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November 7, 2021 by Alan Zupka Leave a Comment

What is Neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity is a concept given life back in the 1990s by an Australian sociologist named Judy Singer. The term is used to represent the different ways people think, behave, communicate, and more. 

Neurodiversity is often associated with challenges an individual may face. For instance, people with neurodiverse traits may be diagnosed with conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHA) dyslexia, or autism. But the concept turns the traditional diagnoses on their heads. Instead of thinking something is “wrong” with the person, the new science is suggesting that within the human genome, there is a diversity we’ve yet to fully grasp. Conditions aren’t necessarily faults in the brain but rather a unique expression. 

Neurodiversity and Mental Health

Extensive data points to the fact that there are greater rates of depression and anxiety co-occurring in individuals with diagnoses of autism, ADHD, and dyspraxia. Autism alone has been linked to higher rates of anxiety, eating disorders, mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and more. Much of this may stem from the fact that individuals with autism have typically been found to have low levels of dopamine, a “feel good” neurotransmitter greatly responsible for elevated moods.

But what about those individuals whose levels of dopamine are in the normal range? And for that matter, what about depression and anxiety in people who have not been diagnosed with any other cognitive condition?

For years, psychologists, psychiatrists, and neurologists have tried to understand the profound links between body, brain, and life experiences. And what we have learned is that narrow diagnostic categorization doesn’t allow us to recognize all of the diverse ways cognitive conditions express themselves in the human race. 

Neurodiversity helps solve this. It embraces the complexity of the interconnectedness of the brain, body and life to help us get better patient outcomes. As clinicians, we need to move away from crude labeling and diagnoses and begin to focus on personalized interventions and treatment plans to better serve our clients.

SOURCES:

  • https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/my-life-aspergers/201310/what-is-neurodiversity
  • https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pathways-progress/202108/is-there-link-between-neurodiversity-and-mental-health
  • https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/neurodiverse-age/201907/mental-disorder-within-the-neurodiversity-paradigm
  • https://neurodiversityassociation.com/what-is-neurodiversity/

Filed Under: Uncategorized

August 24, 2021 by Alan Zupka Leave a Comment

What is the Gottman Method?

When we fall in love with our spouses or partners, we never imagine that someday the honeymoon phase might end. We want to believe those Hollywood romantic comedies that make us believe we will “live happily ever after.”

The truth is, all couples have their fair share of ups and downs. That’s natural. Healthy relationships require a lot of work. But sometimes it can be difficult to do this work when communication has completely broken down and when there is a blatant lack of respect. Enter the Gottman Method.

What Exactly is the Gottman Method?

As a relationship counselor, I am always looking for tools and strategies that will help me help my clients. A few years ago, I was introduced to the Gottman Method, and it has changed my entire practice for the better.

Simply put, the goal of the Gottman Method, created by husband and wife therapists Drs. John and Julie Gottman, improve communication and ultimately increases trust, respect, and intimacy. This specific approach to couples counseling integrates research-based interventions and includes a thorough assessment of the couple’s relationship. This assessment is what allows counselors like myself to develop a personalized therapeutic framework to bring about lasting change. 

What Can You Expect?

The assessment will show us what your relational strengths and challenges are. From there, I design a special counseling framework that will help you replace negative relationship patterns with positive ones. The work we do together will help you both increase your intimacy and deepen your emotional connection. 

Is the Gottman Method Right for You?

The Gottman Method has been successful for couples who are dealing with the following:

  • Frequent arguing
  • Problems with communication
  • Lack of emotional connection
  • Lack of trust and intimacy

If you and your partner have become aware of some big challenges in the relationship, and you’d like some guidance in overcoming those challenges, then please reach out to me.

SOURCES:

  • https://www.gottman.com/about/the-gottman-method/
  • https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/the-gottman-method
  • https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/gottman-method

Filed Under: Uncategorized

December 19, 2018 by Alan Zupka Leave a Comment

SHOULD I SEEK HELP BECAUSE I’M GAY AND PARTY TOO MUCH?

As an aging member of the LGBTQ community, I have witnessed first hand the strides we have made as a nation toward sexual identity equality. However, even in this new found time of tolerance, there remain significant obstacles for us members of the LGBTQ community from gaining full acceptance from our peers, family, colleagues, government officials, and spiritual leaders which can and do show up as microaggressions. These systemic obstacles and peer-driven misconceptions of who we are have led to a disproportionate amount of substance use, abuse, and addiction among many members of our community.

Even though the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, heterosexism and transphobia have remained one of the most menacing impacts on the LGBTQ community’s mental health. Unfairness and discrimination exhibited through many governmental systems have driven us to self-medicate. For instance, the absence of federal protection from discrimination in the workplace, the supreme court allowing retailers to refuse service to gay couples, and state policies that forbid transgender people from using public facilities that correspond with their gender identities have inflamed a culture of intolerance and have caused the LGBTQ people to feel less than.

Similarly, heterosexism and transphobia also persist through our day-to-day lives ranging from blatant bullying and hate crimes to the more indirect forms of media and cultural bias referred to as microaggressions. Microaggressions are insidious and remain as subtle varieties of judgment. For example,  sayings and questions such as; “that’s so gay,” “I’m not being homophobic you’re being too sensitive,” “so who is the man in the relationship?” “you’re bisexual, doesn’t that make your partner feel insecure? and “you’re gay? …what a waste” are usually unintentionally hurtful but they convey intimidating and/or insulting messages that continue to diminish our self-esteem, self-worth, and they can lend to our declining mental health. Hence we party.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), results indicated the following:

  • 4.3 percent of adults aged 18 or older identified as a sexual minority, including 1.8 percent who identified as being lesbian or gay and 2.5 percent who identified as being bisexual.
  • Members of the LGBTQ community were more likely than their Non-LGBTQ counterparts:
    • To have substance use and mental health issues.
    • To use illicit drugs in the past year
    • To be current alcohol drinkers
    • To use marijuana at higher rates
    • To Misuse prescription painkillers
  • Sexual minority adults were also more likely than sexual majority adults to have substance use disorders in the past year, including disorders related to their use of alcohol, illicit drugs, marijuana, or misuse of pain relievers.
  • Members of the LGBTQ community were more likely than their Non-LGBTQ counterparts to have in the past year:
    • A form of a mental illness
    • Suffered from a Major Depressive episode with or without major impairment
    • At increased risk for various behavioral health issues
  • Additional data from the US Census Bureau found that a higher percentage of LGBTQ adults between 18 and 64 reported past-year binge drinking than Non-LGBTQ-adults.
  • LGBTQ people in treatment for substance use disorder initiated alcohol consumption earlier than their non-LGBTQ counterparts.

These results show that it is imperative that the LGBTQ  community embrace support from the mental health community. It is natural for members of the LGBTQ community to feel guarded during the traditional talk-therapy process. Many individuals have faced judgment their whole lives and are inherently reluctant to open up to strangers. That is why it is important to find a counselor that has the power to break down emotional barriers and allow clients to confront potentially traumatic experiences in a safe and positive manner.

It is also important for a counselor to remain mindful of the stressors and microaggressions that lead a person from the LGBTQ community to utilize substances to cope. Accordingly, a counselor should provide personalized, empathetic and effective treatment that allows a person to safely address the origins of their substance use and/or mental health issues. An effective counselor accomplishes this through unconditional positive regard and knowing how to help. Whether it be through proper referrals or through a combination of traditional treatments that include talk therapy, mindfulness, and cognitive behavior therapy; an effective counselor should understand the LGBTQ individual’s struggles with substances and mental health as they help an individual center themselves, access unexpressed emotions, and help them discover a healthier perspective because they are worth it and far from less than.

Filed Under: LGBTQ Partying, Uncategorized

Alan Zupka

Alan Zupka | Counselor | LGBTQ Community | Orlando, FL

(407) 986-2888
alan@azupkacounseling.com

Orlando, FL 32803

"Be proud of who you are and not ashamed of how others see you."
--Anonymous

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