Cyndi Turner's Blog, page 14

Medication or Therapy for Anxiety?

As a psychiatrist, I can tell you that anxiety is the most common psychiatric symptom that makes patients seek professional help. It is also well known that psychiatrists and therapists treat anxiety using interventions such as medication and therapy, and that, when combined, these usually lead to the best outcomes. What appears to be less well understood is what patients can learn to do to help themselves.

 

It’s human to want relief from the sheer discomfort that anxiety causes such as generalized agitation, excessive worrying, palpitations or panic. What proves more challenging is recognizing how to manage anxiety as a lifelong disorder. Yes, you read that correctly: as a lifelong disorder. That does not mean symptoms will never go away. It just means that there will be relapses and remissions. Or to put it more simply, times when one experiences symptoms and times when one does not.

 

The good news is that anxiety does get better with age. This is why I tend to see far fewer anxious patients who present for the first time above 50 years old than those in adolescence and early adulthood. Perhaps because there really is a learning curve with it, and that how we cope does indeed influence how it pans out.

 

The idea behind treatment is to make the bumps less bumpy. I educate patients that anxiety is hard-wired into all human beings’ central nervous system biology to help ward off real life threats. Thus, it’s not that anxiety itself that is the problem, it’s just how excessive it can become in situations that most would not react that way like going out of the house, entering an elevator, or putting up a hand in class.

 

Here’s where the concept of soothing comes in. Ask any anxious patient, and they will tell you how raw and intense their anxiety can feel like. They will also tell you how discomforted and victimized they feel at the time they experience it, as if they are almost throttled by it.  That’s where both medication and self-soothing play a part.

 

Let’s talk about medication’s role first. There are certainly medications that can reduce anxiety and even rapidly so. That would be the equivalent of Tylenol for a headache. They are called symptomatic treatments. However, just like Tylenol may make the headache go away temporarily, it will not treat the underlying cause – a so called top-down approach. Some “as needed” medications, or PRN as physicians refer to it, for anxiety cause physical dependence while others do not. There are the long-term treatments such as Prozac®, Zoloft®, Celexa®, Lexapro®, Effexor® etc. These may take several weeks to take proper effect and need to be dosed up over time. Not exactly the answer many anxious patients so urgently seek. More on this later.

 

So, what about the “as needed” medications? Will they suffice when it matters? The problem paradoxically lies in the fact that if medication does indeed wipe away all the anxiety, then that makes the person more beholden to that medication and even more victimized by their own anxiety, seeking something external to magic wand it away and rescue them entirely. And what happens if they inadvertently run out of the medication? That’s the cruel irony about life. It makes you feel most vulnerable when you are at your most vulnerable: up the creek, and without the paddle you so badly needed. This is what physicians refer to when they use the term psychological dependence.

 

So, am I saying deal with it? No, I am not. There is a more subtle point I am making here: to draw attention to a concept called distress tolerance. It means the learned ability to tolerate lower levels distress without acting upon it. That means having a higher threshold before reaching out for the PRN medication, for example. Note that I am not saying that no PRN medications are needed. I am instead arguing for lower doses that reduce, but do not eliminate, anxiety. But why? Because psychiatric research has repeatedly proven that the ability to tolerate lower levels of distress is the key to a good prognosis in anxiety disorders. And I believe it does so because it is, in and of itself, an intervention of sorts.

 

But how can the ability to tolerate anxiety actually be a tangible intervention? Or is it more of an attitudinal shift? The point is that how we think about anxiety can influence how much it upticks and how powerfully we believe it dominates our consciousness.

 

Going back to the throttling example, most anxious patients will tend to give in to the controlling aspect of their anxiety that makes them so fearful that they avoid the feared action. It is such avoidance behaviors that paradoxically reinforce the very anxiety that they fear. That is why the fear looms even larger when we avoid facing it. This has been proven repeatedly over decades. Hence, facing anxiety, whether abruptly (flooding) or gradually (graded exposure or systematic desensitization) is the key attitudinal shift required of the patient.

 

Of course, this part requires the help of professional therapy to practice exercises. Nonetheless, the buy-in of the patient is behind such a shift in attitude. When it comes to treatment, attitude is everything. This is not easy to develop, but with patience, practice, and the support and care of one’s psychiatrist and therapist, it is possible. Think of it as fashioning a can-do mentality, one that gradually eclipses and eventually supersedes the victimhood that chronic anxiety tends to box us into. Like watering an acorn that grows into the oak tree. Or as Voltaire once put it, “cultivating one’s own garden.” This means learning to love oneself: a deep internal shift in one’s attitude to the self, that cultivates self-care. Psychiatrists and therapists are trained in this respect to model what is termed unconditional positive regard, helping to counter what previous figures in a patient’s life may not have adequately demonstrated, with such inner warmth and nurturance never somehow being instilled into the patient’s consciousness.

 

Have I de-emphasized medication’s role? I  hope not. I just want to emphasize their rightful role. I spoke about as-needed medications, as well as the longer-term treatments. I discuss these in more detail in my other blogs on this site. When I prescribe long-term medications to my anxious patients, I first educate them about how they are all designed to enhance the effectiveness of the calming neurotransmitter in the brain called serotonin.  It is believed to be lower in anxious patients who have almost invariably experienced psychological trauma in their histories.

 

I am also candid about realistic expectations for medications. That they are not supposed to eliminate all anxiety. Medication merely eases it and makes it more tolerable, in that a) they can practice self soothing, b) experience a modicum of relief, and c) be functional enough to be able to get through their day more productively and meaningfully.

 

The interesting part is that as patients become more confident in their self-soothing/coping skills, I notice two things: 1) they no longer feel victimized and experience feeling increasingly empowered to manage their anxiety when it occurs and 2) they want to lower their dose of medication and eventually to taper it. This usually sparks a discussion about whether their amplified anxiety is a lifelong tendency that may always need a biological tweak with medication, or whether therapy has helped re-wire their neuronal circuitry such that they do not need medication in the long term.

 

I go with my patient’s lead and am with them to revisit this decision whenever the need arises. Sometimes a patient’s own life experiences and their success in navigating their associated anxious fears can help with this answer. Ongoing support, structure, refraining from drugs and alcohol and good sleep habits are always helpful in any case.

 

I hope the above helps to deconstruct what anxiety feels like for many and how it can be successfully addressed. No matter all the professional help, advice and interventions available, I have found that a self-loving attitude is a potent tool to help patients truly manage their own anxiety.

 

Dr. Anand is a psychiatrist with Insight Into Action Therapy.

He is available in both the Ashburn and Fairfax locations as well as telehealth for evaluations and medication monitoring appointments. You can reach Dr. Anand at 703-646-7664 or sanand@insightactiontherapy.com

 

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Handling Increased Alcohol Use In the Pandemic

BY CYNDI TURNER, LCSW, LSATP, MAC

The COVID-19 pandemic has been life-altering in many ways. As people are working from home, spending unprecedented time with loved ones, and educating and cajoling students of all ages, many are turning to drinking as a way to cope with the additional stress, isolation, and depression. We know that as alcohol use goes up, so do the related consequences. However, it is hard to determine who may be developing an alcohol use disorder versus just bad habits. I developed the Alcohol Moderation Assessment to help people answer the question: Can I keep drinking? I have spent much of my career practicing harm reduction and have extensively researched the concept of alcohol moderation. There is over 50 years of research that proves that alcohol moderation is an effective treatment option for the majority of drinkers. Study after study has shown that with a brief intervention focused on moderation skills, many drinkers can return to safer levels that no longer meet diagnostic criteria for an alcohol use disorder. This is a major paradigm shift for the treatment community that is often met with resistance. My goal is to educate clinicians about alcohol moderation and help clients have a healthier relationship with alcohol. For some this might mean giving it up and for others it is learning how to enjoy alcohol with reduced consequences. This is the heart of harm reduction: accepting that people use substances in ways that may harm themselves or others, but that a client and clinician can collaborate to reduce the negative effects.

The Alcohol Moderation Assessment offers predictions on who would be a good candidate to practice alcohol moderation. Alcohol moderation has also been called low-risk drinking, controlled drinking, and moderate drinking. Alcohol moderation is a harm reduction strategy where individuals who are struggling with their alcohol use understand why they were overdrinking, develop alternative coping skills, and learn to drink within moderation guidelines. There are a number of definitions of moderation put out by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Sensible Drinking, American Heart Association, and Dietary Guidelines for Americans. All generally agree that moderation is no more than one drink a day for women and older adults and no more than two a day for men. Moderation Management further recommends that drinkers: have no more than one drink per hour, keep their Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) below .055%, consider a drink to be a part of life not the main focus, have hobbies and other ways to relax, and do not drink in secret.

The assessment includes twenty questions. Many of them have to do with diagnostic criteria while some are protective factors. Some of the most negative predictors of being able to successfully drink in moderation include:

Experiencing withdrawalsHaving blackoutsDrinking on a daily basisUsing alcohol to deal with mental health symptomsHaving legal, probationary, or employment conditions

On the flip side, there are some positive aspects that increase a person’s likelihood of being able to drink moderately. These include:

Going through a period of abstinence to develop and implement coping skillsDelaying drinking until after age 21 thus reducing the potential for addictionMonitoring the amount and frequency of drinkingConsuming when alcohol is part of a celebration, not the main eventUtilizing a support and accountability system

As clinicians, the assessment can be a valuable resource in your tool box. Many have used it as a talking point in sessions. If you or your client are worried about their alcohol use, they can go online and take the Alcohol Moderation Assessment. Sometimes having an instrument that validates the seriousness of an issue can be eye opening for clients and motivate them to take action. You don’t need to be an expert in treating substance use disorders. Simply helping your clients understand why they are turning to alcohol and then teaching them alternative coping skills can reduce the need for the escape of alcohol, thus reducing consequences. By doing this, you are practicing harm reduction. If you have tried less restrictive methods and your client is still struggling with overdrinking and associated problems, then it may be time to refer them to higher level of treatment. Have them complete an evaluation with an expert in dual diagnosis treatment and harm reduction who can then determine what level of care is appropriate.

The Alcohol Moderation Assessment is available online at no cost at www.insightactiontherapy.com or www.insightrecoverycenters.com. More information about harm reduction can be found in The Clinician’s Guide to Alcohol Moderation: Alternative Methods and Management Strategies and the accompanying workbook Practicing Alcohol Moderation: A Comprehensive Workbook.

Cyndi Turner, LCSW, LSATP, MAC, has been a therapist for almost three decades. She is the Co-Founder & Clinical Director of Insight Into Action Therapy and Insight Recovery Centers in Ashburn and Fairfax. She is a nationally recognized trainer on alcohol moderation and has written numerous articles and three #1 New Release books on alcohol moderation.  

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Find a Support Group After Rehab

For people with drug or alcohol addiction or mental health disorders, a support group may be one of the core components of long-term success. It is just a part of an overall treatment program. Yet, it’s critical for providing real-world support and connection with others. At Insight into Action Therapy, we offer group therapy as one part of your treatment plan.

What Is a Support Group?

When people share the same or similar conditions come together to work on healing, that’s a support group. Most people need individual therapy. Individual therapy occurs when a person works one-on-one with their therapist to work through specific issues and treatment needs. In group therapy, a few people come together, led by a therapist, to work on recovery.

What Does a Support Group Really Offer?

Group therapy happens during the treatment program. This is done as a part of therapy itself. Support groups bring people together to discuss and work through a range of topics. Some of those include:

Learning about the addiction or disorder. Group support is an excellent way to learn about your condition, including learning to spot symptoms of distress.Exploring early warning signs of relapse. In group therapy, it’s possible to discuss what to look for, including in feelings, thought patterns, or behavior that could indicate the need for more help.Managing stress. For many, stress is a part of life and the leading cause of relapse. Utilizing role-playing and discussion, people learn how to manage stress effectively.Discussing experience. Often, it is possible to learn from the experience of others in the group. This could include things like how they handle other people or manage difficult relationships.Improving communication. Being able to request help and learning how to communicate feelings also plays a role in therapy success.How to Find a Support Group

While you in treatment with our team, you’ll work within our group therapy programs. This is a good starting point. Use what you experience here is as a guide to finding more help later.

Once you leave formal therapy, you’ll still need to embrace rehab aftercare. This is support that combines both formal sessions with a therapist and group therapy. It keeps you connected to professionals while also sharing what’s happening in your life with others.

In addition to this, you can seek out a support group through local programs and organizations. This adds another layer of support when you need it the most – when you are living your life and working through your challenges. This help ensures you don’t turn to negative behaviors instead of getting support when you need it.

With constant support, it’s possible to minimize the risk of relapse. It is possible to enjoy a higher quality and even happy life. It’s about keeping the lines of communication available to minimize the risk of negative outcomes.

Find Group Therapy and Rehab Aftercare with Us

At Insights Into Action Therapy, we provide a range of tools and resources to support you as you work through treatment. That includes giving you tools and strategies for managing stress, relationships, and communication needs. We offer a wide range of programs to help you get started on the right path. This includes:

Alcohol addiction treatment centerMedication-assisted treatment programsDual diagnosis recovery programsPsychiatric evaluation servicesOutpatient treatment program

Your goal is to get help. Support groups provide one part of that for you.

Reach Out to Insight Into Action Therapy to Find Help Today

Our team is here for you. Find the support group that’s going to change your future. Get treatment started with a call to Insight Into Action Therapy at 703-935-8544 or connect with our team online.

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Putting the Care Back into Healthcare

Putting the Care Back into Healthcare

Sumit Anand, MD

It’s a sad reflection of our mental healthcare system when most, if not all, of the calls I get, are from patients who have become exasperated by it. The commonest anecdotes include: 1) They never really explained my diagnosis or medication to me, 2)  I only spent a few minutes with the doctor, and 3) I’ve been given so many different diagnoses, I don’t know what is going on.

What does this tell us?  I think the system is broken. It was supposed to have the patient’s best interests at heart, show compassion and responsiveness to their needs, and above all, develop a meaningful and solid connection with the patient. Now, it appears as if it is preoccupied with everything else except those basics. Having worked in different states, across the pond in the UK, and “in the system” here myself for the last twenty years, I can now see where our new referrals are coming from, especially when they relate to the above anecdotes.

Many patients have also described feeling slotted into digital boxes with a rubber-stamped diagnosis and billing code. Managed care was created a few decades ago by the big healthcare corporations, but is now used practically everywhere. It wouldn’t matter if the behavioral health care system was not entirely geared around insurance-based practices and all for the sole purpose of payment. Yes, you guessed it—it’s the dollar that drives it all.

So why would I write about this you might ask? Because, as a psychiatrist, I have seen, firsthand, this systemic obsession spill into virtually everything many clinicians do nowadays and how that ultimately impacts patients. This way of doing things typically applies to the insurance-based system that was designed to control healthcare costs. As out-of-network providers, Insight does not subscribe to that model, and I really believe we are all the better for it. I can say this with confidence because our own patients regularly tell us how much better it is and why.

So, what went wrong? In my opinion, core ethical principles of care and compassion took a complete backseat to the gamesmanship of how the system pays hospitals and practices and what piece of the financial pie was paid by whom. This means that providers are forced to pile in patients almost like a drive-thru fast-food restaurant or an airline overbooking seats just to stay afloat financially. Without getting bogged down into a dense discussion of all the intricacies and nuances of controlling healthcare costs, let me just bring the discussion back to the basics.

That way of practicing clinical care is just plain wrong. We should never view patients as commodities or units on a production line. But that’s unfortunately how insurance-based care has turned out. The unintended and dangerous consequences for mental health care, in particular, are as follows:

Mistaken diagnoses: I can attest to seeing this one all too often. While I recognize that some diagnoses can be difficult to spot early on and that they evolve over time (like Bipolar Disorder or Schizophrenia), I have seen the disastrous consequences of clinicians overlooking the most common anxiety disorders, mistaking them for say ADHD—all because a patient told them that they couldn’t concentrate. If only a few more questions had been asked to get a better context, they would not have been started on stimulants that inevitably make anxiety worse and what’s more, sets the patient up for both physical and psychological dependence on controlled substances. But that requires time to think through with a detailed history taking. Insurance-based practices emphasize quantity over quality of care and rush diagnosis and treatment,

 

Piecemeal Prescribing: I’ve spoken to this previously, but it is relevant here too. In medical school, physicians are taught principles of prescribing via the scientific discipline of pharmacology. Nowadays, and from my experience of nearly two decades, the use of such principles appears to be rapidly eroding.

 

When patients come to see clinicians, they volunteer symptoms that bother them. That’s understandable and such symptoms do need to be addressed. However, with the speed and brevity of most psychiatric medication appointments (15 minutes), I have seen the consequences firsthand: prescribing sleeping pills or addictive benzodiazepines like Xanax® or Klonopin® when insomnia is the tip of the iceberg of depressive/mood disorders. Or patients getting repeat prescriptions of benzodiazepines for years when an  SSRI (like Prozac or Zoloft) was the recommended long-term treatment. Then we see the combining of sedative medications when neither one alone has reached its therapeutic dose.

 

The above kind of prescribing goes against what has been tried and trusted principles taught in residency and medical school. Michael Jackson’s death was related to just such prescribing. If your psychiatrist is seeing 20-30 patients a day, such shortcuts in prescribing are inevitable and becoming more widespread.

 

Patient dissatisfaction and disillusionment with the medical profession: By the time they have come to see me, many patients will have already experienced the above gamut of experiences. I find myself having to reassure them that this time will be different and that we will get to the bottom of their problems. It’s not hard to understand their initial jadedness: our profession has been more often part of the problem than the solution over all these years. So, to quote Mahatma Gandhi, I try to “be the change I want to see in this world.”

 

Hence, I find myself working hard to emphasize first principles, such as patient autonomy and basic education about diagnoses, how medications work, and what to expect from therapy and medications combined. For this reason, my own appointments are typically longer than the industry standard often lasting two hours for an intake.

 

Yes, there is hope.

 

It helps that the overarching ethos at Insight into Action Therapy resonates with my own deeply held values about service and compassion as genuine cornerstones of clinical practice and that this practice is also not hamstrung by the bureaucratic paperwork demands that otherwise would be on it if this were a typical insurance-based practice. I realize that this arrangement does not cater to all patient needs, but I have also been pleasantly surprised when I find patients deliberately foregoing their designated insurance-based choice of provider in order to seek out and then continue their care with us. In so doing, I have enjoyed long-lasting connections with patients who have frequently voiced their satisfaction with feeling properly cared for. I am similarly relieved that our ability to provide superbills with relevant billing and diagnosis codes allows many of our patients to seek reimbursement for out-of-network services at this practice.

 

So, as an epilogue, I would like to say that, in spite of the system, there are still many caring and competent healthcare providers willing to go the extra mile for their patients. I just hope this provides you with inspiration to find one. I also look forward to hearing from you if I can help meet your particular mental healthcare needs.

 

Dr. Anand is a psychiatrist with Insight Into Action Therapy.

He is available in both the Ashburn and Fairfax locations as well as telehealth for evaluations and medication monitoring appointments. You can reach Dr. Anand at 703-646-7664 or sanand@insightactiontherapy.com

 

 

 

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S3 E10: On Moderating Drinking?! (Cyndi Turner, LCSW)

S3 E10: On Moderating Drinking?! (Cyndi Turner, LCSW)
The Sober Pod: A Recovery Podcast

In this episode, The Sober Pod crew has Cyndi Turner, a harm reduction therapist in Northern Virginia, on the show. She was a unique guest in the sense that Cyndi challenges the traditional belief that all drinkers experiencing problems are “alcoholics.” She is a proponent… 

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sober-pod-a-recovery-podcast/id1453721166?i=1000507067891

For more information on harm reduction and moderation drinking, reach out to the team of clinical experts at Insight into Action Therapy today at 703-935-8544.

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Starting the New Year Sober

A new year means a new chance, especially for those who struggle with a substance use disorder involving drugs or alcohol. There’s no better time than January to reach out to a drug or alcohol addiction treatment center nearby for help to recover. And for those already in recovery from addiction, starting the new year sober is vital.

Unfortunately, those bleak, wintry months following the holidays can be difficult times to get through, especially for anyone who lacks a supportive network of family and friends. But if you’re dedicated to starting the new year sober, use these tips to help navigate the stormiest of days.

A Sober New Year Requires Involvement

It’s important to stay involved with your recovery community. This means attending meetings faithfully and reaching out to others in distress. It means reaching out for help when your own resolve feels weak or challenged, as well. For many reasons, asking for help is difficult for those who struggle with drugs and alcohol. Still, it’s vital to avoid isolation and loneliness during the shortest, darkest days of the year. Consequently, the first step in a sober new year is making sure you have plenty of supportive people to help you stay accountable.

Sober Living Takes Commitment

It takes a ton of commitment to maintain a sober living arrangement when you’re just out of treatment for drug or alcohol addiction. But by faithfully working on your recovery behaviors and polishing your healthy coping skills, success is possible. In general, this is the time to draw from everything you learned in recovery:

Eat wellGet enough sleep each nightUse healthy stress-management techniquesDon’t isolateAvoid temptationStick to a strict schedule

It’s always tempting to stay up late and sleep in when you can, but by rising early and having a plan for every hour of the day, you’ll avoid aimlessness and boredom — two viable threats to sober living. Practice the methods and maneuvers you learned in treatment, and work the program religiously to avoid the threat of relapse.

Build Momentum Going into your Sober New Year

Start strong and keep up your momentum as you move through the coldest, bleakest months. Once winter is behind you, the extended hours of daylight that come with spring will help you better cope with your daily struggles. Avoid back-sliding in your routines as much as possible to keep your momentum building. If you falter, consider reaching out to someone else who is new in recovery. Sometimes, helping others is the most powerful tool in your recovery box. You’ll feel good by helping someone else achieve their goals, and feeling good about yourself is key to sober living.

Celebrate a Sober New Year at Insight Into Action Therapy

Insight Into Action Therapy is a facility that promotes addiction recovery and mental wellness. Located in Northern Virginia, we’re able to help clients who battle substance abuse disorders.

Insight Into Action Therapy is an outpatient treatment center for drug and alcohol addiction and mental health issues, including those co-occur together. Whether you’re struggling with combinations of drugs such as prescription painkillers and benzo, or you’re mixing antidepressants with alcohol, our experienced medical professionals are qualified to treat you effectively.

At Insight Into Action Therapy, we believe you have the right to a drug-free future, and we’ll work hard to help you achieve lifelong sobriety. If you’re interested in admission to our outpatient addiction recovery program, visit us online, or call today at 703-935-8544. We’ll give you the skills you need to face life without drugs or alcohol. Contact us today to take that first step to a sober new year.

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Parents of Addicted Loved Ones (PAL)

On November 16, 2020, Matt Christian, LCSW and Craig James, LCSW, LSATP, MAC spoke about Bipolar Disorder and Dual Diagnosis Treatment to the Parents of Addicted Loved Ones (PAL) support group. The group, which typically meets in-person on Mondays from 7:00pm-8:30pm at the Reston Bible Church, was held virtually.

Highlights included:

Defining Bipolar Disorder and mania
Distinguishing between Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and Cyclothymia
Under and over-diagnosing
Challenges with active substance use
What family members can do:

Setting boundaries
Avoiding enabling
Acknowledging, but not being a Prisoner to Fear
Asking: “Am I responsible for or responsible to my loved one?”
Maintaining a healthy family system

Matt and Craig will be participating in a half-day workshop with two break-out sessions about understanding addiction and mental illness with PAL in the Spring of 2021.

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Understanding Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a type of mental health disorder. It can cause people to have significant shifts in their energy, mood, and ability to think. Many people with this condition find themselves unsure of what’s happening or how to control it. What is most important to understand is that mental health treatment can improve your ability to think and achieve your goals. Our team at Insight Into Action Therapy can help you.

Could You Have Bipolar Disorder?

Many people with bipolar disorder do not know they have it. They may experience dramatic mood shifts – being very happy to very sad – in a matter of just hours. The condition most commonly occurs around the age of 25, but it can happen in teens. If not treated, this condition can worsen and can impact overall wellbeing and mental ability.

There are four recognized types of bipolar disorder. The first type, Bipolar I Disorder, focuses on those who have experienced one or more mania episodes. Most people will have both mania and depression. Their manic episodes must have lasted seven days or longer or been severe enough to cause hospitalization.

In Bipolar II Disorder, a person experiences depression episodes. However, they move back and forth between hypomanic without entering into a full manic episode. In Cyclothymic Disorder or Cyclothymia, a person is in a mood that’s unstable, which means they can move between hypomania and mild depression for a period of two years.

The final type, called Bipolar Disorder or “unspecified,” occurs when a person does not meet other forms’ qualifications but still has elevated mood changes.

Some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder include:

Mania – instances in which an elevated mood is present. A person feels as though they have a lot of energy.
Depression – which can range in severity
Feelings of being unable to control
Trouble making decisions
Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.
Feeling overwhelmed

What Causes Bipolar Disorder?

It’s not fully understood why bipolar occurs or who will suffer from it. There is some evidence that it is genetic, which means if you have a parent or another relative with it, you may have it as well. In addition to this, episodes of bipolar disorder often follow the path of stress. This could be a death in the family, trouble with relationships, financial difficulties, or illness.

Brain structure and function also play a role in whether or not a person develops this condition. There are subtle differences in the size or action of some areas of the brain, researchers note. However, they are not yet able to make a diagnosis from this information.

How Can Mental Health Treatment Help You?

If you are struggling with bipolar disorder, you can do the worst thing for yourself to not get the help you need. There are treatment options available that can comprehensively change the way you view life and how you function. Mental health treatment can be helpful in various ways, including helping you gain confidence, improving negative thoughts, and finding new ways to cope with symptoms outside of the use of drugs or alcohol.

At Insights Into Action Therapy, we offer a wide range of therapy options that can help you. We encourage you to learn more about the treatment and tools we can offer, including:

Addiction treatment programs
Dual diagnosis treatment
alcohol addiction treatment program
Addiction treatment therapies

Let Insight Into Action Therapy Help You – Call Us Today

Bipolar disorder is a complex mental health condition that can be improved. Our team at Insight Into Action Therapy can help you by providing comprehensive mental health treatment. All you have to do is to call us to learn more. Reach out online or call 703-935-8544 for an appointment.

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Depression and Thanksgiving

When it comes to depression and Thanksgiving, it can be somewhat hard to know how to get through the day. Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time of feeling thankful and being surrounded by family. That does not always happen. Sometimes it happens and can put even more stress on you. How are you supposed to manage this situation? Whether it comes to getting depression treatment or not, you should know more about the care options available to you with Insight Into Action Therapy.

When You Have Depression and Thanksgiving Is Coming

For some people, seasonal depression is a huge thing. Ti can impact your overall health and wellbeing. It may make it seem impossible to get through the holidays. There are a few reasons why this can happen.

You Don’t Want to Be Alone

Sometimes, for those with depression, Thanksgiving isn’t a great time. That’s because they are alone and unable to be around family or friends. The holidays can sometimes be challenging for men and women who do not have many people to spend time with, at least on this day. If you are already getting depression treatment, you may want to talk to your therapist about handling the increased stress of the holiday.

You Don’t Want to Deal with Some People

Another common problem with depression and Thanksgiving is being around too many people. You may have that one person you see every holiday that really bothers you. You downright hate them. Or perhaps there is a past of stress or trauma with that person. When that is the case, it becomes necessary to consider the bigger picture.

Should you be around this person?
If they are there, consider not going.
Discuss your trauma or feelings with your therapist.
Work through complex family relationships in a positive way.
Don’t ignore the problem or suffer through it.

Your Routine Is Changing

Another concern for some people is that Thanksgiving, and the holidays in general, create a situation where you feel as though you are no longer achieving your goals. Your routine is different. You don’t find yourself able to focus or concentrate on what’s really happening. Seasonal depression can occur for this reason, as well.

You’ll Be Around Alcohol and Drugs

For some people, depression and Thanksgiving are made worse by the presence of alcohol or drugs. If you know someone will be using or drinking while you are there, that makes it hard for you to avoid doing so. You do not want this type of risk in your life, especially if you are newly sober or fighting to remain sober.

How to Manage Depression and Thanksgiving Stress

No matter what is causing your seasonal depression, it is important to recognize that you need help. There is help available to you. It starts with a comprehensive depression treatment. Let our team provide a full consultation to discuss your options. We can then address the needs for you to choose a different type of therapy if what you are doing right now is not working.

When it comes to depression treatment, we can help you. We offer a wide range of treatment options to support you as you get back on track. That includes:

Outpatient treatment program
Relationship repair programs
Anxiety treatment programs
Full psychiatric evaluations
Medication management services

Invest in Your Health at Insight Into Action Therapy

When it comes to depression and Thanksgiving, it’s hard. There is no doubt about that. If you are struggling with seasonal depression or ready to get depression treatment that can make a big difference, reach our team today. At Insight Into Action Therapy, we empower you to take care of your health. Call us at 703.935.8544 to get care.

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Defending the Accused

Fri Nov 6thSubstance-UseVirtual 

Cyndi Turner will be a “Defending the Accused” panelist for the American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers on November 6, 2020. She was invited for her expertise on substance use disorders.

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