Ep. 012 - How to reverse weight gain from antipsychotic medication?
Ask A Psychiatrist
This episode deals with the question of weight gain from antipsychotic medication: I'm on 20 milligrams of olanzapine. It's helping me and I don't want to change it. The only thing is that I've gained a lot of weight that makes me feel very unattractive. I’ve spoken to my psychiatrist about it, but I haven't gotten any guidance on the matter. Are there any solutions to weight gain from this kind of medicine? Modern antipsychotic medications can be very helpful for some people. And they are less likely to cause neurological side effects, compared to their first-generation predecessors....
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Ep. 011 - What is akathisia, and how to stop it?
Ask A Psychiatrist
What is akathisia? Akathisia is a relatively common medication side effect. Akathisia is a feeling of restlessness that many people find difficult to describe. Many people with akathisia say that it makes them feel like they would like to crawl out of their skin. What does akathisia feel like? Akathisia can be just an uncomfortable feeling. But for many people that feeling of restlessness translates into not being able to sit still. (Akathisia comes from Greek words that mean “not able to sit down”). It can involve fidgeting, or not being able to sit down or lie down for very long...
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Ep. 010 - Lack of insight into mental illness: Are there any new leads?
Ask A Psychiatrist
This week’s listener question was “is there any new research about curing anosognosia?” Anosognosia is a medical term derived from Greek root words that mean “lack of disease knowledge.” Although anosognosia started off as a neurological concept, it's also very common for people with psychiatric conditions to have no awareness that their symptoms are unusual, or that they could indicate the presence of a mental illness. Emerging data suggest that impaired insight in mental illness might -- like neurological anosognosia -- involve those outer layers of the right side of the brain. It...
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Ep. 009 - Can Antidepressants Reduce Self-Harm?
Ask A Psychiatrist
Can Antidepressants Reduce Self-Harm? Self-harm is a common behavior. About 1 in 8 children and up to 1 in 5 adolescents will deliberately injure themselves without suicidal intent. But even without suicidal intention, self-harm is an alarming and potentially dangerous behavior. Self-harm is a sign that something is wrong… but what’s the best way to help? It’s not uncommon for someone with self-harming behavior to be prescribed an antidepressant. Most of us would think that someone who is repeatedly harming themselves is very sad or depressed. So, it’s not surprising that doctors might...
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Ep. 008 - What is Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome?
Ask A Psychiatrist
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (also called CHS) is the topic of this week’s episode. Melissa and Dr. Erik answer the question “How can something that’s an anti-vomiting medicine be the cause of a vomiting illness”? Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome involves symptoms like loss of appetite, stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. Vomiting attacks come in waves or cycles. A vomiting attack can last many hours or several days and can be severe enough to cause dehydration or a host of other serious complications. Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome affects some people who use...
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Ep. 007 - Is it possible to prevent Alzheimer’s disease?
Ask A Psychiatrist
In this episode, Melissa and Dr. Erik discuss Alzheimer’s disease and address the question of whether it’s possible to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. What is Alzheimer’s disease? Alzheimer’s disease is one of several causes of dementia. The American Psychiatric Association has renamed “dementia” and now refers to this type of condition as “Neurocognitive Disorder.” Either name refers to a decline in cognitive performance. “Cognition” is a broad term which can include things like: attention, decision-making, recognition of language, faces, or situations, learning, or...
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Ep. 006 - Are There Any Medications to Treat Alcoholism?
Ask A Psychiatrist
At least 1 of every 20 adults has an alcohol use disorder. The average life expectancy of a person with alcohol use disorder is shortened by about 29 years.
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Ep. 005 - What is borderline personality disorder?
Ask A Psychiatrist
This week’s podcast episode focuses on borderline personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder is a common condition Borderline personality disorder is relatively common. It’s a condition that currently affects about 1 out of every 60 people (). Up to 1 of every 20 people may be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder at some point in their lives (). “Borderline personality disorder” is a terrible name Dr. Messamore starts off by pointing out that the name of this condition – “borderline personality disorder” – is long overdue for change. It is based on...
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Ep. 004 - What is psychosis?
Ask A Psychiatrist
Psychosis is a word that gets spoken a lot, but that gets discussed very little. About 1 of every 11 people will experience psychosis at some point in their lives. But even though it’s a common experience, we hardly ever talk about it. In this episode of Ask A Psychiatrist, Dr. Erik Messamore and Melissa Xenophontos discuss psychosis. Dr. Messamore explains what psychosis is, how it happens, and what to do about it. We learn that it’s easier to understand – and probably more accurate – to think of psychosis as a misperception syndrome. Psychosis by itself is not a standalone diagnosis....
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Ep. 003 - Does therapy help?
Ask A Psychiatrist
There are so many forms of therapy today that it can be hard to decide which is best for you. One of these types is “psychotherapy,” which sounds a lot scarier than it is. In this episode of “Ask a Psychiatrist” we learn about what psychotherapy is, how it can benefit your thought life, and why fears about undergoing psychotherapy still persist. Dr. Erik Messamore explains the history of psychotherapy and how Freud’s findings dominated professional psychiatric thinking for decades. After about the 1960s or so, Dr. Messamore explains, psychology underwent enormous strides to get us to...
info_outlineThere are so many forms of therapy today that it can be hard to decide which is best for you. One of these types is “psychotherapy,” which sounds a lot scarier than it is. In this episode of “Ask a Psychiatrist” we learn about what psychotherapy is, how it can benefit your thought life, and why fears about undergoing psychotherapy still persist.
Dr. Erik Messamore explains the history of psychotherapy and how Freud’s findings dominated professional psychiatric thinking for decades. After about the 1960s or so, Dr. Messamore explains, psychology underwent enormous strides to get us to our modern psycho-pharmacological thinking. And it is better than it’s ever been.
Discussing both the therapy methods and our evolving understanding of psychoactive drugs, Dr. Messamore tears away the veil and shows why psychotherapy is nothing to be afraid of. Differing from “supportive listening,” true psychotherapy targets the causes of psychological symptoms and provides a framework for handling them in your day-to-day life. Whether or not medications are necessary is decided on a case-by-case basis, but the interesting thing is that the relationship between your thoughts and your brain chemistry is reciprocal. Mood-altering drugs can “correct” brain chemistry, but so can corrective thoughts. What each person needs for their own therapy will vary.
Overall, psychotherapy is not a form of healthcare that should be feared. Your doctor will help you feel safe, comfortable, and help you to understand every step of the therapeutic process. To fear this is to miss out on great work you can do in your own life.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- (03:00) – Fear of psychotherapy is common—but it can be overcome.
- (05:30) – Freud developed a technique called ‘psychoanalysis’ to understand underlying urges in the subconscious
- (09:00) – Today, there are many psychotherapeutic approaches that don’t require dredging up the past.
- (10:30) – The notion of “chemical imbalance” has a convoluted history.
- (15:00) – Chemical changes can constrain thoughts—but thoughts also affect brain functioning.
- (17:15) – Evidence-based research today has been able to improve the brain’s “wiring,” enabling more effective connections between the parts that generate emotion and the parts that regulate emotion.
- (19:00) – When Dr. Messamore asks his patients if they have ever done any psychotherapy, and they too often say no.
- (21:30) – It’s important to be given an explanation, in psychological terms, as to why symptoms are being produced. Psychotherapy would give patients a set of techniques to apply to their own situations.
- (23:45) – The data has shown that psychotherapeutic techniques can help patients get well.
- (25:30) – There should be measurable and noticeable improvements through proper therapy.
- (27:20) – A good therapist should be able to tell you all about the process and point you to the right research.
- (29:20) – Most people who enter the field are going to be looking out for your well-being.
QUOTABLE:
“Freud’s view was that these top-level symptoms have, at their origin, a conflict between the id and super-ego.”
“Psychoanalysis is a valuable and rich form of therapy, but it’s certainly not for everyone.”
“The research points to psychotherapeutic approaches that focus on the here and now.”
“Saying antidepressants correct a chemical imbalance is extremely over-simplified and probably not applicable to every person experiencing a psychiatric symptom.”
“For a person with depression, and who feels like a failure, it’s much easier for them to believe that they may have just made some mistakes than to believe that everything is going to be alright.”
“The data shows that the people who practice these techniques become well. They get better at regulating their own emotions.”
“The right therapy should be deployed for the right condition.”
“The goal is to be comfortable, and it’s your therapist’s job to guarantee that.”
About the Host:
Dr. Erik Messamore is a board-certified psychiatric physician and PhD-level pharmacologist. He’s a consultant psychiatrist, researcher, lecturer, teacher, and solution-focused scholar currently affiliated with the Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown, Ohio. He is joined on this podcast by Melissa Xenophontos, a journalist, radio producer and longtime mental health advocate.
Contacts:
Website: www.ErikMessamore.com
Dr. Messamore @LinkedIn
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