Tag: mental health treatment

Carson Daly & NBA Star Kevin Love Discuss Anxiety on Today Show

“I had a moment where I thought I was going to die. I had never experienced something like that. I thought I was having a heart attack,” Love told Carson Daly.

NBA All Star Kevin Love and Carson Daly have something in common—they both struggle with managing their anxiety.

This came up in a recent interview on the Today show, where Love, who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, described the panic attack that set off his quest to spread mental health awareness.

“I had a moment where I thought I was going to die. I had never experienced something like that. I thought I was having a heart attack,” he told Carson Daly.

Love is sharing his experience in hopes that he’ll encourage more people to feel comfortable doing the same. Men in particular, Love says, have a hard time opening up about mental health issues.

Raised on this mindset, at first Love, too, tried downplaying his panic attack. “I kind of brushed it off, because in our sport or in life, and being a man, you’re taught to suppress it. You’re taught to suffer in silence,” he said.

Love’s essay “Everyone Is Going Through Something” was published in The Players’ Tribune in March 2018. In it, Love discussed the panic attack and the importance of talking about mental health.

“To me, it was a form of weakness that could derail my success in sports or make me seem weird or different,” he wrote.

“If you’re suffering silently like I was, then you know how it can feel like nobody gets it,” he wrote. “Partly, I want to do it for me, but mostly, I want to do it because people don’t talk about mental health enough. And men and boys are probably the farthest behind.”

With Love and fellow NBA players DeMar DeRozan and Channing Frye speaking up about mental health, the NBA has addressed mental health in the league. It launched a new initiative under NBA Cares called Mind Health, aiming to teach people how to recognize and manage stress, while providing support.

And the NBA Players Association appointed its first director of mental health and wellness, Dr. William Parham.

TV anchor Carson Daly previously shared his struggles with anxiety disorder in March. The former Total Request Live (TRL) host said he was a “worrywart kid” and was “nervous my whole life.”

His anxiety reached a breaking point the more success he achieved. “I had no idea what [a panic attack] was at the time,” he recalled. “The success of my career, I flew to New York, and my life changed overnight. I had a hard time breathing. I was terrified for no apparent reason.”

View the original article at thefix.com

22 August 2018
Treating Teens’ Depression Can Benefit Parents Too

A new study explores how a family member receiving mental health treatment impacts their loved ones.

Depression touches not only the individual—often, it affects the community around them, too.

For teens, parents are often a significant part of this “community,” and can experience depression second-hand. But when a teen receives treatment, the benefits will ripple through the whole family, according to preliminary research presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association on Saturday (August 11).

The study of 325 American teens and their parents—which has yet to be peer-reviewed and published—analyzed data from a larger 2007 study of how teens living with depression responded to antidepressant drug treatment or cognitive behavioral therapy.

The team observed that regardless of which kind of mental health treatment the teens received, the psychological health of the parents improved as well.

It’s easy to guess why this would happen. The official symptoms of depression include irritability, a lack of energy, anxiety, and loss of interest in normal activities. It’s not hard to see how any one of these symptoms could negatively affect the people around the depressed individual.

“It’s possible that the feedback, the control, and the involvement in the treatment may have been beneficial,” said Kelsey Howard, co-author of the research and a doctoral candidate at Northwestern University. “It could be in how the family is interacting with each other: The kid is more pleasant to be around, the kid is making less negative statements, which can affect how other family members think.”

As one writer noted in Psychology Today, “[Families] contribute powerfully to the emotional atmosphere the depressed person inhabits, and so can be agents of recovery.”

Some treatment professionals say the family’s input is necessary to correctly diagnose depression.

S. Nassir Ghaemi, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard University, says he’ll ask patients seeking an evaluation to bring in a family member. “Then I ask the family to feel free to call me any time the patient is developing mood symptoms of any variety,” he told Psychology Today.

Ghaemi also uses the family to keep the patient on track with medication, if necessary. With the support of family members, the patient can stay on track of taking his or her medication. And if the family is not on board with the treatment plan, Ghaemi teaches patients how to navigate this challenge.

View the original article at thefix.com

14 August 2018
Could Depression Be Diagnosed By A Blood Test In The Future?

Researchers may have discovered a possible biomarker for major depressive disorder.

A blood test is in the works that may be an important new step in fighting depression.

In a new study, researchers in the U.S. and Sweden have been examining a chemical in the brain, acetyl-L-carnitine, or LAC for short, to determine if it plays a role in depression.

Natalie Rasgon, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, who is a senior author in this study, told ABC News, “Previous animal studies convincingly showed the role of LAC in models of depression. This study is the first confirmation of the results from animal studies in human subjects with depression.”

A previous study on LAC was conducted on mice and it did improve their depression symptoms. LAC could be used as a biomarker in patients, meaning a measurable chemical in the brain that shows the presence of a disease, and it could eventually be a way to screen and diagnose people with serious or treatment-resistant depression.

Newsweek reports that among the 116 people who participated in this survey, 71 had depression and 45 did not. The participants with depression had lower levels of LAC than others. For the participants with severe depression, their LAC levels were very low. This study revealed that LAC levels were lowest with women who had treatment-resistant depression, and who endured childhood trauma.

There could also eventually be supplements that could improve people’s LAC levels down the road, yet Rasgon adds, “We are at the very beginning of this discovery and can’t recommend people to buy this supplement at the GNC store… There are many questions to be answered—who will ultimately benefit from taking this supplement, what is the right dose, what is the appropriate duration of use.”

Over 300 million people live with depression worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. It is a complex mental health issue to fight. “Depressive disorders can present differently in different people,” Rasgon says. “What is known now is that depression affects not just the brain but the whole organism.”

Still, Rasgon is enthusiastic about the early results from this study. “We are working on extending them to further understand the role of LAC in patients receiving treatment for depression,” she says. “It is one of the pieces of a very large puzzle that constitutes depressive disorders as an illness.”

View the original article at thefix.com

8 August 2018
Misuse Of Unapproved Antidepressant With Opioid-Like Effects Spikes

Though tianeptine isn’t FDA-approved, it’s not illegal and can be purchased online as a dietary supplement.

An apparent spike in the use of an unapproved antidepressant called tianeptine is poisoning people who are looking to benefit from the drug’s mild opioid-like effects, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report released last week.

From 2000 to 2013, the U.S. saw 11 tianeptine-related poison control center calls; from 2014 to 2017, there were more than 200. That’s all according to the CDC analysis of National Poison Data System information, which sheds new light on a growing trend.

Though tianeptine isn’t FDA-approved, it’s not illegal and can be purchased online as a dietary supplement. It’s often marketed elsewhere under brand names Coaxil and Stablon, according to Vice News.

The drug was first discovered by the French Society of Medical Research back in the 1960s, and it’s been shown to help fight depression and anxiety, according to CNN.

When it was patented, scientists weren’t entirely clear on how it worked. But in 2014, researchers found that the drug lights up certain opioid receptors. While that appears to help with some depression symptoms, it also means that people taking tianeptine can have opioid-like withdrawal when they stop taking the drug.

“Tianeptine has an abuse potential in former opiate drug users,” the CDC researchers wrote. “This study further highlights that the withdrawal effects of tianeptine mimic those of opioid withdrawal.”

But, unlike with traditional opioids of abuse, tianeptine doesn’t show up on drug screens, which can make it a tempting choice for justice-involved individuals looking for a high that won’t land them in legal hot water.

“I think people have this misguided belief that if you can get it on the internet and it’s not overtly illegal and you’re not going through the dark web to acquire these substances, so it must be OK,” Raphael Leo, an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Buffalo, told CNN.

But, earlier this year, the Journal of Analytical Toxicology reported on two tianeptine-related deaths in Texas, and more have been reported in other countries.

The potential dangers of the unapproved drug have sparked some calls to ban it. In April, Michigan greenlit a law banning the substance on the heels of a number of overdoses, according to the Associated Press.

View the original article at thefix.com

7 August 2018
Destiny’s Child Singer Michelle Williams Details Seeking Mental Health Treatment

Williams revealed that she had sought help on Instagram and pledged to “proudly, happily and healthily” lead by example as an advocate for mental health.

After releasing a statement on social media about her own mental health journey and her pledge to help others in her situation, Williams received a massive show of support.

Michelle Williams, former member of the popular girl group Destiny’s Child, released a statement on Instagram about her struggle with mental health last Tuesday after which she received a showing of support from fans, friends, family and famous peers.

“For years I have dedicated myself to increasing awareness of mental health and empowering people to recognize when it’s time to seek help, support and guidance from those that love and care for your wellbeing,” she posted on Instagram. “I recently listened to the same advice I have given to thousands around the world and sought help from a great team of healthcare professionals.”

She also pledged to help others who may find themselves in the same situation as she did.

“Today I proudly, happily and healthily stand here as someone who will continue to always lead by example as I tirelessly advocate for the betterment of those in need,” Williams wrote. “If you change your mind, you can change your life.”

Her loved ones cheered her on in their responses in the comments section.

“Michelle My Belle, I’m soo proud of you! You have given unselfishly of your time and support to so many and i know that you will be the best example of self-care which we all need. Keep being a warrior and an advocate for you. I love and support you with all my being,” wrote Tina Knowles-Lawson, mother to fellow Destiny’s Child alumni Beyoncé. “Sending you much love and encouragement… yes to your strength and bravery.”

Lawson was not the only member of Beyoncé’s family to reach out. Solange Knowles was sure to add her own response.

“Love u so Michelle! Really proud of you. Sending u all the love in the world,” Knowles wrote.

Musical peer and collaborator Missy Elliott sent her well wishes, too.

“Sending up Prayers for u,” commented Missy Elliott on the post. “You know we serve a Mighty God & just know that you are covered and your test will be a testimony… I’m inspired by your courage… May God give u a peace of mind/ Strength/& Happiness… we love u sis.”

Williams admitted she struggled with depression in a 2017 interview, saying she had struggled with mental health since she was 13.

“I’m in one of the top-selling female groups of all time, suffering with depression,” she revealed on The Talk. “When I disclosed it to our manager [Mathew Knowles] at the time, bless his heart, he was like, ‘You all just signed a multi-million dollar deal. You’re about to go on tour. What do you have to be depressed about?’”

She relented on the words of her manager, but eventually found herself in a dark place, contemplating suicide. But in speaking publicly about her struggles, she hopes to “normalize” the discussion of mental health and reduce the stigma of seeking treatment for it.

View the original article at thefix.com

23 July 2018
Can Ayahuasca Help Those With Severe Depression?

Those suffering from severe, untreatable depression may find relief from the psychedelic drug ayahuasca.

A new study suggests that ayahuasca might be able to help people suffering from treatment-resistant depression.

The study is among the first of its kind investigating ayahuasca as a treatment for depression, testing 30 subjects in a randomized and placebo-controlled environment.

Such results could be significant, as some forms of depression do not respond to known drug treatments, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Ayahuasca is a psychedelic brew derived from Amazonian plants. It’s been used for therapeutic and medicinal purposes for centuries by people living in the Amazonian regions in Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador. By boiling the vine banisteriopsis caapi and the shrub psychotria viridis together, the psychoactive compound DMT is extracted.

According to CNN, researchers at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte found 218 depression patients and selected 29 of those with treatment-resistant depression.

Some of the subjects were given the real thing while others were given a convincing placebo, a concoction made of water, yeast, citric acid, and caramel coloring to look brown and taste as sour and bitter as the real thing. As an extra touch, zinc sulphate was added to simulate the nausea and vomiting that often comes with ayahuasca.

Participants took their respective drinks in a hospital room made to look like a living room. In anticipation of the psychedelic effects that can last up to four hours, researchers prepared two playlists for participants, one instrumental and the other in the Portuguese language.

The day after the experiment, 50% of all the patients reported better moods and a reduction in anxiety. After a week, 64% of patients who took the real ayahuasca reported they still felt a reduction in their depression. In comparison, only 27% of the participants who took the placebo still felt better.

Using ayahuasca as a treatment for depression has been explored before, but without proper controls, such as a placebo group. This is a problem because placebos can result in a reduction in depression in 45% of patients, which researchers believe can muddy results and make it hard to find out what’s actually helping.

In the case of this study, participants who experienced more intense hallucinations from the ayahuasca seemed to have a greater reduction in depression, but the researchers warn against calling it a cure, as no single treatment works for everyone.

View the original article at thefix.com

9 July 2018
Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson Talks Mental Health, Psychiatric Drugs

“People’s brains develop at different stages in their lives, and there’s no cookie-cutter approach to the human brain. It’s terrible what they’re doing to kids.”

Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer of British metal legends Iron Maiden, has a reputation for being very outspoken and polarizing. Now the frontman is speaking out against giving psychiatric drugs to children.

As Dickinson said in the Heavy Hour podcast, he is “not a believer” in giving psychiatric meds to children. He recalled the time when a doctor wanted to put his son Austin on Ritalin.

“I was just, like, ‘I won’t give drugs to my son. What is this? He’s five years old,’” Dickinson explained. “He looks pretty normal to me. He runs around a lot; that’s what five-year-olds do.’”

Dickinson added that “maybe” psychiatric drugs could be given to children “in extreme cases, but even then, I’m not sure. What the hell did we do before drugs with kids?”

As the father of three children, Dickinson acknowledges that “every family comes with the baggage of the previous family; it inherits it. And so you have to run with that. A certain amount of it is instinct; some of it is learned behavior; some of it is behavior that you might have to unlearn.”

Mental health issues may not be able to be “learned” away as Dickinson suggests, but his stance against prescribing children psychiatric drugs is a matter of dispute among many mental health treatment providers.

One study published earlier this year suggests that children are actually under-prescribed psychiatric medications that could help their ADHD, depression, and anxiety disorders. On the other hand, California had to pass multiple pieces of legislation to stop the growing trend of the overmedication of children in foster care.

The classic Iron Maiden song “Ace’s High” includes a legendary speech from Winston Churchill, who some believe had bipolar disorder.

Dickinson says, “Churchill would unquestionably have been medicated. And many of the great leaders of the world would have been medicated. People’s brains develop at different stages in their lives, and there’s no cookie-cutter approach to the human brain. It’s terrible what they’re doing to kids. And it’s all because of the drive to categorize and put people in little boxes to make it easy for people.”

Dickinson’s children also steered clear from illicit drugs, thanks to their rock star father, who brought them out on the road when they were young.

Dickinson told The Mirror, “What was great for my kids was when they were growing up we took them out on the road. They would be backstage, and there would be some idiot who’d done too much coke sweating profusely, teeth chattering. ‘Daddy, why is that man doing that?’ ‘That’s because he’s on drugs,’ I’d say. ‘Drugs? Are they a bad thing?’ I’d say, ‘Judge for yourself.’

“The best possible antidote for people not to take drugs is to go and see a bunch of people who are completely messed up out of their brains. They got an education in drugs and made good decisions.”

View the original article at thefix.com

30 June 2018
Korn's Jonathan Davis Talks Addiction: "Benzos Are The Devil"

“I’ve dealt with anxiety for a long-ass time. I got prescribed Xanax, benzodiazepine, a long time ago. Benzos are the f—ing devil. They’re horrible drugs.”

Jonathan Davis, the frontman of the metal band Korn, puts his struggles with drugs and anxiety front and center in a song on his debut solo album, Black Labyrinth.

In a new interview with Forbes, he spoke frankly about how attempting to treat his anxiety with drugs like Xanax led him to a dark place.

“I’ve dealt with anxiety for a long-ass time. I got prescribed Xanax, benzodiazepine, a long time ago. Benzos are the f—ing devil. They’re horrible drugs,” he explained. “They feel good at the moment and are a quick fix to get you out of a panic attack, but they’re not designed to be taken long-term—especially Xanax.”

His song on the album, “Medicate,” is about kicking the benzo dependency he developed.

“I started taking it for anxiety. I’d take a piece in the morning and a piece at night, then go to bed. You start to build up a resistance,” he recounted. “Two years later and I was trying to kick it. The song is about me dealing with common regrets, that I need this pill to be happy or stay sane.”

Getting off it was difficult—and dangerous.

“I started off taking 0.25 milligrams of it, and eventually I got up to 2 milligrams, that’s one bar a day. And eventually I got up to two bars a day later down the road,” he told Forbes. “But the first time I kicked it, I was doing a bar a day, and I slowly weaned down. Which, you cannot function. And if you don’t do it correctly, if you just stop cold turkey off of it, you can go into seizures and die.”

Nowadays, Davis is living completely sober, and getting high in a different way—sensory deprivation at the center of the Ganzfield experiment.

“It’s a drug-free hallucination,” Davis says. “You’re staring into your subconscious. To me, it proved that there’s something different out there than what we’ve been taught about God. You see colors and shapes. It’s like you’re staring at the inside of your brain.”

He also calms himself down with video games, music, and spending time with his children. His band seems to have caught the clean-living bug, too.

“We just all independently faced our demons. There’s not really any drinking going on in the band anymore,” Davis explained. “It happens, every band that’s been doing it this long. Eventually you need to stop, or you’re gonna die. Everybody got through it their own way.”

View the original article at thefix.com

25 June 2018
David Spade Donates To Mental Health Organization In Kate Spade's Honor

In light of his sister-in-law’s suicide, the comedian has donated $100,000 to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The tragic suicide of fashion designer Kate Spade has led her brother-in-law, comedian David Spade, to donate $100,000 to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in hopes that it will help others who may be dealing with similar problems Kate did.

“More people suffer from mental health issues than we may realize but no one should ever feel ashamed to reach out for support,” Spade said in a statement to People. “If you or anyone you know is in need of help or guidance please contact the national suicide prevention hotline at 800-273-8255 or go to nami.org to learn more and help those who may be in need.”

Kate was found unresponsive by a housekeeper in her Manhattan apartment on June 5. Her death was officially declared a suicide by the New York City medical examiner’s office.

According to her husband, Andy Spade, Kate had been undergoing treatment for depression and anxiety. Additionally, he revealed that the couple had separated and had been living apart since 10 months prior. Their 13-year-old daughter had been splitting her time between both parents.

“Kate suffered from depression and anxiety for many years. She was actively seeking help and working closely with her doctors to treat her disease, one that takes far too many lives. We were in touch with her the night before and she sounded happy,” said Andy in a statement. “There was no indication and no warning that she would do this. It was a complete shock. And it clearly wasn’t her. There were personal demons she was battling.”

David Spade also felt the fallout, mentioning his feelings at the start of his stand-up comedy set at the Brea Improv Comedy Club the same week Kate died.

“Thank you for coming. It was a rough week, but I didn’t want to cancel and I appreciate you all coming out here… And if my jokes don’t work then I get sort of a free pass,” he joked with the crowd. “Thank you for coming out, I appreciate it.”

He also posted tributes to Kate with photographs on social media.

“Fuzzy picture but I love it. Kate and I during Christmas family photos. We had so much fun that day. She was so sharp and quick on her feet. She could make me laugh so hard,” he wrote about one photo. “I still can’t believe it. It’s a rough world out there people, try to hang on.”

View the original article at thefix.com

18 June 2018