Bright and Shiny and Exciting!

01/31/20 • 32 min

Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories

Life is much better on Adderall, until it's not.

In this episode, Dr. H and Dan Ronken, a Boulder-based psychotherapist and addiction specialist, explore the double edged sword of stimulants. Using Dan's ADHD and addiction story as a launching point, they explore questions including: Do stimulants make us smarter and more productive? What is the saliency circuit and why is it so relevant here? Are some stimulants safer than others? Can they safely be used by people in active addiction or in recovery? What behavioral strategies are helpful with ADD? Can you ever get that same dopamine rush without drugs? They then transition to the question of whether ketamine therapy is safe for people in recovery.

Dan Ronken
https://www.inclusionrecovery.com

Dan's Youtube channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/danronken

Dr. H
https://www.craigheacockmd.com

Previous Episode

Understanding Depression

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Send us your questions for Fishbowl 6!

In this mini-episode Dr. H explores the critical implications of thinking about Depression as a syndrome rather than as a meaningful clinical diagnosis. The diagnosis of Depression is but the first tiny step in the journey of exploring biological, psychological, and interpersonal causes and factors which might then point toward effective treatment.
Dr. H
https://www.craigheacockmd.com

Next Episode

When a tree falls twice-- OCD, emotional neglect, and resilience

Send us your questions for Fishbowl 6!

The root system of a tree is its hidden protection against the harsh realities of wind and drought and disease. For people, loving and healthy childhood attachments are our central hidden protection against the inevitable losses and tragedies of life. But what happens when these early attachments aren't safe and secure?
Jami's childhood emotional neglect and abuse and profound loneliness left her attachment roots shallow and damaged, yet her inner fire and natural resilience helped her to grow up strong and healthy despite the childhood challenges. When the winds of loss and grief started to blow, she came toppling down, twice. This led to a long list of failed treatments, benzodiazepine dependence and its horrors, and even a brief course of ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) when seemingly all other options had failed.
And today, she again stands strong and tall, a testament to her refusal to give up and to relationships that have helped to scaffold her and compensate for those early traumas.
Adverse childhood experiences and effects on long-term resilience and risk of chronic illness
https://www.acesconnection.com/blog/got-your-ace-resilience-scores
Major depressive episode vs "nervous breakdown"
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-everyone-became-depressed/201309/bring-back-the-nervous-breakdown
Ketamine vs ECT
https://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/home/topics/mood-disorders/depressive-disorder/short-term-treatments-for-depression-ketamine-vs-ect/
Dr. H
https://www.craigheacockmd.com