Tag: resieliency

The Road To Research

On today’s episode, Trevor discusses the importance of being mindful and breathing. He’s then joined by Laura Germine, PhD, technical director of the McLean Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, who talks about her non-traditional career path.

A type 1 diabetes diagnosis in graduate school led Laura to change her career focus to research. She was recently awarded one of the largest grants in McLean’s history to study type 1 diabetes and mental health. She also discusses use of technology in mental health treatment and research and the website she created, Test My Brain.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

– Laura explains the continuous glucose monitor installed in her leg that monitors her sugar levels (07:25)

– Laura discusses the website she created in college, TestMyBrain.org, which has over 2.5 million users (15:41)

– Laura has suffered from panic attacks since her youth (26:20)

RELEVANT CONTENT:

– TestMyBrain.org

– Laura Germine, PhD: mclean.link/f2r

– A Researcher’s Journey From Tinkerer to Innovator to Mentor: mclean.link/zyc

– Can Smartphones and Digital Health Trackers Revolutionize Mental Health Care?: mclean.link/fds

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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.

McLean, Meet Ecuador; Ecuador, Meet McLean

On today’s episode, Trevor talks about his struggle to go with the flow.

Then Mariel Paz y Mino, PhD, (04:24), head of the Psychology Department at the Universidad de San Francisco Quito (USFQ) in Ecuador joins us. Mariel shares how she discovered her passion for mental health, public education, and improving mental health resources in Ecuador, as well as the challenges that come with this.

She touches on the lack of mental health resources and efforts to destigmatize mental health among the Ecuadorian community. Mariel also talks about the success of USFQ’s collaboration with McLean and gives a sneak peak of what’s to come in that partnership.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

– The Ecuadorian government approved mental illness coverage under health insurance a few years ago, but have yet to start enforcing it (11:00)

– Mariel talks about learning organizational skills during her training here at McLean (24:17)

– There are only 1.7 psychologists per 100,000 people in Ecuador (48:44)

RELEVANT CONTENT:

– Baseline determination in social, health, and genetic areas in communities affected by glyphosate aerial spraying on the northeastern Ecuadorian border: mclean.link/a5x

– McLean Hospital and Universidad San Francisco de Quito Collaboration: mclean.link/ivb

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Let’s Talk About Aging with Dr. Brent Forester

On today’s episode, Trevor shares the new way that he incorporates exercise into his daily routine.

Then Dr. Brent Forester, chief of McLean’s Division of Geriatric Psychiatry (15:24), joins us to discuss the need to get people talking about the Alzheimer’s epidemic. He also talks about addressing behavioral complications in older adults. Brent shares a bit about his groundbreaking research project on the effects of ECT on people with dementia.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

– McLean Hospital is the leader in Alzheimer’s and dementia resources and research (22:26)

– How music helps with memory retention (32:54)

– McLean is using synthetic marijuana as one avenue of battling dementia (01:01:37)

RELEVANT CONTENT:

– McLean Researchers Lead ECT Study for Alzheimer’s Patients With Aggression: http://mclean.link/4o1

– Study Examines How Sensitivity to Emotions Changes Across the Life Span: http://mclean.link/i6u

– A Landmark Law Hopes to Improve Alzheimer’s Care in Mass.: http://mclean.link/0aj

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Boys Have Borderline Personality Disorder Too

Today, Trevor is joined by Alan Fruzzetti, PhD, director of McLean’s 3East Boys Intensive Program, to discuss gender as it relates to borderline personality disorder (BPD). Alan talks about the differences in how BPD presents itself in men vs. women while also noting that there is work to do in the clinical community in guiding thinking about the prevalence of BPD in young men.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

– Trevor and Alan discuss the creation of the boys dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) program (05:37)

– Alan shares that that 20% of male inmates in Swedish prisons have
BPD (18:58)

– The two delve into Dr. John Gunderson’s impact on DBT and examine how males who seek treatment for BPD actually exemplify less aggressive behaviors (40:18)

RELEVANT CONTENT:

– Mental Health, BPD, and Boys: What Everyone Needs to Know: https://bit.ly/2JyQPn4

– John Gunderson: Borderline Personality Disorder Trailblazer: https://bit.ly/2LlpUyz

– Borderline Personality Disorder: Separating Fact from Fiction: https://bit.ly/32ineql

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LGBTQ+ Pride Month – He/She/They

On today’s episode, Trevor recalls a particularly difficult time when outside circumstances forced a good friend to come out to her parents. Then Lauren Wadsworth (12:15), a postdoctoral fellow at McLean talks with Trevor about non-binary gender pronouns and why they matter. She urges folks to become more flexible when thinking about gender and to be OK with messing up and making mistakes when trying to use these pronouns properly. She also discusses the importance of incorporating these pronouns into everyday use.

http://laurenwadsworth.com/

Changing Course: A Life-Saving Decision

Today, Trevor talks about being self-aware and the need to constantly remind himself that he is a work in progress. Then we chat with Lindsay Kalter (06:20), a former reporter who bravely shared her experience with mental illness on the cover of The Boston Herald. Lindsay talks about the difficulty of being a writer with OCD and her struggles with depression.

She also discusses relationships, family, and her decision to write about her depression and her treatment and the internal battle she faced about the story’s release.

Kalter – Reporter shares her depression struggle: https://bit.ly/31uFXi0

Kalter – Reporter hit bottom, then found strength to search for a way out: https://bit.ly/2F4eGJG

Dr. Blaise Aguirre Gets Real about Teen Suicide and “13 Reasons Why”

Today Trevor talks about his fear of confrontation and how being consumed by unnecessary anger can prevent us from enjoying things and being in the present moment. Then we are joined by Dr. Blaise Aguirre (10:53), Medical Director of the 3East DBT programs at McLean. Blaise and Trevor discuss the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why and its impact on adolescents. From the constant distractions of the world we live in to problems identifying one’s sense of self, Blaise and Trevor discuss possible reasons why some teens may be activated by watching the show while others may not. Blaise and Trevor also get into the topic of DBT and offer tips for teens watching shows that could potentially be triggering.

High-Profile Suicides Could Influence Students, Teens: https://bit.ly/2sUJ3fz
Staff Profile – Blaise Aguirre: https://bit.ly/2EIXzwZ
Why Do Teens Cut and What Can Parents Do to Help: https://bit.ly/2XbNpw0

Mental Illness, Divorce, and Raising a Family with Amy

Today Trevor shares an update on his progress over the last few weeks and talks about the discomfort of being open and vulnerable. Then we talk to Amy (13:02), one of the first participants in our Deconstructing Stigma public awareness campaign. Amy explains how her job as a librarian gave her a sense of control at work when things felt so out of control at home. Amy then talks candidly and emotionally about being married to a man with treatment resistant depression and the toll that her role as his caregiver took on her and their family. She also recalls the guilt she felt for worrying about her own well-being while it was her husband who was struggling with mental illness. Although now divorced, Amy and her ex-husband successfully co-parent their teenage son who is also well versed in caring for someone with mental illness.

OCD and Hoarding with Jeff Szymanski

In this week’s episode, Trevor talks openly about how his problems staying mindful and present have led to some significant changes in his medication regimen and recalls a particularly difficult time in his life when a certain med he was taking led to some serious physical issues and an embarrassing emergency room visit. Then we talk to Jeff Szymanski, Executive Director of the International OCD Foundation (12:48) as he takes a deep dive into OCD, hoarding, and the underlying anxieties that can lead to these conditions. Jeff also discusses Exposure Response Prevention and his own struggles with particular anxieties and fears.

International OCD FOundation: https://iocdf.org/
Hoarding Resources: https://hoarding.iocdf.org/
“The Perfectionists Handbook” by Jeff Szymanski: https://amzn.to/2UE38Xz

From Coma to Captain with Wayne Torres

To Wayne Torres (08:00) who will celebrate his fifth year of sobriety this November, it always seemed normal to him to use alcohol to celebrate special events, to cope with stress, and just because. To help manage the difficulty of his job as a Lieutenant at a correctional facility, Wayne would drink for 4-5 hours a day: drinking wasn’t a pleasure for Wayne, it was a necessity. After branding himself ‘a fat drunk who hated life’ Wayne went through a horrific detox that landed him in a coma. His addiction to alcohol nearly killed him. Despite unsuccessful attempts at therapy and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, Wayne finally received the treatment he needed to overcome his addiction. Now Captain at the Bristol County Sherriff’s Office, Wayne spends time helping his fellow officers when they are struggling. From creating a Peer Support group to driving his coworkers to and from detox centers, Wayne wants everyone who struggles to know they are not alone.

Hear even more about Wayne’s incredible journey and the power of recovery: https://bit.ly/2TP1ayj

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