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Mental Health Care Lags in Rural Texas. Can Teletherapy Help Now?

Mental Health Care Lags in Rural Texas. Can Teletherapy Help Now?

January 6, 2023

According to Mental Health Texas, more than three million adults in Texas have a mental health condition. For those in rural areas, adequate mental health care is hard to come by. For example, there isn’t a single hospital in 28 percent of the state’s counties. Even when those in need can make the trek crisis center, hospitals often lack the resources to treat them. 

 

This overall lack of access can have serious consequences as Texans wait to receive or completely forgo treatment. When it comes to mental health care, time is of the essence. Delayed treatment is associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes, from a lower likelihood of remission to cognitive impairments to an increased risk of suicide.

Advocates Propose Solutions to Lawmakers

Mental health advocates have been discussing potential solutions with Texas lawmakers. One of the more glaring issues with the mental health system for rural Texans is the lack of crisis centers. “As I’ve traveled around the state, I have seen the need,” shares Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. “We don’t have a mental health facility in the Panhandle, so I’m proposing we build one there. This is something we have to do for our communities.” Lt. Patrick is also asking for more hospital beds in several locations, including 300 more in Wichita Falls and Terrell and 140 more in the Rio Grande Valley.

 

“While some hospitals need more beds, others have more than they can fill.” Lt. Patrick suggests this is mainly due to nursing staff shortages. 

 

“There simply aren’t enough mental health professionals to care for a full house of patients.” He says,  “That’s why, in addition to more beds, advocates are calling for tuition assistance to get more students into nursing school and pay raises to incentivize them to take the jobs that are out there.” 

 

Getting more students into nursing programs is a big step in the right direction. Still, according to Dr. Steve Bain, founding director of the Institute for Rural Mental Health Initiatives, we also need to focus on the nursing curriculum. For example, he suggests that there should be more opportunities for nursing students to finish their fieldwork in rural communities.

 

“We’ve got to be constantly connected with these communities,” shares Dan. “It’s going to take research and research funding. And it’s going to take putting our graduate students who need their practicum and internships into these rural communities.”

The Role of Teletherapy

New buildings, beds, and updated nursing programs are a critical part of a comprehensive mental health care system in rural Texas, but what can you do if you need help now?

Over the past few years, as safety precautions made many in-person services infeasible, we saw a dramatic and sustained rise in the use of telehealth services, including teletherapy and telepsychiatry. According to a Zocdoc report, 87 percent of mental health visits were virtual in May 2022.

 

Virtual mental health services have remained popular for reasons which suggest they can help improve mental health care in rural Texas. Telemental health makes mental health care more accessible. But it does in many different ways that remove the obstacles to care for those in need outside of the urban areas of Texas.

Eliminates the Need to Travel Far

Given that in rural Texas, mental health centers are few and far between, distance and travel times are likely significant factors preventing many from seeking care. With teletherapy, there’s no need to travel anywhere.

Patients Don’t Have to Take Time Off

As travel time increases, so does the amount of time one needs to take off work for an appointment. According to the report, 56 percent enjoyed not having to take time off work or responsibilities to travel to appointments. 

More Affordable

Not having to take time, or as much time, away from work to attend appointments is not only convenient it is also addressing cost concerns of hourly and shift workers. 1 in 4 Americans already cite cost concerns as a significant reason for avoiding medical appointments. Missing work for an appointment compounds the financial strain.

 

Telehealth options make it easier for appointments to occur outside of standard work hours which is a more convincing proposition for those who don’t work a traditional 9 to 5.

 

Without the need to pay for transportation or take time off, it’s not surprising that telemental health is easier on the wallet.

Provides Patients with a Better Selection of Mental Health Professionals

Because you can pick providers from a larger area, you typically have a much bigger selection of professionals when booking a virtual appointment. This makes it easier to find the right therapist. For example, it can help find a provider who works with your insurance, specializes in your mental health needs, matches up with your cultural background, speaks your language, or simply vibes with you in a way that enhances your therapy journey. 

Gets Rid of Physical Barriers

Teletherapy allows those who otherwise could not make it to an in-person appointment due to physical disabilities. For example, mental health professionals working out of their own homes may not set up the proper accommodations to make their practice equally accessible for individuals of all abilities. With some estimates suggesting that nearly one in five farmers has a disability that interferes with their ability to perform their job, this barrier may be causing many Texans to avoid receiving care. 

Reduces the Problem of Stigma

Though the public perception of mental health has improved significantly, there is still a considerable amount of stigma associated with having a mental health condition and seeing a therapist. This can be a bigger obstacle in rural areas. 

 

“Stigma, cultural norms, the power of the grapevine in rural communities where folks don’t want other people to know when they’re accessing services…all these factors contribute to a large portion of rural residents not getting help when they need it,” shares Dr. Carly McCord, director of Telebehavioral Health and clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M University College of Medicine

 

Virtual mental health care makes this less of an obstacle, as patients don’t have to go out in public or risk being identified. Telemental health offers them greater privacy and shields them from some of the effects of stigma.

Can Teletherapy Help With Crisis Situations?

Many of the updates that mental have advocates are lobbying for are designed to help those in crisis situations. While teletherapy can help increase access to mental health care in general, one may wonder whether it can do much to help those in the middle of a mental health crisis.

 

One straightforward way teletherapy may help is by preventing the circumstances that require a mental health facility from arising in the first place. Access to regular visits with a mental health professional makes it less likely that one’s mental health condition or circumstances worsen to the extent that crisis intervention is necessary. Since teletherapy allows more patients to see therapists and may increase the odds that they continue to see their provider regularly, it can serve as a preventative measure.

 

With that said, many crisis-specific interventions aren’t available through teletherapy, meaning mental health centers with in-person treatments will remain a crucial component of Texas’s comprehensive rural mental health system. 

Takeaway

For many Texans in rural areas, there are limited mental health resources. From distant crisis centers to understaffed hospitals, finding care when you need it can be challenging, if not impossible. 

 

Mental health advocates aim to change this. They have proposed a variety several changes to lawmakers, including:

 

  • Adding more mental health facilities
  • Increasing the number of beds
  • Covering nursing tuition and offering pay raises
  • Updating nursing programs to include more practicums in rural areas

 

Telehealth is also an essential part of the solution to creating a comprehensive mental health system for rural texas. Its popularity has risen significantly over the past few years for good reasons. Specifically, teletherapy can help Texans in rural areas with unmet mental health needs access adequate care because it:

 

  • Eliminates the need to travel
  • Helps patients get care without taking time off
  • Makes care more affordable
  • Provides a larger selection of mental health professionals
  • Gets rid of physical barriers
  • Reduces the problem of mental health stigma
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Stress Can Be Good for You: Here’s How

Stress Can Be Good for You. Here's How

December 30, 2022

Stress is generally seen as an undesirable state to be avoided whenever possible. It feels bad, can interfere with attention and productivity, and, when experienced chronically, may harm the body and lead to mental illnesses, including depression and generalized anxiety. 

 

Despite stress’s bad reputation, its effects aren’t universally harmful, and there may be some downsides to a completely stress-free life. Learning when stress is good and why can help you identify when it might be working in your favor and when to get rid of it.

What Is Stress?

Before it’s possible to see how and why stress can be good, it’s important to understand what stress is. 

 

Generally, when discussing mental health, we are referring to what’s called psychological stress, which is an ordinarily unpleasant feeling of arousal or tension you experience in response to a negative or challenging circumstance. For example, you may feel stressed about your looming work deadline or financial pressures. 

 

Sometimes, when experts discuss the effects of stress, they are talking about physiological or biological stress, which refers to the physical changes that occur in the body in response to actual or perceived danger, such as an increased heart rate, dilated pupils, or the release of stress hormones. 

 

‘Stress’ can also refer to circumstances or situations that cause or warrant stress. For example, we may say of someone, “They are dealing with a lot of stress right now,” when we mean they are in a stressful situation. Here, ‘stress’ is more synonymous with ‘pressure.’

 

Experts aren’t always clear about which type of stress they are referring to, though they often have psychological stress in mind. 

What is Stress Good for?

There is a reason our bodies evolved a stress response, and it’s not because feeling stressed is always bad for us. When experienced in moderate amounts for short periods. 

Stress Serves as a Wellness Threat Detector

Perhaps one of the most obvious benefits of stress is that it can direct our attention toward and make us care about threats to our well-being. If your ancestors didn’t feel stressed when encountering a dangerous animal in the wild, they might not have known or felt compelled to avoid or attack it.

While the nature of the threats may have changed, our danger detection system lives alive and well in our feelings of psychological stress. They remain an important signal from our bodies that a situation or something about it might be bad for us.

Stress Can Improve Performance

Having no stress at all isn’t always a good thing when it comes to skills and tasks. According to the Yerkes-Dodson Law, optimal performance occurs between no pressure and high pressure in a goldilocks zone, where attention, motivation, and alertness are increased. For example, while a next-day deadline might result in crippling anxiety that prevents you from making progress, no deadline at all might mean you never complete the project. Stress Can Enhance Your Memory

In some instances, our brains appear to respond to stressful experiences by growing or reorganizing in a phenomenon known as neuroplasticity to better respond to similar situations in the future.

 

Memory is a good example of this. Animal studies show the brains of mice that underwent a stress test grew new neurons and performed better on learning and memory tests. Dr. Daniele Kaufer, an associate professor at UC Berkeley who studies the biology of stress, shares:

 

“[This] makes sense from an adaptive point of view.[…] If an animal encounters a predator and manages to escape, it’s important to remember where and when that encounter happened to avoid it in the future. If you’re walking down an alley and somebody threatens you, it’s important to remember exactly where you were in order to avoid that alley in the future.” 

Stress Can Build Your Stress-Resilience Muscles

Stress is often a challenging, unpleasant experience. While we’d all like to avoid it as much as possible, the reality is that no life is stress-free. So how do we learn to manage it better?

 

As with any skill, practice is essential. In the case of stress, repeated exposure to a particular stressor can reduce how stressed it makes you feel over time. This response pattern forms the basis of one of the most commonly utilized psychological therapies, called exposure therapy, which encourages individuals to confront a fear or obsession until it becomes more tolerable. 

 

“Stressful experiences can help you learn how to better cope with stress in the future,” shares Andrea Marquez LCSW, an Austin-Texas-based therapist here at Heading Heading. “They can show you what you’re capable of managing on your own so that the next time you encounter the same stressor, you’re better able to respond to it calmly and effectively.”

Stress Can Strengthen Your Immune System

Perhaps more surprising than the beneficial effects of stress on the mind are its healing effects on the body. While we can get an intuitive sense of how stress might help us prepare for danger or feel extra motivated to complete tasks, it’s a little harder to see how it might benefit us at a biological level.

 

Despite this, researchers argue that stress can be good for the body. For example, experiments have revealed that acute, short-term stress can improve immune responses to vaccinations, woundings, and infections. 

How Do I Know When Stress is Good or Bad?

While stress can improve memory, attention, immune function, stress tolerance, and more, it can do just the opposite. Whether or not a particular stressful feeling or circumstance is beneficial will ultimately depend on several individual factors, meaning there’s no one-size-fits-all test for separating the good stress from the bad. However, there are a few good rules of thumb. 

It Didn’t Last For A While

The benefits of stress are limited to brief exposures to it. If the stress you are feeling is sustained, it may be doing more harm than good. 

It Stops When the Stressor is Gone

Stress that sticks around after the danger or threat is gone is typically bad news.

It Feels Good

While stress usually feels bad, it isn’t always an unpleasant experience. For example, the stress of a workout may feel pleasurable. So, if the pressure you are experiencing feels good, that’s a sign that it might be good for your mind and body. 

You Feel Competent, Capable, and In Control

Stress tends to be less pronounced, shorter, and more beneficial when we have positive beliefs about our ability to problem solve in general or for the specific situation that is causing us stress.

You Feel Motivated But Not Overwhelmed

As we learned from the Yerkes-Dodson Law, some stress is necessary for optimal performance. But how much is suitable for any person depends on various factors from skill level to personality to confidence. So how much is enough for you? 

 

“A good rule of thumb is that you feel motivated but not overwhelmed,” shares Patricia Hernandez LCSW. “That way, you’ll have the energy to complete your tasks without the harmful effects of rumination and anxiety.”  

You Have a Strong Social Support Network

Social support can help ensure stress has a positive impact in various ways. For one thing, a solid social group can help you feel in control of your circumstances and better able to handle whatever stressors come your way. On top of that, social interactions can cause the release of oxytocin, which research suggests protects against the adverse effects of stress. 

You’re in a Stressful Situation

Feelings and emotions can be warranted or appropriate. For example, it “makes sense” to feel happy when something is good for you. We can evaluate stress in the same way. If you are stressed about genuinely stressful situations, then it’s more likely to be of the helpful variety. However, if your stress seems out of line with your circumstances, it’s probably not doing you any favors. 

Takeaway

While stress is often an uncomfortable, harmful feeling, we experience it for a reason. As a result, it’s no surprise that there’s a positive side to stress. For example, it can:

 

  • Alert you to threats to your well-being
  • Improve your alertness, motivation, and overall performance
  • Enhance your memory
  • Increase your stress resilience
  • Improve your immune function

 

The problem with stress is that it can hurt the same things it helps, raising the question, how do you know when stress is good? Stress is more likely to be beneficial when:

 

  • It doesn’t last for long
  • It goes away when the stressor is gone
  • It feels good
  • You feel competent and capable
  • You feel motivated but not overwhelmed
  • You have a solid social support system
  • You’re in a genuinely stressful situation
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 101: What You Need To Know

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 101: What You Need to Know

December 27, 2022

Whether searching through provider bios or hearing about your therapist’s treatment plan at your first psychotherapy appointment, you’ll likely come across a therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This post will cover the basics of CBT to help you make more informed decisions regarding therapists and treatment plans as you navigate your way through your mental-wellness journey. Specifically, we will answer the following questions. 

 

  • What is CBT?
  • What techniques does CBT use?
  • What is CBT used for?
  • What are some other types of CBT?
  • How effective is it?
  • What are some additional benefits or advantages of CBT?
  • What should I keep in mind during treatment?
  • What can I do if it doesn’t work?

What Is CBT?

CBT is a form of psychotherapy based on the idea that our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are interconnected and that while we can’t directly control our feelings, we can adapt our unproductive thoughts and behaviors. In turn, these impact our emotions, which improve our mood and support more positive thoughts and actions.

What Are the Tools of CBT?

CBT utilizes a variety of techniques to help patients identify and alter their unproductive thoughts and behavioral patterns. In one of the more common techniques, therapists help patients recognize common “cognitive distortions” (i.e., unhelpful or irrational ways of thinking). 

 

For example, your therapist might provide you with worksheets and exercises designed to highlight distorted thoughts that can result in stress and anxiety, which might include:

 

  • Catastrophizing: Blowing things out of proportion or assuming the worst without justification
  • Should statements: Thinking in terms of what you should do rather than what you can do
  • Black and white thinking: Thinking of things as all or nothing
  • Emotional reasoning: Assuming that because we feel a certain way, things are that way

 

Other CBT techniques include:

 

  • Cognitive restructuring: Cognitive restructuring offers methods for changing your cognitive distortions after you’ve identified them. These include techniques like Socratic questioning, guided imagery, and more. 
  • Exposure therapy: Your therapist may slowly expose you to a thought or situation that provokes anxiety while preventing any avoidant behavior in response. 
  • Interoceptive exposure: Interoceptive exposure is used to treat feelings of panic. This therapy helps reduce sensitivity to the sensations of anxiety through repeated and strategic exposure to its physical and emotional components. 
  • Journaling or thought records: Here, you’ll record negative thoughts and reactions to identify common themes.
  • Behavioral experiments: This involves making predictions before engaging in an anxiety-provoking activity to reveal errors in your thinking. 
  • Play the script until the end: This strategy asks patients to play out the worst-case scenario. This can help them realize that even if what they are worried about comes true, they can manage it. 

What Is CBT Used to Treat?

Because of its general structure and because so many mental health conditions are characterized by maladaptive cognitive, emotional, and behavioral patterns, CBT can treat many mental illnesses. While it is primarily used for anxiety and depression, it can also be helpful for:

 

  • Bipolar disorder
  • Eating disorders
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Panic disorder
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Specific phobias
  • Substance use disorders

 

It’s important to note that when used for conditions other than depression and anxiety, practitioners often deploy a specialized version of CBT. For example,  Teressa Carter LCSW, a Texas-based therapist here at Heading Health, is trained in TF-CBT, a trauma-focused form of the therapy. 

 

It’s also worth bearing in mind that CBT isn’t just for treating mental health conditions. It can also help those who haven’t been diagnosed with a mental illness as they deal with other difficulties. 

 

CBT can be helpful for:

 

  • Relationship issues
  • Divorce
  • Grief or loss
  • Insomnia
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Migraines
  • Occupational Stress

How Effective Is CBT?

The effectiveness of CBT depends on many factors, including condition type, severity, and whether it’s combined with medication. With that said, it is generally a highly effective therapy. 

 

For depression, some studies have found CBT to be as or more effective than any other form of therapy or psychiatric treatment. Findings are similar for anxiety-related disorders. CBT is often used as a first-line treatment, with over half of patients responding to the therapy. 

 

The effects of CBT appear to last for a significant period of time as well, with one experiment finding that the treatment’s effects can last a year or more.  CBT also works well when combined with psychiatric interventions. In addition to first-line medications such as Prozac and Zoloft, recent experiments suggest that ketamine-based therapies, which can provide rapid and robust relief from treatment-resistant depression and suicidal ideation, can enhance the effects of CBT. 

Additional Advantages of CBT

Aside from being highly effective, CBT has several notable benefits that help explain why it’s such a popular choice among mental health practitioners. 

Takes Place Over a Limited Time-Frame

Some therapies don’t have a precise end date. CBT is designed to occur over a defined period of time, leaving patients with the tools they need to continue to apply its techniques on their own without the aid of a therapist. On average, CBT training occurs over 12-20 sessions. 

Personalizable

CBT is a highly customizable therapy. Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, depression, or insomnia, its wide array of strategies and techniques can be tailored to suit your needs. 

Does Not Require Medication

Though CBT works well (and sometimes better) when combined with medications, many individuals find it highly effective on its own. For example, one study found that patients with OCD who underwent CBT both with and without medications had comparable improvements in their symptoms. 

Works in Virtual and In-Person Settings

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw a sharp rise in the use of CBT in virtual settings as in-person sessions became unsafe. Fortunately, we learned it’s still a highly effective treatment. This makes sense when you think about how the treatment works. Whether at home or in person, patients are thoughtfully and carefully guided through one of CBT’s many techniques, whose effectiveness doesn’t appear to depend on the proximity of the therapist and the patient. 

Some Things to Keep in Mind

You Must Be Willing to Put the Work In

CBT doesn’t work on its own. If you don’t keep up with CBT activities like journaling, restructuring your cognitive distortions, engaging in exposure therapy, or taking part in whatever other techniques your therapist has decided are likely to be most effective in your case, you won’t see results. 

Change Is Gradual

While the treatment is typically limited to 12 to 20 weekly sessions, you likely won’t experience a complete improvement in your symptoms within the first few meetings. Instead, you’ll progress gradually from one appointment to the next. “The routes of your progress will develop, grow, and strengthen over many weeks,” shares Ken Brown LPC. “This base of tools and strategies will support your mental wellness long after your initial treatments have ended.”

Change Can Be Difficult 

Though CBT is effective, applying its techniques and making the necessary changes can be difficult. For example, exposure therapy requires patients to deliberately place themselves in specific situations that stress them out. This can be pretty challenging. As you go through treatment, it’s important to be prepared for some discomfort before things get better. 

What to Do if CBT Isn’t Working

Despite the effectiveness of CBT, it’s not the right therapy for everyone. Fortunately, if you find that you aren’t getting the results you were looking for, there are several options you can try, which include:

 

  • Trying a different CBT technique
  • Combining CBT with medication
  • Switching to a different form of psychotherapy (e.g., acceptance-commitment therapy, psychodynamic therapy, etc.)
  • Switching therapists

Getting Started with CBT

CBT is a popular and evidence-based form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the interconnectedness between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It deploys specialized techniques that take advantage of our ability to modify our thoughts and behaviors to improve our mood and mental well-being. The therapy is effective for many conditions, from anxiety to depression to phobias and substance use disorders. 

 

Aside from being highly effective, CBT has the advantage of being relatively brief, customizable, beneficial without medication, and successful in virtual and in-person settings.

 

In essence, it can be used right away to start influencing change. So even while you are in continued therapy, the tools from a CBT therapy session can be put into practice and then discussed and refined over time with a therapist.

Despite its benefits, patients should be aware that change may still seem to be gradual.  Changing thoughts and behaviors that are well-established requires dedicated work. While it can be challenging and patients must put the work in to see results, CBT does offer hope of finding a new outlook on life.

Types of CBT

In addition to the standard CBT and its variants focused on treating specific disorders, several other related therapies are often considered forms of CBT. These CBTY spin-offs and related therapies take the theoretical essence or have similarities to CBT and expand it with additional ideas and techniques.

Cognitive Processing Theory (CPT)

Developed by Dr. Patricia Resick, this therapy is highly effective against PTSD.  Throughout the treatment, patients identify and challenge unhelpful beliefs related to the trauma.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (MBCT) 

This form of therapy builds on CBT by combining it with mindfulness meditation to help patients pay attention to and learn from their thoughts and feelings in a non-judgmental way. The treatment utilizes several techniques, from meditation to body-scan exercises, to yoga.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

Rather than focusing on identifying and modifying unhelpful ways of thinking, DBT teaches people how to regulate their emotions, live in the present moment, and tolerate feelings of stress.

Metacognitive Therapy (MCT)

Instead of targeting our specific worries and fears, metacognitive therapy addresses general beliefs about worrying. It proposes that anxious and depressed individuals worry as much as they do because they believe doing so will help them avoid negative outcomes. MCT aims to undermine these erroneous beliefs.

 

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New Year’s Resolutions Always Don’t Work. Here’s Why You Should Commit to Your Mental Health Instead

New Year's Resolutions Don't Work. Commit to Your Mental Health Habits Instead.

December 21, 2022

Every year an estimated 800,000 U.S. adults make New Year’s resolutions in the hopes of improving their lives and developing healthier habits.

 

Despite the popularity of New Year’s resolutions, they may not be the best use of your time and effort. For one thing, they are rarely effective. Studies suggest that 91 percent of New Year’s resolutions are not successful. For another, the pressure of sticking to these resolutions can cause heightened stress and anxiety levels. To make matters worse,  if you do fail to achieve your goal, you might experience feelings of shame and guilt. 

 

This year New Year’s, rather than making the regular resolutions, commit to your mental health instead. Here are four strategies for building and maintaining your mental health in the coming year. 

#1 Examine How You Approach Goals (Before Even Setting On!)

Even though New Year’s Resolutions are often unsuccessful and prone to cause stress and anxiety, goal setting is still critical to mental wellness. Everyone has goals they are trying to achieve regardless of whether they are setting New Year’s resolutions. Following through with them can help you feel more competent and resilient, which can have positive downstream effects on your mental health. 

 

The goals people set for their New Year’s resolutions fail for a variety of reasons. Fortunately, psychologists have identified general strategies for formulating goals in ways that help you achieve them. Victor Furtick, LCSW, an Austin-based therapist here at Heading Health, recommends the “SMART” technique.

 

I would encourage those seeking to make goal-setting more effective and less stressful to consider implementing  SMART goals–Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. 

 

Anit Kaur, Heading’s community outreach manager, echoes Victor’s remarks and suggests making short-term goals to make goal attainment more specific, achievable, and timely. 

 

I create short-term goals in all areas of my life and work on a plan to reach them. For me, it is more realistic than making a New Year’s resolution. Don’t pressure yourself to make a change overnight. Break it up into steps with monthly goals. 

 

By following these two goal-setting tips, you’ll have an easier time sticking to your mental health plans, which will help you stay committed to your mental wellness journey. 

#2 Remember, It’s Okay to Get Off Track (and Sometimes Beneficial)

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can throw off your mental health strategies. Whether you’re too busy for your appointments or can’t find the time to implement your therapist’s recommended tips and tools, you may find that your mental health has taken a back seat to other priorities as the new year rolls around.

 

This is a perfectly normal reaction, and it’s important not to judge yourself if you’ve gone a little off course. “Guilt and shame will only serve to keep you from making progress,” shares Helena Hernandez, PA-C. “The key is to be mindful of whether your focus on your mental health has changed and to re-orient yourself if it has without judgment or self-criticism.” 

 

Throwing in the towel when the resolution doesn’t pan may not really be a failure after all.  As life shifts and grows, priorities change, and making space for flexibility if your desires or priorities shift too can be a very positive experience. 

#3 Focus on Supportive Relationships

After so many gatherings and get-togethers, you might be all socialized out. While the New Year’s festivities can deplete your social batteries, they can also serve as a reminder of who your close connections are and who you really enjoy spending time with. “Take stock of how you felt after your holiday and New Year’s gatherings.” Andrea Marquez, LCSW, tells Heading. “Make specific, actionable plans to spend more time with those who made you feel revitalized, valued, and uplifted.”

 

You may also want to make a note of who you weren’t really looking forward to seeing. You are not obligated to stay close to people who bring you down. If the holiday gatherings shed light on who isn’t supporting your mental well-being, you may want to adjust those relationships accordingly. 

#4 Overwhelming Yourself with Change Can Backfire

Mental health advice is often about adopting habits and dispositions that will make you happier and more resilient. For example, you may be told to practice mindfulness to learn how to deal with unpleasant emotions or do some cognitive behavioral therapy  (CBT) to rid yourself of negative thinking patterns. But going overboard with self-improvement can also leave you feeling exhausted and overly critical of yourself. 

 

Your journey to mental wellness will almost certainly require you to make some internal changes. However, it’s important to practice self-acceptance and to consider how your surroundings or routines could better support your happiness.  

 

New Year’s resolutions typically require people to think about what they want to change internally. But it can be equally important to look around and see what’s currently present in your life and also what you might want to bring in that fosters a sense of pleasure, calm, or ease. 

 

Switching the focus from constantly assuming something about you needs to change and instead acknowledging what’s working for you, what you love, and what you want to see more of can positively impact your life.

 

Consider whether there are small upgrades you could make to your environment or routine that would improve your mood, as opposed to ways you need to change internally. Whether it be adding some greenery to your apartment or embarking on a new career search, setting out to change your environment can be just as powerful a tool as working on yourself.

 

Above all, be kind to yourself as you make your way through your wellness journey.

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What You Should Know About Your First Therapy Appointment​

What You Should Know About Your First Therapy Appointment

December 20, 2022

Once you’ve made the brave step of making an appointment with a therapist, you may wonder, “what am I setting myself up for?” Knowing what to expect can help alleviate any anticipatory anxiety and prepare you for your first session. 

 

Here’s what to expect at your first appointment and some quick tips to get the most out of it. 

You Might Feel Nervous

Whether it’s your first appointment or meeting your new therapist for the first time, it’s normal to be nervous. Opening up about your deepest thoughts and feelings is difficult, especially in a new environment with someone you’ve never met before. So, if these feelings come up, know that they are a normal part of the process and will likely go away with time.

 

You can also try some strategies for managing therapy anxiety, such as:

 

  • Opening up to your therapist about your anxiety
  • Setting aside your preconceptions about psychotherapy
  • Focusing on your therapist’s experience and desire to help
  • Recognizing your strength and bravery

They’ll Ask Some Tough Questions

Your therapist will spend much of your first session trying to get to know you better. Before your appointment, you’ll fill out an intake form with questions about your background, mental health history, and more. During the session, your therapist will review these questions and follow up with a few others.

 

Their goal is to assess your mental health, determine whether they’re the best provider to help you on your journey to mental wellness, and begin designing your treatment plan. Some examples of the types of questions your therapist may ask include the following:

  • What brings you to therapy?
  • Have you attended therapy before? If so, what was that experience like?
  • How do you cope with stress?
  • Do you have a family history of mental illness?
  • What do you hope to get out of therapy?
  • What are your strengths?
  • How are your relationships with others in your life?

Take Your Time

While these questions may seem simple enough, they can be difficult to answer on the spot. One way to get around this is to work on your answers before your session. Go for a walk and think carefully about why you’re going to therapy and what you hope to get out of it. Consider your stressors and focus on your strengths. The more accurate and thorough your answers, the better your therapist can help.

 

If you aren’t able to answer the questions right away, that’s okay too. Your therapist can work with you slowly over several sessions to learn more about you and how they can help. 

Remember, It’s Just a Conversation

Femi Olukoya LPC, an Austin, Texas-based therapist at Heading Health, shares a helpful tip for reframing therapy discussions in a way that makes them seem more casual and less intimidating. He says:

 

It doesn’t have to be that you’re sharing your deepest thoughts on your vulnerabilities. […] It’s more like having a conversation with a friend in a coffee shop or a bar, and the therapist is doing the work in the back end.

 

In other words, you don’t have to view your sessions as a rigid discussion with a detached profession. They are far more akin to talking with a warm, compassionate friend whose got some special therapy skills to help you address what’s bringing you down. 

Confidentiality

One reason you might be worried about talking about your mental health is privacy. While this worry is understandable, it’s important to remember that almost anything you say during a therapy session is confidential. While the exact details vary by state, generally, a therapist can only breach confidentiality if a client poses an imminent threat to themselves, the therapist, or a third party. 

 

Of course, you are never obligated to respond to your therapist’s questions. You are in complete control of what information you provide and withhold. 

They’ll Lay Out Your Treatment Plan

After learning a little about your background and mental health needs, your provider may discuss a tentative treatment plan. Often they will mention the psychotherapeutic technique they’ll be using, of which there are many. Some of the main therapies include:

 

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): This therapy helps you become aware of inaccurate or unhelpful ways of thinking and offers healthier thought patterns. 
  • Dialectical-behavioral therapy (DBT): Rather than changing the way you think, DBT aims to help people be more mindful of their emotions, cope with stress, and improve their social relationships
  • Acceptance-commitment therapy (ACT): ACT helps individuals learn how to accept and sit with challenging emotions rather than avoid, deny or struggle with them
  • Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapies: Based on the theories developed by Sigmund Freud, psychoanalysis tries to uncover unconscious thoughts, feelings, and desires that are at the heart of a patient’s psychological struggles. 

 

Your therapist may also discuss the treatment timeline and what it will require from you, both in and outside of your appointments. 

 

If you are uncomfortable with their chosen approach or have any follow-up questions, be sure to ask them. Often, the most effective treatment is the one the patient feels best about, so it’s important to voice your preferences and concerns if you have any.

You’ll Get to Know Your Therapist Too

“New patients should see every appointment as a conversation. This is your time to talk and allow me to know who you are,” shares Andrew Neal LPC, another one of our therapists here at Heading. 

 

Your first appointment isn’t just an opportunity for your therapist to get to know you; it’s also a chance for you to learn more about them. This can help you assess whether they are a good fit, align with your goals, and are equipped to address your concerns and mental health needs. 

 

Here are a few examples:

 

  • What got you interested in therapy?
  • How much experience do you have treating issues similar to mine?
  • How long will therapy last?
  • Is medication an option?
  • How will I know if therapy is working?
  • Are you available in case of a crisis or after business hours?

Crispin Feliciano LPC highlights how specific questions may be crucial for members of marginalized or disenfranchised communities. When discussing the LGBTQ+ community, he states:

 

Many members of the LGBTQ+ community may try to find therapists with a shared aspect of their identity to help reduce anxieties. It’s also helpful to consider other important factors […] such as the issues surrounding sexuality, gender expression, coming out, or other challenges that affect the community. It may also be important to know if the therapist is working from a sex-positive framework, as people are often seeking a space to explore their sexuality and gender without judgment or shame.

 

In general, it’s important to consider whether your therapist has experience with and can relate to important parts of your background and identity. 

What’s Next?

After talking about your mental health, everyday stressors, treatment plans, and more, you might feel a little overwhelmed. Remind yourself that this is totally normal. Feeling anxious after an appointment is common, and it’s not a sign that you have made the wrong choice or that therapy won’t work for you. Take some time to decompress and let any post-session anxiety drift away. 

 

After you’ve come down from your first session, you may have a bit of homework to do. Therapy doesn’t just happen within the walls of your therapist’s office, and they may want to get you started before your next session. This will likely involve something light at first. You may be asked to try practicing mindfulness or write some quick journal entries when you encounter something that triggers anxiety or low mood. 

 

Subsequent appointments will look a little different. While your therapist will continue asking questions during each session, the goal will shift towards helping you get better and applying the strategies your therapist has decided will most effectively alleviate your symptoms.

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Can TMS Be Used to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease?


Can TMS Be Used to Treat Alzheimer's Disease?

December 20, 2022

Alzheimer’s disease is a complex brain disease that results in the progressive deterioration of one’s cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacities. The condition affects nearly six million people in the United States age 65 and older.

 

Though there is no cure for AD, many treatments offer some amount of symptom reduction. While they are effective to some degree, there is much room for improvement.

 

In recent years, researchers have been exploring alternative ways of addressing the range of impairments caused by AD. In particular, they have explored whether transcranial-magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive, nonpharmacological procedure often used for psychiatric conditions such as treatment-resistant depression, may prove useful against the cognitive and emotion impairments experienced by individuals with AD.

 

If effective, this novel application of TMS could help AD patients maintain their capacities and improve their quality of life. Does the evidence support its use?

 

What is TMS?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a drug-free and noninvasive procedure used to treat various brain disorders, including several mental health conditions. It uses magnetic coils placed just above the scalp to send magnetic pulses into specific regions of the brain associated with symptoms of the condition it is being used to treat. For example, in the case of treatment-resistant depression, the pulses are sent toward regions of the brain associated with mood regulation.

By sending repeated pulses to these specific areas of the brain, TMS “trains” neurons in those locations to fire differently and create new, healthier connections.

 

Assessing the Efficacy of TMS for the Treatment of AD

TMS has been used to treat a wide range of issues associated with AD with varying degrees of efficacy and evidence backing its use.

TMS for Mood-Related Symptoms of AD

Though Alzheimer’s disease is mainly known for its effects on memory and cognition, it can also cause disruptions in mood and emotional regulation. For example, up to fifty percent of individuals with AD suffer from depression. 

 

Source: brainhope.com

Though the high prevalence of depression in AD patients is partially attributable to the stress of having the disease, it is likely also to be the direct result of the disease’s biological effects. For example, post-mortem studies have found that AD patients with depression were more likely to have lost neurons that respond to chemical messengers commonly targeted by anti-depressants, such as serotonin and norepinephrine.  

 

Several studies have found that AD patients treated with TMS experience improvements in their mood. For example, TMS has been associated with lower scores of depression and apathy among individuals with AD. This finding is supported by the fact that the treatment protocol for AD often targets the same brain area as the protocol for treatment-resistant depression, namely the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC).

TMS for the Cognitive Symptoms of AD

Regarding cognitive symptoms, researchers are actively investigating whether and how much TMS helps. In particular, they have examined the effects of TMS on the following:

 

  • Memory (facial recognition, word recall, etc.)
  • Language function (e.g., sentence comprehension)
  • Executive function (e.g., verbal reasoning, problem-solving, planning, etc.)
  • Visuospatial skills (e.g., the ability to draw a clock)

 

While several studies have found positive results, others have failed to find a significant effect. Explaining this is difficult mainly because different researchers have utilized different protocols on different parts of the brain in patients at different disease stages. As a result, it is hard to determine whether the results are inconsistent because the treatment does not work or because some researchers are targeting the right areas in the right ways in the right patients while others are not.

 

Researchers have attempted to comb through the data to find patterns in when the treatment does and does not work. One finding that emerged most clearly is that TMS does not work in patients with more advanced AD, suggesting that if the treatment works at all, its efficacy depends on the individual’s disease stage.  

 

Even among the studies that have found positive results, patients may have improved for reasons that had nothing to do with the direct effect of TMS on AD. For example, improvements in depression are associated with gains in cognitive performance. Since TMS tends to alleviate depression in AD patients, this could explain why their cognitive symptoms improved and not that TMS treated the part of their cognitive dysfunction caused by their AD. 

 

Another issue stems from how the studies measure the subjects’ cognitive abilities. To determine whether symptoms improved over time, researchers had AD patients repeatedly take tests and perform tasks that allowed them to track how their performance changed as they continued to receive TMS. The problem with this method is that patients may get better with practice alone. This means we can’t be sure how much the positive effects are attributable to practice or to the impact of TMS on AD itself. While some studies included a control group that took the cognitive assessments while being given “sham” TMS, which does not stimulate the brain, the results were unclear.

Conclusion

So, does TMS work for Alzheimer’s disease? That depends in part on what symptoms we are concerned with. As far as depression goes, TMS appears to work just as well in AD patients. However, the results are less clear when it comes to cognitive impairments. Confounding variables and a lack of consistency in treatment protocols mean it’s too early to draw any confident conclusions.

 

If you feel you need to see a mental health professional or could use help deciding which service is right for you, please give us a call at 805-204-2502 or fill out an appointment request here. We have a wide variety of providers, including therapists, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and nutritional therapists, who can see you in as little as one day via teletherapy. 

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How Ketamine Works Quickly When Other Treatments Have Failed

How Ketamine Works Quickly When Other Treatments Have Failed

December 7, 2022

Ketamine (and its cousin, Spravato®) are novel antidepressants that have been gaining recognition for their ability to provide rapid relief from the most severe forms of depression, including treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and depression with suicidal ideation. In addition to their quick effects, ketamine-based therapies can work even after several other treatments have failed to produce an adequate response. All of this raises the question, how does ketamine work, and what is it doing differently?

 

Researchers are continually increasing their understanding of how Ketamine works differently for depression and anxiety, and they have identified several promising mechanisms of action.

 

Here are six effects of ketamine that experts believe might explain why it can have such a rapid and significant impact on depression even when other treatments have failed.

#1: It Increases Glutamate and BDNF

Most antidepressants work on a set of chemical messengers in the brain called monoamines, which include serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Though effective, these medications can take over a month to start working, and some find they don’t provide adequate relief no matter how long they take them.

 

Dr. Steve Levine explains that targeting the glutamate system is markedly different than the way that traditional SSRIs work.

 

 

Ketamine-based therapies differ from these interventions by impacting glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter that research has continued to suggest plays a critical role in depression. When ketamine enters the brain, it binds to the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA) receptors, ultimately causing a surge of glutamate.

Credit: Yang H. Ku/C&EN

The rise in glutamate brings about other important changes. In particular, it leads to an increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which supports the survival of existing neurons and encourages the growth of new ones (more on this below).

#2: It Helps Neurons Grow and Connect

In order to adjust our thoughts and feelings to the world around us, our brains must be malleable and adaptable.

 

Ultimately, this means that our neurons (i.e., tiny nerve cells in the brain that send and receive information) must be able to grow, form, and modify connections with other neurons, in a phenomenon known as neuroplasticity. 

 

 Research has repeatedly found that neuroplasticity is impaired in depressed individuals. These processes are often deficient in parts of the brain that are important for mood regulation, including the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus.

 

Ketamine has clear links with neuroplasticity. For example, ketamine studies on rats with depression-like symptoms have found that symptom relief was associated with increases in neuroplasticity. Importantly, this happens rapidly. One study found that a single dose of ketamine began to reverse deficiencies in neuroplasticity within 12 hours.

#3: It Might Reduce Inflammation 

Inflammation is heavily associated with depression, with some estimates suggesting that approximately one-third of depressed patients have elevated inflammatory markers.

 

Some research findings indicate that, in addition to all of its other mechanisms, ketamine may improve depression by reducing inflammation.

 

Animal studies have found that ketamine may have anti-inflammatory effects. Some human studies have found similar results, but the findings have not been inconsistent.

#4: It Can Improve Sleep 

Consistently poor sleep is harmful to mental health. Researchers have found that ketamine might improve sleep in several ways and that these changes are associated with better therapeutic outcomes. For example, ketamine appears to improve slow-wave sleep, decrease early night awakenings, and strengthen circadian rhythms, sometimes after a single treatment. 

 

As is often the case, it is hard to determine which way the causal arrow goes. It could be that those who experience a robust antidepressant response sleep better because they are less depressed, or it could be that those who sleep better end up feeling better. Future studies will need to verify the connection between ketamine, sleep, and depression.

#5: It Can Make People More Optimistic

Optimism has an obvious connection with depression. The more you can focus on the positives or be confident that good things are coming your way, the better you’ll feel. These optimistic tendencies and outlooks can be more challenging for individuals suffering from depression.

 

A recent study explored whether one of the ways ketamine reduces the symptoms of depression is by increasing optimism. The research team found that within four hours of a ketamine infusion, individuals with TRD were more optimistic when judging the likelihood of experiencing adverse events in the future. Importantly, this optimistic reorientation was correlated with lower depression scores one week after treatment, suggesting that ketamine’s effect on optimistic beliefs may help explain ketamine’s rapid impact on depression.

 

#6: It Creates Profound Altered States of Consciousness

Ketamine is well-known for its psychoactive effects (i.e., changes in mood, feeling, thoughts, and perception). For example, when given at the doses used for depression, ketamine can cause dissociative states, where one feels disconnected from their body and thoughts

Given that ketamine consistently produces altered states of consciousness which begin to occur around 15 minutes after administration, it’s natural to wonder whether they play an active role in rapidly alleviating symptoms of depression. 

 

Because ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic, most research in this area has focused on whether ketamine’s dissociative effects may be connected with therapeutic outcomes. Findings have been inconsistent. While some studies have found that dissociative experiences are associated with better responses, others have not.

 

Ketamine can occasionally produce psychotomimetic effects (i.e., delusions, delirium, perceived distortions of space and time, etc.) and mystical experiences. A recent meta-analysis (i.e., a review of many studies) found that neither effect appears to be strongly associated with improvements in depression.

 

It is important to note that this area of research is still in its infancy, and few studies have been conducted with the explicit goal of assessing the antidepressant effects of the altered states of consciousness produced by ketamine. Much more research will need to be done before we can draw any confident conclusions. 

 

Key Takeaways

Ketamine-based therapies are rapid-acting interventions that work in unique ways to produce their therapeutic effects. Though there is much left to discover, experts have identified several mechanisms which might explain why ketamine can offer rapid relief from depression when other treatments have failed. In particular, ketamine-based therapies may work by:

 

  • Impacting different chemicals in the brain, like glutamate and BDNF
  • Helping neurons grow and form new connections in a process known as neuroplasticity
  • Reducing inflammation
  • Improving sleep
  • Increasing Optimism
  • Causing profound subjective experiences through its psychoactive effects
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Sugar, Mood, and Mental Health: Interview with a Nutritional Therapist

Sugar, Mood, and Mental Health: Interview with a Nutritional Therapist

December 2, 2022

The holiday season is a time of gatherings, gifts, and of course, a gluttonous indulgence in sweet treats.

 

While some sugar consumption is perfectly normal and healthy, a high-sugar diet, even temporarily, can negatively impact one’s mood and mental health. As a result, it’s important to be mindful of your sugar intake during the holidays and as you carry on afterward with your regular diet.

 

To learn about sugar’s connection with mood and mental health and how to adopt healthier habits, we sat down with Austin, Texas-based Registered Dietician Nutritionist Sally Twellman. She is our in-house nutritional therapist here at Heading Health, and she shared experience supporting mental health treatments with dietary and lifestyle changes.

Q & A with Sally Twellman RDN, LD

Are Sugar Rushes and Crashes Real? If So, What Causes Them?

Yes, for sure, and this goes for carbohydrates in general. When we have a large amount of carbohydrates, our blood sugar rises rapidly, which causes an equally sharp increase in insulin. This increase in insulin causes a rapid drop in blood sugar, and that’s when you get that slump, which can make you feel tired, lethargic, and even a little bit irritable. In turn, this can cause sugar cravings and, ultimately, a vicious feedback loop of sugar consumption followed by a crash followed by more sugar consumption, and so on. 

Are There Long-Term Mental Health Consequences of a High-Sugar Diet?

Very much so.

 

For example, a high-sugar diet is correlated with depression. One of the many ways it might contribute to depression is through frequent and erratic fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Some fluctuations are normal, but when the peaks become too large and too frequent, it is very stressful for the body and can contribute to chronic inflammation, which is associated with adverse mental health outcomes.

 

Another way that having a lot of sugar in your diet can impact mental health is through its connection with diabetes. Over time, people who eat a carbohydrate-heavy diet are disproportionately more likely to develop insulin resistance, predisposing them to depression.

The third way having lots of very sugary foods can impact mood is that it changes the gut microbiome. Your body adapts to whatever you eat, and if you mostly eat high carbohydrates and low-fiber foods, the bacteria you will grow more of will be the kind that thrives in that environment. And those bacteria are typically not the ones that are beneficial for maintaining good neurotransmitter production, which your brain needs to send messages chemical messages and, ultimately, to produce good feelings.

Is the Damage Reversible?

Yes. Even a dietary change of two weeks to a Mediterranean-based diet, for example, can have a profoundly positive impact on your gut microbiome. This means that if you’re experiencing a low mood resulting from a high-sugar diet, it’s possible to undo the damage and experience benefits after just a few weeks on a low-sugar, high-nutrient diet.

Does the Sugar Source Matter?

Absolutely. The source matters for a variety of reasons. For one thing, some sources make it much easier to consume lots of sugar than others, which is why I highly recommend people avoid sugar-sweetened beverages. We don’t really get that fullness factor like we do when we eat the same amount of sugar or calories in, say, a cookie. So, we can consume a lot of sugar just by drinking regular amounts of liquid without realizing it.

Also, some sugar sources contain ingredients that help to balance out the sugar and help our bodies break it down. Protein, fiber, and fat are good examples. When sugar comes from a source with sufficient amounts of fat or protein, it’s released incrementally into your bloodstream, which helps to avoid the kind of spikes and dips that are particularly unhealthy. So, if you want a cookie, try having it alongside some yogurt with protein and fat to help balance out your blood sugar.

Does the Type of Sugar Matter (e.g., Glucose vs. Fructose)?

In theory, it should matter because our liver is what’s primarily responsible for breaking down fructose. So, part of why food and drinks containing high fructose corn syrup are dangerous is because they can cause the liver to overwork, resulting in all sorts of problems. For example, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease can be caused by a high carbohydrate diet and insulin resistance. Over time, a fatty liver becomes inflamed, which can cause inflammation throughout the body, which, again, is associated with adverse mental health outcomes.

Is Fruit Okay?

You might think, “well, I shouldn’t eat fruit because fruit is high in sugar fruit and it’s high in fructose, which is harder to process,” but naturally occurring fructose isn’t the same as high fructose corn syrup. It’s also coupled with fiber and many other nutrients your body needs to break it down. So, for example, your body can break down the amount of sugar and carbohydrates in an apple in a healthy way because it also comes with things like magnesium and fiber, which it needs to support the good bacteria that help process sugar. So, fruit is not bad. It’s separate from things like gummy bears and other high-fructose snacks.

What About Artificial Sweeteners?

I’m not a fan of artificial sweeteners. They have been linked to things like migraines and changes in the microbiome, and they have to be detoxified by our overworked livers.

 

Also, even though artificial sweeteners have zero calories, they can still cause an increase in insulin. This is because part of what causes your body to release insulin is the sweet taste of sugar on your tongue.

 

Whenever you have something sweet, your brain will send signals down to your pancreas saying, “something sweet’s coming down. You better start pumping up insulin.” As a result, your insulin levels will increase, and these spikes can be just as significant as they would be with natural sugar.

So, if you feel like you need to add some sweetness to your beverages, try more natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup. These may not taste as sweet as table sugar, but over time your taste preferences will adjust to the lower sweetness levels. Another option is to add natural sugar alternatives, like monk fruit or stevia if you like those.

 

You might think, “well, I shouldn’t eat fruit because fruit is high in sugar fruit and it’s high in fructose, which is harder to process,” but naturally occurring fructose isn’t the same as high fructose corn syrup. It’s also coupled with fiber and many other nutrients your body needs to break it down. So, for example, your body can break down the amount of sugar and carbohydrates in an apple in a healthy way because it also comes with things like magnesium and fiber, which it needs to support the good bacteria that help process sugar. So, fruit is not bad. It’s separate from things like gummy bears and other high-fructose snacks.

What’s a Good Tip for Managing Our Sugar Intake During the Holidays?

My basic recommendation is to be picky about the added sugar you take into your diet. As the holidays continue, it’s important to choose things that you thoroughly enjoy, like really delicious cookies or a great pie. Don’t waste it on sweethearts (unless you really like those, of course). It’s also best to choose something with nutritional value, like dark chocolate, which has antioxidants.

What’s the Best Way to Get Off of a High-Sugar Diet?

The best way is just to go cold turkey. Weaning yourself off incrementally by decreasing the amount of sugar you add to your coffee is generally less effective. Because you get such a robust physiological reward when you have sugar, your body will want more, and you’ll have to endure intense sugar cravings every time. So, it’s best to tough it out for a little while, and you will begin to crave it less.

 

People in Austin, Texas as well as Texans across the state connect with Sally to supplement their mental health care with nutritional support. Those interested in working with Sally are encouraged to reach out to Heading to set up a consultation.

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Patient Perspective: What Spravato® Did for My Anxiety and Depression.


Patient Perspective: What Spravato Did (and Didn't Do) for My Anxiety and Depression

December 1, 2022

This post was written by a member of our team who currently resides in Michigan and receives treatment there. In the interest of transparency, he is not a patient of Heading as Heading serves people in Texas. However, his treatment program and the experiences detailed are similar to those of patients at Heading. We are grateful that he wanted to share his story with us.

 

 

Over the past few months, I have been undergoing Spravato (intranasal esketamine) therapy to address my anxiety and depression. To help others considering or currently incorporating Spravato into their treatment plans, I have been documenting aspects of my experience. After the first few sessions, I described in great detail what the treatments feel like for me so that others can prepare themselves for Spravato’s psychoactive effects. 

 

In this post, I discuss Spravato’s effect on my mental health, including the benefits and residual issues, to provide a clear picture of what it did and didn’t do for me. 

Psychological Benefits

Less Fear and Anxiety

Though I deal with both depression and anxiety, the latter is my primary condition and may very well be responsible for the former. I’ve experienced heightened and unwarranted levels of stress and worry for as long as I can remember and have been diagnosed with several anxiety disorders, from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), to several phobias.

 

These conditions are driven, at least partly, by intense feelings of anxiety and fear. One of the more noticeable effects of Spravato has been that the subjective sensation of anxiety has diminished dramatically. I am far less prone to feel the icy cold tension that ripples through my body when I encounter a situation I perceive as dangerous or threatening in some way.

 

This therapeutic effect of Spravato had a positive downstream impact on other symptoms. For example, phobias are much more manageable as the fear I would typically feel when thinking about or encountering what I’m afraid of is less intense. Though I have not been able to try it yet, I think this change would enhance exposure therapy and allow me to chip away at my fears even further.

 

Increased Empathy

In my previous post, I noted that during my Spravato sessions, I felt more empathetic and compassionate. For example, I often found myself thinking through past debates or arguments and having an easier time seeing things from the other side’s perspective. This effect tends to persist even after the psychoactive effects of Spravato have worn off. I find that I am generally kinder and more agreeable.

 

Resilience/Optimism

As part of my anxiety and depression, I have struggled to bounce back from obstacles and setbacks. 

 

Since starting my Spravato treatments, I have noticed that I am much less likely to get knocked down by an unexpected obstacle. Though I may experience shorter-term stress, it’s generally less intense and tends not to drag me down the way it used to. I’m also much better at actually solving the problems I encounter. Whereas before, I may have viewed a challenge as insurmountable, I’m now much more inclined to feel I have the resources and capacities to think my way through it. 

More generally, I have felt more optimistic. I evaluate situations more favorably and view positive outcomes as more likely to occur. Recent research suggests this may be one of the main ways Spravato® works. Specifically, one experiment found that individuals with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) who received ketamine treatments showed an increase in optimism about their personal lives as soon as four hours after their first ketamine dose and that this was correlated with improvements in depression.

 

Openness to New Experiences

I’ve always struggled to get myself to try new things. I like consistency and predictability, and new experiences get in the way of maintaining my desired level of stability.

 

Spravato® has started to weaken this disposition. A notable example of this involves my diet. I’ve been a picky eater my whole life and have always found it difficult to expand my palette. Opportunities to try new foods used to fill me with anxiety. Whenever I overcame this wall of fear, my mind reacted negatively to the novel tastes and sensations. Since starting my Spravato® treatments, my ability to eat and enjoy new foods has seen a noticeable improvement. For example, I tried fish for the first time in my life, which I had all but written off entirely.

 

I still like to stick with what’s familiar, but by and large, I am significantly less thrown off by change and novelty and have a much easier time opening up to new experiences.

Remaining Issues

Rumination

My depressive and anxious tendencies contain both cognitive and affective components. There are feelings of depression and anxiety, but there are also negative thought patterns associated with them. 

 

While the feeling of anxiety has diminished, some cognitive components have stuck around. In particular, my tendency to ruminate remains and continues to interfere with my ability to get things done. When there is something I’m worried about, I still get stuck in negative thought loops about it. While it’s somewhat easier to pull my mind away from the potentially bad outcomes, my negative thoughts remain magnetic, pulling my mind toward them even when I know it would be best to think about something else. 

 

Anhedonia/Lack of Pleasure

One of the hallmarks of depression is the inability to experience pleasure or find joy in activities, also known as anhedonia. Over the past few years, I’ve begun to experience this symptom, albeit to a limited degree. 

 

I was surprised that Spravato® didn’t address this component of my depression, as several studies have found that ketamine is highly effective at treating anhedonia. To understand why it didn’t work in my case, I searched for more detailed research on the topic and came across an interesting finding. Specifically, I discovered that some studies have found evidence that taking benzodiazepines (e.g., Ativan, Xanax, Valium, etc.) while undergoing ketamine therapy appears to decrease the chances that you’ll experience an improvement in your ability to experience pleasure. For example, one study found that none of the participants who found relief from this symptom were taking benzodiazepines.  

 

Because I have been taking Ativan for years before and throughout my Spravato® treatments, this might explain why my anhedonia remains.

 

Takeaway

Spravato® has improved my mental health in several significant ways. I’m less anxious and more empathetic, resilient, and open to new experiences. As I mentioned it also hasn’t completely eliminated all of my symptoms as I still tend to ruminate and am working to regain pleasure and joy from my usual activities. Does the fact that I’m not entirely cured mean Spravato® isn’t a good tool for me? I don’t think so. 

 

I’ve experienced improvement. I am far better off than before and more able to tackle what’s left with therapy or other medications. 

 

Residual symptoms may lead some to question whether it was worth it has more to do with how Spravato®’s efficacy is represented than anything else. Often, it’s depicted as a magical cure-all. While this may be the case for some people, it likely won’t be for many others. There’s always more work to do. But that doesn’t mean Spravato® isn’t a valuable option. 

 

In my case, it will continue to play an important role in my journey to mental wellness.

 

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Black Friday Isn’t Great for Your Mind: 10 Mental Health Alternatives

Black Friday Hype Isn't Great for Your Mind: 10 Mental Health Alternatives

November 21, 2022

As the holiday season kicks into full gear, the pressure to spend on gifts and gadgets steadily increases. 

 

One of the biggest offenders is Black Friday, which encourages shoppers to make impulsive buys on once-a-year sales at big box retailers. Whether due to a desire to snag some cool tech or a more altruistic motive of getting friends and family the best gifts they can, many feel compelled to partake in the Black Friday deals. In 2021, 155 million Americans shopped on Black Friday.

 

Though the impact can be mundane, Black Friday shopping often isn’t the best thing to do for one’s mental health. Whether it be the stress of straining one’s budget or the disappointment that follows an impulse buy, participating in Black Friday can leave you feeling down and depressed. 

 

While Black Friday shopping can seem almost irresistible, the truth is that there are several accessible alternatives.

 

Check out 10 of our favorite options below. 

10 Alternatives to Black Friday Shopping

#1 Focus on Your Financial Health

Instead of stretching your budget on items you may not need or end up using, try using Black Friday as an opportunity to adopt healthier financial habits. Helena Hernandez, a physician assistant at Heading Health, recommends “establishing financial boundaries.” Take some time to review your budget and decide on your limits. Then make a point of sticking to them to maintain your financial wellness during the holiday season.

#2 Volunteer or Donate to a Charity

Studies show that doing good deeds makes us feel good. To improve your mental health while helping those in need, consider volunteering or donating to charity. Check out Charity Navigator to find causes that align with your values, or go to Volunteer Match to find volunteer opportunities in your local area. 

#3 Start a Gratitude Journal

Black Friday pushes us to feel like what we have isn’t enough. If it didn’t, we wouldn’t go out and spend more. Unfortunately, while an extra product or two might temporarily leave you feeling more fulfilled, that sensation is unlikely to last. A better solution is to turn your attention away from what you don’t have and toward what you do. Consider making a list a running list of things about your life that bring you joy and focus on them every morning or whenever you feel a bit down.    

#4 Throw a Leftover Dinner Party

According to the nonprofit organization Feeding America, Americans waste 130 billion meals every year. Instead of buying more products that might also go to waste, consider holding a leftover dinner party to 

make full use of the resources you already have. With a cleaner fridge and a house full of friends, you’ll surely have a better time than waiting in line for another Black Friday deal.  

#5 Celebrate Bright Friday

Another way to combat the waste associated with Black Friday is by celebrating Bright Friday, which was created to raise awareness about textile waste in fashion and e-commerce. Shoppers are encouraged to maximize the value of what they already have by swapping, restyling, and refashioning their clothing.

#6 Connect with Nature

Instead of spending time waiting inside in long lines or at home playing with your new gadgets, use Black Friday as a reminder to tap into nature’s protective effects on mental health. 

Visit a national park if you can access one, or go to a local nature site. Check out All Trails to find nearby places to hike, mountain bike, camp, and more. 

#7 Talk to Your Kids About the Value of Experiences

A recent study found that, by and large, experiences make people happier than possessions. Lead Author and Marketing Professor Amit Kumar notes:

 

If you want to be happier, it might be wise to shift some of your consumption away from material goods and a bit more toward experiences, […] That would likely lead to greater well-being.

 

Use Black Friday as an opportunity to instill this knowledge in your children. Take them on one of their favorite outings and document the experience so they can re-live the joy of that day and internalize the value of experiences over possessions.  

#8 Wait for Small Business Saturday

In contrast to the big box retailers that are the focus of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday is about shopping at small, brick-and-mortar stores. If you’ve got to do some deal hunting, consider saving it for Small Business Saturday and support local business owners in the process.

#9 Go Somewhere That’s Normally Too Busy

With so many people either shopping at home or flocking to retail stores, other services are likely to experience a drop in attendance. Use this as a chance to enjoy an ordinarily bustling activity in peace and quiet. For example, consider going to your local coffee shop, gym, or favorite restaurant. Of course, some of these places might still see heavy traffic, so be sure to call ahead and ask how busy they are.  

#10 Consider What Your Loved Ones Would Say

Even with all these alternative activities in mind, participating in Black Friday might still seem tempting, especially when purchasing gifts for the Holiday season. To help curb its residual pull, consider what your loved ones might say. Would they want you to strain your budget and risk your mental wellness to get them a gift? Reflecting on this fact will likely undermine our more altruistic reasons for doing a bit of Black Friday shopping. 

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