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Study Provides Clues to How Autism and Schizophrenia Develop

A study done with mice may have provided some clues about how disorders such as autism and schizophrenia develop. It seems that the genes that are connected to these two disorders might only be active for a short period of time while brain is developing. This could be a first step towards understanding more about the genetic links to the disorders. What causes autism? There have been several studies that have tried to determine the cause of autism. Many different potential factors have been identified that may, or may or may not, be a clue in the quest to find … Continue reading →

“I’ve Given my Child the Family Illness!” (2)

In “I’ve Given my Child the Family Illness!” we looked at the role both genes and the environment play in determining whether a mental illness will be expressed in any given individual. Today we will look at how to cope with the guilt that some parents feel when they learn that a son or daughter has inherited a “family illness.” As previously discussed, it can be a natural reaction to blame yourself for the appearance of depression, anxiety, bipolar or any of the host of mental or physical disorders that have plagued humans for thousands of years. In dealing with … Continue reading →

What is Childhood Disintegrative Disorder?

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Imagine that your child had a normal birth, seemed to be a healthy infant, and passed all his normal developmental milestones until age two. Even from the age of two to four, he was a cheerful toddler and child, smiling, developing language, and using the toilet. Then, gradually, he started to deteriorate. He began losing interest in other people socially, and his use of language seemed to regress. He started soiling himself, and developed curious motor behaviors, like hand-flapping. Little by little, what was once a normal child now appears to be autistic in nature. This is the agonizing reality … Continue reading →

A Haunting in Connecticut

Another ghost story based on a true event is currently in theaters. But, with information suggesting that another famous “true” ghost story, the Amityville Horror, was a hoax, you have to wonder what is really real. In case you haven’t seen The Haunting in Connecticut (and I haven’t either – not the type of film you take a four year old to), here’s the back story. Carmen Reed, her then husband, three children, and two nieces moved into a home on Meriden Avenue in Southington, Connecticut in the ‘80s. The night the family moved into the former funeral home, Reed’s … Continue reading →

Plenty of Pretending

Fantasy play is so important in the development of young minds—but children tend to go in stages. As the parent, you may notice that pretending, make-believe, and fantasy play tends to come and go in stages and phases. Just when you think your seven or eight year old has outgrown pretending, it will reappear in the play of a nine-year-old. Different children have different ways of playing pretend—but it is normal and a key developmental way of learning and processing the world. Some children like to play dress-up and have the dramatic pretend play, while others prefer to do what … Continue reading →

New Moms Are at Risk for More than PPD

One of the largest studies ever conducted on postpartum mental illness has found that first time moms are at a much greater risk for a variety of mental illnesses during the first three months after giving birth. Not just post partum depression but other more serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. The Study Danish researchers looked at the records of one million women over a course of 32 years from the time their child was born. According to their data, new, first time mothers are seven times more likely to be admitted to a mental hospital for … Continue reading →