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Heat and Mental Health – Hot Summers and Depression
Heat and Mental Health – Hot Summers and Depression 2560 1709 Aware Behavioral Health

Dallas is hot. Most of next week is expected to be 95 degrees and humid, all with essentially no wind to help cool us down. Many people are familiar with a condition known as “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” It’s a type of depression that occurs primarily in winter, when a person has less access to sunlight. We know that colder, darker days are capable of causing depression. But we don’t often talk about depression that occurs in the summer as a result of summer-related issues. Sun itself is not linked to depression. If anything, sun helps to treat it. But heat…

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Understanding “Off Label” Medications
Understanding “Off Label” Medications 2560 1609 Aware Behavioral Health

Psychiatric medications receive extensive study. Medications that have been approved for conditions such as sleep, anxiety, epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and many others, are typically are only approved when they have undergone extensive testing and rigorous study. The FDA rarely rushes these medications, and neither do the companies that create them. But what is fascinating about the human body is that the hormones, neurotransmitters, nerves, and other internal structures do not have only one function. For example, serotonin – the neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure and happiness in the brain – is also responsible for moving food down the intestine, and increasing…

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Psychiatry for Insomnia – Sleep Medications Risks and Benefits
Psychiatry for Insomnia – Sleep Medications Risks and Benefits 2560 1707 Aware Behavioral Health

Insomnia is a serious problem. Many of us have the occasional sleepless night. But frequently poor sleep causes health issues, reduces decision making quality, slows reaction times, and can lead to the development of mental health disorders and challenges. Patients that have recurring insomnia need treatment to keep themselves happier, healthier, and able to better care for themselves. But how can insomnia be treated? Some insomnia is treated through lifestyle changes, such as turning off your phone, reducing caffeine intake, developing a nighttime routine, and journaling. But some insomnia needs more than that. One request we receive often in our…

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How Panic Attacks Lead to Agoraphobia
How Panic Attacks Lead to Agoraphobia 2496 1664 Aware Behavioral Health

Panic attacks are some of the most intense mental health events that a person can experience. They have symptoms that include chest thumping and chest pain, trouble breathing, lightheadedness, rapid heartbeat, and many other physical symptoms. They also have psychological symptoms that make this feeling even worse: feelings of doom and fear of death, both of which cause the event to be even more traumatic and terrifying. We encourage you to read more about the psychiatric treatment for panic attacks, here. One of the consequences of panic attacks is that many people with ongoing panic disorder begin to struggle with…

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Telepsychiatry in Practice – How Effective is Remote Psychiatry?
Telepsychiatry in Practice – How Effective is Remote Psychiatry? 2560 1707 Aware Behavioral Health

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Aware Behavioral Health became a 100% telepsychiatry service. Once the pandemic restrictions eased and some of the dangers went away, we began seeing patients again in Dallas, but most of our patients still utilize our Telehealth services. On occasion, especially during those early days, we would be asked by prospective patients whether or not Telehealth really worked and why we were not planning on scheduling in-person consultations. But what we’ve found – and what has been confirmed by the research – is that not only does telepsychiatry work, it is often easier for the patients as…

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What is the Danger of “Natural Health” Placebos for Anxiety and Depression?
What is the Danger of “Natural Health” Placebos for Anxiety and Depression? 2560 1707 Aware Behavioral Health

Herbs, extracts, and vitamins – there is a 70 billion dollar market for natural health supplements, designed to act as alternatives to pharmaceutical research. The idea is that, instead of taking a drug that has been extensively researched for its ability to treat a specific medical issue, there are potentially natural plant based alternatives that can provide the same benefits without the side effects or risks. Let’s be clear from the beginning: 95% of these herbal supplements do not work. Their claims and beliefs are frequently disproven, and – even when some do have a pharmacological effect – the effect…

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Do Service Animals Help Improve Mental Health?
Do Service Animals Help Improve Mental Health? 2560 1440 Aware Behavioral Health

As a psychiatrist, Dr. Sehdev and the team at Aware Behavioral Health take a holistic approach to mental health. We can offer medication, and we can offer therapy, but we also look at behavioral and lifestyle choices that can contribute to better overall psychological wellbeing. Psychiatry, more than perhaps any other mental health profession, cares about science. Recently, an article by the American Psychiatric Association looked at the ways that “therapy dogs” may benefit mental health. These are especially important here in the Dallas area, because we have a lot of veterans and a higher than average percentage of children…

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Medication and Therapy for Depression: Benefits of a Dual-Approach
Medication and Therapy for Depression: Benefits of a Dual-Approach 150 150 Aware Behavioral Health

Depression is a difficult condition, one that is also very self-sustaining. Depression changes the way a person thinks and how their body reacts. Someone with depression may view neutral or even lightly positive events more negatively, which in turn makes them feel more negative. They may also have low energy, causing them to withdraw from friends and family in ways that also create more depressive symptoms. But depression can often respond very well to the right treatments. Psychotherapy, for example, is considered very effective for most patients as a way to manage depression in the long term. The problem that…

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Medication to Help You Take Back Control
Medication to Help You Take Back Control 150 150 Aware Behavioral Health

There are situations where the best thing to help you manage your mental health is medication. For example, ADHD can be a lifelong but manageable condition, and there are outstanding medications that can make it easier to live with an ADHD diagnosis. But there are other situations where medication isn’t about managing your symptoms in the long term. There are situations where the purpose of medication is to give you a much needed break, and then either you can see how you’re coping on your own or consider psychotherapy to help you manage your symptoms without medication. A Much Needed…

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The Science Behind an OCD Brain
The Science Behind an OCD Brain 150 150 Aware Behavioral Health

Scientists have been researching the causes of OCD for several decades and while there is still much more research to do, they have discovered some important functional characteristics of brains with OCD. This means that the brain activity in people that live with OCD is physically different than the brain in people without a diagnosis. The location and amount of brain activity and concentration of neurotransmitters are measurably different in an OCD brain, emphasizing the importance of treatment from a psychiatrist for those with OCD to effectively manage symptoms and reduce the impact that OCD has on your life. How…

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