Overview Chronic widespread pain (CWP) is a nociplastic pain phenotype defined by persistent (≥3 months) pain affecting multiple body regions, with high comorbidity with fatigue, sleep disturbance, mood symptoms and functional impairment. The pooled global prevalence is ~10% (women>men), with higher rates in lower-HDI settings. CWP is recognised in ICD-11 within the chronic primary pain […]

Overview Doctors and patients often experience frustration and helplessness in consultations around medically unexplained symptoms. Up to 50 percent of primary care patients present with physical symptoms that cannot be explained by a general medical condition. Although most do not meet the strict psychiatric diagnostic criteria for one of the somatoform disorders, they can be referred to […]

“To lose confidence in one’s body is to lose confidence in oneself.”― Simone de Beauvoir “Every woman knows that, regardless of all her other achievements, she is a failure if she is not beautiful.”– Germaine Greer Overview Eating disorders have traditionally been classified into two well-established categories. They are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Eating […]

Overview Delirium is a neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by a disturbance in consciousness and cognition. It typically presents as an acute confusional state, with inattention as its core symptom. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of delirium is often delayed or missed, especially the hypoactive form that is common in older persons. Aetiology and Risk Factors Aetiology A particular […]

Overview Schizophrenia is a complex syndrome often presenting in late teens/early 20s with positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. Positive symptoms include behaviours and thoughts that are not normally present (psychosis). Negative symptoms include social withdrawal and affective flattening. Finally, cognitive symptoms are expressed as a broad set of cognitive dysfunction. The average lifetime prevalence of […]

Quotes “I’m so good at beginnings, but in the end I always seem to destroy everything, including myself.”― Kiera Van Gelder “I need them to be aware and present with me in the midst of the storm, not just tell me what to do.”― Kiera Van Gelder Overview The term ‘personality disorder’ is frequently used in clinical practice […]

Overview of addition medicine. This section is a brief introduction to substance abuse, followed by section that look at specific drugs of addiction. Risk Factors Investigation URINE TOXICOLOGY SCREENING Drug and duration of detectability in urine Amphetamine 2-3 days Cocaine 2-3 days Weed 1-7 days (light test) 1 month for chronic users Opiates 1-3 days […]

Overview Dementia is a disorder that is characterized by impairment of cognition, typically involving memory and at least one other cognitive deficit, such as aphasia, apraxia, agnosia, or disturbance in executive functioning. These must represent a decline from previous level of function and be severe enough to interfere with daily function and independence. Decrease in intellectual […]

Overview Bipolar disorder, previously termed manic depression, is a psychiatric diagnosis characterised by abnormally elevated or irritable mood episode(s) accompanied by disruptive symptoms of distractibility, indiscretions, grandiosity, flight of ideas, hyperactivity, decreased need for sleep, and talkativeness. It is well known that bipolar disorder carries with it high mortality and morbidity rates. The lifetime risk […]

DSM V categorise these as seperate disorders Anxiety Disorders This will mainly focus on Generalised Anxiety Disorder and touches on Panic Disorder. Overview Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can be defined as anxiety and worry about several events and activities for a majority of the day over a 6-month time period. The anxiety and worry associated […]

Traumatic and Stress Related Disorders This will mainly focus on PTSD Overview The identification of Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a patient involves understanding the traumatic event and the patient characteristics. PTSD may develop following exposure to 1 or more traumatic events such as deliberate acts of interpersonal violence, severe accidents, disasters, or military action. Epidemiology The lifetime […]

DSM V categorise these as seperate disorders Depressive Disorders Overview Depressive disorders are typically characterised by persistent low mood, loss of interest and enjoyment, neurovegetative disturbance, and reduced energy, causing varying levels of social and occupational dysfunction. Depression is the leading cause of disability and premature death in 18-44 yo and is predicated to be […]