Tag: Personality Disorders

Relationships and Mental Health with Kirsten Bolton

As Valentine’s Day draws near, love is in the air and on our minds. Today, Trevor talks candidly about the difficulty his mental illnesses can cause in his dating life. Then we talk to Kirsten Bolton, the program director of McLean’s OnTrack program ( 8:01) who discusses romantic and familial relationships and how mental illness diagnoses can affect them. She also recalls a patient struggling with the thought of sharing their mental illness diagnosis with a romantic partner. Later we are joined by Sean Shinnock, a participant in McLean’s Deconstructing Stigma campaign and Scott O’Brien, co-founder of the Deconstructing Stigma initiative, who have an honest conversation about dating, relationships, and being there for loved ones when they themselves are struggling. Learn more about Sean and his struggles with mental health by reading Sean’s Story.

Deconstructing Stigma site: https://deconstructingstigma.org/

Sean’s Story: https://bit.ly/2UQdIpY

The Keto Diet and Mental Health with Dr. Chris Palmer

When it comes to our bodies, there are many seemingly unrelated things that can actually affect our mental health and our general feeling of well being. From the foods we put into our body to the amount of exercise we get each day, there is a clear link between our physical health and our mental well being. In this episode, Trevor discusses how depression can sneak up on us at any time and the false sense of security that we create in our minds when we’ve had a series of consecutive ‘good days’. Then we talk to Christopher M. Palmer, MD (5:40) and director of the Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at McLean, who has spent the last 20 years working on treatment resistant cases of mental illness and the idea that diet can put psychiatric conditions into remission. Dr. Palmer goes pretty deep and shares lots of interesting information in this one, so check it out!

Even more exciting content from Dr. Palmer:
https://bit.ly/2kJQa6p
https://bit.ly/2HDzWKm

The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.

Adolescents and Anxiety with Dr. Kathryn D. Boger

Our thoughts and perceptions can shape how we react to situations. Before today’s interview, our trusty host talks about attempting to move past a bout of severe depression. Trevor then sits down with Dr. Kathryn Boger, Program Director of the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program (insert start time of interview),who shares her thoughts on ways to retrain our brains to realize things are not as bad as we initially think. Dr. Boger also discusses child and adolescent mental health, particularly the importance of early detection and early invention in children and adolescents, while also sharing what it was like for her to grow up as an anxious child.

New Year’s Resolutions with Dr. Philip Levendusky

This New Year’s Eve, millions of Americans will resolve to lose weight, give up smoking, save money, do volunteer work, or find a new job. Chances are, they made the same resolution last year and the year before. Nearly 90 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail. But they don’t have to. In this episode, Dr. Philip Levendusky, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Communications at McLean and Director of the Psychology Department discusses ways to stick to our resolutions by setting realistic and attainable goals. We don’t always have to be striving for perfection, it is ok to feel like we are a work in progress. While the concept of New Year’s is that metaphoric starting line, you can pick any day to begin making an important change and look forward.

Holiday Stress with Mark Longsjo

Life often includes many stressful moments, but stress around the holidays can be overwhelming for many people. From feelings of fatigue and isolation to financial stress and unrealistic expectations, it can be difficult to prepare ourselves for the increased stresses the holidays can often bring. In this episode, Trevor talks about his struggles with emotional regulation and what helps ground him. Then we are joined by McLean’s Mark Longsjo, LICSW, who helps remind us that we have more control than we believe and shares some suggestions to help each of us keep things in check.