5 Ways to Best Support the Mental Health of a Loved One

Available for Interviews: Dr. Pete Loper

Dr. Pete Loper, MD, MSEd, FAAP, is a triple board-certified physician in pediatrics, psychiatry, and child psychiatry. He is also a professor and executive coach and is dedicated to mental health and wellness advocacy.

What Dr. Loper could say on
Supporting the Mental Well-being of Loved Ones:

We need better strategies and tools to support best our loved ones who may be experiencing mental health challenges. Here are five ways we can help:

    1.  The best way to support someone living with a mental illness is to be fully present, engaged, and available for them.
    2.  The concept of “befriending,” or engaging in consistent, meaningful interpersonal interactions, is an evidence-based intervention to support those with mental illness, particularly those suffering from depression. 
    3. Continue reading “5 Ways to Best Support the Mental Health of a Loved One”

The Pandemic Is Gone, So Why Do I Still Feel Anxious and Depressed?

Available for Interviews: John Rodriguez, MD

Dr. John Rodriguez is a Chief Medical Officer of Healthcare2U, and he is passionate about the care that is provided to their patients. He manages all the care providers in Healthcare2U’s network of clinics and oversees care protocols and training.

What Dr. Rodriguez can say in an interview about
the Reasons Why We Delay Medical Care:

The COVID-19 Pandemic led to a huge jump in rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide, more than tripling the previous rates. One study out of The Lancet showed current rates of depression in 2021 at 32.8% of the general population.* The concern was that from 2020 to 2021 the rates were climbing, despite the loosening of pandemic lockdown rules. Unfortunately, once anxiety and depression are ‘let out of the bag’ they are hard to control.

Continue reading “The Pandemic Is Gone, So Why Do I Still Feel Anxious and Depressed?”

4 Simple Strategies to Support your Child’s Mental Health

Available for Interviews: Dr. Pete Loper

Dr. Pete Loper, MD, MSEd, FAAP, is a triple board-certified physician in pediatrics, psychiatry, and child psychiatry. He is also a professor and executive coach and is dedicated to mental health and wellness advocacy.

What Dr. Loper could say on
How to Support Your Child’s Mental Health:

On the acute crisis stabilization unit where Dr. Loper works as a pediatrician and a child and adolescent psychiatrist, they have witnessed first-hand the pediatric mental health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consistent with national trends, over the course of the pandemic their unit has experienced an unrelenting surge in admissions for kids as young as 5 with suicidal ideations, often with accompanying attempts.  The demographic most impacted have been adolescents.  

Continue reading “4 Simple Strategies to Support your Child’s Mental Health”

Suicide Is Not a Choice and Other Myths Debunked

Interview: Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D.

Dr. Cira has worked with hundreds of people struggling with suicidal thoughts. Unfortunately, she also had a family member commit suicide, so she understands the tragedy of this both personally and professionally.

What Dr. Colleen Cira Can Say in an
Interview About Suicide
:

Suicide is so confusing and difficult to understand because suicide sounds awful to someone who isn’t in tremendous amounts of pain. The idea of taking your own life sounds terrifying to most of us and then all of the consequences that come with suicide (loved ones grieving, feelings of failure, etc) make it sound pretty unappealing if you’ve never been in so much pain that death sounds like a relief. But someone’s profound pain coupled with the hopelessness of feeling like the pain is never going away can make death sound/feel like an answer. The problem is that most pain DOES go away, but sometimes it takes a lot longer than what is ideal which leaves people in a tough position.

Continue reading “Suicide Is Not a Choice and Other Myths Debunked”

As Seen on TV: Humor, Violence, Mental Illness. We Are Not Okay

Available for Interviews: Dr. Hope Umansky

Dr. Hope Umansky is an American Culture College Professor with a PhD in Clinical Psychology.

What Dr. Hope can say in an interview on
Our Culture Represented in the TV Arena:

No, the kids are not okay—and neither are the adults.
America Needs a Priority Reset.
  • We’re still a culture debating the heroism or cowardice of interpersonal violence as seen in recent celebrity news. Why is this part of the public debate?
  • Are we really still making jokes about illness, mental illness, and violence in 2022? Will Smith and Kanye West are two of the latest examples. SNL made fun of it throughout the show. Is it funny or toxic? 

Continue reading “As Seen on TV: Humor, Violence, Mental Illness. We Are Not Okay”

Let’s Have an Open Dialogue About the Stigma of Mental Illness

Interview: Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D.

Dr. Colleen Cira is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Cira Center for Behavioral Health, PC. She is an anxiety and trauma expert as well as a consultant, supervisor, speaker, writer and advocate.

Talking points for an interview:

How Stigmas and Misconceptions on Mental Illness Impact Quality of Life, Opportunity, and Wellness
      • For the longest time, mental health difficulties have been equated to being “crazy.”  Women who struggle with mental health are typically seen as “hysterical” or “weak” and men can be perceived the same way or as “aggressive” and “angry,” depending on the presentation.  And when we decide that someone’s experience isn’t valid for whatever reason (weakness, vulnerability, being “hysterical” being angry, etc.), not only do we disempower them, we also devalue them as a human being.
      • That experience—of constantly feeling sidelined, not taken seriously, and devalued—can create a vicious cycle where people feel destined to fail or be misunderstood so they stop trying, which only increases people’s negative perceptions which only increases that person’s hopelessness and lack of effort to change things.
      • I dream of a world where tears are a sign of strength, not weakness.  Where genuine human connection, with your clients and colleagues, is seen as an asset, not a liability.  Where being honest about the things that matter to you is seen as courageous, not unprofessional. Where vulnerability is seen as brave, not as overly sensitive or unhinged.  Where periods of anxiety, sadness, or relational upset, are seen as HUMAN, not pathological.
        Acceptance Versus Judgement
        in Today’s Society
        • Old habits die hard, don’t they!  America, and the world really, has a long history of stigmatizing folks who struggle with mental illness and because we’ve been doing that for a long time, it’s built into our brains, our places of work, our families and every other system we can think of.
        • When a problem is systemic—like this or racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.—it takes a lot of very conscious and deliberate effort by lots of different people over the course of decades to make individual changes and systemic changes that eventually lead to societal changes.
        • Like most things, we’ve gotten a lot better about understanding mental health and therefore being more accepting of it, but we still have a long way to go.

 

Available for Interviews: Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D.

Dr. Colleen Cira received both her Masters and Doctorate from The Illinois School of Professional Psychology and is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the State of Illinois.  She’s the Founder and Executive Director of Cira Center for Behavioral Health, PC, a boutique group practice specializing in Women and Trauma with locations in Chicago and Oak Park.

She was named one of the “Top 100 Women in Chicago Making a Difference,” by Today’s Chicago Woman. Dr. Cira is a trauma and anxiety expert, clinical supervisor, writer, speaker, consultant, activist, wife, and Mommy to two little ones.

Contact:
Jo Allison
PR Managing Editor
MEDIA AMBASSADORS
Success In Media, Inc.
Jo@SuccessInMedia.com

4 Signs You Might Benefit From Taking Anti-Anxiety Medication

 

Available for Interviews:  Dr. Colleen Cira

Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in Women and Trauma and has worked with hundreds of people struggling with mental health issues.

Talking Points from Dr. Cira on
Anti-Anxiety Medication:

1) You are having a difficult time just doing life.
    • You might be so stressed out at work that it’s hard to think, having panic attacks with regularity where you lose time during your day to deal with them and recover, it may be difficult to get out of bed every day because you are so filled with dread or your worry may be causing problems with your partner, friends or family.

Continue reading “4 Signs You Might Benefit From Taking Anti-Anxiety Medication”

Managing Anxiety & Finding Mental Health Help Now

Available for Interviews:  Dr. Colleen Cira

Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in Women and Trauma, and has worked with hundreds of people struggling with mental health issues.

 

Talking Points on What Dr. Cira Can Say in an Interview
On How to Manage Anxiety and Find Mental Health Support:

The past two years with the pandemic have fueled a mental health crisis in the United States. Because of the ripple effects associated with this, have witnessed a surge in depression and anxiety-related disorders as a result.

How to Managing Anxiety

1) Control What You Actually Have Control Over

Alzheimers and Estate Planning: What Everyone Needs to Know

Alzheimers disease can affect any family. Unfortunately, not making some estate planning decisions while your family member is still coherent, can be real trouble.

Jason Smith, Estate planning attorney and Elder planning attorney is available to talk about this story.  (Bio)

What Jason Smith Can Say in an Interview:

Hate Your Life? How to Cope When You’re Feeling Discouraged

Interview with Dr. Colleen Cira:

Dr. Colleen Cira is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in Women and Trauma, and has worked with hundreds of people struggling with mental health issues.

Talking Points from Dr. Cira
On How to Cope When You’re Feeling Discouraged:

 

Why People Hate (Or Believe They Hate) Their Lives 

There are so many reasons for this. A history of childhood adversity, toxic stress and/or trauma, a difficult season in their life, a genetic predisposition to experience mood disturbance, experiencing microaggressions, marginalization or oppression due to racism, patriarchy, sexism, or homophobia. The list goes on and on and on.  

Continue reading “Hate Your Life? How to Cope When You’re Feeling Discouraged”