Insight Life Care - Blog #Mental Health

Insight Monthly: March 2021 Newsletter

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 22:08:00 +0000

Happy March everyone!

Can you believe it has been a full year that we have been experiencing the impacts of COVID? Luckily, with vaccines becoming more readily available, the situation (hopefully) can only improve from here. Nonetheless, it's still super important that we continue wearing our masks and social distancing.

At least the weather is starting to get nicer, so we can do more outdoor activities like going to the beach! Remember, it's important to spend time in the sun to ensure our bodies are producing enough Vitamin D. Sunlight hitting the skin begins a process that eventually leads to the creation of the biologically active form of the vitamin. Overall, research is showing that many vitamins, while necessary, don't have such great disease-fighting powers, but vitamin D may prove to be the exception. Epidemiologic studies are suggesting it may have protective effects against everything from osteoporosis to cancer to depression to heart attacks and stroke.

If you are planning on spending an extended amount of time in sun, especially at the beach or in the middle of the day, be sure to protect your skin with at least SPF 30 sunscreen.

Let's talk about depression

While everyone has experienced sadness, not everyone has experienced depression. If you’ve never been depressed, chances are that you don’t have a real grasp on what living with this complex mental illness is like. Depression affects not only your mood, but also your ability to feel, think, and function. It blunts sensations of pleasure, closes off connectedness, stifles creativity, and, at its worst, shuts down hope.

Some common symptoms of clinical depression are:

Constantly feeling tearful, empty, or worthless
Having little interest or pleasure in your work, hobbies, friends, family, and other things you once enjoyed
Feeling listless or fatigued for no obvious reason
Having trouble concentrating or making decisions

Of course, it’s normal to have any or all of these symptoms temporarily (for hours or even days) from time to time. The difference with depression is that the symptoms persist and make it difficult to function normally. If you suspect that depression is interfering with your life, talking about what you’re experiencing and discussing treatment options with Dr. Nussbaum or another medical professional is essential. People with depression who seek treatment will find significant relief from lifestyle changes, talk therapy (psychotherapy), medication, or a combination of all efforts, as determined by you and your doctor.

If you currently are feeling mild depression symptoms, it may be helpful to try implementing some lifestyle changes, such as making art, journaling, exercising more, and practicing yoga or mindfulness. Diet changes, too, can uplift your mood by reducing inflammation and helping to ensure your brain gets the nutrients it needs to function at its best.

High cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance, made by the liver and also found in certain foods, that plays an important role in many different bodily functions. Your body needs it to build cells, and it’s a major component of bile, which aids in digestion. There’s nothing inherently bad about cholesterol in your body or blood, but problems can develop if levels in your blood are too high. There are two main types of cholesterol that circulate in your blood: high-density lipoprotein (HDL-good) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-bad).

If your LDL is too high, cholesterol can combine with other substances to form a hard deposit on the inside of your arteries, known as plaque. Plaque formation in your blood vessels — atherosclerosis — raises your risk of developing several health problems, such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, chronic kidney disease, heart attack, and stroke.

There are a number of medications and lifestyle changes that can be implemented to address or prevent complications from high cholesterol. Your diet may be one key to lowering your cholesterol. Try limiting red meats, full-fat dairy, fast food, and commercially baked goods such as breads, cookies, and snacks. Instead, fill your diet with higher levels of soluble fiber (nuts, seeds, beans, apples, pears, lentils, and peas), whole grains, poultry (without the skin), and fish (salmon, trout, tuna, and herring).

If you are interested in learning if your cholesterol levels are healthy, schedule an appointment by calling our office at (813) 689-2961.

Doc's corner:

Just across the bay in St. Petersburg, street art and urban murals of all sizes, shapes, and styles abound. Many come from the annual festival called SHINE St. Pete which takes place in October each year. I've enjoyed them while biking and walking, and there are numerous nearby craft breweries with outdoor safe seating. For a guide, try stpetemuraltour.com. Enjoy!

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Mental Illness Awareness

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 21:28:09 +0000

October 4-10 is National Mental Illness Awareness Week

Millions of people are affected by mental illness each year. Across the country, many people just like you work, perform, create, compete, laugh, love, and inspire every day, with mental illness.

What is mental illness?

A mental illness is a medical condition disrupting a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning. It can be caused by trauma, chemical imbalance, genetics, and environment. A mental illness is not imaginary, something to get over, or a character flaw. Mental illness is very real and very common. One in four people will develop a mental illness in their lifetime. Luckily, most mental illnesses can be treated effectively with therapy, medication, diet, exercise, and support. Similar to physical illness, there are many different conditions; some of the most common are anxiety disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, postpartum depression, post traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia.

It’s important to understand how common mental illness is so we are better able to understand its physical, social, and economic impact, raise awareness, and advocate for better health care. The statistics below come from studies conducted by organizations such as Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Justice. You can click on each statistic to read the original study.

1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24
2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-34

How does mental illness impact our communities?

Mental illness and substance use disorders are involved in 1 out of every 8 emergency department visits by a U.S. adult (estimated 12 million visits)
Mood disorders are the most common cause of hospitalization for all people in the U.S. under age 45 (after excluding hospitalization relating to pregnancy and birth)
Across the U.S. economy, serious mental illness causes $193.2 billion in lost earnings each year
20.1% of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. have a serious mental health condition
37% of adults incarcerated in the state and federal prison system have a diagnosed mental illness
70.4% of youth in the juvenile justice system have a diagnosed mental illness
41% of Veteran’s Health Administration patients have a diagnosed mental illness or substance use disorder

What can we do to help?

Education and communication are the cornerstones to destigmatizing mental illness and creating a culture that treats mental illness with the same significance as physical illness. Here are a few ways you and I can change the culture surrounding mental health:

Educate yourself: The first step to understanding mental illnesses and how they affect people is to become educated. There are countless online resources for learning about different mental illnesses. A simple Google search can lead you to a plethora of information you can delve into with an open mind. Some of our favorite online resources are the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). NAMI offers free educational courses to anyone interested in learning more about mental illness. There are also countless blogs that you can find to read about people's individual experiences with mental illness.
Talk openly and honestly: Sharing your story about mental illness or recovery from a mental illness can be empowering both for you and for others who are struggling with a mental illness. Use your story to prove that harmful stereotypes about mental illness are not true, and to encourage others to speak up and seek help. Take the first step in normalizing conversations regarding mental health treatment, such as taking medications or using therapy. You can share your own experiences of seeing a therapist or taking anti-depressants. Chances are you are surrounded by people who have similar experiences.
Equalize physical and mental illness: Click here to t ake a look at this comic strip from the blog Robot Hugs. It captures the differences between the way we treat physical health problems and mental illnesses. It would be silly to tell someone with a severed hand to try changing their frame of mind to get better or to worry that a diabetic's long-term insulin use will "change who they really are." But these are the kinds of things people tell people with mental health problems all the time. Encourage change in the conversations you have with others. Be conscious of your language by refraining from using mental health conditions as adjectives.

Another great resource is Make it OK, a campaign to reduce the stigma of mental illnesses by stopping the silence.

Take an hour this week to review some of the resources that we have outlined above, share what you’ve learned with your peers and let us know how you will change the conversation on mental health.

You can always contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.