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Month: May 2023

10 Signs of High-functioning Anxiety

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signs of high-functioning anxiety

Medically reviewed by Mark Hrymoc, MD Signs of high-functioning anxiety may include constant overthinking, a tendency to worry excessively, perfectionism, a need for reassurance, difficulty in saying no, over-commitment, restless sleep, and physical symptoms like headaches or stomachaches. Despite these, individuals often maintain successful, seemingly ‘normal’ lives, masking their internal struggles. The 2023 Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey found that 32% of American adults have anxiety symptoms, with nearly 50% being between 18 and 24. The second highest percentage, 38%, is with adults between 25 and 49 and 29% of those between 50 and 64.  According to statistics, the age group between 25 and 54 is the prime working age, with 76% working full and part-time jobs. Five percent are unemployed but searching for a job.  These statistics suggest that many people with anxiety symptoms work full and part-time jobs. They fall into a “high functioning” group, meaning they have …

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Does Alcohol Make Depression Worse?

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Does Alcohol Make Depression Worse

Medically reviewed by Mark Hrymoc, MD Yes, alcohol can exacerbate depression. While it may initially provide temporary relief or euphoria, over time it can aggravate depressive symptoms, increase anxiety, and disrupt sleep. Furthermore, it can also interact negatively with medications used to treat depression, reducing their effectiveness. Major depressive disorders are the most common co-occurring conditions with alcohol use disorders (AUD). Research shows that people who struggle with alcohol use disorder are three times more likely to have depression. Also, women are more likely to develop co-occurring AUD and depression.  Although there is a link between the two, it is not always clear whether alcohol makes depression worse. To determine the answer, it’s important to understand depression and alcohol separately and examine how one affects the other. What is Depression? To be diagnosed with depression, a person must experience symptoms, like the ones below, for at least two weeks and …

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What is Ketamine Used for in Mental Health?

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woman in doctor's office asking: what is ketamine used for in mental health?

Medically reviewed by Mark Hrymoc, MD Ketamine is used in mental health primarily to treat depression, notably treatment-resistant depression. It’s also being explored for treating other conditions like PTSD, anxiety disorders, and certain chronic pain conditions. Its rapid-acting, antidepressant effects offer a lifeline to those who have found limited relief from conventional treatments. Mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and others, are debilitating conditions that impact millions worldwide. For many of these individuals, conventional treatments like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and cognitive behavioral therapy provide relief. However, for a significant number, these standard therapies fall short, leaving them trapped in a cycle of unyielding symptoms. This predicament, known as treatment-resistant mental health disorders, can create a profound sense of hopelessness for affected individuals. The longer the symptoms persist, the greater the risk of harmful consequences, including personal and professional life disruption, strained relationships, and in severe cases, …

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The Polyvagal Theory: How to Calm the Body

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Does Alcohol Make Depression Worse

By Ashley Barnes, M.S. AMFT What is Polyvagal Theory? Polyvagal Theory explains the impact that our nervous system has on our experience of threat and safety. Shifts in our autonomic nervous system (which regulates involuntary physiological processes like heart rate, respiration, digestion, etc.) produces key states of being: rest-and-digest (safe), fight-or-flight (unsafe, mobilization), or shutdown (unsafe, freeze). The autonomic nervous system is composed of three divisions, two of which are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.  If we have unresolved trauma in our past, struggle with chronic stress, or experience anxiety and depression, we may live in a version of perpetual fight-or-flight. This is hard on the body and can lead to many adverse health outcomes, both physical and mental. What is the Vagus Nerve? Central to Polyvagal Theory is the vagus nerve, “is the longest cranial nerve in the body, containing both motor and sensory functions in both the …

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Anger Management Therapy

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Does Alcohol Make Depression Worse

By Ashley Barnes, M.S. What is anger? Anger is, at its core, a very normal and human emotion. It is important to distinguish that we all experience anger and that it is okay. Anger can serve as data that something is making us uncomfortable, crossing our boundaries, or impeding on our sense of wellbeing.  Anger can be warranted, but sometimes it clouds our judgment. When we get angry, our nervous system is sent into fight mode as a result of perceived threat. Perceived threat could be an insult thrown our way or a wrongdoing directed towards us. When our nervous system is in fight mode, our amygdala is activated more than our prefrontal cortex; the prefrontal cortex is responsible for calculated decision making, understanding of long term consequences, and judgment (American Addiction Centers, 2022).  When angry, you may “see red” or get “tunnel vision.” You may experience rapid heart rate …

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