Understanding Insomnia: Seeking Solutions for Chronic Sleep Disorders
Insomnia My mother has been experiencing insomnia for six consecutive months (waking up shortly after falling asleep). For the first five months, she consulted doctors who only prescribed sleeping pills. Later, she saw a psychosomatic medicine specialist who indicated that her sl...
Dr. Kong Fanzhong reply Psychiatry
Do you know your mother's age, personality, and health status? Are there any significant stress events in her life? Risperidone is an antipsychotic medication, and it may be time to have a thorough examination at a major hospital's family medicine or neurology departmen...[Read More] Understanding Insomnia: Seeking Solutions for Chronic Sleep Disorders
Understanding Sleepwalking: Causes, Risks, and Treatment Options
Sleepwalking Hello doctor, I have a problem... In the past, I used to talk in my sleep a little, but now it's getting worse. I now get up at night and walk around (I have no memory of it afterward). Not long ago, I even picked up a nearby trash can and dumped it on myself......
Dr. Kong Fanzhong reply Psychiatry
Sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism, typically occurs two to three hours after the onset of sleep. In milder cases, individuals may sit up in bed in a dazed state, unresponsive to external stimuli, and then lie back down to continue sleeping. This phenomenon is quite common ...[Read More] Understanding Sleepwalking: Causes, Risks, and Treatment Options
Understanding Sleepwalking: Causes and Treatment Options
Regarding sleepwalking? Hello Doctor: I have recently been experiencing sleepwalking and talking in my sleep, which is very distressing for me. Please tell me what causes sleepwalking and how to treat somnambulism. Thank you.
Dr. Kong Fanzhong reply Psychiatry
If your condition is simply talking in your sleep, there is no need to worry; most people talk in their sleep at certain times. If it indeed fits the description of somnambulism, also known as sleepwalking, it is generally not a major concern. Sleepwalking typically occurs two to...[Read More] Understanding Sleepwalking: Causes and Treatment Options
Accessing Effexor XR in Taiwan: Prescription Guidelines for Foreign Patients
Regarding medications for mental disorders? Hello, Doctor: A foreign friend is being dispatched to Taiwan for service. He has a history of anxiety and depression due to a car accident in the United States, and Effexor XR has been effective for him. His American psychiatrist has a...
Dr. Kong Fanzhong reply Psychiatry
Effexor XR is a new type of antidepressant, and most psychiatric clinics in Taiwan have this medication or its equivalents. Your friend can register at a hospital or psychiatric clinic and explain their current condition (having a medical summary or prescription from a foreign ph...[Read More] Accessing Effexor XR in Taiwan: Prescription Guidelines for Foreign Patients
Struggling with Insomnia and Emotional Turmoil: Seeking Help
Please help me? I am a working professional, and I don't know when it started, but the frequency of my insomnia has been increasing. For the past two to three months, I can only feel sleepy around 5 or 6 in the morning (because I'm really exhausted), but I have to get u...
Dr. Kong Fanzhong reply Psychiatry
Patients with depression often experience sleep disturbances, which can be a precursor to depressive episodes. Difficulty falling asleep due to a low mood and early morning awakenings are the most common symptoms. Individuals with severe depression may feel persistently low, lose...[Read More] Struggling with Insomnia and Emotional Turmoil: Seeking Help
Struggling with Sleep: Understanding Your Night Owl Habits
Often, I find myself not wanting to sleep at night? Hello, doctor. Ever since I moved in with my boyfriend two years ago, I have been staying up late and sleeping in the mornings. Over time, my body seems to have adapted to this lifestyle. Now, when I try to go to bed earlier, I ...
Dr. Kong Fanzhong reply Psychiatry
Work-related factors may lead to daytime sleepiness and nighttime activity, which is common among night shift workers such as nurses and engineers. If you have now transitioned away from such work, it is important to emphasize avoiding poor sleep hygiene behaviors and adhering to...[Read More] Struggling with Sleep: Understanding Your Night Owl Habits
Struggling with Insomnia: When Medication Isn't Enough for Sleep
Insomnia I have trouble sleeping and rely on medication to fall asleep. Even after taking the medication, I can't sleep through the night and have to wake up several times.
Dr. Kong Fanzhong reply Psychiatry
Many patients often start with ordinary insomnia and, after being exposed to sleeping pills, continue to use them without awareness, eventually becoming addicted and unable to extricate themselves. What causes this addiction? First, we need to understand some characteristics of s...[Read More] Struggling with Insomnia: When Medication Isn't Enough for Sleep
Understanding Sleep Issues and Emotional Distress After a Breakup
What is the problem? Hello Dr. Kong, I often have trouble falling asleep. Once I do fall asleep, I wake up in less than three hours. When I wake up, it feels like the end of the world. I frequently experience inexplicable sadness and often feel very lonely, as if I have to face...
Dr. Kong Fanzhong reply Psychiatry
Life stress can affect mood and lead to short-term insomnia. People often experience sleep disturbances during significant life crises, such as breakups or divorces. They may find it difficult to fall asleep, and even when they do, their sleep is often light and easily disrupted....[Read More] Understanding Sleep Issues and Emotional Distress After a Breakup
Does Frequent Dreaming Affect Development in Children?
Does frequent dreaming affect development? As per the topic!! Thank you! Dr. Kong
Dr. Kong Fanzhong reply Psychiatry
What constitutes normal sleep? In fact, there are no standardized norms regarding the time it takes to fall asleep, total sleep duration, or whether one takes naps; these factors vary greatly from person to person. The only characteristic that every individual's sleep posses...[Read More] Does Frequent Dreaming Affect Development in Children?
Effective Strategies to Overcome Insomnia Beyond Medication
Insomnia If insomnia persists throughout the entire night, what should one do? Is insomnia considered a mental disorder? How can one overcome this condition? I suspect that due to insomnia combined with other health issues, I am already a severely ill patient! Please tell me if t...
Dr. Kong Fanzhong reply Psychiatry
Almost everyone has experienced insomnia once or twice: the night before an exam or job interview, after drinking too much coffee or tea in the evening, watching a tense horror movie late at night, or even for no particular reason. After enduring a sleepless night, one’s mental s...[Read More] Effective Strategies to Overcome Insomnia Beyond Medication
Understanding Learning Disabilities: Conditions, Symptoms, and Solutions
Learning disabilities Dear Doctor: Is learning disability a phenomenon or a condition? Are there ways to improve it? If a student performs poorly in school or struggles with a specific subject, does that indicate a general or specific learning disability?
Dr. Kong Fanzhong reply Psychiatry
Learning disabilities are indeed a phenomenon! Only a few specific causes lead to poor learning, which then become a clinical focus of concern. For instance, intellectual disabilities, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, anxiety disorders, or various ment...[Read More] Understanding Learning Disabilities: Conditions, Symptoms, and Solutions
Maximizing Study Time: How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?
Regarding sleep duration, in terms of time utilization? As an exam candidate, my professor mentioned that he only sleeps four hours a day to maximize his time. Should I follow his example? What time should I go to sleep to meet my daily energy needs? Thank you.
Dr. Kong Fanzhong reply Psychiatry
Your professor's statement is contrary to common sense and not worth emulating. Sleep is crucial for learning, especially for adolescents during their educational years. The amount of sleep needed decreases with age. Infants require around 12 hours of sleep, while teenagers ...[Read More] Maximizing Study Time: How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?
Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder: Symptoms and Treatment Options
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) What constitutes dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder)? How can it be treated or managed?
Dr. Kong Fanzhong reply Psychiatry
The characteristics of dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder) include the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states within an individual, which recurrently control the person's behavior, along with an inabilit...[Read More] Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder: Symptoms and Treatment Options