Podcast 21: Mental Health: Treating Anxiety
Anxiety is a very common psychological state. In this podcast, Drs. Berney and Richard start by differentiating the terms worry, stress, and anxiety. They then move in to talk about how anxiety is treated and why it is important to seek support from a professional when struggling with uncontrolled worries.
The treatment of Anxiety is a three pronged approach. First we must “Stop the Panic.” This first component helps relieve acute anxiety responses so that we can function and make better decisions. The second prong is to restore serotonin levels in the body. As Dr. Berney and Dr. Richard explain, serotonin is depleted when we are under long term stress and anxiety. The purpose of this component is to boost serotonin so that you can better regulate your mood and response to environmental stimuli. The final component is therapy to reduce anticipatory anxiety. Anticipation is a major part of anxiety. All of the “what ifs” result in a tendency to catastrophize. Therapy can help minimize the impact of these automatic thoughts and reorient you to a healthier way of thinking.
This podcast was edited by Mr. Andrew Rasmussen.
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Episode 20: Mental Health: Anxiety Disorders
Worry is a normal human function, evolved over time to keep us safe and alive. In healthy individuals, worry keeps us focused, attentive, and motivated to perform at an optimal level. However, there are times when our worries become intrusive and impairing. At these times, our worries do not help us perform. Instead, they interfere with our ability to problem solve and think critically. We are no longer able to function normally or make healthy decisions. In this episode, Dr. Berney and Dr. Richard discuss some of the broad categories of anxiety disorders and help listeners understand the impact that anxiety disorders can have on our life.
This episode was produced by Mr. Andrew Rasmussen.
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Episode 19: Mental Health: Normal Anxieties
In recent podcasts we have been discussing ADHD. We selected it because it is one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders in school age children and a primary reason for children to be referred to professionals. Children with ADHD have high referral rates not only because of their own learning difficulties, but because they are a distraction to teachers and classmates. Though less commonly referred because they are not a problem to others are students who have Anxiety Disorders. Statistically, anxiety disorders are almost twice as prevalent as ADHD. Unlike those struggling with ADHD, many students with Anxiety Disorders struggle in silence, as their stress is “internalized,” meaning that all of the discomfort, stress, and frustration is turned inward. Because they are not expressing their behavior outwardly, parents and teachers are often unaware that students with anxiety are struggling.
In this podcast, Drs. Berney and Richard begin a series on anxiety disorders by discussing and reviewing normal anxiety. From birth through adulthood, it is normal to experience anxiety. In fact, anxiety is necessary as it warns us of potential problems in our environment. So a certain amount of anxiety and worry is normal. An important part of healthy development is to confront our anxieties and to develop the skills necessary for dealing with our stressors.
This podcast was edited by Mr. Andrew Rasmussen.
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Episode 18: Mental Health: ADHD – Associated Features
When we think about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), we tend to think of three symptoms – inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. However, ADHD is a heterogeneous disorder that affects a very important system of cognitive processes called executive functions. Executive functions help us organize our life, plan our approach to problem solving, inhibit behavioral and emotional responses, and problem solve. In this episode of The Mental Breakdown Podcast, Dr. Berney, Dr. Richard, and Mr. Rasmussen talk about these associated features of ADHD and the ways in which we treat them.
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Episode 17: Mental Health: Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation
Motivation is a real world superpower. We do not know where it comes from or how to create it, but everyone wants more of it.
In this week’s episode, Drs. Berney and Richard review the pros and cons of Extrinsic and Intrinsic motivation. They review the relationship between motivation and ADHD and how delay of gratification plays a role in our ability to use motivation in our life. We also spend some time talking about the issue of passion and being creative.
Drs. Berney and Richard point out three things to consider when trying to increase motivation:
1. Figure our who’s goal it is
2. Make the goal important
3. Find a way to make progress (increase achievement)!
As promised, here is a ink to a youtube video of the Marshmallow Test, which assesses your ability to delay gratification. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amsqeYOk–w&list=PL8553AADFCDBA846D&index=19
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Episode 16: Mental Health: ADHD: Prevalence, Regional Differences, and Motivation
In this week’s episode of The Mental Breakdown, Drs. Berney and Richard continue their talk about ADHD, one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions in childhood. They respond to several emails, focusing on issues that have resulted in an increase in the diagnosis and exploring explanations for why the rate of ADHD is so much higher in some areas than in others. They also begin a discussion on the elusive topic of motivation. We hope that you enjoy this episode. As always, we encourage you to write in to us, either on Facebook or on the mental breakdown website. We would also love for you to write a review on iTunes, which will increase our visibility and help bring more people to the pod.
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Episode 15: Mental Health: ADHD – Rebound, Adult ADHD, and Comorbidity
In this week’s episode, Drs. Berney and Richard respond to listener emails about ADHD. Specific topics discussed include the rebound effect – which is a phenomenon that happens to many children, late in the afternoon, when the medication is wearing off. They also talk review the truth about “adult onset ADHD” and the concerns of comorbidity (the presence of multiple medical conditions) in children. Have a listen and we hope you enjoy. Please, continue to end in your questions and write a comment or review on iTunes!
Mr. Rasmussen was not available to edit this episode, so I (Dr. Berney) had to fill in. As such, please forgive any fluctuations audio, as I really had no idea what all I was doing. 🙂
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Episode 14: Mental Health: ADHD – Alternative Treatments
ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – is one of the most common diagnoses made in childhood. The first line of treatment for ADHD tends to be medication, usually stimulant medications. That said, many alternative treatments are gaining popularity by those who seek to avoid medicating their children with stimulants. In this episode, Drs. Berney and Richard discuss some of these alternative methods, which include lifestyle and behavioral treatment modalities.
This episode was edited by Mr. Andrew Rasmussen.
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Episode 13: Mental Health: ADHD – Medications
ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – is one of the most common diagnoses made in childhood. The first line of treatment for ADHD tends to be medication, usually stimulant medications. Although stimulants have been used since the 1930s, there are still many myths and misperceptions about the medications, leading to confusion and sometimes fear. Drs. Berney and Richard talk about these medications and present what the research tells us about their risks and benefits.
This episode was edited by Mr. Andrew Rasmussen.
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Episode 12: Mental Health: ADHD – Part 2
ADHD – or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – is one of the most common diagnoses made in childhood. Although estimates say that approximately one in nine school aged children suffer from the condition, it is very often misunderstood. In this episode of the Mental Breakdown, Drs. Berney and Richard continue their discussion of ADHD and talk about the increasing prevalence of the condition and the difference between ADHD the disorder and ADHD symptoms. They also review the relationship between ADHD and sugar! We would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with ADHD, so please write us on either Facebook or on our blog at www.thementalbreakdown.com.
This episode was edited by Mr. Andrew Rasmussen.
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