Blog

Having a baby is a time of transition and frequently it is also a time when we feel overwhelmed, anxious and alone. Research has showed that about 20% of moms experience postpartum depression and anxiety and of course that is only the women reporting how they feel, the percentage is probably much higher! Help is available though. You don’t have to go through this alone.

 

If you want to read more about maternal mental health download the FREE Guide To Pregnancy & Postpartum Stress, Anxiety & Depression. It is full of information about symptoms, different types of maternal mood disorders and advice about what to do to start feeling like yourself again.

Dr. Sarah Allen has 20+ years experience as a psychologist helping women transition to being the mom they want to be. She is also the Director of the Postpartum Depression Alliance of IL, a non-profit offering info and support to pregnant and postpartum moms and their families.

In her Northbrook office, in the North Suburbs of Chicago, or via telephone or online counseling she offers the most convenient way for you to access support and help.

If you have questions after reading this article or the Guide To Pregnancy & Postpartum Stress, Anxiety & Depression or have any questions about how counseling can be useful to your particular circumstances please contact me at 847 791-7722 or on the form below.

 

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa – disorders characterized by extreme eating behavior and distorted body image and a landmark study at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, suggests that the altered function in the brains of some people contributes to restricted eating in anorexia, overeating in bulimia as well as distorts self-image. The research, published June 2013 in American Journal of Psychiatry, may offer a pathway to new and more effective treatments for these serious eating disorders.

The study confirms that there is a clear link between eating disorders and neural processes in an area of the brain called the insula, which is where taste is sensed and then determines whether an individual feels hungry or full. “One possibility is that restricted eating and weight loss occurs in anorexia because the brain fails to accurately recognize hunger signals,” said study author Oberndorfer. “Alternately, overeating in bulimia could represent an exaggerated perception of hunger signals.”

The researchers added that such studies could have very important implications for treatment in the future. It may be possible to change disordered eating and body image by enhancing insula activity in individuals with anorexia or dampening the exaggerated or unstable response to food in those with bulimia.

Read the original article…