33rd Euro Congress on Neurologists and Psychiatrists

Euro Neuro 2024   In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks have become ubiquitous, serving as essential tools in preventing the spread of the virus. However, beyond their protective function, masks have intriguing psychological implications that merit exploration, particularly within the realm of psychiatry. This blog delves into the multifaceted relationship between masks and mental health , uncovering the hidden layers of significance they hold in shaping human behavior and emotional well-being. The Psychology of Masks: Examine the psychological effects of wearing masks, including the impact on social interactions, emotional expression, and identity perception. Discuss how masks alter nonverbal communication cues, such as facial expressions and eye contact, and their implications for interpersonal relationships. Explore cultural and historical perspectives on the symbolism of masks and their influence on individual and collective psyche. Masking Emotions: Concealment vs. ...

Dysthymia, commonly referred to as persistent depressive disorder, is a mental and behavioural condition that predominantly affects mood. It shares many of the same cognitive and physical issues as major depressive disorder , but its symptoms endure longer. Robert Spitzer substituted the idea for the phrase "depressive personality" in the late 1970s. Depression is a mental health condition that affects your body, emotions, and thoughts. It has an impact on your eating and sleeping habits, as well as how you think and feel about yourself. It differs from being depressed or having a "blue" mood. It cannot be willed or hoped away, and neither is it a sign of weakness. People who are depressed are unable to "snap out of it" and recover. The key to rehabilitation is treatment. Dysthymia affects women twice as often as men. Some people may also have depression or bipolar disorder. Dysthymia is  milder, yet more long lasting than major depression. Each person ma...

  Appetite and weight changes are common but variable diagnostic markers in major depressive disorder: some depressed individuals manifest increased appetite, while others lose their appetite. Many of the brain regions implicated in appetitive responses to food have also been implicated in depression. Researchers know that depression can lead to weight gain, and that weight gain can also contribute to depression. Weight gain can happen when a person is depressed because: They lose interest in activities and are less physically active. They tend to eat a diet higher in fat due to poor food choices. People tend to feel low in energy when they are depressed – this can mean that having to cook or eat may feel like too much for them. Anxiety triggers emotional and psychological changes in your body to help you deal with the pressure. These changes often affect the stomach and digestive tract and can make you lose your appetite. If stress is the reason, your hunger usually returns once...

  Anyone suffering from emotional trauma or PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) may exhibit emotional scars for months, years, or even for the rest of their life. They often exhibit heightened fear and stress to situations and events. Many people wonder, “Can emotional trauma cause brain damage?” According to studies, PTSD does have a variety of effects on how the brain functions. The amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex are the three parts of the brain most affected by the consequences of trauma. All of these areas are important for controlling emotions and handling fear. These areas may behave and work differently than they did before to emotional trauma and PTSD. Although the majority of people will experience some kind of trauma in their lives, not everyone goes on to acquire post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and there are numerous myths and misconceptions about it. These are a few of the typical PTSD misconceptions and realities. PTSD only affects military...

  About one in one hundred people may have schizophrenia at some point in their lifetime, making it one of the most severe mental diseases. Men and women respond to the disease differently in terms of age of onset, symptoms, disease severity, and number of treatments. Women have relatively late disease onset with more emotional symptoms, whereas men exhibit an earlier age at onset, a stronger inclination to negative symptoms, worse social functioning, and co-morbid drug misuse. According to clinical observation, schizophrenia is one of many mental illnesses that affect men and women differently in terms of prevalence, symptoms, and treatment outcomes. Recent genetic studies indicate that there are sizable sex-specific pathways in schizophrenia between men and women, even if the aetiology of gender differences in schizophrenia is only partially understood. There are several stages in the lifespan where the incidence of schizophrenia onset peaks for both men and women. Men's inci...

"Good stress" or what the psychologists refer to as "eustress," is the type of stress that we feel when we are excited. Our pulse quickens or gets fast and our hormones surge, but there is no threat or fear. We feel this type of stress when we ride a roller coaster, compete for a promotion, or go on a first date. There are many triggers for this good stress, and it keeps us feeling alive and excited about our life. Another type of stress is acute stress . It comes from quick surprises that needs a response. Acute stress triggers our body's stress response as well, but the triggers cannot be always happy or exciting. This is what we normally think of as stress or bad stress. Acute stress in itself doesn't take a heavy toll if we find ways to relax quickly. Once the stressor has been dealt with, we need to return our body to the homeostasis, or its pre-stress state, to be healthy and to be happy. Chronic stress is the another form of bad stress which occur...