Depression Center - Altoona, PAAltoona Psychiatrist Doctors for DepressionType of Physician: Psychiatrist What is a Psychiatrist? A certification by the Board of Psychiatry & Neurology; practitioners are skilled in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental, addictive and emotional disorders. He or she is trained to understand the biological, psychological and social components of illness and is qualified to order diagnostic laboratory tests and to prescribe medications, as well as to evaluate and treat psychological and interpersonal problems. The psychiatrist is also prepared to intervene with individuals and families who are coping with stress, crises, and other problems in living. Specialty: Psychiatry Common Name: Psychiatrist Doctors in Altoona * Ciceron L Opida MD  Altoona Center for Mental Health  Home Nursing Agency Behavioral Health  Cecilia Levich MD  Medical Connections  G Martin Keeney MD  Nulton Diagnostic & Treatment Center  Nulton Diagnostic & Treatment Center  Alternative Community Resource Program  Alternative Community Resource Program  Alternative Community Resource Program  Conemaugh Behavioral Medicine  Center for Child & Adult Development  Penn State Psychological Clinic  Counseling & Psychological Services  Penn Orthopaedics Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy  Laurie B Kile MD  Abdollah Nabavi MD  SunPointe Health  SunPointe Health  SunPointe Health  SunPointe Health  SunPointe Health  SunPointe Health  SunPointe Health  Joshua M Figlin DO  Outpatient Behavioral Health Services  CCMR  Community Guidance Center  Community Guidance Center  The Braddock Center for Behavioral Medicine  Steven Gelfand MD  Meadows Psychiatric Center  Meadows Psychiatric Center  Somerset Mental Health  Keystone Behavioral Health  Keystone Behavioral Health  Keystone Behavioral Health  Eric M Levin MD  Summit Behavioral Health  Summit Behavioral Health  Summit Behavioral Health  Summit Behavioral Health  Summit Behavioral Health  Dickinson Mental Health Center  Dickinson Mental Health Center  Latrobe Area Hospital Mental Health Clinic  Latrobe Area Hospital Mental Health Clinic  Latrobe Area Hospital Mental Health Clinic  Community Psychiatric Centers  Family Counseling Center  Comprehensive Counseling  Clarion Psychiatric Center  Clarion Psychiatric Center  Bonsall & Manfredi MDs & Associates  Bonsall & Manfredi MDs & Associates  The Stevens Center  Nightingale Health & Wellness  Allegheny Associates in Psychiatry  Allegheny Associates in Psychiatry  Jon Grigg MD  Penn Psycare Inc  Penn Psycare Inc  Penn Psycare Inc  Health First Medical Center  Gettysburg Center For Adult Medicine  Family Services of Western Pennsylvania  Robert H Trivus MD  WellSpan Behavioral Health Services  Paul I Weiss MD  Gail M Kubrin MD Altoona, PennsylvaniaUpcoming Local Events2012-05-26
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DepressionWhat is a depressive disorder?Depressive disorders have been with mankind since the beginning of recorded history. In the Bible, King David, as well as Job, suffered from this affliction. Hippocrates referred to depression as melancholia, which literally means black bile. Black bile, along with blood, phlegm, and yellow bile were the four humors (fluids) that described the basic medical physiology theory of that time. Depression, also referred to as clinical depression, has been portrayed in literature and the arts for hundreds of years, but what do we mean today when we refer to a depressive disorder? In the 19th century, depression was seen as an inherited weakness of temperament. In the first half of the 20th century, Freud linked the development of depression to guilt and conflict. John Cheever, the author and a modern sufferer of depressive disorder, wrote of conflict and experiences with his parents as influencing his development of depression. In the 1950s and '60s, depression was divided into two types, endogenous and neurotic. Endogenous means that the depression comes from within the body, perhaps of genetic origin, or comes out of nowhere. Neurotic or reactive depression has a clear environmental precipitating factor, such as the death of a spouse, or other significant loss, such as the loss of a job. In the 1970s and '80s, the focus of attention shifted from the cause of depression to its effects on the afflicted people. That is to say, whatever the cause in a particular case, what are the symptoms and impaired functions that experts can agree make up a depressive disorder? Although there is some argument even today (as in all branches of medicines), most experts agree on the following:
Recommended Reading Related to DepressionWhat are panic attacks?Panic attacks may be symptoms of an anxiety disorder. These attacks are a serious health problem in the U.S. At least 20% of adult Americans, or about 60 million people, will suffer from panic attacks at some point in their lives. About 1.7% of adult Americans, or about 3 million people, will have full-blown panic disorder at some time in their lives, twice as often for women than men. The peak age at which people have their first panic attack (onset) is 15-19 years. Another fact about panic is that this symptom is strikingly different from other types of anxiety; panic attacks are so very sudden and often unexpected, appear to be unprovoked, and are often disabling. Childhood panic disorder facts include that about 0.7% of children suffer from panic disorder or generalized anxiety disorder and that although panic is found to occur twice as often in women compared to men, boys and girls tend to experience this disorder a... Other Related Depression ArticlesEmergency Contact for Altoona
Nearby Altoona Hospitals *Altoona Regional Health System Bon Secours Hospital Campus Altoona Regional Hospital James E Van Zandt VA Medical Center HEALTHSOUTH Altoona Rehabilitation Hospital Nason Hospital Tyrone Hospital Miners Medical Center J C Blair Memorial Hospital Windber Medical Center Crichton Rehabilitation Center Memorial Medical Center Lee Campus Good Samaritan Medical Center Memorial Medical Center Select Specialty Hospital Johnstown UPMC Bedford Memorial Mount Nittany Medical Center Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
Suggested Reading on Depression by Our Doctors
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