Blog Archives - Beyond The Body

Beyond The Body

People with mental health disorders twice as likely to have heart disease or stroke

10/31/2014

A study by Dr. Katie Goldie at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto explored the associations between cardiovascular risk and disease, mental health disorders and the use of psychiatric medication. The study found that people who used psychiatric medications were twice as likely to have heart disease and three times as likely to have had a stroke compared to those not taking these medications. Among the psychiatric drugs examined were antipsychotic, antidepressant, benzodiazepine and mood-stabilizing medications.

Dr. Goldie mentions three main factors that accounts for the elevated risk. First, people with mental health disorders often exhibit behavioural risk factors, including tobacco and alcohol use, poor diet and physical inactivity. Second, psychiatric medications can induce weight gain and impair the breakdown of fats and sugars by the body. This can lead to obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes. A third issue is access to health care. Patients with mental health disorders may have difficulty communicating their health needs.

Read more here: http://esciencenews.com/articles/2014/10/31/people.with.mental.health.disorders.twice.likely.have.heart.disease.or.stroke

Considering seeing a therapist?

10/30/2014

This blog post from Huffington Post offers some good insight "[Getting therapy] is not a lifetime commitment, but it can be a life-changing decision".

Find out more here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patrice-bendig/is-therapy-really-worth-i_b_6000080.html

October 29th, 2014

10/29/2014

Click the link below to watch a creative video on how social anxiety interferes with daily routines, friendships, and relationships. Individuals with social anxiety, although recognizing that their fears may be excessive and/or unreasonable, feel powerless against their anxiety.

http://www.upworthy.com/if-you-think-being-shy-is-hard-see-what-people-with-social-anxiety-deal-with-every-day

Let's talk about stress, baby: reconceptualizing physiological arousal to improve health and wellbeing.

10/28/2014

'The candle that burns twice as bright lasts only half as long'. 'Too much stress is bad for you.' 'You're going to work yourself into an early grave.' We have all heard these statements (or ones with similar themes) in our lives. Popular opinion holds that elevated levels of psychological stress is a predictor of poor health outcomes and premature death, the so-called disease of the Type A personality.

This old piece of 'common sense' is being challenged by new research that asks whether or not it is stress itself that leads to premature death and poor health outcomes, or if it is our conceptualization of stress as a negative that is the causative factor. In a recent paper published in Health Psychology, Keller et al (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22201278) use multiple logistic regression models in conjunction with US Health Interview Survey and National Death Index data to shed some light on the affect our attitudes have on our bodies.

Keller et al's (2012) research is just one piece of a larger puzzle that multiple research teams around the world are beginning to put together: how we think, how we feel, and how we understand the world around us contributes greatly to our health even in matters previously considered to be purely physical. Below, health psychologist Kelly McGonigal discusses our changing understanding of stress.

TED Talk: How to make stress your friend

Review of literature shows quitting smoking strongly correlates with improved mental health

10/27/2014

A systematic review of current literature reveals that beyond the physiological benefits of quitting smoking, there may also be strong positive associations to mental health. The reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression helped foster an improved outlook and quality of life. Furthermore the effect sizes were similar to those seen with anti-depressant treatment. A summary of the article and link to the original study can be found here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140213184814.htm

Psych In The News - Week 35

10/26/2014

Catch up on all the news related to psychiatry and mental health from last week!

Communicating Effectively with Individuals who have Dementia

10/25/2014

As our population ages and the prevalence of dementia increases it is imperative that all health care providers have an understanding of how best to effectively communicate with patients who have dementia. "When a patient with dementia says something that is factually incorrect, intuitively, it may seem completely appropriate to correct the untrue statement. It is important for professionals to recognize that these seemingly unusual verbal statements and bizarre actions are usually an effort to resolve past issues. Professionals need to react with patience and empathy rather than being dismissive." For a practical framework to guide your communication with patients who have dementia, check out this informative blog post by Edward Leigh

Healing trip: how psychedelic drugs could help treat depression

10/24/2014

There is tentative evidence that psilocybin, along with other psychedelic drugs, can "reset" abnormal functioning of the brain. The pilot study will involve patients who have failed to respond to conventional treatment of mental illness and is the idea of Professor David Nutt and Dr Robin Carhart-Harris at Imperial College's Neuropsychopharmacology Centre in London.

Brains of volunteers on LSD become less organised and more chaotic. Dr Carhart-Harris believes that hallucinogens may temporally "loosen" the rigid structures of the brain. “An acid trip is a bit like shaking up a snow globe. This loosening could help the brain break the cycles of addiction and depression.”

Like LSD, magic mushrooms are also hallucinogenic. A study showed that the compound helps suppress the part of the brain often hyperactive in depression. Psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms may also be useful in treating addiction. A study by John Hopkins University gave 15 people trying to give up smoking two to three rounds of the psilobin. Six months later, 12 remained off cigarettes – a success rate of 80%. The best smoking cessation drugs are 35% effective. While promising, a much bigger study is needed.

Read more about LSD, magic mushrooms, and other drugs at:

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/05/healing-trip-psychedelic-drugs-treat-depression

ADHD Is Different for Women

10/22/2014

ADHD diagnosis may be reaching a new level of understanding in the medical community. When the image of the typical ADHD patient is considered, a hyperactive young boy comes to mind. However, contrary to boys, the disorder seems to be triggered by puberty in girls and so symptoms that affect functioning may not emerge until later.

Also, Women with the disorder tend to be "less hyperactive, more disorganized, scattered, forgetful and introverted...alternatively they have been #depressed or #anxious for years." Dr. Ellen Littmann, author of Understanding Girls with ADHD estimates that there are 4 million undiagnosed cases of the disorder in females. She further states that the studies that diagnoses of ADHD are based on are over representative of boys.

With drugs such as #ritalin and #adderall more accessible than ever, concerns over misuse and abuse should be monitored, as well as the consequences of leaving ADHD untreated.

#womenshealth #mentalhealth #depression #anxiety #ADHD

http://m.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/04/adhd-is-different-for-women/381158/

Good Reads: A Life In Psychiatry

10/21/2014

Dr. Paul Garfinkel is a Canadian physician, who currently is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, as well as a staff psychiatrist at the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, where he also held the title of president and CEO for 12 years. During his 40 year career in the field of medicine, and more specifically, psychiatry, Dr. Garfinkel has accrued a wealth of experiences, and become exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable when it comes to psychiatric patients. However, through his many years in psychiatry he has also become intimately familiar with the stigma and systems issues in mental health care, in addition to handling countless highly emotional and controversial cases, and experiencing numerous challenges both professional and personal, all of which are common to a life and a career in the field. In his book A Life In Psychiatry: Looking Out, Looking In, Dr. Garfinkel takes readers with him on a look back at his journey from medical school to the present, giving us a inside look at what it's like being a psychiatrist. From discussing topics like finding a balance between therapy and pharmacology, to handling the pain and anguish associated with losing a patient to suicide, Dr. Garfinkel touches on it all, providing guidance to future psychiatrists, in addition to emphasizing lessons many of us can learn from. You can read excerpts from his book here: "A Patient's Suicide, A Doctor's Devastation" and "When a Psychiatrist Crosses The Sexual Line".

"I think psychiatrists have a harder time dealing with the death of a patient than other specialists, like cardiologists or oncologists, when the death is by suicide. Skilled therapists tend to develop intense, close relationships with their patients. They care deeply about their progress and survival. A therapist may take it upon himself or herself to act as the saviour of a particular patient. This can set the therapist up for a devastating personal loss should the patient choose death over life."

Recommended For:
Anyone with a budding interest in the field of psychiatry, or who is curious to know more about the ins and outs of life in the specialty