Mobile Health Consult wishes you and your family good tidings in this season of celebration.
Do have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in Advance!
A POINTER TO CHILDHOOD ANXIETY
Everyone experiences feelings of worry and anxiety from time to time. These feelings can range from a little sense of uneasiness to full-blown panic (or somewhere in between), but it however depends on the person and the situation. It is only natural for unfamiliar or challenging situations to trigger feelings of anxiety or nervousness in anyone. You may feel it when you have a competition to participate in, for example, or when addressing an audience, etc.
As much as adult experience feelings of anxiety, it is one of the most common emotional issues faced by children — being singled out to face other students in class to answer a question, participating in a competition, when facing an important test or switching schools, for example. Children with anxiety problems may not be aware of what is causing the emotions, worries, and sensations they have. These experiences can trigger anxiety, thus making them to focus on the “what if’s”: What if I mess up? What if people laugh at me or make jest of me? What if things don’t go as I planned? What if I fail?
There is great beauty in going through life without anxiety or fear. Half our fears are baseless, and the other half discreditable. – Christian Nestell Bovee
Anxiety can be
experienced in diverse ways — physically, emotionally, and in the way people view the world around them. Anxiety mainly relates to intense worry about what might happen, i.e. worrying about things going wrong or feeling like you are in some kind of danger.
CAUSES
There are several factors that could cause anxiety in an individual, particularly children. These factors can range from genetic factor, environmental factor (learned behavior), past traumatic event, stressful life situations, etc.
- Genetic factor: A child can be predisposed to developing an anxiety disorder as a result of having a family member who suffers from it. However, it is also important to note that not everyone with a family member who has an anxiety disorder will develop problems with anxiety.
- Past traumatic event: events that occur in a child’s life can cause anxiety disorders in childhood or later in life. The loss of a loved one or parents’ divorce and major life transitions (like moving to a new town or new school, etc.) are common triggers. Children who have experienced abuse are also vulnerable to anxiety.
- Environmental factor: Growing up in a family or in an environment where people are fearful, constantly worried or anxious also can “teach” a child to view the world as a dangerous place. Likewise, a child who grows up in an environment that is actually dangerous (if there is violence in the child’s family or environment, for example) may learn to be fearful, worried or expect the worst.
There’s just so much going on in my mind, sometimes I can’t keep up with what’s going on around me. – Amanda Jade Briska
Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions. There are different types of anxiety disorders, each with its unique causes and symptoms. But they all have something peculiar in common — prolonged, intense, overwhelming, unrealistic, excessive worry that is out of proportion to the present situation and affects a person’s daily life and happiness. Symptoms of an anxiety disorder can occur suddenly or can grow little by little and eventually become full blown.
TYPES OF ANXIETY DISORDERS AND THEIR SYMPTOMS
- Social Anxiety Disorder: this is characterized by an intense fear of social and performance situations and activities such as being called on in class or starting a conversation with a peer. This can significantly impair your child’s school performance and attendance, as well as his or her ability to socialize with peers and develop and maintain relationships.
- Panic Disorder: Panic disorder is diagnosed if your child suffers at least two unexpected panic or anxiety attacks, which means they come on suddenly and for no reason. This is followed by at least one month of concern over having another attack, losing control, or “going crazy.”
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): If your child has generalized anxiety disorder, he or she will worry excessively about a variety of things such as grades, family issues, relationships with peers and performance in sports. Children with GAD tend to be very hard on themselves and strive for perfection. They may also seek constant approval or reassurance from others.
- Separation Anxiety Disorder: This disorder is most common in children between ages seven to nine. However, older children can also suffer from this disorder too. When separation anxiety disorder occurs, a child experiences excessive anxiety away from home or when separated from parents or caregivers. Extreme homesickness and feelings of misery at not being with loved ones are common. Other symptoms include refusing to go to school, camp, or a sleepover, and demanding that someone stay with them at bedtime. Children with separation anxiety commonly worry about bad things happening to their parents or caregivers or may have a vague sense of something terrible occurring while they are apart.
- Selective Mutism: this is characterized by refusal to speak in situations where talking is expected or necessary, to the extent that the refusal interferes with school and making friends. Children suffering from selective mutism may stand motionless and expressionless, turn their heads, chew or twirl hair, avoid eye contact, or withdraw into a corner to avoid talking. These children can be very communicative, expressive and display normal behaviors at home or in another place where they feel comfortable.
Other Symptoms include;
- Inability to relax
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Irregular breathing (rapid pulse or pounding, skipping, racing heart)
- Nausea, chest pain or pressure
- Feeling a “lump in the throat” or dry mouth
- Feelings of dread, apprehension or losing control
- Trembling or shaking, sweating or chills
- Fainting or dizziness
EFFECTS
Some amount of anxiety is normal and can even be motivating. It helps us stay alert, focused, and ready to do our best. But when it becomes intense, or happens a lot, it can become overwhelming. It can interfere with a child’s self-confidence, self-esteem, sense of self-worth, social skills, relationship management skills, ability to get things done and, in severe cases, can start taking over the good and enjoyable parts of their life.
TREATMENT
- Support: ranging from discussing practical solutions and contributing stresses, to educating family members.
- Psychotherapy: also referred to as talking therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Therapy.
- Biofeedback Therapy
- Audio-Visual Entrainment Therapy
- Mindfulness Meditation Therapy
If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.
– Amit Ray
For more information on the therapy procedures visit our website on http://www.mobilehealthconsult.org and remember to follow @DrMorayoJimoh on twitter.
One Random Act of Kindness!
Offer your helping hand, not your judgment!
You are driving your car late at night and you see somebody stranded, looking completely dejected, and begging for a lift. You thought of stopping to help but instead you just kept driving on deciding you would rather not because of all the negative news flying around or what people would say? Or perhaps a total stranger you are meeting for the first time needs a place to stay for the night or a place to live for a while; you have the means to help, could be a room in your apartment but you are not willing to help unless you get something in return for your help or not willing to help at all? Now let’s turn the table around. Have you ever been completely stranded somewhere with no money, no one to call, nowhere to stay and you are trying to get a lift to the safest place, to spend the night but nobody is stopping to help? How does it feel? I bet it doesn’t feel good! But there is a saying that goes ‘with one random act of kindness, we can change the world’ – Altruism, a selfless act!
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are – Theodore Roosevelt
Altruism is the principle or practice of concern for the welfare of others. It is doing things purely out of a desire to help and not out of duty, obligation, guilt, and loyalty or expecting something in return. ‘Altruism’ or ‘Selflessness’ is the opposite of selfishness. It doesn’t necessarily mean you need to have enough to share with another neither does it necessarily mean your helping hand should be limited only to people of the same societal class with you. It could mean you need to sacrifice the little or the only piece you have for another who clearly needs it at that point in time more than you do.
Altruism is usually considered a traditional and compulsory virtue that one must have in some cultures. It also forms the core beliefs of some religions. Altruism is putting others before you but the concept of “others” varies widely among cultures and religion. It could mean everybody or only people of the same tribe or only people of the same town or even only people of the same religion as you. Nevertheless, others mean others.
Help people whenever you can, don’t expect anything in return!
There are two types of altruism; the psychological altruism and the biological altruism. Psychological altruism means acting out of concern for the well-being of others, without regard to your own self-interest. Biological altruism refers to behavior that helps the survival of specie without benefiting the particular individual who is being altruistic.
Being altruistic could be good, nice and easy but sometimes, it could involve risking your own life to save another person. The old people need to teach the young to cultivate the habit of selflessness to everyone regardless of their tribe, ethnicity, race and religion. It is important because the young don’t see it as needful or as a virtue.
Be altruistic. Every once in a while, place other people before yourself, help others, donate things to orphanages, help the poor and homeless without expecting anything in return.
It is more rewarding than you think!
When you are helping others, you are helping yourself!
Don’t forget to follow @DrMorayoJimoh for more interesting topics. You can also visit our website http://www.mobilehealthconsult.org.
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH STATUS: POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE?
Your mental health is more important than the meeting, the test/examination, the interview, the dinner, the grocery shopping, the family dinner, people’s opinion, your relationship status, etc. Be conscious of your mental health and take care of yourself.
Are you aware that your mental health is just as essential as your physical health? Do you know that caring for the mind is as important and crucial as caring for the body? In fact, one cannot be healthy without the other.
Mental health is simply the psychological state of functioning at a satisfactory level of emotional and behavioral adjustment.
Mental health is how you think, feel, and act in order to face life’s situations. It is how you look at yourself, your life and the people in your life. It is how you evaluate your options and make choices.
Many people have mental health concerns from time to time. These concerns may be as a result of different factors ranging from stress, emotional breakdown, financial troubles, traumatic events, etc. A lot of people are of the idea that mental health issues only affect some certain categories of people, this is not true.
Say “No” to stigmatization! Say “No” to discrimination!
Mental health issues can happen to anybody irrespective of your gender, age, financial/societal/religious status, field of work and environment. People with mental health conditions deserve just as much support and compassion as people with physical health conditions.
A person struggling with their mental health may experience mental illness. Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. It is important to note that not all these disorders are necessarily obvious at onset, but when your ability to function effectively on a daily basis becomes impaired, then be aware that there is a need to check on your mental health with a professional before it gets worse because it cannot improve on its own. The earlier the check, the better your chances of fast recovery and getting back right on track.
Do not be ashamed to step out and get yourself evaluated if you are experiencing any distressing sign and symptom that is impairing your ability to function in any way.
Do not be afraid to discuss your mental health; don’t let it eat you up.
Always remember, you are stronger than the circumstances you are going through!
Make an appointment with a mental health professional today and get to know your mental health status. Be aware! Stay mentally healthy!
For more information, visit our website on http://www.mobilehealthconsult.org and remember to follow @DrMorayoJimoh on twitter.
ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION MYTH? OR FACT!
You don’t have crawl into a dark corner; take a bold step, open the shut door to your emotions, feelings, thoughts and step out into the light.
You don’t have to keep up a smiling face when you are hurt or sad deep inside; take off that mask and seek for help!
Often in life, there are certain events that cause different emotional responses, ranging from excitement, happiness, enthusiasm to fear, anger, disappointment, weariness, tiredness, sadness, etc. This is only natural. But when you allow the feelings of sadness to last for days, weeks or perhaps months and it keeps you from living your normal life, interferes with your normal social activities, enjoyable interests, or schoolwork, such that you are now a shadow of whom you used to be; then what you are feeling is no longer sadness. You may be experiencing Depression.
Do you often feel so exhausted, not from a stressful day, that when you are asked the question “how do u feel”, the only explanatory response you can give is “Am fine, I just feel tired”? But then you try to sleep to relieve the feelings of tiredness and it doesn’t seem to be able to fix it. Do you feel the need to be alone just by yourself but at the same time not wanting to be lonely? Do you feel the need for friends but you don’t want to socialize or relate with others? Or perhaps you are in a pressurizing situation and you feel worthless, helpless, and hopeless that you decided to shut everyone out? You may be suffering from Depression.
Adolescence is always an unsettling time, with many physical, emotional, psychological and social changes that accompany this stage of their life. When the moods of teenagers disrupt their ability to function on a daily basis, this may indicate a serious emotional or mental disorder that needs attention.
Adolescent depression is a disorder that occurs during the teenage years. It involves persistent sadness, discouragement, loss of self-worth and loss of interest in activities they previously found pleasurable or enjoyable. Depression is associated with an increased risk of suicide and prior studies have revealed that suicide rates among adolescents have nearly tripled in recent times.
Depressive symptoms among adolescents are often attributed to the normal stress seen at this stage of life. This is often misdiagnosed as primarily conduct or substance abuse disorders. Neglecting depression among adolescents can have a tragic effect. Regrettably, adolescents who experience depression at an early age often struggle with depression throughout their lives.
LITERATURE REVIEW
A study carried out in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria (2015) on depression among adolescents in secondary schools between the age range of 9 – 18 years, revealed that the prevalence of moderate depression in adolescent was lowest at the age of 10 and highest at the age of 13. It further revealed that the prevalence of severe depression in adolescents was lowest at the age of 11 and highest at the age of 12. Furthermore, the study revealed that children whose parents are separated showed higher incidences of depression with the female gender at a higher risk.
Another study carried out in Greece (2015) on depression in late adolescence among students in senior high schools between the age range of 16 – 18 years, revealed that 49.38 % of the adolescents with depressive episode had at least one comorbid anxiety disorder. Only 17.08 % of the adolescents with depression have visited a doctor due to a psychological problem during the previous year. It further revealed that anxiety disorders, substance use, female gender, older age, having one sibling, and divorce or separation of the parents were all associated with depression. In addition, the presence of financial difficulties in the family was significantly associated with an increased prevalence of both depression and depressive symptoms in adolescents.
CAUSES
There’s no single known cause of adolescent depression. Some of the factors that could lead to depression in adolescents include:
- Genetic factors: a family history of first-degree relatives with depression could put a child at higher risk of having depression. Most especially, it could be passed from parent to child.
- Environmental factors: heartbreak, academic problems, health concerns, or acute stress.
- Past traumatic event: the loss of a family member or friend; sexual abuse (rape), physical abuse (beating), or emotional abuse (insults, bullying, words of discouragement).
- Hormonal changes resulting in irregularity in mood and behavior.
Having a pessimistic mindset or thought: a child being surrounded with people or an environment where negative thoughts or way of life, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness is a norm instead of facing challenges head on and a winning attitude; such child can end up not being able to feel positive when in distressing situations.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS TO LOOK OUT FOR
Most times it is often difficult for parents to know that their children are suffering from depression. Parents often mistake it for stress, adjustment issues or growing up/puberty. Some of the depressive signs to look out for are:-
- A decreased interest in activities your child once found pleasurable.
- Appearing sad, irritable, or tearful.
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, hopelessness or helplessness.
- Changes in appetite or unintentional weight gain/weight loss.
- A decrease in energy (fatigue) and regular complaints of boredom.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- A decline in academic performance.
- Substance abuse (Drug or Alcohol).
- Withdrawal from social situations, friends, or after-school activities.
- Major changes in sleeping habits (Insomnia or Hypersomnia).
- Recurrent thoughts and talk of suicide, death or attempted suicide.
- Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause and/or that do not ease even with treatment.
EFFECTS
Depression is associated with high levels of stress, anxiety, self-harm and in the worst possible scenarios, suicide. It can also affect a child’s:
- personal life
- school life
- social life
- family life
This can lead to social isolation and other problems.
TREATMENT
- Support: ranging from discussing practical solutions and contributing stresses, to educating family members.
- Psychotherapy: also referred to as talking therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Therapy.
- Mindfulness Meditation Therapy
- Biofeedback Therapy
- Neurofeedback Therapy
- Audio-visual entrainment Therapy
- Drug treatment: antidepressants medications.
- Regular Exercise
- Adequate sleep
- Hygienic and balanced diet
- Avoid substance and alcohol intake
You may be bent, but you are not broken; you may be scarred but you are not disfigured; you may be sad but that doesn’t mean all hope is lost; you may be tired but you are not lifeless; you may be afraid but only you has the power to change that; you may be angry but you don’t have to be bitter. All in all, you may be depressed but do not give up!
– Anonymous
For more information on the therapy procedures visit our website on http://www.mobilehealthconsult.org and remember to follow @DrMorayoJimoh on twitter.
WHAT IF I FAIL AGAIN?
Failure is the opportunity to begin again, only more intelligently. – Henry Ford.
Are you scared of taking on a challenge all because you think you might not succeed? Are you holding yourself back from starting that project because you are scared you might fail? Or are you just so afraid of failing that it causes you to be stuck or moving on? Or you hesitate from trying, thinking you are not good enough?
Everyone has experienced failure at one point or another but that doesn’t have to hinder you from trying neither does it have to be the end of it. More often than not, to succeed at times we need to have failed at a point. Failure is a way of learning to think of better ways to achieve our set goals in order to come out with excellent outcomes better than we ever thought.
Funny it may seem that what a person may categorize as failure may just be an opportunity to learn for another. The thought of failing can be scary, true; but when you are so scared of failing that you allow it stop you from doing something that will bring your progress, hence, causing you to be stuck and hinder you from progressing, you are experiencing what is referred to as ‘Atychiphobia’ – fear of failure.
A person is said have phobia when he/she has an extreme, unreasonable or irrational fear of something or situations as a result of being exposed to certain situations, objects, places or creatures. A person is said to have ‘Atychiphobia’ if he/she is experiencing persistent, recurrent and irrational fear of failure.
Phobias like ‘Atychiphobia’ can be so extreme that they completely paralyze you, making it difficult to carry on with your tasks at home, school, or work. You may even miss out on important opportunities in your life, both personally and professionally.
Failure does one of two things: it will either keep you stuck or get you moving!
CAUSES OF ATYCHIPHOBIA
It may be difficult to say what the real cause behind one’s fear of failure is but one is likely to have a fear of failure if:
- You have watched other people fail and perhaps not able to recover from it. This is called ‘Observational Learning Experience’.
- You heard or read stories about other people’s experience and as a result, you developed fear of failure. This is called ‘Informational Learning Experience’.
- You have had personal past experiences of failure that resulted in serious consequences; for example, losing a job.
SYMPTOMS OF ATYCHIPHOBIA
The symptoms range in severity from mildly severe to extremely severe. You may experience some of these symptoms if have a fear of failure:-
- You may feel reluctant to explore new things or ideas or take on challenging tasks.
- When you have a low self-esteem or lack of confidence in yourself.
- Uttering negative statements like ‘I am not good enough to take on that project’.
- When you are fond of procrastinating; that is, postponing your set out goals because you too scared of starting.
- If you are only willing to try as long as you certain that the outcome will be positive – perfectionism.
Other symptoms may include;
- Intense feeling of panic or anxiety.
- A serious need to escape a situation that produces the fear.
- Feeling detached from yourself.
- When you feel you don’t have control over a situation
- When you generally feel powerless over your fear.
HOW TO OVERCOME YOUR FEAR OF FAILURE
- If you are experiencing Atychiphobia, the first step to overcoming it is to believe in yourself that you are good enough and try again.
- It’s best to seek the help of a professional, a psychotherapist or perhaps a Certified Psychologist for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This will give you exposure to the tools that you need to overcome your fear of failure.
For more information on the therapy procedures visit our website on www.mobilehealthconsult.org and remember to follow @DrMorayoJimoh on twitter.
DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE, DO IT NOW!
The habit of always putting off an experience until you can afford it, or until the time is right, or until you know how to do it is one of the greatest burglars of joy. Be deliberate, but once you’ve made up your mind – jump in.
– Charles R. Swindoll.
Have you ever sat down to complete an important task — and then suddenly discovered your eyes were fixated on your TV screen watching movies or engrossed in surfing the internet? Or perhaps you suddenly realize that your dog needs to be fed, you need to respond to some chats, your house needs cleaning — or maybe you should go ahead and have lunch, even though it’s only 11 a.m.?
Next thing you know, it’s the end of the day and your important task remains unfinished.
Everyone puts things off until the last minute sometimes, but when you chronically avoid difficult tasks and deliberately look for distractions, you are procrastinating. You may believe you perform better under pressure, but more often than not that is just a way of you justifying putting things off.
Procrastination is the habit of delaying an important task, usually by focusing on less urgent, more enjoyable, and easier activities instead. It is different from laziness, which is the unwillingness to act.
You may delay but time will not
– Benjamin Franklin
Sometimes, procrastination takes place when you ignore things to be done until the “last minute” before a deadline. Procrastination can take hold on any aspect of life—putting off cleaning the stove, repairing a leaky roof, seeing a doctor or dentist, submitting a job report or academic assignment or breaching a stressful issue with a partner.
Procrastination usually results in sorrowful regret. Today’s duties put off until tomorrow gives us a double burden to bear; the best way is to do them in their proper time.
– Ida Scott Taylor
Procrastination can restrict your potential and undermine your career. It can also disrupt your teamwork, reduce morale, and even lead to feelings of guilt, inadequacy, self-doubt, depression and job loss. So, it’s crucial to take proactive steps to prevent it.
Looking on the bright side, it is possible to overcome procrastination — with effort.
The first step to overcoming procrastination is to recognize that you’re doing it. Then, identify the reasons behind your behavior and use appropriate strategies to manage and overcome it.
HELPFUL TIPS TO AVOID PROCRASTINATION
1. You have to recognize the fact that you are procrastinating: if you start postponing things you need to do, the tasks before you or you direct your focus unto something else because you want to avoid doing your task, then you are probably procrastinating.
2. Ask yourself, what are the reasons you give: For instance, are you avoiding a particular task because you find it boring or unpleasant? If so, take steps to get it out of the way quickly, so that you can focus on the enjoyable aspects of your job.
3. Make lists of things and chunk them: this will prevent you from ‘conveniently’ forgetting about those unpleasant and overwhelming tasks.
4. Set deadlines and priorities: The priorities will help you to easily identify the activities you should focus on doing and the ones you can ignore. The deadlines will keep you on track in achieving your set goals and will mean that you don’t have time for procrastination!
5. Tackle the hardest tasks at your peak times: Do you work better in the morning or in the afternoon? You need to identify when you achieve your best results in doing things, that is when you are most effective and do the tasks that you find most challenging at these times.
6. Act on it!
The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action.
– Alexandre Graham Bell
7. Don’t be a perfectionist: Sometimes you would rather avoid doing a task that you feel you don’t have the skills to do than do it imperfectly. You don’t have to wait until you are certain about the outcome of your task before you start working on it. So what do you do? Something, Anything. As long as you are not just sitting there idle. If you screw it up, start over. Try something else.
8. Reward yourself: Celebrate small victories for having completed your tasks. The reward may be a short water-cooler conversation with a colleague, a stroll to a nearby café for a coffee pick-me-up, or maybe a larger reward such as treating yourself to a movie. Let your brain know that you will reward it for focusing and being attentive.
For more information visit our website www.mobilehealthconsult.org and remember to follow @DrMorayoJimoh on twitter.
Unraveling Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Asides physical disabilities, other psychological disabilities exists all around us and poor knowledge regarding these conditions and the available treatment/management options have driven so many to make uninformed choices regarding their mental health as well as that of their children. One of the groups under mental health related conditions is the neurodevelopmental disorders. For long, so many people have wondered what they are, some have blamed the wrong sources for the outcome of their poorly developed child or children as the case may be. Others have made huge investments in an attempt to help their children. Also, some with these conditions have been relegated to thinking it is a death sentence. This is not so as individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders can live successful lives with the right support.
To understand neurodevelopmental disorders, we have to first break the words into smaller and easy to understand parts.
Neuro – has to do with the central nervous system which comprise of the brain along with several neurons carrying messages within the nervous system. It basically relates to how the brain functions.
Developmental – is concerned with the process of development or how something gradually attains a specific function.
Disorders – relates to a lack of order within a system or deficits within a system that is expected to function in an orderly manner.
Neurodevelopmental disorders therefore primarily have to do with problems that affect brain development or problems with the brain or neurological functions. They can occur as a result of abnormalities in brain development or brain damage at an early age which could be during pregnancy, childbirth or infancy/early childhood.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, (DSM-5) (2013), Neurodevelopmental disorders refer to a group of conditions with onset in the developmental period. The disorders usually manifest early in development and are characterized by developmental deficits that produce impairments of personal, social, academic or occupational functioning. The range of developmental deficits ranges from very specific limitations of learning or control of executive functions, to global impairments of social skills or intelligence. In addition to this, more than one neurodevelopmental disorders can co-occur in a single individual.
TYPES OF NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDERS: usually involves problems with learning core academic skills such as in math, reading and writing. Some types of specific learning disorders include
- Dyslexia: is characterized by impairments in ability to recognize words, poor reading skills, poor spelling skills and poor comprehension of written material.
- Dyscalculia: is characterized by impairments in basic math or calculation skills. This is usually manifested in persistent poor numeracy skills.
- Dysgraphia: is characterized by impairments in writing. It can manifest as poor handwriting, poor letter/number formation, poor spelling and poor written expression.
ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD):
is a disruptive behaviour disorder characterized by presenting symptoms of inattention, impulsivity and or hyperactivity. Some symptoms of inattentive subtype of ADHD include; difficulty sustaining attention during tasks, difficulty organizing tasks & activities, difficulty following instructions or completing tasks, lack of attention to detail and committing careless mistakes, easily distracted by extraneous stimuli, etc. some symptoms of hyperactive/impulsive subtype of ADHD include; inability sit still, frequently fidgeting or squirming in chair, excessive energy, talks excessively, difficulty waiting his/her turn, etc.
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD): 
this refers to a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that are characterized by communication, social interaction and behavioural problems which vary differently among individuals. Some symptoms of autism spectrum disorder include; avoiding eye-contact, using facial expressions that does not match situation, inappropriate laughter/crying, inability to read social cues, tendency to play alone, appearing to be in his/her own world, appearing to be uninterested or unaware of people around, repetitive behaviour amongst others.
INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY (MENTAL RETARDATION): 
is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by subaverage intellectual functioning before the age of eighteen years. Often defined by an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of less than 70 and impairments in life skills such as adaptive skills, communication skills, self-care, home living and social or interpersonal skills.
COMMUNICATION DISORDERS: 
This type of disorder occurs when language development does not follow the normal or expected pattern of development. It could also be as a result of significant deficits in any aspects of language development. It can be of various forms which include; expression disorder, comprehension disorder, speech disorder (dyslalia) and stuttering.
CAUSES OF NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
There are several factors that could cause neurodevelopmental disorders. Some of them include:
- Genetic disorder
- Brain trauma
- Smoking, illicit drug usage and alcohol consumption during pregnancy
- Immune dysfunction
- Metabolic disorders
- Infectious diseases
- Nutritional deficits
- Preterm births and Low birth weights
- Prenatal and childhood exposure to environmental contaminants
DIAGNOSING NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
Mental health professionals are trained to carry out various kinds of evaluation to assess neurodevelopmental disorders. At Mobile Health consult (Brain Dynamics), our team of professionals utilize innovative techniques for evaluating neurodevelopmental disorders some of which include the following:
- PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION: this is a comprehensive evaluation technique that assesses cognitive functioning, behavioural functioning, social-emotional development as well as academic achievement of individuals through standardized testing. To schedule an appointment for a psycho-educational evaluation, kindly send an email to mobilehealthconsult2000@yahoo.co.uk
- NEUROFEEDBACK EVALUATION: this is a brain training technique used to evaluate brain activity and detect irregular brainwave patterns at different brain aspects. To schedule an appointment for a neurofeedback evaluation, kindly send an email to mobilehealthconsult2000@yahoo.co.uk
TREATMENT/MANAGEMENT OF NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
At Mobile Health Consult (Brain Dynamics), we offer a wide range of evidence based therapy modalities for the treatment/management of neurodevelopmental disorders such as:
- Neurofeedback therapy
- Biofeedback therapy
- Audio-visual entrainment therapy
- Individualized Educational Support
- Cognitive enhancement therapy
Contact us today on www.mobilehealthconsult.org to schedule a life changing appointment with us.
Mastering Inner Peace
“If there’s no inner peace, people can’t give it to you. The husband or wife can’t give it to you.
Your children can’t give it to you.
You have to give it to you”
– Linda Evans
The distractions, the many disappointments in life, the conflicts here and there, the turmoil all around you, the failures, the dashed hopes, the wars, the fading love, the stressful situations, the busy schedules, the fights, the fears, the conflicts within & without…There are so many reasons to loose your peace in life as life can be utterly unpredictable. You may not be in complete control of what happens around you but you are definitely in complete control of what happens inside you! Knowing that you are in charge of the state of your mind and emotions is the first step towards mastering inner peace. For you to make any form of impact in life at all, you must be able to know what it is to create and maintain peace within yourself so that you can share it with others around you as well.
“First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others”
-Thomas a Kempis
The next step is to actually take responsibility for your state of being through conscious efforts. As such, you take back the power for people or situations to determine your state of being regardless of your experiences. Focus on your perception of events so as to avoid irrational thinking patterns about situations because such irrational thinking patterns will lead to irrational behaviour patterns that can rob you off your inner peace and on the long run, fuel negative emotions as well as negative outcomes. The secret here is not about controlling external events which is impossible because you can neither control people nor control what life brings but you can control your internal processes like your thought patterns and how you perceive events.
Everyone loves a peaceful person…
“For peace of mind, we need to resign as general manager of the universe”
-Larry Eisenberg
In mastering inner peace, we should always remember to inculcate the following practical tips in our daily lives:
- Learn to respond to situations rather than reacting to them
- Learn to be mindful of your current state of mind and resolve conflicts quickly
- Learn to let go off hurtful experiences
- Learn to forgive easily
- Learn to accommodate others
- Learn to meditate on good thoughts
- Learn to treat others well
- Love freely
To adequately practice all of these, mindfulness meditation should become a vital part of our everyday lives. Through mindfulness meditation, you will learn to gain awareness and be in control of your thoughts, feelings and state of being. Furthermore, it will improve your relationships and your health in general. For more information about mindfulness meditation, kindly visit our website on www.mobilehealthconsult.org and follow me on twitter @DrMorayojimoh.
Get Past The Past!
Going through life carrying the baggage of the past is a great burden to bear but life is much sweeter when you travel light.
If you have ever been hurt before, be it as a result of an experience in your family, your relationships, loss of a loved one or some other form of emotional pain, then you’ll quite agree that such pain may be indescribable when compared with physical pain and can tend to linger on much longer. Likewise, there are some seemingly little events encountered on a daily basis that tend to accumulate over time such as misunderstandings, quarrels or disagreements between parties which can cause some pain and affect people’s relationships or attitude towards themselves. No matter the weight of the pain, know that it is in your power to take charge of your life and determine when it ends!
Whatever time frame the past holds, be it several years ago or just some months, weeks, days, hours or minutes ago, learning to handle the past appropriately is key to our wellbeing. Sometimes, in a bid to deal with such hurts and pains of the past, you may unknowingly be feeding and giving energy to them through the ways you choose to go about handling it such as archiving them in your memory, sweeping them under the “carpet” or building a huge fence around yourself. In this way, you end up creating a harmful state of mind which is full of anger, bitterness, resentment, regrets and hatred. Such baggages are heavy and they have the capacity to slow you down in life.
Wallowing in the pains of the past and dwelling in unforgiveness is a huge set back to anyone because the problems become amplified when you keep replaying the events over and over again in your mind thereby getting ample reasons to be angry and bitter all the time. This in turn prevents you from being free and enjoying life to the fullest.
Why don’t you take the driver’s seat in your life and let go off all the pains of the past through forgiveness. You’ll be doing yourself a huge favour by learning to forgive easily. Forgive them, forgive yourself and let it go, let there be no room for unforgiveness in your heart.
Self-check
Can you think of someone right now that you haven’t forgiven yet because of what they did to you? If so, forgive them now and be free. You can do it!
It is said that we may forgive but we never forget. No doubt about that but the real test to know if you have healed is when you are able to separate the pain from the memory. Meaning, you may remember everything that happened but it no longer hurts like it used to. That way, you have let go completely and you can talk about the past without feeling the pain anymore. Then, you are truly free!
Remember to travel light, no excess baggage allowed! Kindly follow me on twitter @drmorayojimoh for more exciting updates.
Mobile Health Consult 