As a new mom, you’re thrilled to hold your newborn for the first time, but you’re also exhausted, anxious, and perhaps a bit frightened. While it’s no secret that mothers often experience conflicting emotions and may even suffer from depression after childbirth, men are affected too.
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a mental condition characterized by severe and ongoing inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive behavior, which impairs a person’s ability to function normally. However, it’s fairly common for an adult or a child who’s easily distracted, frequently irritable, or have difficulty completing tasks to be misdiagnosed as having ADHD.
Here are some of the reasons why it is overdiagnosed.
Although it’s normal for most women to have the “baby blues” after giving birth, postpartum depression is a more serious condition that can last for months.
Based on recent research by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, postpartum depression happens to 1 in 9 women, and while new mothers may be familiar with the condition, first-time fathers might not realize their partner is at risk.
Bipolar disorder is a brain condition characterized by shifting moods, energy, and activity levels. It is a complex illness that affects a person’s lifestyle and relationships and requires ongoing care. People with regular mood swings may be seen as ‘suffering from bipolar disorder,’ but such oversimplification can lead to misdiagnosis.
For many couples, deciding to go for therapy is a difficult but necessary step toward fixing their relationship. A professional psychotherapist offers a neutral environment to talk about issues they’re unable to discuss on their own or to calmly talk about how they could amicably split.
Medications play a critical role in the treatment of various mental health issues. The right medication can reduce or eliminate symptoms and significantly improve a patient’s quality of life.
However, mental health professionals are keenly aware that the efficacy of medications vary from patient to patient.
The right diagnosis is critical to determining the optimal treatments for mental health patients. Unfortunately, accurate diagnosis of several common conditions like depression, ADHD, and anxiety is extremely difficult.
This is partly due to the fact that psychiatrists can have different opinions about such conditions and, therefore, the corresponding treatments.