Michelle

@Theholisticpsyc You would assume that the widespread availability of psych meds would cause a decline in mental illness in the population. But disability rates due to MI have dramatically increased during this time.

I'm a supporter of the use of psychiatric medication. And, I believe this article shares a lot of the hesitant thoughts I have around over-medication. SSRI's are not without side effects and they are increasingly being marketed as a "fix all." freyaindia.co.uk/p/why-are-so-m…

@JDaviesPhD Suppressed anger

My most used psych-diagnoses would be: Social suffering Situational distress Sane reaction (to e.g. poverty, abuse, overwork, inequality) Complex trauma Meaninglessness Existential dread [of varying kinds] Loneliness Unmet needs Just surviving syndrome Shame they don't exist.

A teenager just called me 'madame,' and I died a little inside. 😶

@justin_garson Sleep doesn't require effort. I forgot that when I started struggling with insomnia. I felt I had to put so much effort into sleep. But that effort was the very thing stopping me from sleeping. Letting go of control and effort is what, paradoxically, helped me with insomnia.

Apparently there are people who just “fall asleep” at night. Just like that. They don’t need to actively render themselves unconscious. I bet if you asked them how they do it they wouldn’t even be able to tell you.

@DrMcFillin I think a lot of modern suffering boils down to the realization that so little is in our control. Freedom from suffering comes from learning to exert as much control as possible in the narrow confines of our cultural/economic systems.

We are conditioned to believe that psychotherapy & drugs are our path to mental health. Therapy, when helpful, leads to a shift in consciousness. One that serves us. There are other means of shifting consciousness. Do not minimize them. Thoughts on how this can be done?

I'm naming my first dog Bob Barker.

@DrMcFillin I wholly agree. But, this model doesn't account for the many people suffering from MH issues due to environmental factors (i.e. poverty, violence, abuse) even if they manage their thoughts and behaviours related to anxiety/depression, the environment perpetuates illness.

There was a time when not feeling well, going through a rough time, depressed, anxious.. was a strong motivator to examine ones life & use this experience to motivate change & growth. Now we have people arguing that this is a disease for life & they are disabled because of it.

@justin_garson Im so glad you enjoyed it :)

@MichelleCadx Thanks! I really enjoyed reading this. I think it’s an important point if you think something is going to be awful, it’s probably going to feel worse than it would have.

I’ve spent years trying to abolish my anxiety. The only thing I never tried is to befriend it. Goodbye pills

@justin_garson At least 3 core factors: Individual (i.e. thinking style, behaviours, lifestyle, habits, genetics) Environment (i.e. job, relationships, family system, traumatic events) Societal/cultural (i.e. unspoken standards, values, economic conditions)

It’s hard to call for a paradigm shift away from the disease model of mental illness without saying what we should shift *towards.* So, in a few words…what’s your alternative?

@sophsoph_psd My doc told me 7.5 is the dose you can safely stop at. I trusted the doctor, so I went from 7.5 to 0 overnight.

@Theholisticpsyc I agree! diseased brain don’t cause depression. But maybe depression (and NS dysregulation + behavior changes that come w depression) causes changes in the brain; reinforcing dysregulation + maladaptive behaviors. The brain must be involved in maintaining depression?

@MichelleCadx The new research denies that low serotonin (or chemical) levels is the brain are the cause of depression. Depression isn’t a brain disease, it’s a symptom or an adaptation of the mind and body.

If depression has been proven to not be a chemical imbalance of the brain, what other myths have been accepted as truth in mental health? We need to start talking about adaptations and responses before blaming people’s biology.

It's okay to surround yourself with people who like and encourage you. You don't get any extra points for being with people who judge and criticize you (usually in the name of "love") psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inviti…

@DrMcFillin As much as I believe diet is a critical component of mental + physical health. I don't know if diet alone can treat disordered anxiety (i.e. panic disorder, agoraphobia, etc).

Could mental "illness" be a metabolic condition? I will be addressing this more with experts on upcoming podcasts but if you have been a listener you know we advocate for nutrition, exercise, sun exposure, behavioral therapy, watchful waiting as front line treatment.

Social isolation, the study found, was the biggest risk factor for depression, followed by mobility difficulties and health issues. #depression #neuroscience #science neurosciencenews.com/social-isolati…

Until I read Anatomy of an Epidemic I also believed in the "chemical imbalance" narrative. psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/being-…

I have been publishing on Medium, sharing my experience dealing with anxiety. I hope it brings comfort to anyone who is dealing with the same thing. @Michelle_Cadieux/how-to-cope-with-anxiety-when-it-returns-after-a-long-absence-5d1837416346" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@Michelle_Cadi…

@DrMcFillin_PsyD Learning i.e physical + intellectual challenge

The only evidence based antidepressants that exist: Exercise, love, sex, life purpose, social engagement, sun exposure, nutrition, safety, acceptance, forgiveness, spiritual connection... Others? Let's not allow bigpharma to hijack that term & influence multiple generations.

@purpletrumpet31 @DrMcFillin_PsyD Definitely diet it critical. But what I meant by “clinical levels of anxiety” is ppl who suffer from panic disorder or agoraphobia. they need more than healthy diet to treat their anxiety.

@MichelleCadieux @DrMcFillin_PsyD They are easier and better ways to help with anxiety. Not just therapy. The gut microbiome is one of the things to look at for starters. Poor gut health and high carb/sugar diets are closely linked to anxiety.

Seeking escape/relief from anxiety w/ drugs maintains & intensifies the problem over time. May provide short term relief/escape but creates long term suffering. It doesn't matter what the drug is- alcohol, cannabis, Xanax, Klonopin, Zoloft. The desire to escape is the problem.