Category: News

The Double-Edged Sword of Social Media: Unveiling Its Impact on Mental Health

Posted on by Blogger

In today’s digitally connected world, social media has become an integral part of daily life for millions of people. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok offer numerous benefits, including the ability to stay connected with friends and family, share experiences, and access information quickly. However, the pervasive use of social media also raises concerns about its impact on mental health. This month, SouthEnd Psychiatry explores the multifaceted effects of social media on mental well-being, highlighting both the positive and negative aspects.

Positive Impacts of Social Media on Mental Health

That’s right, it’s not all bad. Let’s first shed light on three positive ways social media is impacting our society.

  1. Connection and Support: Social media allows individuals to maintain relationships, even across long distances. It provides a platform for people to share their struggles and receive support, which can be particularly beneficial for those dealing with mental health issues. Online support groups and communities offer a sense of belonging and can be a vital resource for individuals seeking understanding and empathy.
  2. Awareness and Education: Social media plays a significant role in raising awareness about mental health issues. Campaigns, personal stories, and informational content shared on these platforms help destigmatize mental health conditions and encourage people to seek help. Increased visibility and dialogue around mental health can lead to greater acceptance and understanding.
  3. Access to Resources: Many mental health organizations and professionals use social media to disseminate valuable information, coping strategies, and resources. This easy access to expert advice and support can empower individuals to take proactive steps in managing their mental health.

Negative Impacts of Social Media on Mental Health

Now, we turn our attention to the aspects of social media that are raising BIG alarms here at SouthEnd. 

  1. Comparison and Self-Esteem: One of the most significant negative effects of social media is the tendency for users to compare themselves to others. The curated and often idealized portrayals of life on social media can lead to feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, and envy. Constant comparison can contribute to depression and anxiety, particularly among young people.
  2. Cyberbullying: The anonymity and reach of social media can facilitate cyberbullying, which can have severe consequences for mental health. Victims of online harassment may experience increased anxiety, depression, and in extreme cases, suicidal thoughts. The pervasive nature of social media means that negative interactions can follow individuals wherever they go, making it difficult to escape.
  3. Addiction and Time Management: Social media can be highly addictive, leading to excessive use that interferes with daily life. Spending too much time on social media can result in neglect of real-world relationships and responsibilities, leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Additionally, the disruption of sleep patterns due to late-night social media use can negatively impact mental health.
  4. Misinformation and Negative Content: The spread of misinformation and exposure to negative content on social media can exacerbate mental health issues. False or misleading information about health, politics, or other important topics can create confusion and stress. Furthermore, exposure to graphic or distressing content can trigger anxiety and other emotional responses.

Balancing the Scales: Mitigating Negative Effects

While social media has its drawbacks, there are ways to mitigate its negative impact on mental health:

  1. Mindful Use: Being mindful of social media use can help individuals avoid the pitfalls of excessive screen time and negative content. Setting time limits and taking regular breaks from social media can improve mental well-being.
  2. Curating Feeds: Following positive, uplifting accounts and unfollowing or muting those that cause stress or negativity can create a healthier social media experience. Engaging with content that inspires and supports mental health can make a significant difference.
  3. Digital Detoxes: Periodic digital detoxes, where individuals take a break from social media, can help reset their relationship with these platforms. This break can reduce stress and allow for more time spent on offline activities and relationships.
  4. Seeking Professional Help: If social media use is negatively impacting mental health, seeking the help of a mental health professional can provide strategies and support to manage its effects.

Our SouthEnd Team is Here to Help

By understanding the potential risks and taking proactive steps to mitigate them, individuals can harness the positive aspects of social media while protecting their mental well-being. Are you struggling right now? Our team at SouthEnd is here and ready to help. We invite you to start a conversation with us, on your terms, in-person or online and want you to know you’re not alone.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

How Psychiatrists Can Help Teenage Girls

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The teenage years are a significant period of growth. Adolescent girls experience an immense amount of social pressure; they’re growing up but still need guidance. Psychiatrists play a crucial role in helping teen girls navigate through the many challenges of the adolescent years, particularly when it comes to mental health management. Keep reading to learn more.

Address Mental Health Needs

The teenage years are packed with things that can impact an adolescent girl’s mental health. Hormonal changes and social pressures are at an all-time high. For many teenagers, this is the first time they may deal with things like peer pressure and anxiety. According to The Zebra, 36% of young girls feel extremely anxious daily. Psychiatrists can help teenagers learn about their mental health and how to cope with anxiety, depression, and more.

Provide a Safe Environment

Teenagers may face things they don’t feel comfortable discussing with their parents. A psychiatrist provides a safe environment where teenagers can discuss challenges related to friendships, romantic relationships, and other problems without worrying about consequences. While professionals are required by law to tell parents if their child is an imminent danger to themselves, teenage patients have the right to confidential therapy sessions.

Conduct Comprehensive Assessments

While it’s normal to experience a range of emotions, such as depression, stress, and anxiety, there are times that these emotions are a sign of an underlying disorder. A psychiatrist is qualified to perform a comprehensive assessment to determine if a teen has an underlying mental illness. They can then correctly diagnose a teenager, ensuring your child gets the help they need.

Manage Mental Illness

A professional psychiatrist can help teens manage existing mental illnesses. They’re qualified to prescribe medicine and provide medication management. These professionals know resources available throughout the community that can provide further assistance. Your teen’s doctor can also provide therapy to help manage symptoms and improve day-to-day functioning.

Involve Parents When Necessary

Parents usually want to be involved with their teenagers but often don’t know how. It’s challenging to connect with teenagers and decipher what they need from you. Parents may also need to learn more about specific mental illnesses. With the teen’s consent, a psychiatrist can work with the patient’s family to provide education as well as address mental health challenges the teen may need assistance with at home.

Here at SouthEnd Psychiatry, we offer evidence-based treatment options, assessments, and more. Your teenager can come to us for telepsychiatry, medication management, and talk therapy. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

What Does Mental Health Look Like for Men

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June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month and SouthEnd Psychiatry is raising awareness for this less publicized yet critically vital topic.

As Healthline.com writes, there’s still a stigma around men’s mental health, making it more difficult for males of all ages to reach out for help. Some men might still feel as if people expect them to hide their emotions and “man up,” or be strong for others. Having or acknowledging a mental health condition is still seen as a sign of weakness or lack of masculinity among some men.

Mental Health America (MHA) adds that more than six million American men experience symptoms of depression annually and most go undiagnosed. Let’s dive into what causes those stressors.

Stressful Transitions

An article published by Medical News Today states that situational stressors play a major role in suicide deaths among males, many of whom do not have a documented mental health history, according to a 2021 analysis from the CDC. These stressors can include anything from relationship troubles to arguments, but all indicate a need for “support during stressful transitions.”

Stumbling Blocks for Men of Color

The National Alliance on Mental Health reports that just 1 in 3 Black adults with mental illness receives treatment, despite the fact that they are more likely to experience emotional distress than white adults. Generational racial trauma and violence against people of color, as played out in the news media, intensify this distress.

Unlikely Symptoms

A recent study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health, found that symptoms of depression in males can be physiological, such as a racing heart, digestive issues, or headaches. Males may be more likely to see their doctor about physical symptoms than emotional symptoms.The organization also notes that men who experience depression may self-medicate with alcohol and other substances. However, this can exacerbate their issues and put them at risk of other health conditions.

What You Can Do

While it is becoming more and more acceptable for men to seek therapy, it is vital that we continue advocating for men’s mental health. Talk to your male loved ones. Check in with them. If they are experiencing depression, anger, anxiety or any other stressor, SouthEnd is here to help.

SouthEnd Psychiatry wants you to be well and to feel well in life. We invite you to start a conversation with us, on your terms, in-person or online and want you to know you’re not alone.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

What is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and How Can it Help Me?

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Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of effective psychological treatment for depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders, and severe mental illness. 

Numerous research studies suggest that CBT leads to significant improvement in functioning and quality of life. In many studies, CBT has been demonstrated to be as effective as, or more effective than, other forms of psychological therapy or psychiatric medications, referenced at ada.org.

According to the American Psychological Association, the core concepts of CBT include:

  • psychological issues are partly based on unhelpful ways of thinking
  • psychological issues are partly based on learned patterns of behavior
  • those living with these issues can improve with better coping mechanisms and management to help relieve their symptoms

Healthline provides some of the most popular techniques used in CBT:

  • SMART goals. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-limited.
  • Guided discovery and questioning. By questioning the assumptions you have about yourself or your current situation, your therapist can help you learn to challenge these thoughts and consider different viewpoints.
  • Journaling. You might be asked to jot down negative beliefs that come up during the week and the positive ones you can replace them with.
  • Self-talk. Your therapist may ask what you tell yourself about a certain situation or experience and challenge you to replace negative or critical self-talk with compassionate, constructive self-talk.
  • Cognitive restructuring. This involves looking at any cognitive distortions affecting your thoughts — such as black-and-white thinking, jumping to conclusions, or catastrophizing — and beginning to unravel them.
  • Thought recording. In this technique, you’ll record thoughts and feelings experienced during a specific situation, then come up with unbiased evidence supporting your negative belief and evidence against it. You’ll use this evidence to develop a more realistic thought.
  • Positive activities. Scheduling a rewarding activity each day can help increase overall positivity and improve your mood. Some examples might be buying yourself fresh flowers or fruit, watching your favorite movie, or taking a picnic lunch to the park.
  • Situation exposure. This involves listing situations or things that cause distress, in order of the level of distress they cause, and slowly exposing yourself to these things until they lead to fewer negative feelings. Systematic desensitization is a similar technique where you’ll learn relaxation techniques to help you cope with your feelings in a difficult situation.

How CBT Can Help

Healthline states that typical CBT treatment often involves the following:

  • recognizing how inaccurate thinking can worsen problems
  • learning new problem-solving skills
  • gaining confidence and a better understanding and appreciation of your self-worth
  • learning how to face fears and challenges
  • using role play and calming techniques when faced with potentially challenging situations

The goal of these techniques is to replace unhelpful or self-defeating thoughts with more encouraging and realistic ones.

CBT can help with a range of things, including:

  • depression
  • substance misuse
  • post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • anxiety disorders, including panic disorder and phobia
  • obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • schizophrenia
  • bipolar disorder
  • eating disorders

CBT can also help with:

  • grief and loss
  • chronic pain
  • insomnia
  • relationship difficulties like a breakup or divorce
  • a serious health diagnosis, such as cancer

If you are interested in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, SouthEnd Psychiatry is here for you. Our amazing team of licensed therapists are ready to walk along side you in this journey. 

Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get you on your way to a better place.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

Helping Kids Overcome School-Related Anxiety

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There are many different kinds of anxiety. School anxiety, a condition that can affect children of all ages, manifests as an excessive fear of school and the activities associated with it, such as making friends, speaking in public, or taking tests. Neurologist and former teacher Ken Schuster, PsyD, says that anxiety “tends to lock up the brain,” making school hard for anxious kids.

Know the Symptoms

Healthline.com explains that symptoms of anxiety in children who are 10 and under may include: 

– irritability, crying, yelling, or having a tantrum

– refusal to participate in the process of getting ready for school 

– loss of appetite or nausea as it draws close to time to leave for school 

– nightmares or difficulty sleeping

– headache

– increased heart rate and/or rapid breathing

As students grow older, their anxiety may show itself in the form of external school-avoidance behaviors. Signs of anxiety in children who are in middle and high school will vary across cultures and individual families, but may include

– truancy/excessive absence from class 

– refusal to participate in school activities

– rapid breathing and/or quick heart rate 

– loss of appetite, nausea, or headache

– self-harm behaviors

How to Help

There are many ways to help and support your child through school anxiety. Acting with empathy and compassion, rather than establishing strict rules and punishments is a great place to start. 

Talk openly about feelings and mental health. Make sure to ask questions about school at times when your child is calm. You don’t want to make your child feel interrogated, instead simply give them a chance to make their feelings known so that they feel understood.

Check your Priorities

This is a big one. Sometimes the source of school anxiety may start at home. Take a real honest look at what your parental attitude toward academic success is. This can greatly help children who are afraid of failing.

Get Help From an Expert

Reach out to SouthEnd Psych right away if your child’s anxiety is causing distress or interfering with daily life. Untreated anxiety can lead to other problems, such as depression, substance use disorders, and social isolation. 

Southend Psychiatry is also here to help you navigate conversations with your child’s school personnel to develop a plan. This may include making adjustments to your child’s schedule, providing support in the classroom, or involving your child in social activities outside of school.

Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get your child on their way to a better place.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

You Are More Than Enough

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we are excited to join the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in promoting this year’s theme, “More Than Enough” which is meant to be a message of hope and inclusion.

No matter where you are in your mental health journey, you are deserving of support, resources, fulfillment and a community that cares about you… no matter what you look like or what you are able and not able to do.

Build Connection and Community 

People living with mental health conditions need to know and feel valued and supported by their communities. It is important to start conversations and share resources to raise awareness of how critical this topic is. 

“While some are lucky to have a community that understands the reality of mental illness, that doesn’t mean that everyone we encounter has risen above the pervasive stigma. Sometimes, making progress requires having tough conversations.” Margot Harris, Associate Editor of Marketing at NAMI

Education and Advocacy

This month, help us educate people on mental health issues and challenges as well as help empower new and current advocates to help advocate for the rights people affected by mental health conditions deserve. Here are a few statistics to help bring this concept to reality:

  • 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience a mental health condition each year. 

Annually, mental illness affects:

  • 16% of Asian adults
  • 21% of Black/African American adults
  • 18% of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults
  • 21% of Hispanic adults
  • 27% of American Indian/Alaska Native adults
  • 24% of White adults
  • 35% of multiracial adults
  • 50% of LGB adults 

Creating Awareness and Driving Action

We can increase awareness of mental health support and advocacy by taking real action this month! By continuing to learn more about this topic and getting involved in local events and initiatives, we can make a difference.

  1. ACT: send an email, share a story, or post on social media to urge your elected officials to support mental health. Visit https://nami.quorum.us/AdvocacyAlerts for details.
  2. VOTE: commit to understanding how your vote impacts people with mental health conditions. Visit: https://www.vote4mentalhealth.org to get started.
  3. JOIN: Many virtual and in-person NAMIWalks will be taking place throughout the country during the month of May to help bring awareness and spread the message of Mental Health for All! Promote NAMIWalks events taking place in your local areas. Encourage people to use their creativity, create teams and participate however they can. Visit https://www.namiwalks.org/ to find events in your area.

Together, we can make a difference and realize our shared vision of a nation where anyone affected by mental illness can get the appropriate support and quality of care to live healthy, fulfilling lives. Help us spread the word through awareness, support and advocacy activities. 

Southend Psychiatry is here as you navigate this journey. We can come alongside you to offer support and help. Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get on your way to a better you.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

5 Tips to a Healthy Mental Wellness Practice

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The phrase “mental wellness” is becoming more and more common as we enter into this new year. Mental health in general is now widely accepted and for good reason. 

Alison Seponara, a licensed professional counselor and author of the book “The Anxiety Healer’s Guide” says that mental health helps determine how you handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. This month, we’d like to encourage you to embrace a healthy mental wellness practice.

Nurturing our mental wellness can help with self-esteem, improved mood, reducing anxiety, clearer thinking and managing stress which ultimately leads to overall better health. Let’s dive into 5 ways we can develop and maintain mental wellness.

1. Sleep

Improve your memory, reduce stress and stay alert with good sleeping habits. Did you know that the CDC reported, people who averaged 6 hours of sleep or less per night were about 2.5 times more likely to report frequent mental distress than those who averaged more than 6 hours of sleep? 

  • Start by creating a quiet, cool, relaxing environment for sleep. 
  • Try to keep the same sleep pattern of when you go to sleep and when you wake up.
  • Put the caffeine down in the mid to late afternoon.

2. Physical Health

Keeping your body active by getting outside for a nature walk, starting a new exercise routine or simply stretching daily can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression. This increases blood flow which helps get more oxygen through your body.

Another way to improve your physical health is through the foods you eat. Incorporating foods into your diet that are packed with mood-boosting nutrients like berries, omega-3 fatty acids (fish) and whole grains will naturally increase your defense against stress.

3. Nurture Relationships

Cultivating positive connections and nurturing our existing friendships can have a great impact on our mental health. Psychology Today says that when we show love and compassion to other people, it releases chemicals in the pre-frontal cortex and reward center of the brain that professionals refer to as the “Helper’s High.” People who help others report many positive mental and physical health benefits, including lower levels of stress, lower blood pressure, and relief from depression and physical pain.

4. Mindfulness 

Jennice Vilhauer, Ph.D., Director of Emory University’s Adult Outpatient Psychotherapy Program in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science in the School of Medicine says that mindfulness allows you to have conscious awareness of what you are doing, so you can make choices to override automatic thinking and make positive changes in thoughts and behavior. 

When you are mindful, you are able to observe events in a non-judgmental way, which allows you to detach from negative emotions, as opposed to being controlled by them. As a result, the way you respond to events in your life starts to change. Your emotions are better regulated, and you stop getting so upset, angry, or fearful over things you can’t control. You are also not flooding your brain with fear and worry about the future or resentments from the past, which has the profoundly positive effect of resetting your emotional state to calm and peaceful.

5. Stimulate The Brain

Learning a new skill or hobby this year can keep the brain healthy and active. These activities involve a combination of memory, decision-making and strategizing, which keeps the brain active and prevents dementia.

Know When Its Time to Reach Out

Southend Psychiatry is here as you navigate this new year. We can come alongside you to offer support and help. Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get on your way to a better you.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

Fighting Depression Together

Posted on by Blogger

In the US alone, about 1 in 10 people experience depression. From the pandemic to social unrest, there are many factors in today’s society that contribute to this rising mental health condition.

Psychology Today states:

“The trigger for depression can be almost any negative experience or hardship. Triggers can be external—losing a parent (especially when young), losing a job or developing a debilitating disease—or they can be internal and invisible, such a brooding over that most common of experiences, a failed relationship. People differ in their susceptibility, both by virtue of the biological heritage, their parenting heritage, their styles of thinking, the coping skills they acquire or deliberately cultivate, and the degree to which situations afford them the ability to control their fate.”

What is Depression?

Webster defines depression as a mood disorder that is marked by varying degrees of sadness, despair, and loneliness and that is typically accompanied by inactivity, guilt, loss of concentration, social withdrawal, sleep disturbances, and sometimes suicidal tendencies.

Signs of Depression

According to the latest edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, depression can be considered an illness when at least five symptoms occur together for at least two weeks. Symptoms include:

  • Feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness
  • Irritability, angry outbursts, or low frustration tolerance
  • Loss of interest in or ability to enjoy usual activities, from sex to sports
  • Sleep disturbance, whether inability to sleep (insomnia) or sleeping too much (hypersomnia)
  • Fatigue and lack of energy; everything feels effortful
  • Appetite disturbance, including loss of interest in eating and weight loss or overeating and weight gain
  • Anxiety, agitation, and restlessness
  • Slowed thinking, moving, or talking
  • Feelings of worthlessness and guilt, a focus on past failure, self-blame
  • Difficulty concentrating, remembering things, and making decisions
  • Recurring thoughts of death
  • Physical pain such as headaches or back pain that has no clear cause.

How Can Therapy Help?

At SouthEnd Psychiatry, our therapy team first helps patients understand what thoughts, feelings and beliefs are contributing to their depression. We then begin to develop healthy coping skills to combat and prevent depressive episodes. 

Negative thought patterns directly affect our mood. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps us understand these patterns. We learn how to reframe our thoughts through newly developed skills including meditation.

How Can We Help a Loved One With Depression?

Helping someone with depression can come in many forms. Acknowledgment, understanding and empathy are a great place to start! Here are five ways you can help a loved one battling depression:

  • Encourage therapy treatment. Depression is a complex disorder. Talking to someone who is trained and experienced can mean all the difference in the world. SouthEnd Psychiatry has many different therapy plans and means of communication to help make seeing a therapist easy.
  • Get active. People battling depression tend to loose motivation yet physical activity is a great form of behavioral activation. Invite your loved one on a walk. Exercise, sunshine and companionship all have antidepressant qualities.
  • Intentional sleeping habits. Our sleep patterns can be negatively affected by depression. Encourage your loved one to be intentional about getting a good night’s sleep through meditation, a healthy night time wind down routine and consistent bed times.
  • Keep talking. Maintaining regular contact with someone battling depression is key. Take time to listen without judgement or criticism. Social contact helps prevent alienation and seclusion.

Southend Psychiatry is here as you navigate the complexities of today. We can come alongside you or your loved one to offer support and help. Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get on your way to a better you.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

Suicide Prevention: Know the Warning Signs

Posted on by NM

Currently in the US, there is not an effective and accessible central crisis response system that will connect people to the treatment and the support they need. This needs to change and The National Alliance of Mental Health (NAMI) is dedicating September’s Suicide Prevention Awareness Month to advocate for better mental health care including support systems and accessible treatment.

Noticing signs of possible mental illness isn’t always easy since there is not a generic test one would take on their own without a professional. Feelings and thoughts of suicide happen in just about every background, race, age and demographic and is often the result of an untreated mental health condition.

NAMI teaches readers about the warning signs listed below of mental health distress.

Each illness has its own symptoms, but common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents can include the following: 

  • Excessive worrying or fear 
  • Feeling excessively sad or low 
  • Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning 
  • Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria 
  • Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger 
  • Avoiding friends and social activities 
  • Difficulties understanding or relating to other people 
  • Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy 
  • Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite 
  • Changes in sex drive 
  • Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don’t exist in objective reality) 
  • Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior or personality (”lack of insight” or anosognosia) 
  • Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs 
  • Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”) 
  • Thinking about suicide 
  • Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress 
  • An intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance 

Mental health conditions can also begin to develop in young children. Because they’re still learning how to identify and talk about thoughts and emotions, children’s most obvious symptoms are behavioral. Symptoms in children may include the following: 

  • Changes in school performance 
  • Excessive worry or anxiety; for instance, fighting to avoid bed or school 
  • Hyperactive behavior 
  • Frequent nightmares 
  • Frequent disobedience or aggression 
  • Frequent temper tantrums 

If you or someone you love is displaying some of the warning signs above, there are proven steps to take when navigating a crisis.

Navigating a Mental Health Crisis (cited from NAMI.org)

  • Talk openly and honestly. Don’t be afraid to ask questions like: “Do you have a plan for how you would kill yourself?” 
  • Remove means such as guns, knives or stockpiled pills 
  • Calmly ask simple and direct questions, like “Can I help you call your psychiatrist?” 
  • If there are multiple people around, have one person speak at a time
  • Express support and concern 
  • Don’t argue, threaten or raise your voice 
  • Don’t debate whether suicide is right or wrong 
  • If you’re nervous, try not to fidget or pace 
  • Be patient 

Southend Psych is here as you navigate the complexities of today. We can come alongside you or your loved one to offer support and help. Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get on your way to a better you.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

Is it Anxiety or Something More?

Posted on by NM

One positive outcome of the increased awareness surrounding mental health is that people are talking more about anxiety and how to address its impact on our lives. Anxiety and worry are often confused with more panic attacks, and people suffering from anxiety often wonder when anxiety crosses the line to panic. Panic attacks are often more intense and can occur with or without a trigger, while anxiety attacks are a response to a perceived threat.

The following checklist can help you discern if you or someone else is having a panic attack. When several of these conditions exist together, it’s advised to see a medical professional.

–       Irregular racing heartbeat (may simply feel like it)

–       Sweating

–       Sense of impending doom

–       Fear of loss of control or death

–       Trembling or shaking

–       Shortness of breath

–       Tightness in your throat

–       Chills

Southend Psych is here as you navigate the complexities of today. Whether you have moderate to severe anxiety or are experiencing panic attacks and are under the advice of medical professionals, we can come alongside to offer support and help. Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get on your way to a better understanding of your anxiety.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

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