Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that leads to uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep in the daytime.
Narcolepsy symptoms can vary, but patients typically experience:
- Loss of muscle control
- Muscle weakness
- Daytime sleepiness
- Fatigue
- Hallucinations
- And more.
Treating Narcolepsy Disorder on Psychiatry.Live
Understanding Narcolepsyer
Narcolepsy causes someone to feel excessive daytime sleepiness. People with narcolepsy may experience uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep, even while driving, walking, or talking. Other symptoms associated with narcolepsy include loss of muscle tone, also known as cataplexy, and muscle weakness. Typically, people with narcolepsy will fall into the deepest sleep cycle, rapid eye movement (REM), almost immediately when they first fall asleep. They will also fall immediately into REM sleep during the day.
People with narcolepsy have low levels of hypocretin, which is a neurochemical that helps regulate wakefulness and REM sleep. There has also been research that suggests a correlation between exposure to the H1N1 virus and narcolepsy.
Narcolepsy is a dangerous condition because it can put one in physical harm. Often times people with narcolepsy cannot do everyday tasks on their own because they are at risk of falling asleep, including driving. Narcolepsy may lead to:
- Increased risk of car accidents
- Obesity
- Low sex drive or impotence
Diagnosing and Treating Narcolepsy Disorders
Your Psychiatry.Live licensed therapists will work with you and ask a series of targeted questions to determine the severity of your disorder. Your diagnosis will be based on the psychological evaluation, duration, severity of symptoms and your medical history. Once a diagnosis has been made, your therapist will go over the risks and benefits of the various treatment plans.
Options for treatment of an adjustment disorder may include:
- Psychotherapy (the most common treatment)
- Joining support groups
- Medication management
Conditions We Treat
- Anxiety
- ADD/ADHD
- Bipolar
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Grief and Loss
- OCD
- Life Transitions
- Narcolepsy
- Panic Attacks
- Postpartum Depression
- PTSD
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Patient