Depression

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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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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How to Help a Teenager After a Traumatic Event
How to Help a Teenager After a Traumatic Event 2560 1707 Aware Behavioral Health

Experiencing a traumatic event is a challenge for anyone and it can be a struggle to deal with the emotions and memories that follow it. But recovery after trauma can be yet more challenging for teenagers in many instances. Many teenagers are still developing emotionally and may not yet have the mental capacity to process their experiences effectively. The teenage years can often be isolating as well, causing a teen to feel particularly alone after a traumatic event. But because dealing with trauma can be challenging for everyone, it can be difficult to know how to respond and give your…

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Why Do Depression and Anxiety Often Occur Together?
Why Do Depression and Anxiety Often Occur Together? 150 150 Aware Behavioral Health

When it comes to a dual diagnosis, depression and anxiety are two mental health diagnoses that will often occur together. It is common for someone with major depression or another mood disorder to develop anxiety, or for someone with an anxiety condition, like generalized anxiety, panic disorder, or OCD, to begin to experience depression. These two challenges may also occur independently of one another but manifest at the same time. Living with both anxiety and depression simultaneously can be significantly more challenging for your mental well being, but as these two separate conditions often occur together, they remain extremely treatable.…

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How to Manage Seasonal Affective Disorder
How to Manage Seasonal Affective Disorder 150 150 Aware Behavioral Health

Seasonal Affective Disorder, often called SAD or seasonal depression, is a form of depression that develops for a limited period of time, most often in the winter. About 3% of people experience seasonal affective disorder which can have all the same symptoms as clinical depression, making it difficult to go about your everyday life and leaving you feeling extremely unhappy. Because seasonal depression can have an intensely negative effect for several months of the year, having strategies to prevent them and knowing how to respond if you feel the onset of SAD can help you keep your moods more balanced…

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Neurotransmitters and Happiness: How to Influence Your Brain Chemistry
Neurotransmitters and Happiness: How to Influence Your Brain Chemistry 150 150 Aware Behavioral Health

Your body’s functioning is controlled by hormones. This includes the emotions you feel as well. When these hormones are present in the brain, they are called neurotransmitters and they play a role in making you feel happy, sad, stressed, and angry. The four neurotransmitters tied to happiness are serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin. When something good happens, these neurotransmitters will flood your brain, making you feel content. Over time, the brain will reabsorb these neurotransmitters and the feelings will dissipate. When you can increase how often and how much neurotransmitters are released in the brain, you can often increase how…

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How to Be Happier – According to Science
How to Be Happier – According to Science 150 150 Aware Behavioral Health

Happiness is not a long term state, but rather one that fluctuates day to day, and even throughout the day. It is also not an emotion that is completely out of your control. While there are some factors of happiness that you cannot change, such as genetics and environment, about 40% of happiness is completely within your control. You can start changing your emotional state and working towards being happier by identifying what you can change and making alterations. These small steps – backed by scientific research – are easy ways to improve your happiness. Quick Ways to Be Happier …

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