Psychiatry of Alcohol
Psychiatry of Alcohol Alcohol is the major substance of abuse. About 55% of Americans drink; 7% are heavy drinkers (men, 3:1); 20%+ have alcohol-abuse problems at some time (peak at…
Psychiatric Presentations of Neurologic Disease
Psychiatric Presentations of Neurologic Disease Many psychiatric symptoms caused by various neurologic diseases [e.g., central nervous system (CNS) tumor, trauma, seizure, infection] can be correlated directly to the CNS site…
Psychiatric Presentations of Medical Disease
Psychiatric Presentations of Medical Disease Physical and psychiatric illnesses are closely interwoven (1,2). Both medical and psychiatric physicians should know the specifics of these interrelations. Of patients needing mental health…
Psychiatric Symptoms of Nonpsychiatric Medication
Psychiatric Symptoms of Nonpsychiatric Medication In many medical patients, psychiatric symptoms (1,2) develop because of common side effects of medical drugs, as an idiosyncratic response, from administration of excessive amounts,…
Psychosomatic Disorders
Psychosomatic Disorders Two overlapping classifications exist here. A PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDER (not in DSM-IV) is a physical disease partially caused or exacerbated by psychological factors, whereas the new DSM-IV category, PSYCHOLOGICAL…
Conditions That Mimic Physical Disease
Conditions That Mimic Physical Disease It is essential to differentiate organic illness from psychogenic illness in patients complaining of physical symptoms. Patients with physical complaints in whom no medical illness…
Grief and the Dying Patient
Grief and the Dying Patient Everyone endures personal losses; many suffer chronic illnesses. Everyone dies. Physicians attend at all of these events and need to recognize normal and abnormal human…
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Disorders Dissociation is the splitting off of specific mental activities from the rest of normal consciousness, such as the splitting of thoughts or feelings from behavior (e.g., to daydream…
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety Disorders Anxiety is ubiquitous; anxiety disorders are not. Anxiety is an unpleasant and unjustified sense of apprehension often accompanied by physiologic symptoms, whereas anxiety disorder connotes significant distress and…
Suicidal and Assaultive Behaviors
Suicidal and Assaultive Behaviors THE SUICIDAL PATIENT Epidemiology Reported suicides in the United States number 31,000 per year (12 per 100,000; 300,000 attempts annually). Suicide is underreported and often is…
