The decision of whether or not to take psychiatric medication is ultimately a decision for the patient to make in partnership with their physician. Decisions informed by the current foundation of research on best practices in prescribing, patient education, and adherence strategies will yield the best long-term outcomes for patients and likely prevent adverse reactions and side effects that make some people skeptical about the utility of psychopharmacology.
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by Sheila O’Shea I’m a pretty introverted and self-contained individual, which are not always the best traits to have when dealing with mental illness. To really handle your symptoms and flourish despite them, you need help from other people. Help can take all kinds of forms, so let me introduce you to three people—who were…
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by Sheila O’Shea Living with bipolar disorder has been a challenge for me—especially when I spent years with the wrong diagnosis—but I’ve learned a lot from it. I carry those lessons with me to this day. Boldness If there’s one thing hypomania gives you, it’s confidence. It gave me the confidence to book a flight…
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By Sheila O’Shea There’s a New Yorker cartoon from a long time ago that depicts a sculptor at work. The statue is the stylized figure of a woman with her gaze fixed upward, and it is large enough that the sculptor needs a ladder to work on it. Just below where he holds his hammer…
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As part of the 2022 Dorothy C. Fuqua Lecture, mental health experts discuss the teen mental health crisis and what people, schools, and systems can do to protect youth mental health.
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By Sheila O’Shea Everybody has a story. People who have been through trauma and difficult times especially. They’ll often have a story that helps them make sense of what happened. Mine was the one I told about “The Unpleasantness.” It started with a beautiful morning where I felt absolutely miserable and ended with my parents…
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By Sheila O’Shea I have a lot of mindfulness techniques in my mental toolbox that I use to handle my bipolar disorder, particularly the depressive ends of it. I refined my knowledge of mindfulness meditation at Skyland Trail, and I have a few methods that I came up with on my own. Mindfulness In Hearing…
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As a family therapist for the adolescent treatment program, Brandon Baird, LMSW, MPH, has helped many families reconnect and find new ways to support one another.
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Discover the effects of caffeine on the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorders.
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By Sheila O’Shea “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” – Oscar Wilde, An Ideal Husband Valentine’s Day is known as a day to express love to one’s romantic partner with cards, flowers, candy, and gifts. But you don’t need a partner to have someone to express love to. I’m not in…
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