ARP 408 Psychedelic Executive Order 14401

Psychedelics are knocking on the door again. It is the generational visit of psychedelics with some people seeing the potential and others seeing the danger and consequences. In this episode, a look at Executive Order 14401 and what is proposed for the treatment of serious mental health conditions.

Let me be clear about this. I take no position pro or con in the upcoming debates or discussions about psychedelics. I am learning as I move through this unexpected (for me) treatment option. 


I have concerns. Big whomping concerns. I also have distrust and I'm noticing that certain stock markets and pharmaceutical companies are taking interest in this topic. 

What I'm trying to say I have biases, both conscious and unconscious. This episode is what I've discovered learning about the topic. My first steps. Psychedelically, you might be further down the road. 

One more thing. Dear public relations people. I have never had a guest on the show. I do not plan to in the future. Please peddle your guests to a more appropriate forum. 

Resources Mentioned: 

Psychedelic Information Resources

From Psychology Today What the New Executive Order Means for Psychedelics, A federal policy shift puts psychedelics in the spotlight for mental health.

PBS.org story about the executive order and some of the pros and cons. Like insurance? Nope.

One of the things the Petrie-Flom Center looks at is Health Law Policy. This is a Q&A on the Executive Order on Psychedelics with I. Glenn Cohen and Mason Marks.


The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Drug Scheduling with a list of the drug schedules.


Information about executive orders, their history and how to obtain them.

National Constitution Center information page on What is an Executive Order?

The American Bar Association's website has an explainer from a legal perspective on what an executive or is, the format of the document and how to retrieve the official version.

National Archives and Records Administration Archive of all things related to the U.S. government. Maintains a digital index of executive orders that is searchable by date, number, or topic. The orders may be viewed as PDFs or text, in the Federal Register, or within Title 3 of the U.S. Code.

American Presidency Project  is an archive maintained by the University of California Santa Barbara includes text of almost all executive orders, searchable by year of issue back to the early nineteenth century.

Emergency Resources


The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. 

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. 

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.

Disclaimer: 


Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.



Share:

ARP 407 What is Dopamine?

Mental health isn't just fixing one thing. It is more than stopping the symptoms. It is getting the parts back in alignment. Your brain, your spirit, your body and yes even neurotransmitters.  

This episode is about the neurotransmitter Dopamine. What it is and the relationship between stress, anxiety and the fight or flight response. I hope understand that this is one of the many processes of recovery. 


Do what you can, when you can. 

Resources Mentioned: 


The Cleveland Clinic has an explainer page on Dopamine

There are three TED Ed videos that visually explain what is happening in your brain when you have excessive stress and the relationship between anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions.

How stress affects your body - Sharon Horesh Bergquist on what goes on inside our body when we are chronically stressed 

Procrastination that includes the flight or fight response and the relationship to anxiety and depression. 

How the food you eat affects your brain lesson by Mia Nacamulli explains how food affects your brain,  how Amino Acids change into neurotransmitters and how the food we eat can change how we feel and behave.

Emergency Resources


The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. 

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. 

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.

Disclaimer: 


Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.



Share:

ARP 406 SSRIs and Factual Information

A few months back, there were statements about SSRIs and increase violence in youth. Not true and I found a well written article explaining what a government official said and what is the factual, data based findings. I'll have that linked below. 





What I want to do is share with you the process of evaluating a medication so that you know the benefits and possible side effects so that you can make an informed choice.

The basic questions are:

  • What is this drug and why do I need it?
  • Specifics on how much to take, when and with or without foods or liquids.
  • What are the known side effects and when should I be concerned?
  • Are there foods, drinks, vitamins, herbals or other things I should not take with the medication?
  • How do I quit or stop taking the medication? There are some meds that you have to be weaned off of or you might experience harsh withdrawal symptoms.


Resources Mentioned: 


What Is (and What Is Not) on Trump and Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again Public Health Agenda by KFF News.

Simply Psychology page on Serotonin and how it affects the brain and body.

The Mayo Clinic has a good information page about anti-depressants

Antidepressants for kids and teens: What the science says. For parents who need background information on anti-depressants for their kids or teenagers.

Medline Plus Drug Information Page, you can type the generic name or the brand name of the drug to get information on it. 

Emergency Resources: 


The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. 

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. 

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.


Disclaimer: 


Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.



Share:

ARP 405 GLP-1 and Mental Health Symptoms

I'm seeing more PR stuff and news stories about weight lost drugs for anxiety and depression. The short version for me is that there is not enough science or science research to determine if GLP-1 can be used to treat anxiety and depression. But that doesn't stop news stories and PR pieces from being written.


As a starting point, I want to explain what GLP-1 are, the intended use and some of the side effects. both positive and negative a person could experience.

Resources Mentioned: 


Think Global has an article on the Mental Health Effects of Ozempic and GLP-1 drugs.

From the From the American Psychological Association is a post about weight loss drugs and mental health.

NPR did a news story about the growth of these types of drugs and possible mental health side effects

PubMed has an editorial on The Potential Role of GLP-1 Agonists in Psychiatric Disorders: A Paradigm Shift in Mental Health Treatment

Novo Nordis is the manufacture of Ozempic. This is a link to there website about the product and you would have access to patient information sheets for consumers, doctors and pharmacists on the


Emergency Resources

The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. 

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. 

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.

Disclaimer: 


Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.



Share:

ARP 404 - The Anxiety of Loneliness

In this episode, a look at loneliness, the connection to anxiety and how the book, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter can help us understand the relationship between the two.

Loneliness is disconnection from the other. Could be the loss of the other person. Could be an an idea or way of being that use to sustain you and now it doesn't.  

Could be a country that that use to pretend to live up to 1/4 of their stated ideas and now you find out it closer to 1/32nd and dropping.




Anxiety can mean that your brain and body feels that there is instability, danger or a threat. Your symptoms are the visual or sensory representation of something being wrong. 

Symptoms can be embarrassing. Many anxious people make the choice of separating themselves from others. There are other options. 

Resources Mentioned: 


The Heart is a Lonely Hunter


Book: The book was written by author Carson McCullers and published in 1940. You should be able to find it at any retail or online book vendor.

Audio: There is an abbreviated BBC full performance and there is a 12-hour narrated version of the entire book by Cherry Jones on Audible. 

Movie: There is a trailer on YouTube. Amazon Prime has the 1968 version of the movie that you can either rent or buy. I'm sure that other streaming services that have the film in rotation. 

Loneliness Research


2023 The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community. This is a downloadable document on the research.

Journal of Effective Disorders Emotional and social loneliness and their unique links with social isolation, depression and anxiety. If the above link is troublesome, can try to download the article via the digital object identifier number

Emergency Resources:


The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. 

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. 

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.

Disclaimer: 


Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.



Share:

ARP 403 Probiotic Sodas for Brain Health?

Everybody is feeling a bit touchy. Some want to drink their problems away. Even non-alcoholically. There is a brand of wellness drinks that latched onto the words prebiotic and probiotic and put them in a soda pop can. 





Can it help with brain health and anxiety symptoms?

Resources Mentioned: 


The website Altruva Wellness has their list of the top prebiotic and probiotic sodas.
There are affiliate links on this website - due to the nature of this product, it would be better to purchase retail rather than online.

The food website Sporked has a review of the taste aspect of prebiotic and probiotic sodas.

The non-profit Food Facts.org has a good page on figuring out what the fiber level on food labeling. It is actually a good resource for nutritional information.

Helpguide.org has a good page on high-fiber foods.

Emergency Resources


The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. 

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. 

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.

Disclaimer: 


Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.



Share:

ARP 402 - A Quick Look At Roodt App

The short version, Rootd uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques to help users deal with panic attacks. It also seems to have a section of the app for OCD condition as well. 




This is just a quick surface look at the app and whatever I could glean from messing around these Internet streets. 

Resources Mentioned: 

The app website is located on Rootd.io. You can get a bit more info on how it works, and the different payment plans. There is also a blog section with topics of interest to those that are anxious.

I found a commercial for a segment of what the app can do. It was created by Rootd.

The other videos on YouTube seem to be AI generated by non-human spokespeople. They can't pronounce the app name correctly or have an unusual talking speed. Ick.

There is a website called HeyPsych that has a brief review of Rootd. They acknowledge the tool is good for panic attacks but if you lean toward the panic disorder range, you probably should see a mental health person. https://heypsych.com/tools/rootd

Emergency Resources


The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community. 

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options. 

National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.

Disclaimer: 


Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements. 

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.



Share: