Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a serious medical condition defined as having an infection from the HIV virus as well as problems with one's immune system as a result.

We all get angry from time to time. Indeed, anger is helpful because if deal with it in a healthy way, it helps us realize that something may be wrong and that perhaps something needs to change. But if our anger gets too severe, and we deal with it in an unhealthy way that causes problems at home, work or school, then it may be time to get some help in dealing with it.

Anger management refers to a set of strategies to deal with anger and reduce the stresses or triggers that cause anger - it is about making sure that you are in control of the anger, rather than having the anger be in control of you.

Getting Help

• Talk to a trusted friend, spouse/partner or family member
• See a family physician or pediatrician, in order to ensure that there aren't medical problems contributing to the anger. The family physician or pediatrician can also recommend other places to get help.
• See a professional if the problems aren't going away on their own.

Anxiety is an unpleasant feeling of worry, unease or apprehension. The physical symptoms that accompany these feelings include heart palpitations, trembling, dry mouth, dizziness, nausea and diarrhea. Anxiety may be associated with specific situations, events or objects. In some cases, medical problems can lead to symptoms of anxiety.

Getting Help

• The first step in getting help usually involves seeing your doctor. This is important to make sure that there aren't any medical problems (such as thyroid or breathing problems) that can contribute to the anxiety.
• Your doctor might recommend a mental health clinic, or seeing a psychologist, counselor/therapist or psychiatrist.

Asperger Syndrome (aka Asperger's disorder) is a neurological condition that affects social and communication skills, and is one of the autism spectrum conditions.

This section lists agencies which provide assessments for suspected Asperger Syndrome.

An assessment is the process whereby a qualified health professional meets with the child and family in order to determine what the difficulties are, and whether or not they are due to Asperger's.

Case coordination (aka service coordination) is when a case coordinator (or 'service coordinator'), which may be a person, or an agenc, helps the the child/family find services in the system.

Refers to services/organizations that provide a variety of services in one setting, e.g. speech/language, occupational therapy, etc.

In order to see a psychiatrist in private practice, a referral from a physician is required. Ask your physicians and/or other parents for recommendations. The Asperger Parent Support Group provides a doctor's list on request.

Psychologists working in private practice charge a fee, but these may be covered by one's private or workplace insurance plans. Ask your physician and/or other parents for further recommendations. The Asperger Parent Support Group provides a list of psychologists on request.

Various groups exist to help support caregivers, families and individuals affected by Asperger Syndrome.

This section lists services covered by OHIP (the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, and thus publicly funded).

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention-deficit disorder (ADD) are conditions where individuals have extreme problems with inattention and distractibility, to the point that it causes problems with school, home or relationships. In ADHD, individuals also have hyperactivity (troubles sitting still, fidgeting) and impulsivity (acting without thinking first).

Getting help for AD/HD or suspected AD/HD:

• See your doctor (or if you are concerned about your child, see your child's doctor). This is important because your doctor can check to make sure there aren't any medical problems contributing to the problem.
• Your doctor can also help with recommending other professionals that might be useful such as a psychologist (either through the school or in private practice), psychiatrist or neurologist.

Autistic spectrum, autism spectrum, autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), autism spectrum disorders and pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) are all synonymous terms used to describe a group of complex neurological disorders that inhibits the development of communication and socialization skills and in some children may also affect the development of fine and gross motor ability. It may range from being severe on one end, with the severely autistic child who is developmentally delayed (i.e. the older term used was mental retardation) and who is unable to function independently. Yet on the other end of 'high functioning autism', it may be the individual with Asperger's who has difficulties with social function (such as difficulties with non-verbal communication and social skills), but who otherwise functions well intellectually and at work.

If you have concerns about autism or autistic spectrum conditions, you should definitely consult a physician or pediatrician.

All resources listed here are for informational purposes only. The presence of a listing is not meant as an endorsement of a service, nor is the absence of a listing a non-endorsement of a service.

Case coordination (aka service coordination) is when a case coordinator (or 'service coordinator'), which may be a person, or an agenc, helps the the child/family find services in the system.

This section has financial resources.

This section lists different professionals that provide services for children/youth with autism.

This section has self-help, mutual aid and support groups for autism spectrum disorders.

This section lists treatment resources for autism.

Behaviour and conduct problems refer to individuals having troubles with their behaviour, to the point where normal rules or norms are breached, thereby causing distress to others. These problems may occur for a variety of reasons, ranging from medical conditions, learning conditions, mood disorders such as depression.

Getting help

• If your child or loved one is having problems with behaviour, ways to get help would include:
• Seeing your doctor to make sure that there aren't any medical problems contributing to the behaviour problems. And the doctor can help to recommend other community services.
• See a mental health professional such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker.

In the classic Bipolar I Disorder, individuals have severe swings in mood, alternating from intense high energy periods (with euphoric, happy or irritable mood along with increased energy and less need for sleep) alternating with extreme low periods (typically with symptoms of depression). Many conditions can cause mood swings and thus mimic bipolar. Certain medical problems may look like symptoms of bipolar. Particularly in children and youth, mood swings may seen along with many conditions, including mood disorders (like depression or anxiety), attention-deficit disorders (ADD/ADHD), learning disorders, autistic spectrum disorders and sensory processing and self-regulatory conditions.

If you suspect bipolar (in yourself or a loved one), the usual first step is to see your family doctor to make sure that there aren't any medical problems contributing.

Your family doctor can also help with referring you to other services that might be helpful, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker.

Borderline personality disorder is a label under the DSM-IV that describes individuals who have severe difficulties with relationships, and severe problems in regulating their moods, which results in dramatic mood swings. This particular diagnostic label is not without controversy, but there is no question that individuals with this label endure great distress.

If you think you or a loved one might have this condition, the usual first steps are:

• See your doctor and/or,
• See a mental health professional such as a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker.

Bullying is a form of aggression where a person is deliberately hurtful to another person. There are many forms, which include physical (shoving, hitting, kicking); verbal (put downs, spreading rumors or gossip); emotional (excluding, tormenting, ridiculing); social (excluding someone, telling gossip or rumors behind someone's back). Bullying can occur to people of all ages but is particularly harmful to children.

If you are a child or youth being bullied

• The first thing to do is to tell an adult -- such as your mother or father, teacher, guidance counselor or (vice) principal
• If that adult doesn't take you seriously, then tell another adult

If you are an employee being bullied or harassed

• Do firmly tell the other person who is harassing you that his/her behaviour is unacceptable and that it must stop
• Do get support from others, e.g. friends/family; work colleagues
• Consider speaking with your manager, boss, or union member

This is a list of cancer resources.

Central auditory processing disorder is a condition where an individual may have normal hearing, but their brain is unable to process sounds properly. They may have troubles understanding, and appear distractible, inattentive or forgetful, or they may be easily overwhelmed by spoken language and become angry or frustrated. Given the large degree that people depend on properly hearing and understanding others, this can cause significant problems in school, work and relationships. Testing by an audiologist can be helpful for making diagnosis as well as recommendations.

Dementia is a group of conditions, all of which involve progressive impairment of brain function, with symptoms such as loss of memory, loss of judgement. Alzheimer's dementia is the most common form of dementia. The usual first step if one suspects dementia is to contact one's family physician for further evaluation.

Depression is a common yet serious condition with symptoms including depressed, sad or irritable mood; loss of interest or pleasure; feelings of guilt or low self-esteem; problems with sleep, appetite, energy and concentration. In the least, depression impairs a person's ability to function at school, work or home. At its worst, depression can lead to thoughts about ending one's life or even worse.

If you suspect that you or a loved one may be depressed 

• Tell a trusted friend or family member so you can be supported; you don't have to deal with this alone! 
• Go see a family physician or pediatrician, in order to ensure that there aren't medical problems (e.g. thyroid problems) causing the problems with mood. The family physician or pediatrician can also recommend other places to get help.
• If you are a child or youth, you can always call the Kids Help Phone, available 24-hrs a day to talk to someone, about anything.  
• If you are a student, talk to a teacher, guidance counselor or school social worker, and they can either offer you more support, or help you find out where to go. Students in college or university can usually go to their their Student Health Service.

Developmental coordination disorder is a condition where individuals have significant problems with coordination (appearing extremely awkward or clumsy) such that it causes problems functioning at home, school and other areas. Identifying this condition is important because there are interventions (e.g. seeing a physiotherapist, or occupational therapist; school accomodations) that can help. Children and youth who have DCD but who are not adequately diagnosed are at risk of having future problems with school, relationships, and of later developing depression and other emotional difficulties.

Developmental delay is where a child has slowed or impaired development. Developmental disability where the developmental delay results in problems with intellectual or adaptive function. Many different conditions can cause developmental delay or disability. The term Intellectual Delay/Disability is often used with the same meaning.

Down syndrome (also called Down's syndrome) is a developmental condition with varying degrees of learning and physical disabilities. Despite their difficulties however, children with Down syndrome generally have a very happy, amiable temperament. They are usually able to learn everyday life skills and can be raised at home. Special education and training allow many individuals with Down syndrome to lead happy, useful, and love-filled lives.

Eating disorders are unfortunately all too common in a society which creates unrealistic expectations for body image. Anorexia (aka anorexia nervosa) is a condition where individuals eat so little that they become malnourished, and symptoms may include loss of menstrual periods (for women), feeling cold, troubles with mood or thinking. Bulimia is a condition where individuals maintain a somewhat normal weight, but have problems with binging (eating large quantities of food at once) and/or purging (making themselves throw up or vomit).

If you are trying to get help for yourself

• Tell someone that you trust.
• Go see your family physician or pediatrician. If required, the family physician or pediatrician can also recommend other places to get help.

If you are trying to get help for someone else

• Let that person know that you are worried about them and ask how you can be supportive.
• Encourage them to see their family physician or pediatrician. If required, the family physician or pediatrician can then recommend other places to get help.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) refers to the whole range of disabilities caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol (i.e. when a mother drinks alcohol while pregnant). Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) refers to a specific group of defects that result from prenatal alcohol exposure. Other related terms include fetal alcohol effects (FAE); alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) and alcohol-related neurological disorders (ARND). The usual first step if one suspects fetal alcohol problems is to speak to one's family physician, or the child's pediatrician.

Firesetting is the deliberate setting of fires. In children and youth who set fires, firesetting usually occurs due to 1) curiosity, and the desire to experiment with fire; or 2) other reasons, such as a) a cry for help, with the firesetting as a symptom of an underlying problem such as depression or interpersonal troubles; b) delinquent firesetting, which is done purposely to damage property, and which may be done with the approval of adults; c) various other reasons which include firesetting from cognitive impairment and poor impulse control from conditions such as fetal alcohol syndrome. Pathological firesetting in adults may be due to pyromania, defined as the deliberate setting of fires for pleasure or satisfaction from the relief of tension experienced before the fire-setting.

Gender identity refers to the basic sense of self as being either male or female. Some individuals are unhappy about being a boy or a girl (or a man or woman), and when this happens, it is called gender dysphoria. Gender identity disorder is a condition where a person has been assigned one gender (on the basis of their sex), but perceives oneself as belonging to another gender.

The Internet (aka 'World Wide Web') has brought many benefits to our society, yet at the same time has the potential to cause harm as well.

This section has resources to ensure safe internet use for children, youth, parents and adults.

A person with a learning difficulty is a person of normal intelligence (or above) who nonetheless has a brain difference which interferes with their learning in one or more of the following areas: listening, speaking, reading, written expression, mathematics and reasoning. Usual resources would include speaking to teachers, possibly seeing a psychologist for psychoeducational testing, and various support/advocacy groups.

Mood disorders are problems with mood such as anxiety, bipolar disorder and depression.

For more information, please select either

• Anxiety
• Bipolar Disorder
• Depression

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neurologic condition where individuals have problems with obsessions (distressing, repetitive thoughts or images), and/or compulsions (habits that one is compelled to do over and over again in order to relieve distress).  

Getting Help  

• Family physicians or pediatricians are the usual first step to assessment and getting help. They can also help ensure that there aren't medical problems (e.g. thyroid problems) contributing to the symptoms. 
• Psychologists or psychiatrists can provide more specialized assessment and treatment for OCD. For mild to moderate OCD, the treatment of choice is usually cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). For more severe OCD, or for OCD which does not respond to CBT, medication may be helpful. 

A physical disability is any health condition, disease or disorder that prevents a person from being able to complete daily tasks or activities. There are many causes of physical disabilities such as: 1) medical conditions, 2) accidents and 3) congenital conditions and genetic (conditions present from birth).

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness where individuals have troubles with perceiving reality, causing severe problems functioning. Schizophrenia is characterized by symptoms of psychosis, which include delusions (strong beliefs that persist despite lack of evidence or evidence to the contrary), and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that others do not). Note that symptoms of psychosis (i.e. delusions, hallucinations) may be seen in other conditions other than schizophrenia, such as severe depression, bipolar disorder, and various medical conditions.

School refusal is when a child refuses to go to school, and may occur for various reasons. The child may be having problems with anxiety (such as separation anxiety from parents), or may be actively trying to avoid some stress about school (problems with peers such as bullying or conflict; or having a having a learning condition that makes schoolwork stressful). With older children, school refusal may also occur due to truancy -- purposely skipping school.

The usual first steps in dealing with school refusal includes speaking with the school, and/or taking the child to see his/her family physician or pediatrician for additional suggestions. More specialized help may include seeing a psychologist, counselor or other mental health professional.

Deliberate self-harm refers to deliberately injuring one's own body, and these are behaviours that distressed individuals may use in an attempt to cope. Means of self-harm include cutting oneself (known as self-cutting or self-mutilation), burning oneself, scratching at oneself and head-banging. Self-harm behaviours may occur for a variety of reasons; it may occur in conditions such as autism, depression, or eating disorders. Because individuals harm or injure themselves as a (not so helpful) way of coping, the solution is to help the individual 1) figure out what their stresses are, and 2) find a healthier means to cope and deal with their stress. Examples include talking about the stress, dealing directly to problem-solve the stress, or other strategies (such as exercise, music). If unable to solve the problem on one's own, one should see a physician, or counsellor/therapist.

Sensory processing disorders (SPD), previously known as sensory integration (SI) disorders, are problems with the misinterpretation of everyday sensory information such as touch, sound, taste, movement and smells. At the hypersensitivity end, this can lead to the person become easily overwhelmed by seemingly normal sensations of touch, sound or other senses. Behaviours such as rage/tantrums, or anxiety and avoidance may result. At the other extreme, hyposensitive or undersensitive individuals may inappropriately seek out excess sensory stimuli such as movement, touch and sound. Ways to get help include: See a family physician to make sure that there aren't any medical problems contributing. Seeing an occupational therapist that has training in dealing with sensory processing disorders.

Separation and divorce commonly occurs. Separation is when a couple lives separately from one another. Divorce is when their legal marriage is ended. Separation and divorce typically causes a large stress on the separating couple, as well as any involved children and youth. The more that a couple can resolve their differences in a calm fashion, without hostility and without the children/youth feeling blamed or neglecfted, the better the outcome is for everyone. Various resources exist to support the couple, as well as children and youth affected by separation or divorce.

Getting good sleep is important for mental health. Unfortunately, there are many things which can interfere with sleep, ranging from poor sleep hygiene, stress in our environment, or medical conditions such as sleep disorders.

Everyone has problems sleeping from time to time. These problems may be more serious however, if one has the following symptoms:

• Constant drowsiness during the daytime, which indicates one is not getting enough sleep   
• Irritability, or mood changes due to lack of sleep 
• Difficulty breathing during sleep and/or loud or irregular snoring, which may be a sign of one particular sleep condition called sleep apnea
• Extremely restless legs around bedtime, which keep one from sleeping  
• Morning headache, sore throat or mouth dryness
• Loss of energy

If you are having problems with your sleep, the usual step is to:

• Learn more about sleep problems, and try some basic sleep strategies, such as can be found in information from the Canadian Sleep Society.
• See a family physician or pediatrician if the sleep problems aren't getting better on their own.

Social skills (and life skills) refers to the skills necessary in interacting with other people. This includes skills required to initiate contact with others, making friends, and keeping friends. It includes communication skills (such as being assertive), as well as conflict resolution skills (how to solve a disagreement with somebody else). Social skills don't always come naturally, and there are many conditions where one's social skills can be impaired. For children, this classically includes conditions such as autistic spectrum conditions (such as Asperger's) as well as learning conditions such as non-verbal learning disorder, or attention-deficit disorder. (ADD or ADHD).

Language is how people communicate with one another, whereas speech is what is spoken. Speech and Language Disorders are problems with speech or language. Seeing a family physician, or a speech and language pathologist can help with these difficulties.

Suicide is when someone tries to end his or her life on purpose. People think about suicide in an attempt to deal with some problem or stress, but virtually all the time, there are other alternatives other than suicide to deal with the stress.

If you, or someone that you know is feeling suicidal, ways to get help include:

• Calling a Telephone Crisis Line
• Talking to your doctor
• Going to the nearest hospital emergency room.
• Talking to a friend or family member

If you have lost a someone through suicide, here are some possible places to get support:

Tourette's Syndrome is a neurological disorder with multiple facial and other body tics, usually beginning in childhood or adolescence. Tics are involuntary, rapid, sudden movements or vocalizations that occur repeatedly in the same way. Also called Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. The first step in getting help for possible Tourette's or tics is to see one's physician, who may also consider a referral to a neurologist if necessary.

Trauma refers to events (typically abuse or violence) causing extreme distress and anxiety whose after effects can impair individuals. Types of trauma include natural disasters, and a range of man-made trauma: physical trauma (being hit or hurt by someone else); emotional trauma (being hurt by someone emotionally, through being bullied, put down, insulted or controlled); sexual trauma (being hurt by someone through sexual abuse, or rape); war trauma (experiencing war situations).

If you are feeling unsafe at the moment, consider contacting your local Woman's Shelter or Telephone Crisis Line.  

Trichotillomania is a condition where individuals feel an irresistable urge to pull their hairs, and can lead to baldness. Fortunately, effective treatment exists and may involve cognitive behaviour therapy and/or medications. Individuals should seek out a family physician or psychologist for help with this condition.

Problems can occur if individuals are overweight, or underweight.

Underweight: is when one weighs less than is healthy for one's age, height and body type.

If you or a loved one are underweight

• See your doctor
• Consider seeing a nutritionist and/or dietician

Overweight: The Public Health Agency of Canada defines overweight as having a body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m2 for men and women. Note that an overweight person does not necessarily have too much fat nor increased health risk if the excess weight is due to an above-average amount of muscle.

If you are concerned that you or a loved one may be overweight

• See your doctor
• Consider seeing a nutritionist and/or dietician

See also Eating Disorders.