.
Turmeric Tea Properties
The anti-inflammatory property of Turmeric Tea is due to an active ingredient called curcumin, which is actually a group of very strong antioxidants. Also, curcumin is the substance that makes Indian food and the tea, as well, look yellow. It is important to know that this group of antioxidants prevents and treats inflammations by inhibiting all infection triggers and by cleansing the affected areas.
Turmeric Tea Benefits
Aside from its anti-inflammatory properties, Turmeric Tea is a great remedy in case you are suffering from one of the following conditions:
- Joint and bone pains (in order to treat these affections, you can either drink the tea or topically apply the smashed Turmeric leaves).
- Skin conditions, such as acne. Turmeric Tea (applied on the spot or drank) can also heal the scars of bad acne.
- Arthritis, tendonitis or bursitis, by calming the pain and making your coronary walls much more elastic.
- Cholesterol, gallstones and other digestive track problem.
- Alzheimer, gingivitis, upset stomach, bad breath and other conditions that may weaken your general well-being.
How to make Turmeric Tea Infusion
In order to make Turmeric Tea infusion, you need to follow these steps: properly wash the parts that you are about to use (leaves or rhizome), put them in a teapot and add water. Boil for 8 or 10 minutes and let it infuse for another 5 minutes. You can add a small amount of ginger or honey if you feel that the taste is too strong. Don’t drink more than 3 cups per day.
Turmeric Tea Side Effects
When taken properly, Turmeric Tea has no side effects at all. However, a high dosage may cause irritations of the stomach and hallucinations. It’s best to ask for specialized help before starting a treatment based on Turmeric Tea.
Turmeric Tea Contraindications
Do not take Turmeric Tea if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. It may cause uterine contractions and irritated stomach. The same advice if you are on blood thinners. If you have already taken it and were not aware of this, talk to a doctor immediately! It’s better to be safe than sorry.
If your doctor gives you his approval, buy Turmeric Tea from a trusted provider and enjoy the wonderful benefits of this well-known Ayurvedic herb!... turmeric tea acne treatment
Diabetes is a common disease which implies the lack of insulin or the inappropriate use of insulin.
The most popular type of diabetes is Type II Diabetes, in which insulin is produced (sometimes in quantities above the limit), but not used properly by the organism.
The result is that your blood glucose level will be higher than normal, which means that you have to start a daily regime.
If trying a Tea for Diabetes doesn’t seem too ineffective to you, follow our instructions and give it a try, provide that you are well informed before starting any type of treatment.
How Tea for Diabetes Works
Since your body’s reaction to the abnormality of insulin production is to increase the blood glucose, a very effective Tea for Diabetes’ first task is to lower your blood sugar and decrease your insulin level.
That can only be possible thanks to a series of enzymes that work on your affected areas, bringing you relief from pain and improving your general health.
What you must know is that this kind of teas cannot replace your traditional treatment, but only work as an adjuvant. Don’t give up on your pills to replace them with a tea in order to avoid a glucose crisis or even a coma.
Efficient Tea for Diabetes
If you’ve decided to go with a Tea for Diabetes, you can choose one from this list and give it a try:
- Green Tea – as you probably know, Green Tea contains all the important nutrients capable to sustain life. It can treat a series of other diseases, but make sure you’re not on your period when taking a treatment based on Greet Tea.
- Oolong Tea – a very efficient Tea for Diabetes, very rare, but which can work miracles on you and your health. If you find a provider specialized in Oolong Tea, hold on to it!
- White Tea – has almost the same effect as Green Tea, but less contraindications. However, make sure you don’t exceed the number of recommended cups of tea per day in order to avoid digestive tract and nervous system complications.
- Centaury Tea – a Tea for Diabetes that has been used as a great pain reliever since ancient times. This tea contains secoiridoids, alkaloids, phenolic acids, triterpenes, xanthone derivatives and triterpenes, used for homeopathic and digestive problems and also as a great adjuvant in Diabetes cases.
- Ginseng Tea – also a very efficient decoction which can be useful for various affections, such as thinking improvement, speeding your reaction in time, increasing your resistance to stress and detoxifying your kidney and liver. In diabetes cases, its role consists mainly of normalizing your insulin production.
- Wild Cherry Bark Tea – having probably the most pleasant taste of all Teas for Diabetes, Wild Cherry Bark Tea is very rich in nutrients and vitamins, such as vitamin C, b-complex and vitamin D. The main ingredients of this tea are Acetylcholine, HCN, kaempferol, p-coumaric acid, prunasin, scopoletin and tannins. It’s also good for bronchitis, pleurisy, colds or flu.
- Yerba Mate Tea – probably the most efficient of these teas, Yerba Mate Tea is considered to be “the new green tea” thanks to its constituents. This tea is a great help in almost any affection, but you must be very careful when taking it. High dosages may lead to death!
Tea for Diabetes Side Effects
When taken according to specifications, these teas have no side effects and are generally safe. However, high dosages may lead to a number of health complaints, such as vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, hallucinations and even death.
Talk to an herbalist or to your doctor before making any move! It’s best to be safe than sorry! Alos, do not take a Tea for Diabetes if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, on blood thinners and anti-coagulants or preparing for a major surgery.These teas could interfere with your anesthetic and lead to death!
Once you have the green light from your doctor, choose a Tea for Diabetes that fits you best and enjoy its great benefits!... tea for diabetes
When it comes to erectile dysfunctions, not many men have the courage to accept the fact that there’s something wrong with their body and ask for medical assistance.
However, you must know that there’s nothing to be ashamed of and that there’s a high percentage of men around the world who suffer from the same disorder you do.
Scientists have proved that most erectile dysfunction causes are external and one could hardly be blamed for it. Also, the treatment is rarely painful and it’s best to cure your affection than wait for it to get worse.
How a Tea for Erectile Dysfunction Works
A Tea for Erectile Dysfunction’s main goal is to make your body produce enough natural enzymes and endorphins to induce a state of calmness to your male reproductive system.
A Tea for Erectile Dysfunction must be rich in tannins, volatile oils, nutrients and minerals (manganese, magnesium, iron, sodium) and must not do you any harm. If you found out about a risky treatment, it’s best to avoid it and ask a specialist for assistance.
Efficient Tea for Erectile Dysfunction
In order to work properly, a Tea for Erectile Dysfunction needs to be both efficient and one hundred percent safe. Of course, traditional medicine has a various number of treatments in store for you, but they are not always effective, so it’s possible to ingest pills for no reason, putting your liver through an unnecessary stress. If you don’t know which teas to choose from, here’s a list for guidance:
- Ginseng Tea – is best known for its contribution to a better sexual life. However, make sure you only use a small amount of herb when preparing this decoction in order to avoid nervous system ailments, such as nausea, hallucinations and severe headaches.
- Gingko Tea – this Tea for Erectile Dysfunction is also a great help for memory loss, asthenia and anemia. You can drink as much as you want (however, it’s best to not exceed 6 cups per day or you’ll develop an acid foods and drinks gastric intolerance).
- Catuaba Tea – is very popular in the South American regions and it’s mainly used as a sexual enhancer. However, this decoction has also healing properties, being able to induce sexual desire while calming the affected areas.
Anyway, you need to pay attention to the amount of Catuaba Tea you’re ingesting, since it’s not a very safe remedy. Even better, ask for medical assistance before taking a treatment based on Catuaba Tea.
- Black Cohosh- contains three classes of compounds and acts as a natural sexual enhancer, but it also has a lot of curative properties, being able to treat infertility in both men and women. However, since this treatment it’s not a very safe one, it’s best not to take it unsupervised.
Tea for Erectile Dysfunction Side Effects
When taken properly, these teas are one hundred percent safe. However, exceeding the number of cups recommended per day may lead to a number of problems, such as gastric problems, nausea, headaches, migraines and upset stomach.
If you’ve been taking one of these teas for a while and you’re experiencing some unusual symptoms, ask for medical assistance immediately! Do not take a Tea for Erectile Dysfunction if you’re on blood thinners, anticoagulants or preparing for a surgery (some of the active constituents found in these teas may elevate your heartbeat and cause cardiac arrest).
If your doctor gives you the green light, choose a Tea for Erectile Dysfunction that fits best your problems and enjoy its great health benefits!... tea for erectile dysfunction
Injury by exposure to damp and cold. Small babies and emaciated elderly people may not generate sufficient heat in wintry weather.
Causes: fatigue, poor physical condition, inadequate nutrition.
Symptoms: death-like cold on surface of abdomen and under armpits, arrested pulse, slow breathing, partial loss of consciousness, blue puffy skin, stumbling, hallucinations, function of vital organs slows down.
A Glasgow survey shows cases are usually due to “the person dying of something else, drinks or drugs, or low thyroid function”. Cold induces platelet agglutination which is a hazard for sufferers of thrombosis and heart disease. Even short exposures in the elderly with atheroma (see definition) are a hazard. Preventative: Garlic.
To thin down thick blood: Nettle tea. Lemons.
Treatment. Circulatory stimulants. Under no circumstances should sedatives, antidepressants or tranquillisers be given. More than a few drops of alcohol increases heat loss and worsens the condition. Alternatives. Life Drops: 5-10 drops in cup of tea.
Cayenne pepper on food. Composition powder or essence.
Camphor drops rapidly dispel the shivering reaction. All these open surface blood vessels and promote a vigorous circulation.
Teas: Chamomile, Balm, Yarrow.
Diet. Hot meals, hot drinks, adequate protein as well as carbohydrates. No alcohol. Oats warms the blood. Oatmeal porridge is indicated for people habitually cold. One teaspoon honey thrice daily in tea or other hot drink.
Wear a hat; nightcap at night. Electric blanket. Sleep in well-heated room. Wear thick wool underclothing. Serious cases admitted to Intensive Care Unit. ... hypothermia
A good health means that all your system works properly and that there’s nothing that could give you a hard time.
Generally, people think that if nothing hurts, they have a very strong health, when the truth is that they can’t really tell what’s going on with their body.
In order to make sure everything is fine, you have to see a specialist. However, if your health is in danger, there are some teas that could work miracles for you and your body. Just give them a try!
How Tea for Good Health Works
A Tea for Good Health’s main purpose is to ameliorate your affections and induce a state of calmness and well-being. However, these teas are very useful if you have a very deficient immune system or you’re very sensitive to a series of external factors which may cause you colds, flu or asthenia.
If that is the case, a Tea for Good Health will make your body produce the necessary amount of enzymes and nutrients in order to restore your natural health.
Aside from Green Tea and Yerba Mate Tea, few teas can be taken for any problem. Not many teas have the same number of active ingredients capable to sustain life, like these two teas have.
Efficient Tea for Good Health
When choosing a Tea for Good Health, you need to keep in mind the fact that you’re looking for a decoction that’s both efficient and safe. If you don’t know which teas are good to strengthen your immune system, here’s a list to choose from:
- Ginger Tea – the well known Chinese tea has a lot of benefits in store for you. Some say that it also cures a lot of affections, such as stress, anxiety and sore throat.
Ginger Tea has a pleasant taste; just make sure you use the right amount of herbs when preparing a decoction in order to avoid irritations of the stomach, diarrhea and intolerance to acid foods and drinks.
- Peppermint Tea – it’s good for a series of conditions, starting with digestive tract diseases and ending with respiratory system affections. It has a pleasant taste and it’s also one hundred percent safe. You can also use it if you’re suffering from diarrhea, bloating, vomiting and nausea.
- Chamomile Tea – the world’s greatest panacea can be used to treat and bring relief to almost any medical problem, from sore throats to diabetes and menstrual or menopausal pains.
You may also give it a try in case you’re suffering from stress, anxiety, migraines or headaches. A Chamomile Tea compress will turn this great Tea for Good Health into a reliable disinfector.
- Rooibos Tea – rich in vitamin C, this tea can be taken to treat any auto-immune deficiency, such as colds, flu, soreness, pleurisy or pulmonary edema. Just make sure you don’t take more than 2 cups per day in order to avoid other health complications.
Tea for Good Health Side Effects
When taken properly, these teas are generally safe. However, high dosages may lead to a number of problems such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach or even hallucinations. If you’ve been taking one of these teas for a while and you’re experiencing some unusual reactions from your body, talk to a specialist as soon as possible.
Talk to an herbalist or ask your doctor before starting any kind of herbal treatment and be well informed of the risks. If you have your doctor’s ok on the matter and there’s nothing that could interfere with your herbal treatment, choose a Tea for Good Health that seems right for you and enjoy its wonderful benefits!... tea for good health
If you’re experiencing abdominal pain and you’re sure it’s not a digestive tract ailment, it’s very possible that you’re suffering from a kidney disorder.
The same if the pain is localized in the back or on one side of your body. Usually, kidney problems appear when there’s something wrong with your urinary tract and not only.
Overexposing your body to low temperatures may cause urinary infections, impurity accumulations lead to kidney stones. Also, kidney problems can be caused by other health complaints, such as pulmonary edema and cancers.
However, it’s best to schedule an appointment with your doctor in order to find out what’s actually going on with your body.
How a Tea for Kidney Problems Works
A Tea for Kidney Problems’ main goal is to purify your body by triggering a positive response from it.
Once the main substances of these teas reach the affected areas, your organism produces enough endorphins (which are cells specialized in making you feel a lot better by bringing relief to your wounds) and antibodies to reconstruct the damaged tissue.
Efficient Tea for Kidney Problems
In order to work properly, a Tea for Kidney Problems needs to be both efficient and one hundred percent safe. Also, it must contain the right amount of nutrients, natural enzymes, volatile oils, antioxidants and minerals (sodium, magnesium, iron and manganese).
This way, that tea will make your body eliminate the unwanted impurities and improve your kidney function. If you don’t know which teas would be appropriate for your condition, here’s a list to choose from:
- Dandelion Tea – can be prepared from dandelion roots and it’s also a great adjuvant in diarrhea and urinary infection cases. This Tea for Kidney Problems has a bitter taste, but you can add ginger, lemon, mint or honey in order to make it more adequate for you.
Avoid it at all costs if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding: due to its strong purgative and diuretic properties, Dandelion Tea can cause uterine contractions which may lead to miscarriages.
- Marshmallow Root Tea – this lovely tea with a hint of Christmas is useful for a large variety of problems, from infertility to gastrointestinal and digestive complaints. Take a sip at every 5 minutes for an hour and enjoy the wonderful health benefits!
- Buchu Tea – contains antioxidants and antibacterial agents, being a great help in cases of cystitis, urethritis and kidney failure. This Tea for Kidney acts like a natural diuretic and should not be taken by pregnant women.
- Green Tea – as the scientists have proved, this decoction contains all the ingredients necessary to sustain life, so it’s useful for many problems, not just kidney disorders. However, don’t take it if you’re experiencing menstrual and menopausal symptoms (it can cause uterine contractions and stomach acidity).
Tea for Kidney Problems Side Effects
When taken properly, these teas are generally safe. However, exceeding the number of cups recommended per day might lead to a number of health problems such as miscarriages, hallucinations, headaches and skin rash.
If you’ve been taking one of these teas and something doesn’t feel quite right, talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Don’t take a Tea for Kidney Problems if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, on blood thinners or anticoagulants. The same advice if you’re preparing for a surgery.
If you have the medical approval and there’s nothing that could interfere with your treatment, choose a Tea for Kidney problems that fits best your needs and give it a try today!
... tea for kidney problems
A progressive condition in which nerve cells in the brain degenerate and the brain shrinks. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. Onset is uncommon before the age of 60.
Early onset Alzheimer’s disease, in which symptoms develop before age 60, is inherited as a dominant disorder. Late onset Alzheimer’s disease is associated with a number of genes, including 3 that
are responsible for the production of the blood protein apolipoprotein E. These genes also result in the deposition of a protein called beta amyloid in the brain. Other chemical abnormalities may include deficiency of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
The features of Alzheimer’s disease vary, but there are 3 broad stages. At first, the person becomes increasingly forgetful, and problems with memory may cause anxiety and depression. In the 2nd stage, loss of memory, particularly for recent events, gradually becomes more severe, and there may be disorientation as to time or place. The person’s concentration and numerical ability decline, and there is noticeable dysphasia (inability to find the right word). Anxiety increases, mood changes are unpredictable, and personality changes may occur. Finally, confusion becomes profound. There may be symptoms of psychosis, such as hallucinations and delusions. Signs of nervous system disease, such as abnormal reflexes and faecal or urinary incontinence, begin to develop.
Alzheimer’s disease is usually diagnosed from the symptoms, but tests including blood tests and CT scanning or MRI of the brain may be needed to exclude treatable causes of dementia.
The most important aspect of treatment for Alzheimer’s disease is the provision of suitable nursing and social care for sufferers and support for their relatives. Tranquillizer drugs can often improve difficult behaviour and help with sleep. Treatment with drugs such as donepezil and rivastigmine may slow the progress of the disease for a time, but side effects such as nausea and dizziness may occur.... alzheimer’s disease
Having a lucid dream means dreaming while being aware of the fact that you are dreaming.
However, many people become lucid in the middle of the dream or, on the contrary, fall lose reality contact after being lucid at first.
Although traditional medicine can’t be very helpful in these cases, alternative medicine has a few tricks up its sleeve.
How a Tea for Lucid Dreams Works
A Tea for Lucid Dreams’ main purpose is to make you recall what you have dreamed by calming your nervous system and improving your memory function.
These teas are good for a number of other diseases, such as memory loss, headaches or migraines. However, talk to an herbalist or to your doctor before starting any kind of herbal treatment in order to make sure everything will be alright.
Efficient Tea for Lucid Dreams
In order to work properly, a Tea for Lucid Dreams needs to be both very efficient and one hundred percent safe (since lucid dreams are not exactly a medical problem, you may want to avoid developing one).
A tea that is rich in antioxidants, nutrients, tannins, volatile oils and minerals (sodium, magnesium, iron, manganese) would be very adequate.
You may want to avoid teas with a large amount of acid agents (they could cause stomach pain). If you don’t know which teas could be useful for lucid dreams, here’s a list for guidance:
- Green Tea – contains all the ingredients necessary to sustain life, so it’s useful for a wide range of ailments, not just lucid dreams. If you’re suffering from infertility, anemia, asthenia, loss of appetite, digestive tract complaints or nervous system failure, this decoction could also be useful.
However, you must avoid it at all costs if you’re experiencing some menstrual or menopausal symptoms. The same advice if you’re pregnant (it may cause uterine contractions and therefore miscarriage).
- Valerian Tea – was been used as a sleep aid since ancient times, when the Romans and the Greeks took it before going to bed. This Tea for Lucid Dreams, thanks to its active compounds, is a mild sedative and could also work miracles on your nervous system.
However, you need to make sure that you don’t exceed the number of cups recommended per day in order to avoid hallucinations, tiredness or even death.
- Chamomile Tea – of course, the world’s greatest panacea shouldn’t be left aside. If you’re having trouble remembering your dreams, try a cup of Chamomile Tea before you go to bed! This Tea has a great fragrance and a pleasant smell. Plus, it’s one hundred percent safe so you can drink as much as you want.
Tea for Lucid Dreams Side Effects
When taken according to specifications, these teas are generally safe. However, exceeding the number of cups recommended per day may lead to a number of health problems, such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach or even death!
If you’ve been taking one of these decoctions for a while and you’re experience a negative response from your body, ask for medical assistance right away!
Don’t take a Tea for Lucid Dreams if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, on blood thinners or anticoagulants. The same advice in case you’re preparing for a surgery.
If your doctor says it’s ok to start an herbal treatment, choose a tea that fits best your requirements and enjoy its wonderful benefits!
... tea for lucid dreams
Disorder of consciousness, intellect, or mental functioning that is of organic (physical), as opposed to psychiatric, origin. Causes include degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease; infections; certain drugs; or the effects of injury, stroke, or tumour. Symptoms range from mild confusion to stupor or coma. They may also include disorientation, memory loss, hallucinations, and delusions (see delirium). In the chronic form, there is a progressive decline in intellect, memory, and behaviour (see dementia). Treatment is more likely to be successful with the acute form. In chronic cases, irreversible brain damage may already have occurred. (See also psychosis.)... brain syndrome, organic
The decision to quit smoking if rarely strong enough to actually put a stop to this addiction.
However, if you are determined and feel that this would be a good day to stop smoking, you may want to try an herbal remedy before rushing off to the pharmacy.
Many people are concerned about the fact that quitting smoking will make them gain weight. That’s only partially true. Since smoking is more a social habit, some people feel the need to replace cigarettes with something else and they usually choose food.
That’s why you might gain a few pounds. However, there are a number of teas capable of inhibiting this reaction, so do not despair!
How a Tea for Quitting Smoking Works
A Tea for Quitting Smoking’s main goal is to make the need for nicotine gone once and for all. Usually, these teas contain an important amount of active constituents which resemble a lot to nicotine, but don’t cause you any harm.
They will trick your body into thinking that you’re still taking nicotine, while actually cleansing your body. Alternative medicine practitioners explain how, in time, you’ll no longer feel the need to smoke.
Some say that these teas have no effect whatsoever and that if they work it’s only thanks to your power of suggestion. If it’s true or not, you be the judge of that!
Efficient Tea for Quitting Smoking
When choosing a Tea for Quitting Smoking, you must keep in mind the fact that it must be both one hundred percent safe and very efficient. In order to be effective, a tea needs to contain the right amount of tannins, volatile oils, acids, minerals (iron, manganese, magnesium and sodium) and nutrients.
Also, a tea with an elevated level of antioxidants will help you cleanse your respiratory ways and restore your initial health. If you don’t know which teas to choose from, here’s a list to guide you on:
- Mimosa Tea – can induce a calming and relaxing state thanks to its great active ingredients which can also bring relief to stress, anxiety and depression (a smoker struggles with these symptoms during the quitting process).
Don’t take more than 2 cups per day in order to avoid nervous system problems, such as sleeplessness or hallucinations.
- Skullcap Tea – is well known for its ability to reduce stress and nervous tension. This Tea for Quitting Smoking could also be effective if you’re suffering from anxiety, asthenia or anemia.
- Chamomile Tea – the world’s greatest panacea has a few benefits in store for you in case you’re trying to quit smoking. It has a pleasant taste and a lovely smell and it’s one hundred percent safe, so you can drink as much as you want.
- Jasmine Tea – probably the most aromatic tea in the world, Jasmine Tea is well known for its curative actions which include general health improvement. Add a hint of ginger, mint, honey or lemon and you’ll have a delicious drink on the table. However, make sure you don’t take more than 2 cups per day in order to avoid any nervous system complications.
Tea for Quitting Smoking Side Effects
When taken properly, these teas are generally safe. However, exceeding the number of cups recommended per day might lead to diarrhea, nausea, upset stomach, skin rash and hallucinations.
Don’t take a Tea for Quitting Smoking if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, on blood thinners or anticoagulants. The same advice if you’re preparing for a surgery (some of the active constituents may interfere with your anesthetic).
But if you have your doctor’s approval and there’s nothing that could go wrong, choose a Tea for Quitting Smoking that fits best your problems and enjoy its great benefits!... tea for quitting smoking
An acute or chronic disorganized mental state in which the abilities to remember, think clearly, and reason are impaired. Acute confusion can arise as a symptom of delirium, in which brain activity is affected by fever, drugs, poisons, or injury. People with acute confusion may also have hallucinations and behave violently. Chronic confusion is often associated with alcohol dependence, long-term use of antianxiety drugs, and certain physically based mental disorders. Many of the conditions that cause chronic confusion (for example dementia) are progressive. Features include absentmindedness, poor short-term memory, and a tendency to be repetitive. If the underlying cause of confusion can be treated, there may be marked improvement. Sedative drugs can be of benefit in acute confusion.... confusion
Yeast Infection is a vaginal infection usually caused by a fungus called Candida.
This infection is characterized by itching, sores, pain during intercourse and/or urination and the production of a white substance. You can get this infection by using an unsanitary toilet or by catching a cold.
Also, you may want to avoid restaurant bathrooms that look suspicious. Even if many women go to their doctor as soon as they have a feeling that they might have Yeast Infection, you can also use a Tea for Yeast Infection and treat your problems at home.
Alternative medicine advices against traditional medicine in this case since Yeast Infection is not a serious health problem. Ingesting pills when you could have taken a tea only damages your liver.
If you’re going with alternative or traditional medicine, is your choice. However, make sure you have all the facts right before choosing a treatment that could cost you your health.
How Tea for Yeast Infection Works
These teas eliminate your infection thanks to their nutritive action, which implies feeding the organism in order to produce more antibodies and direct them to the affected areas.
A tea for Yeast Infection’s main goal is to make your body produce the nutrients and the enzymes necessary for a rapid healing. They are also used as great remedy for a number of other diseases, so you can restore your general health with just a cup of tea!
Efficient Tea for Yeast Infection
When trying a Tea for Yeast Infection, you need to make sure that you’re picking the right one: that tea has to be safe, to have a pleasant taste and very few side effects. Also, keep in mind that a Tea for Yeast Infection needs to have a large variety of nutrients and active constituents in order to fight all bacteria and microbes. If you don’t know which those teas are, here’s a list to help you out:
- Cranberry Tea – rich in vitamin C, this Tea for Yeast Infection is a great remedy in cases of anemia, asthenia, low blood pressure and loss of appetite. It’s also safe and you can drink as much as you want (not more than 6 cups per day, however, in order to avoid stomach complications such as diarrhea)
- Gentian Tea – known as one of the oldest antifungal and antibiotics. Gentian Tea is a very efficient Tea for Yeast Infection. Not only that, but it’s also used as a great sleep helper, thanks to its antiseptic and sedative properties. However, make sure you don’t drink more than 2 cups per day in order to avoid other deviations such as hallucinations, anxiety or excessive blood rush.
- Green Tea – not only that this Tea for Yeast Infection can treat your Candida problems, but it’s also being used as a great remedy for other affections, such as stress, anxiety or ovarian cysts. However, Green Tea may have all the necessary ingredients in order to sustain life, but don’t take it if you’re suffering from menstrual or menopausal pains.
Tea for Yeast Infection Side Effects
It’s true that there are many teas that could help you with your female reproductive system problems. However, teas like Tansy Tea are not recommended due to their elevated level of risk. It’s best to talk to an herbalist or to your doctor before starting any kind of herbal treatment in order to gather more information and find out which Tea for Yeast Infection fits you best.
Don’t take any of these teas if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, on blood thinners, anti-coagulants or preparing for a major surgery. These teas could interfere with your anesthetic and lead to death. When taken properly, these teas are safe.
However, high dosage may cause miscarriage, vomiting, nausea and even death. Ask your doctor’s advice before making any move.
If you have his approval and there’s nothing that could interfere with your treatment, choose a Tea for Yeast Infection and enjoy its wonderful benefits!... tea for yeast infection
Wormwood Tea has been known for centuries as a great herbal treatment. Greeks used it as a treatment for many diseases, mostly concerning the digestive system problems or nervous system affections.
Wormwood is a perennial herb that grows mainly in areas like Europe, Asia and Africa. It has speared-like green leaves, bright yellow flowers and its roots resemble to a rhizome.
Also known as artemisia absinthus, wormwood has hallucinogenic and psychoactive properties. Wormwood is widely known as absinthe and it is said that great artists like Van Gogh and Hemingway owe a lot of their creation to wormwood consumption.
Wormwood Tea Properties
Aside from its hallucinogenic properties, Wormwood Tea turns out to be quite a help when it comes to treating certain health problems. Wormwood Tea is one of the bitterest teas on Earth so only take it combined with honey, ginger or lemon.
Wormwood is the main ingredient of absinthe liquor and it’s also used as an important additive for wines, vinegar and vermouth. The active substances of this tea are thujone (absinthol or tenacetone), thujyl alcohol, acids, absinthin, tannins, resin, potash, and starch.
Wormwood Tea Benefits
Wormwood Tea has been used since ancient times as a hallucinogen in many rituals around the world. Africans believed that Wormwood Tea contained the secret to an absolute freedom of mind and that by taking it you could have reached the peak of human creativity. As crazy as these theories may sound, there are still many cults today that base their entire philosophy on Wormwood Tea consumption.
Back to the real world, alternative medicine, by its practitioners, found the real medical benefits of this treatment. Wormwood Tea may come in hand if you are suffering from one of the following conditions:
- Indigestion, by inhibiting gastric bacterial and by lowering the microbial risk to infections.
- Gastric pains, by decreasing the gastric acidity level.
- Loss of appetite, by stimulating intestinal actions and stomach functions.
- Worms and other parasites of the digestive system, by flushing them away thanks to an active substance called absinthin.
- Immune system deficiencies, by increasing the number of antibodies and by redirecting them to the affected areas.
How to make Wormwood Tea Infusion
When preparing Wormwood Tea infusion, first you need to make sure that the plants you are about to use are exactly what the label says they are. Only buy Wormwood Tea from trusted providers! Second of all, only use a teaspoon of herbs for every two cups of tea you want to make: the wormwood is a very concentrated herb and you need to be careful when dosing the ingredients.
Put the dried herbs in a teapot and add boiling water. Wait for 15 or 20 minutes and drink it hot or cold. However, don’t drink more than a cup of tea per day or you’ll poison your entire nervous system!
Wormwood Tea Side Effects
When taken according to instructions and under supervised care, Wormwood Tea is safe. However, high dosages may lead to hallucinations, paranoia and other severe conditions of the nervous system. If you’ve been taking Wormwood Tea for a more than three weeks and you’ve noticed some unusual changes in your body reaction, talk to a specialist as soon as possible and don’t try to treat it at home!
Wormwood Tea Contraindications
Wormwood Tea is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, children, patients suffering from mental deviations or other serious conditions that imply the use of blood thinners and anti-coagulants. The best thing you can do when it comes to Wormwood Tea consumption is to talk to a herbalist or to your doctor in order to find out more about the ups and downs of this very controversial tea.
If you get a specialized approval and you feel very confident about this treatment, give it a try and enjoy the benefits of Wormwood Tea responsibly!... wormwood tea benefits and side effects
Unpleasant mental and physical symptoms experienced when a person stops using a drug on which he or she is dependent (see drug dependence). Withdrawal syndrome most commonly occurs in those with alcohol dependence or dependence on opioids, in smokers, and in people addicted to tranquillizers, amfetamines, cocaine, marijuana, and caffeine.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms start 6–8 hours after cessation of intake and may last up to 7 days. They include trembling of the hands, nausea, vomiting, sweating, cramps, anxiety, and, sometimes, seizures. (See also confusion, delirium tremens, and hallucinations.)
Opioid withdrawal symptoms start after 8–12 hours and may last for 7–10 days. Symptoms include restlessness, sweating, runny eyes and nose, yawning, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, dilated pupils, loss of appetite, irritability, weakness, tremor, and depression.
Withdrawal symptoms from barbiturate drugs and meprobamate start after 12–24 hours, beginning with tremor, anxiety, restlessness, and weakness, sometimes followed by delirium, hallucinations, and, occasionally, seizures. A period of prolonged sleep occurs 3–8 days after onset. Withdrawal from benzodiazepine drugs may begin much more slowly and can be life-threatening.
Withdrawal symptoms from nicotine develop gradually over 24–48 hours and include irritability, concentration problems, frustration, headaches, and anxiety. Discontinuation of cocaine or amfetamines results in extreme tiredness, lethargy, and dizziness. Cocaine withdrawal may also lead to tremor, severe depression, and sweating.
Withdrawal symptoms from marijuana include tremor, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, sweating, irritability, and sleep problems. Caffeine withdrawal may lead to tiredness, headaches, and irritability.
Severe withdrawal syndromes require medical treatment.
Symptoms may be suppressed by giving the patient small quantities of the drug he or she had been taking.
More commonly, a substitute drug is given, such as methadone for opioid drugs or diazepam for alcohol.
The dose of the drug is then gradually reduced.... withdrawal syndrome
n. the syndrome due to physical *dependence on alcohol, such that sudden deprivation may cause withdrawal symptoms – tremor, anxiety, hallucinations, and delusions (see delirium tremens). The risk of alcoholism for an individual depends on genetic and environmental factors. Several years’ heavy drinking is often needed for addiction to develop, with a wide range from 1 to 40 years. Alcoholism impairs intellectual function, physical skills, memory, and judgment. Social skills can also be affected. Heavy consumption of alcohol causes *cardiomyopathy, *peripheral neuropathy, *cirrhosis of the liver, and enteritis. Treatment is usually provided on an out-patient basis, in specialist units for detoxification or medical wards. Unsupervised sudden withdrawal carries a mortality of about 10%, mostly due to seizures. If there are complicating psychiatric problems detoxification may be part of psychiatric treatment. Psychological aspects of treatment include helping the patient to understand the psychological pressures that led to his or her heavy drinking, treatment of underlying anxiety, and *motivational interviewing. Drugs such as *disulfiram (Antabuse), which cause vomiting if alcohol is taken, can help in treatment. Drugs to reduce craving, such as *acamprosate calcium, are less successful, with around a third of patients benefiting.... alcoholism
(shared delusion) a condition in which two people who are closely involved with each other share one or more delusions. Usually, one member of the pair, called the inducer, has developed a *psychosis and has imposed it on the other by a process of suggestion. More rarely, both members are delusional and elaborate their delusions or hallucinations together. More than two people may be involved (folie à trois, folie à quatre, etc.). Treatment usually involves separation of the affected people and management according to their individual requirements. The inducer usually requires antipsychotic medication. See also delusion by proxy; double delusion.... folie à deux
(hydrophobia) n. an acute virus disease of the central nervous system that affects all warm-blooded animals and is usually transmitted to humans by a bite from an infected dog. Symptoms appear after an incubation period ranging from 10 days to over a year and include malaise, fever, difficulty in breathing, salivation, periods of intense excitement, hallucinations, and painful muscle spasms of the throat induced by swallowing. In the later stages of the disease the mere sight of water induces convulsions and paralysis; death occurs within 4–5 days. Daily injections of rabies vaccine, together with an injection of rabies antiserum, may prevent the disease from developing in a person bitten by an infected animal. —rabid adj.... rabies
symptoms of *schizophrenia first classified by German psychiatrist Kurt Schneider (1887–1967) in 1938. First-rank symptoms were considered by Schneider to be particularly indicative of schizophrenia; they include all forms of *thought alienation, *delusional perception, *passivity, and third-person auditory *hallucinations in the form of either a running commentary or voices talking about the patient among themselves. Some schizophrenic patients never exhibit first-rank symptoms or only experience them in some psychotic episodes. They may also occur in *mania. Second-rank symptoms are common symptoms of schizophrenia but also often occur in other forms of mental illness. They include *delusions of reference, paranoid and persecutory *delusions, and second-person auditory hallucinations.... schneiderian first- and second-rank symptoms
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