Encore - How to Select a Therapist and the Talkspace App

Well, I was up against it again and since there are only 24 hours in a day, I ran out of time. This is an encore presentation (or in my day, a re-run) of episode 64 which talked about finding a therapist.

The good news is that it isn't as harsh as it was originally. I've tweaked the levels so it might be a bit gentler on the ear. Or not because its all a blur of reality man, from phase to phase.




If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

References Mentioned:

• Anxiety and Depression Association of America Find a Therapist page Questions to Ask a Potential Therapist about Treatment via AADA
• Tracey Cleantis Psychology Today article about Selecting the Best Therapist
• Good Therapy.org Ethical and Other Guidelines to Seeking A Therapist 
• Helpguide.org on Finding A Therapist Who Can Help You Heal
• State of California Booklet on Empowerment Brochure on Selecting A Therapist  
• Ofer Zur List of 22 Questions to Ask about A Therapist - really good questions.
• Talkspace App for iPhone and iPad 
• Talkspace App for Android

 

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.

Show 114 Hydra-8 App and Sleep Information Resources

The topic for this episode is sleep resources. In the podcast,  I mentioned using Ulysses as a sleep aid. I mean no disrespect to James Joyce. It is a fine book but let just say it is packed with words. It is possible that Ulysses and Leopold Bloom might help to usher sleep faster.

Just thinking about it has got me yawning.

You certainly can find excellent versions on Audible but might I recommend the 2007 version  or the 2014 version at LibriVox.org





Life is what you have now.  If the voices are telling you otherwise or if you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned: 

Association of American Medical Colleges page on the psychiatric doctor and related shortages of staff that are needed to treat Americans needing psychiatric help.

Your brain wants water. There are a number of water tracking apps - be sure to check out the permissions before downloading but you could check out  Hydr-8 Water Minder & Counter.

If you have anxiety, depression or have a phobia or two you know that sleep can be affected. Or you might not know. This would be a good time to learn about it so one of the places to check out is the Anxiety and Depression Association of America's page on how Stress and Anxiety Interfere with Sleep.

The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Get Sleep dives a bit deeper into the need for sleep, how it affects moods and how to assess your sleep needs.

From Harvard, an old school page on how to Assess Your Sleep Needs.

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.

Show 113 Military Focused Meditation and Relaxation Resources

This is a short pebble on the anxiety road for members of the military, vets and family members.

There are meditation podcasts specifically for the military and two apps that help you get a grip on your breathing practices.




If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned: 

Military Meditation Coach is specifically designed for active duty, vets and their families to help them make use of this treatment option. There are a number of sources to listen to the podcast such as Soundcloud, Apple Podcast, and Facebook.

There is also an app developed by the Department of Military Affairs called Mindfulness Coach that is for iOS devices like smartphones and tablets.

You say you don't have time for meditation? Have you got seven seconds? There is an app called Seven Second Meditation, also in the Apple App store that can help you teach your brain how to chill out.

Breath2Relax is an app that contains breathing exercises to get that oxygen in your body. It also provides information about stress and how too much of the bad stress can wreck your health. The app in in the Android and iOS app stores.

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.

Show 112 Resources for Attorney or Lawyers Who Have A Problem

Today’s show is about stress and depression resources for lawyers, attorneys, and for the benefit of people that work around them.

I also got a little something for men that have mental health issues and  a touch of future tech that will alert you if your heart is beating a little too fast.





Hear ye, hear ye, don't be so stubborn. If you are thinking about taking your own life  or you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned: 

US News and World Report article on men's reluctance to seek mental health. It speaks to the reasons for the stigma and what to do about it.

Inside of that article is a mention of ManTherapy.org with content specifically designed for men about mental health issues.

Still under testing but the EmotionsCheck device and app look promising. It would alert you that your heart rate is rising and to begin a calming process.

ABA Journal news story on attorney shooting during holiday party.

ABA Working Group to address mental health and substance abuse issues in the legal profession.

Jeena Cho and Karen Gilfford have a book out called The Anxious Lawyer, An 8-Week Guide to a Joyful and Satisfying Law Practice Through Mindfulness and Meditation. There is also a meditation page that you can download and use when you need a bit of peace.

Dan Lukasik has the blog Lawyers with Depression.

Men Get Depression has a free booklet in English and Spanish on how to recognize depression, understand what is happening to you, treatment options and resources.

Hazelden Betty Ford Clinic video on Depression and Addiction in the Legal Profession.

American Bar Association Stress page with some tips, definitions and a long list of articles written by other attorneys who know how you feel.

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.

Show 111 Introduction to Medical Marijuana Information Resources

Look, I know a lot of people that use marijuana for symptom control. Unfortunately a lot of people use it to control their anxiety symptoms. It doesn’t cure it, you don’t get a grip as to why your body is out of alignment and my bias is that it could be a part, maybe a small part of your overall treatment plan.

Or not. You as an adult can make a informed choice.

If you live in a state that has legalized marijuana then this might be a good time to gather information about the weed and start building your knowledge base.




If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned: 

National Institute of Mental Health visual representation chart on levels of anxiety disorder.

Live and Let's Fly article about woman attempting to board airplane with peacock. An adult peacock. United Airlines said no, three times before she got to the airport.

Elementa is a site that talks about women, business empowerment and has a section on the site about Cannabis 101

Medical Jane is a website that provides information about the medical applications of marijuana and related products.

Green Street goes into details about medical sublinguals, what they are, what they can do for you and why it might be a good choice, or not.

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.

Show 110 Delta Airlines New Policy for Emotional Support Animals and Quick Look at Bridge Phobia

Lots to jabber about dogs on planes, hospitals, drinking and then taking it to the bridge but in this case it is the fear of bridges. Or is it?

One of goals of the podcast is to talk about things that are not comfortable. Or a direct cause and effect; if you do this you will fix that. Sometimes that does happen – especially in regard to breathing practices. Sometimes it does not.






Ring the bell! The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned: 

Routers story on Delta Airlines reviewing their emotional support policy.

Delta Airline official policy on trained service dogs and emotional support animals. I've also included a link to the form you will have to fill out before flying with the animal.

CNBC story about Intermountain Hospital teaming up with other hospitals to make their own generic drugs. There is also the official PR information press release from the participating hospitals.

The Mayo Clinic has an understandable page about phobias and treatment options.

ADAA has a screener quiz to help you clarify if you have a phobia or phobia adjacent disorder.

The Simply Noise app can help you with finding the right sound for your needs, that could be a frequency noise or a sound of nature. Windows users can go to the download section of the website and select the items that will give them an audio balm.

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.

Show 109 The Amygdala and Panic Attacks

Part of your treatment is to figure out what is tripping the false alarm and replace it with better filtering instructions. So we gotta talk about the Amygdala.





You can't check out now, things are jumping. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Resources Mentioned: 

Double-blind study on how Chamomile Capsules Ease Anxiety Symptoms for mild to moderate general anxiety disorder. It is a small group of people but it did have an calming effect.

Full study report from the Journal of Behavioral Therapy and Experimental Psychology on sleep deprivation and repetitive negative thoughts. There is a more accessible interpretation of the study at Newsweek Magazine.

Helpguide.org page on panic attacks and panic disorders. American Psychological Association page also have info on panic attacks.

The Amygdala in 5 Minutes video by Joseph LeDoux that gives a better idea of what it does and the body functions that are affected. Keep in mind the dude is a neuroscientist so it might be challenging to understand everything he is saying.

For those of you that don't know what self-care means I suggest a visit to The Self Care Journey.

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. treatment.