Counseling Blog | LGBTQ+ Couples & Individuals

November 20, 2022 by Alan Zupka

Psychiatry and Medication Management

The goal of many psychiatrists is to help their patients without needing medication. But, there are instances where medication can be incredibly helpful in healing.

While some patients require only one medication for a short duration, others may require multiple prescriptions over longer periods. Regardless of how long a person may need to take a medication, management of medicines is essential in their treatment plan.

What is Medication Management in Psychiatry?

Medication management is a process that ensures patients are taking the right medication at the exact right dose for their specific situation. Typically, a psychiatrist will start a new patient on the dose and type of medication that has worked well for similar patients in the past. But numerous follow-up appointments will be scheduled after the initial assessment to ensure the patient’s symptoms are being controlled without any unwanted side effects.

A person may be on a specific dosage of a specific medication for years and be fine. But the body is constantly changing, and it may eventually adapt to a specific dose, so the psychiatrist will want to routinely evaluate and adjust when needed.

What Types of Mental Health Issues Can be Treated with Medication?

Many mental health conditions can be treated with therapy alone. In some cases, such as with a phobia, a prescription can help to take the edge off while the therapy is doing the heavy lifting.

There are those times, however, when medications may play a larger role. For instance, if someone is experiencing depression because of a chemical imbalance, there may need to be a reliance on medication first to rebalance the mind.

If you are suffering from depression, anxiety, or any other mental health issue and you wonder if medication might help, your best course of action is to work with a licensed therapist who can assess you and make the proper treatment recommendations.

Please email my office if you’d like to explore treatment options.

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November 13, 2022 by Alan Zupka

Neurodivergence’s Impact on Mental Health

When we speak about human behavior or ways of being in the world, we have traditionally described someone as having normal behavior or abnormal behavior. Recently, mental health experts have begun to look at things in a broader, more inclusive scope.

What Does Neurodivergent Mean?

Neurodivergent is a term used to describe someone who either behaves in a specific way or processes information in a specific way that differs from cultural norms. It is an important shift in the mental health community because it allows clinicians to discuss diagnoses, such as autism, in a way that doesn’t portray the diagnosis as an illness or problem to be dealt with. In addition to autism, other diagnoses may be considered a form of neurodivergence, such as ADHD, any learning disability, dyslexia, and Tourette’s syndrome.

Benefits of Neurodiversity

Much of the world has embraced cultural diversity. We have been taught that diversity is our greatest strength. Well, people are finally starting to realize that this concept goes beyond just cultural diversity and should extend to the diversity of thought and being as well. Neurodiversity can actually be beneficial to society because different ways of thinking and looking at the world bring different perspectives and insights to the table.

Temple Grandin is a perfect example. Temple is autistic, and her unique perspective and way of thinking allowed her to revolutionize the practices for the humane handling of livestock.

Instead of stigmatizing people who have been diagnosed with a “cognitive disorder,” we must encourage them to embrace their differences and share their unique insights and perspectives with the world.

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November 6, 2022 by Alan Zupka

How Your Diet Can Affect Mood, Cognition, And Sleep

Most of us are aware that what we eat can affect our waistline. But did you know that the foods you eat can also impact your brain, affecting your mood, cognition, and sleep?

Think of Your Brain Like an Expensive Car

Cars need fuel to operate. Some cars do fine no matter what type of gas you put in the tank. But expensive cars typically only do well when you fill the tank with premium gas.

Your brain is like an expensive car. You can try feeding it what you want and think is delicious, but it probably won’t operate optimally. In fact, your brain can actually become damaged if you feed it the wrong foods. For example, many processed and refined foods harm your brain, causing inflammation and toxic overload. Diets high in refined carbohydrates promote inflammation and oxidative stress and worsen your body’s regulation of insulin.

All of this damage affects how your brain operates. That means when you eat poorly, you risk developing a mood disorder such as depression and anxiety, a cognitive impairment (making it hard to think clearly or remember information), and sleep issues.

And then it becomes a vicious cycle because once our sleep takes a hit and our mood takes a hit, and we can’t focus well, we intuitively want to reach for comfort foods that are usually unhealthy, and the cycle starts all over.

Making Lifestyle Changes Your Brain Will Thank You For

Life is easier and feels better when our brains work for us, not against us. With that in mind, here are some lifestyle choices you can make that will keep your brain working optimally:

Skip the Soft Drinks

One of the easiest changes you can make is to stop drinking soda, even sugar-free sodas, which can still impact your insulin levels. Opt for water instead.

Eat Plenty of Healthy Fats

Your brain is 60% fat. It needs fat to thrive. But not all fats are created equally. Stay away from trans fats. These are fats made in a laboratory and are found in processed foods. Seed oils, vegetable oils – these are bad fats!

Healthy fats are those from grass-fed or pastured animals and nuts and avocados!

Take Care of Your Gut

Your gut health directly impacts the health of the rest of your body, including your brain. To be healthy, your gut needs a lot of good bacteria – AKA probiotics. So be sure to eat foods rich in probiotics. This can include sauerkraut, kimchi, Greek yogurt, kefir, and any fermented veggies you like!

Your brain does an awful lot for you. Isn’t it time you start paying more attention to what it needs? Eat right, and you will experience a big change in your mood, how you think and how your sleep!

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October 30, 2022 by Alan Zupka

Recognizing the Effects of Alcohol

Alcohol addiction affects millions of adults in this country. In fact, it’s estimated that roughly 10% of Americans will experience some form of addiction in their lives.

Drinking not only can negatively impact your social life, relationships, and job security, but it can also wreak havoc on your physical health. Unfortunately, this is not something that is discussed enough. Therefore, I wanted to share some important information about alcohol and its effects on your physical health.

And to be clear, I’m not talking about too much drinking as someone drinks too much every day. I am saying even if you only go out once in a while and drink too much that night, it can negatively impact your health.

Here are just some of the ways alcohol affects your health:

Your Brain on Alcohol

Alcohol disrupts your brain’s communication pathways, making it difficult for you to think clearly. These disruptions also make it more like you experience mood, memory, and coordination changes.

Heart Damage

Whether you drink a lot over a long period of time or drink too much in a single night, you are putting yourself at risk of heart damage. Excessive alcohol consumption has been shown to cause cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, strokes, and high blood pressure.

Cancer

According to the National Cancer Institute, there is a strong association between alcohol consumption and several types of cancers, including oral cancer, esophageal, liver, breast, and colon cancers. In fact, the National Toxicology Program of the US Department of Health and Human Services lists alcohol as a known human carcinogen.

Immunity

Drinking excessively can weaken your immune system, making you a target for illness and disease. Even drinking too much in a single night can make it hard for your body to ward off infections for a 24-hour period.

As you can see, alcohol can do a lot of damage to your health and your life. That’s not to say that you cannot enjoy an alcoholic beverage now and then in moderation.

If you are concerned about your loved ones’ alcohol intake, share these health facts with them.

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Remain Curious

Psychiatry and Medication Management

What is Medication Management in Psychiatry?

What Types of Mental Health Issues Can be Treated with Medication?

Neurodivergence’s Impact on Mental Health

How Your Diet Can Affect Mood, Cognition, And Sleep

Recognizing the Effects of Alcohol

Your Brain on Alcohol

Heart Damage

Cancer

Immunity

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