Month: April 2021

Covid Vaccine and Mental Illness

GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

By Veronica Oquendo

The Covid-19 vaccine is becoming eligible for those who are in need of it most, which include people that are elderly, have immunity deficiencies, and respiratory complications. There are sound concerns for those with severe mental illness that are in need of the vaccine, but they are not being prioritized. One reason for this is that individuals with severe mental illness are people from a disadvantaged group based on both medical and socioeconomic risk factors. These individuals are more likely to have health comorbidities like cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, chronic kidney disease, immunodeficiency, and cancer. Moreover, the mortality rate for those with severe mental illness is three to four times higher than for those who do not have mental illness. They are more likely to be smokers, or be obese, which both are associated with a higher risk of death when infected with Covid-19. Additionally, they are more likely to work in unsafe environments, live in overcrowded areas, or be homeless, which are all associated with an increased chance of getting Covid-19. For all these reasons, individuals with mental illness are at higher risk to contract and ultimately fall fatal to Covid-19. Therefore should be ensured to be among those who are vaccinated early.

If you or someone you know is in the need of help with mental illness please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey arrange an appointment with one of our licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. You can contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201)-368-3700 or (212) – 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/.

Sources:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(20)30564-2/fulltext

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/people-with-mental-health-conditions-are-at-high-risk-for-covid-19-so-why-arent-they-being-prioritized#Severe-mental-illness-increases-COVID-19-risks

Dreams & Nightmares

GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

Dreams & Nightmares

By: Daniela Vargas

Dreams are images, ideas, emotions and sensations that occur in our minds while we sleep. Dreams happen during the REM stage, which stands for Rapid Eye Movement. This is the stage where our brain activity is the most active and resembles the state of being awake. Dreams can occur during other stages, but they are not as vivid and we usually don’t remember those dreams. Dreams can last from a couple of seconds to 20 – 30 minutes. On average people have 5 dreams; some can have up to 7.

            Sometimes dreams turn into nightmares and those can lead to psychological distress. Nightmares can cause post-traumatic stress, anxiety disorder, dissociation and psychological changes. “Re-experiencing” is a common symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as flashbacks.

            These nightmares can get worse and lead to insomnia. Therapy can help your sleep schedule become regular; it can also help with post traumatic distress order.

If you or someone you know is in the need of help with destressing from dreams or nightmares please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey arrange an appointment with one of our licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. You can contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201)-368-3700 or (212) – 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/.

Sources: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/dreaming

https://www.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/dreams/

Image: https://www.stockvault.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Nightmares-23.jpg

Depression in the Elderly

GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

By Veronica Oquendo

  • Elderly Woman Depressingly Staring out Window

Depression in the older people (65+) affects 2 million of the 34 million elderly Americans in the US. There are many reasons depression in the elderly occur including:

  • Death of Spouse
  • Co-occurrence with disability
  • Co-occurrence with medical illnesses (diabetes, cancer, Parkinson’s, etc.,)

A unique cause for being diagnosed with depression is from a lack of blood flow called vascular depression. If the individual has restricted blood flow throughout the body and brain for any medical reason, it makes them susceptible to depression even with no genetic history. Furthermore, many of those who are elderly often suffer from loved ones dying from old age. When it is a spouse that has passed, there is a prevalence of one-third that the surviving spouse will have depression.

Unfortunately, depression in older individuals often leads to suicide with a 20% suicide rate being those who are elderly, the highest of any other age group. Those most vulnerable are white males, especially those 85 or older being 6 times the general suicide rate in the US. Moreover, these individuals are at higher risk for memory loss, unhealthy eating habits, sleeping problems, and slower reaction times, than an elderly person without depression.

 If you or someone you know is elderly with depression, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

Sources:

https://www.apa.org/topics/aging-depression

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/depression-and-older-adults

Physician Burnout during a Global Pandemic

GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

    By Eleanor Kim

    Physicians and nurses around the world have been at the front lines fighting the coronavirus and saving the lives of those infected. Now more than ever, citizens are coming to realize the importance of those within the medical field and the bravery that comes with entering medicine. That being said, there has been an immense amount of pressure placed upon healthcare workers, often causing stress, anxiety, and depression. At the end of the day, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers are humans and can feel the effects of burnout during such a heightened and high stakes moment in medical history.

    Burnout is when someone becomes overwhelmed by the demands of their daily life, becoming emotionally and physically exhausted and creating a sense of depersonalization and weakened personal accomplishments. Burnout is a common occurrence among physicians and nurses given the great amount of pressure that comes with saving lives. That being said, these feelings of burnout have skyrocketed given the additionally taxing nature of current frontline medical work such as the stress of isolating from friends and family, the extended hours of work, the tragic lack of medical supplies, and the fear of contracting or spreading the virus, to name a few. Physicians are also left to deal with the other struggles and anxieties that the past year has brought upon the general population regarding economic, political, racial, and other personal effects of the pandemic.

    During these elongated periods where healthcare workers are left sleep deprived, improperly fed, and overall anxious about the current status of the pandemic, they are exposed to both mentally and physically long lasting effects. In 2020, there have been a record number of physicians who have reported feelings of burnout and other mental health concerns since the start of the pandemic. Should these issues go untreated, there is an increased risk for depression, self-medication, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts or attempts. Burnout is more than just stress; it is a mental health crisis and should be treated as such.

    If you or someone you know is feeling the effects of physician and healthcare worker burnout, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/.

    Resources:

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/lipiroy/2020/05/17/doctor-heal-thyself-physician-burnout-in-the-wake-of-covid-19/

    Image Source:

    https://blog.frontiersin.org/2020/04/14/more-than-a-third-of-medical-staff-suffered-insomnia-during-the-covid-19-epidemic-in-china/

    Vaping’s Effect on Weight Loss

    GalleryJudy Gurfein Leave a comment

      By: Kassandra Lora

      E-cigarettes were first introduced into society around the early 2000’s.  Although they existed around that time they were not widely used especially not by young adults. In 2015 the company JUUL created a newer more eye-catching version of e-cigarettes. This caught the attention of many young adults and thus has increased the number of young adults using e-cigarettes.

      When JUUL became popular in 2015 many of the young adults who were smoking it were not aware that JUUL pods contained nicotine. According to an article written in the Psychology Today magazine, 1 cart, or pod, that is placed inside the JUUL contains the same amount of nicotine as 1 pack of cigarettes.

                  How does vaping affect someone’s weight? As stated previously, vaping contains nicotine, a highly addictive chemical. According to the article in the Psychology Today magazine, some effects of nicotine include:

      • Cutting craving for sweets
      • Increased metabolism
      • Decreased Snacking
      • Reduced weight

                  Since many or almost all of the JUUL pods or carts are available in fruity and sweet flavors, individuals may substitute a craving for a cake or an unhealthy meal for a few puffs of a JUUL. This habit will cause many to begin to substitute a JUUL puff for a meal resulting in an increase in weight loss. In another study titled, Weight Concerns and Use of Cigarettes and E-Cigarettes Among Young Adults, it was mentioned how “someone suffering from anorexia or binge eating is more likely to use vaping as a way to control food intake.” This substitution of vaping instead of having a meal may eventually become an addiction or something that is difficult to control.

                  If you or someone you know is struggling with a vaping addiction, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy is located in Paramus, NJ and Manhattan. Call (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com.

      Sources: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-antidepressant-diet/201905/vaping-is-not-the-way-lose-weight

      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29843377/

      Image source: : https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/01/9328587/how-to-quit juul