Tag:

health

Learn About Your Mental Health in 2 Quick Videos

written by admin

One of the reasons I started blogging was to connect with like-minded individuals who were passionate about promoting mental health and ridding of the stigma associated with it. I was happy to connect with Dr. Kien Vuu, an interventional radiologist and professor of medicine at UCLA. Dr. Vuu has made it his mission to empower others to take control of their health through an integrative and holistic approach. Check out his website here to see how he actively engages with the public through his YouTube channel, media, The Live Again Project (nonprofit organization he founded to provide support for those affected by cancer), and other projects. And be sure to check out our two video collaborations below for some quick education (with a dose of humor) about mental health & psychiatry!

April 24, 2018 0 comment

Fashion Psychiatry

How A Determined Schizophrenic Woman From NYC Is Breaking Stigma About Mental Illness

written by freudandfashion

{Schizophrenic.NYC buttons, bracelets, stickers}

In just a little over a year since I last interviewed Michelle Hammer (founder of Schizophrenic.NYC, a clothing line aimed at promoting mental health awareness), her company and mission have gained an exponential amount of support from the media and community. Since hundreds of thousands of people with schizophrenia are living on the streets, Michelle’s clothing line donates a portion of its profits to organizations that help the mentally ill homeless population of New York City. Being diagnosed with schizophrenia herself, Michelle demonstrates that people with schizophrenia can succeed, have a career, and live a normal life. She breaks stereotypes about a diagnosis highly stigmatized. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to catch up with Michelle to get an update on Schizophrenic.NYC and her thoughts on living with mental illness:

1. It has been over a year since I last interviewed you on my blog. What would you say has been your biggest accomplishment in the last year?

I would have to say that I have accomplished a lot in the past year, but what I have accomplished the most is changing the way people view mental health and how they respond to it. I’ve talked to many people at my pop-up shops about the mental health issues in NYC as well as across the country. People always seem surprised when I tell them the statistic in NYC is that 1 in 5 New Yorkers have a mental health issue. When people hear that they now understand that mental illness is so much more common than what they originally thought. Also, many people that I know are now much more comfortable about talking about their own mental health struggles. I have had people tell me that, because of me and my openness, they now feel more open to discuss their issues with their family and friends. If everyone would be more open, then more people can see how common mental health issues really are in society.

2. Congratulations on being featured on numerous renowned news platforms such as Buzzfeed and Daily Mail! It’s a testament to how much heart and hard work you put into growing Schizophrenic.NYC and spreading your mission. What do you think it is about Schizophrenic.NYC that the media is most drawn to?

I am so grateful to have been featured in such awesome publications as Buzzfeed, The Daily Mail, and Mashable. I think people are drawn to Schizophrenic.NYC because it was started by me, a girl with schizophrenia, who wants to change the way society sees mental health. It’s often thought that people with schizophrenia cannot build their own business, or work any type of “regular” job. By breaking down that stereotype and barrier I am doing something the general public thought could not be done.

3. Part of Schizophrenic.NYC’s mission is to make a difference in the way that the mentally ill homeless population is treated. What do you think people should consider when they encounter homeless people on the streets? What do you think is the biggest misconception about the mentally ill homeless population?

It’s hard to say what people should do when they encounter homeless people on the streets. When I walk by a homeless person who is yelling at nobody, and exhibiting obvious symptoms of schizophrenia then I start to feel sympathetic. I know that if these people had the support of friends, family and a doctor they would be able to get the treatment they need, and they would be able to function in society. I would say the biggest misconception about the homeless population is that they are a lost cause, and none of them can be helped, which is completely not true. If someone is homeless and mentally ill, they need to get the right help. Here in NYC we need more outreach to help these homeless people who are suffering.

4. A lot of my readers/followers are future mental health clinicians or are in the medical field. Do you feel that people with schizophrenia are often misunderstood when seeking treatment/support? Based on your own experiences, what advice would you give mental health/medical practitioners about how to approach someone diagnosed with schizophrenia?

When I first was diagnosed with schizophrenia I got very depressed. I thought nobody would ever love me or want to associate with me because of my diagnosis. I think that something I should have been told was that with the right medication and monitoring that I can live a perfectly normal life. I am not my diagnosis. I am me. Just because you get diagnosed with schizophrenia doesn’t mean your life is over. It’s just the beginning of getting the best help you can, and living the best life you can.

{Michelle Hammer, creator of Schizophrenic.NYC}

For more info on Schizophrenic.NYC, check out their website, Facebook, and Instagram.

December 15, 2016 2 comments

Psychiatry

Have You Been Hit With Autumn Anxiety?

written by freudandfashion

I noticed a pattern in several of my Instagram posts the last few weeks: a sense of being hard on myself, feeling like I haven’t been productive enough, lacking any sense of accomplishment, feeling as if there’s no time in the day to get through my task list, etc. Such a surge in self-criticism didn’t sit well with me, so I wanted to gain more insight and determine the trigger (as if I don’t psychoanalyze enough in my day to day life). It wasn’t until I started noticing the anxious tone in my voice each time I told some of my patients to schedule their next appointment in 3 months (which would be around January 2017) and went on to wish them an early “Happy Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas/Hannukah/Qwanzaa,” etc, that an a-ha moment occurred in my mind — Oh my goodness, it’s almost 2017!

So I started researching if there was such a phenomenon related to Autumn anxiety. And much to my relief, I discovered that several others have experienced it and written about it as well! I didn’t find much research on autumn anxiety in medical databases, however, my Google search engine churned out a few articles that validated my experience (isn’t validation of our own experiences/opinions ultimately what we look for anyway?):

Wales therapist Ginny Scully named the phenomenon “Autumn Anxiety” after observing a pattern in her clients as the summer season ended where they experienced an increase in generalized anxiety and anticipation, without really knowing what they were supposed to be anticipating. She noted in the article that people who are more sensitive and aware of changes in their surroundings tend to experience these feelings.
The transition into Fall triggers a sense of loss. Dr. Norman Rosenthal, a psychiatrist, believes the key element to consider is loss, particularly since many consider the summer season as a time for partying, relaxation, leaving work early on Fridays, and having longer summer nights to enjoy. Therefore, once summer ends, life quickly starts to feel more stressful.
The days become shorter, which means less bright light exposure during the autumn season compared to summer. Bright light has been shown to have effects that decrease anxiety.

Have any of you also experienced an increase in anxiety during the transition from summer to autumn? Reading the information I discovered above at least validated my experience and helped me realize I wasn’t alone!

October 12, 2016 15 comments

Psychiatry

World Mental Health Day 2016

written by freudandfashion

I talk about the subject of mental health EVERY SINGLE DAY. Therefore, with today being World Mental Health Day, I thought long and hard about how I’m going to say something any different than what I wrote on this day last year and what I say in my job as a psychiatrist on a daily basis. So here’s what I came up with:

NOTHING.

No joke – I literally sat in front of my computer for hours typing idea after idea, sentence after sentence, complaint after complaint about our mental health system when I decided to scratch everything I wrote and opted instead to free write the following thoughts:

Issue 1: Mental health impacts EVERYONE…whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. The topic of mental health is considered taboo in many cultures and remains highly stigmatized in society. However, in order to break the pattern of silence which gets passed along generations, we must acknowledge our own mental health issues and create a sense of safety within our own families to feel open enough to discuss issues as they arise, thus modeling a healthier way of communicating.

Issue 2: We often tell people “don’t be afraid to ask for help,” yet when they finally decide to seek resources, the first place they may end up is on a long waitlist to see a mental health professional, yet mental health professionals are overworked and becoming burned out trying to meet increased demands and make up for the lack of resources. The bigger issue is that more funding and resources are needed to bridge the gap in order to meet the need.

Issue 3: If you Google ‘World Mental Health Day,’ the top articles on your feed likely consists of links that highlight the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Prince Harry’s public appearance today to raise awareness of mental health and support the mission of Heads Together, the mental health organization they helped create. I love their theme for World Mental Health Day, which encourages people to celebrate anyone who has supported them through a difficult time using #ThereForMe. Support is absolutely necessary for everyone, especially those struggling with mental illness.

Personally, through each struggle I’ve experienced, I have always been thankful for the support I received. Often when my patients are struggling, they feel comforted knowing they have at least one person they trust to reach out to. I hope that someday each one of us could feel open enough to be that person to someone because addressing mental health isn’t something we should have to go through alone. Rather than waiting on legislation to create measures that prioritize mental health, we can each act now by identifying ways to address our own mental health and be more present for those close to us who might be in need of support.

By the way, I realize that I posted this blogpost quite late today, but I suppose there was no real sense of urgency because in my mind, World Mental Health Day is EVERY DAY.

October 11, 2016 8 comments

Featured Guest Blogger

How Mental Illness Became a Light Instead of Darkness

written by freudandfashion

Although yesterday marked the end of this year’s Mental Health Month, the discussion and efforts to raise awareness in order to break the stigma must remain a daily conversation. So, I’m keeping the momentum going by featuring Brandon Ha, an amazing friend who also happens to be a kick ass mental health advocate and the creative director behind Break Yo Stigma, a social media campaign focused on breaking the shameful stigma of mental illness. I first came across Brandon’s @breakyostigma Instagram page over a year ago when I was brainstorming ways to positively use social media for sharing my views on psychiatry. The posts on @breakyostigma were bold, articulate, and uncensored when it came to the fallacies of our mental health system, and served as my inspiration to be more vocal about my own views via social media. Therefore, I’m proud and excited to feature Brandon as a guest blogger as he discusses how his bipolar diagnosis ignited a drive to change the public’s views towards mental illness.

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We all knew that one person in high school who you thought was going to be successful. You know, become a doctor or lawyer (or these days, some tech founder) and have it all. A house on the hill, the love and support of family and friends, and wealth to be able to do anything he/she wanted.

Goals to that person were no obstacle and dreams were just a mere foreshadowing of the inevitable. And we all knew that person who had this unlimited potential to achieve whatever they wanted in life, but failed. I knew the latter person from high school pretty closely — it was me.

Mental illness robbed me of the person I could’ve become. My symptoms began as a third year in college as I had aspirations to become a pediatrician, though there were plenty of signs it started much sooner. My focus began slipping and I started to fail my classes. And though I had plenty of friends in college, including my high school sweetheart, I couldn’t turn to them for support. Passing by the counseling center every single day on the way home, I couldn’t open the door and walk in. Got a problem? Hell no, not me.

But there definitely was a problem, and failing out of college was just the beginning.

That summer, like most college dropouts, I needed to do some major soul searching. I decided to take a trip to Vietnam and visit the country and my family whom I’d never met. Nothing like taking a trip to the motherland and discovering your roots to get you back on track, right? I’d find myself and head toward the path to success again in no time. But as my extended stay in Southeast Asia went on, my moods began shifting dramatically.

Sleeping less and less, sometimes no more than two hours a night; partly due to the suffocating humidity and partly due to my mind constantly racing. Getting enough sleep was an afterthought though because I felt, ironically, even more energy the less sleep I got. I wanted to do everything, and at the time, I thought I could. Start a nonprofit organization, found a tech startup, go to medical school – it was all in the realm of possibility in my world. I didn’t find the fountain of youth in Vietnam. Instead, I found the fountain of energy. My family, who’d just met me for the very first time, thought I was crazy. They weren’t wrong.

After seven weeks and with my grandiosity at its absolute peak, I returned back to the states a different person. I had lost 18 pounds from not sleeping enough for weeks on end. The dark circles around my eyes made me look like an extra from 28 Days Later (Walking Dead wasn’t around for another decade), and my flight of ideas continued non-stop. I was hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital shortly after my return. Diagnosis: bipolar disorder, type 1.

I was officially crazy.

It has been 14 years since my diagnosis. I could write forever about what I’ve gone through and seen during my years of hospitalizations and suicide attempts; the countless times I turned to drugs and alcohol to numb the pain I foolishly thought no one would understand. I wish I could tell you I was that successful person everyone thought would have made it. But alas, there’s no house on the hill or fancy graduate degree hanging in my office.

Today, however, I define my own success. I started working with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) in 2010 as I started my road to recovery. As I became more comfortable in my own skin and with my diagnosis, I began speaking to high school and college students about my story and advocating mental health and how to look for signs and take care of oneself. In 2012, I started Break Yo Stigma, a youth mental health campaign aimed towards fighting stigma and discrimination. And, as of February, I celebrated six years of sobriety. I may not have that diploma hanging on the wall (yet), but that sobriety chip feels pretty damn good, too.

As someone living with bipolar disorder, I know I’ll have more extreme mood swings than the average person. But even though my diagnosis is forever and there’s no cure, treatment is very possible. I live a damn good life. I know now that I’m not crazy — I never was. And neither are the millions of people around the world that live with mental illness. We’re not crazy, just misunderstood. It’s time to change that.

Break yo stigma.

Bio: Brandon Ha is the Creative Director at Break Yo Stigma, a social media campaign focused on breaking the shameful stigma of mental illness. Inspired to create change in the mental health community from his own personal experience living with bipolar disorder, he seeks to end the shame preventing many people all over the world from seeking proper mental health care. Brandon currently collaborates with Bay Area mental health organizations including NAMI Santa Clara County and Stanford Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

For more info, check out Break Yo Stigma on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

June 2, 2016 5 comments

Featured Guest Blogger

Boys Don’t Cry

written by freudandfashion

As we approach the final days of Mental Health Month, one of the best ways to highlight this month’s theme – Life with a Mental Illness – is to feature inspiring individuals who are motivated to share their stories in hopes of breaking stigma and helping others. The first few emails I received from Richard Brea stood out to me due to his desire to write about a topic that is extremely important, but unfortunately not discussed often enough, as you’ll read below. Richard’s writing has been featured in several mental health websites, and his honesty and openness is what makes his writing so refreshing to read.

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Boys Don’t Cry

Boys don’t cry. At least that’s what society tells you nowadays. You’re not a real man if you cry and you’re not a real man if you wear pink. You’re not masculine if you show emotion. As a depressed teenager I kept everything bottled inside. I had no friends or anyone I could talk to. I felt alone. My battle with depression started when I was 15 years old. After a breakup with my first girlfriend (at the age of 17) I reached my breaking point. I tried committing suicide by overdosing on pain relief medicine mixed with alcohol. Nothing happened. I got a bit drunk and fell asleep. I didn’t tell my family what happened until two weeks later. Doctors told me the best thing I did was speak up and seek professional help. I wanted to die so their words meant nothing to me. I was upset that I failed at committing suicide.

During my first hospitalization at The Lowell Youth Treatment Center, I met a lot of kids like myself. Some were depressed, some tried committing suicide, some had abusive parents that were also drug addicts, and some of them were there until they were placed in a foster home. I enjoyed being around kids like myself. It was effortless for me to be open and honest with them. I appreciated everyone I met. I wish I could say the same for the doctors and counselors I encountered during my three week hospitalization.

While talking to one of the older counselors there he told me, “You don’t want to cut yourself. Only girls cut themselves.” I felt bad, but I nodded my head and said, “Yeah, you’re right.” That was the first time someone tried to make me feel ashamed that I hurt myself. The second time was when my writing was featured on a Borderline Personality Disorder website. Before my piece was published the owner asked me, “How do you feel being a man that hurts himself?” I was disgusted by her question. She wanted to include my response in the final piece but I told her ‘no.’ I said, “I don’t think about being a man when I hurt myself. I don’t want to include that in the piece. At the end of the day we are all the same. It doesn’t matter what my gender is.”

During the first and only meeting with one of the therapists at The Lowell Youth Treatment Center this doctor said, “You need to be a man about it.” He was talking about me being a man to get over my depression. He made it seem like manhood is based on how you handle depression. I know, it’s pretty ridiculous. When he said that statement I became infuriated. I felt no connection with him from the beginning and after that statement I got up and walked away. I told him, “I’m done. I’m not talking to you anymore.” Joe, one of the counselors I got along with very well, noticed I stormed into my room and he asked me what happened. I told him, “I’m not talking to that f*ggot. I’m not talking to him anymore.” Joe asked me, “Why? What happened?” I replied, “I just don’t want to talk to him anymore.” A few minutes later the doctor came to my room and tried talking to me. “What’s wrong Richard? I’m sorry if I said something to upset you. Do you want to talk?” I ignored him. I told him I didn’t want to talk to him. That was the last time I ever saw him.

From that point on, I refused to talk to male therapists. That may be an extreme way of thinking but I wasn’t going to deal with that type of nonsense again. I’ve always believed women are more understanding and compassionate than men are. When I had to move back to my hometown of Lynn, Massachusetts to get clean and sober, I ended up seeing two therapists – one female and one male. Dr. Moreno definitely changed my views on having a man as my therapist. I told him this numerous times. He smiled and thanked me. He told me, “Of course. Not all guys will be like that therapist in the hospital.”

I mentioned the therapist’s comments about “being a man” and Dr. Moreno was astonished when I told him this. “Really!? He said that?” I laughed and said, “Yeah. He did.” “He shouldn’t be a doctor if he’s making comments like that. I don’t believe it.” I agreed with him.

That hospitalization also served as the catalyst that shifted my views on homosexuality. Up to that point, I was like every teenage boy in America. I would use homophobic slurs to insult people (like that therapist) and make gay jokes when I was with my boys. During my hospitalization I met a kid named Luis. When I first met Luis I was with my roommate, AJ. AJ asked Luis why he was there. His answer truly broke my heart. “I’m here because I tried killing myself because I’m gay.” I felt his pain when he said those words. It’s sad that he tried killing himself because of his sexuality. I don’t blame him for his suicide attempt because I can only imagine what he had to go through on a daily basis to get to that breaking point. I blame the people around him for making him feel like he’s less of a man because of his sexual orientation. After meeting Luis, I never used another homophobic slur. I never made another gay joke again. I am proud to say that those two statements are still true.

A few of the people I work with have a mental illness. You can look at them and realize that. You can look at me and think I’m “normal.” I was talking to my co-worker, Travis, on Friday and he said, “I may be wrong but from my point of view it seems like the people in the front of the office don’t mess with us in the back. But not you, you’re different.” It wasn’t the first time we talked but it was the first conversation we had. I told him, “You know what, you’re absolutely right. For whatever reason, a lot of them think they’re better than you guys. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the truth.”

I was reserved during our talk but as soon as he said that, I opened up regarding my struggles with mental illness. I showed him the visible scars on my wrists and shoulders from when I used to cut myself. I told him, “I have a mental illness. I struggle with depression and anxiety. I’ve tried killing myself before. At the end of the day, we are all the same. I like being around you guys. You guys appreciate life. Not to say I don’t, but you guys are positive. I want to be like you guys.” It’s a damn shame some of my co-workers think they’re above the telemarketers at my job, but that’s who they are. All I can do is make sure when people see me, they see love and equality. I want people to enjoy my company and find comfort knowing they don’t have to worry about being judged because of their past or how they look, dress, and/or live. We all seek and want the same thing. We all want love and to have our voices heard.

I don’t know why men don’t speak up regarding their mental illness, but I do understand why they are hesitant to do so. Society makes you feel like less of a man if you seek help. Society tries to shame you for speaking up and getting help. I can’t imagine what other men have to deal with if I’ve had doctors and a site owner trying to shame me for how I dealt with depression. I’ve heard statements that have made me feel bad, but I’ve never let them change who I am as a person. It’s hard being open, vulnerable, and honest but I know it’s worth it when I get comments on my BPD piece that is three years old. It’s worth it when I talk to Travis, my co-worker, and he tells me that he gets good vibes from me. I applied for a video project with a non-profit based in Canada. They received over 200 applications but only two men applied. I was one of those men. They ended up choosing females for the video project. I was heartbroken by their decision. Below is a screenshot of the conversation we had.

I don’t know why the stigma of mental health doesn’t affect me like so many other men. I never really worried about what other people thought. I was so focused on getting the help I needed so I could live a healthy and happy life. I spent the first two years I was depressed keeping everything to myself and bottling my emotions and feelings. I ran away from my problems. That type of behavior is destructive not productive. After being hospitalized, I realized that talking about my feelings was going to benefit me.

Over the past few years I have seen my story help others. That’s when I realized there was a purpose to my pain and suffering. Now, I don’t hold back when talking about my story. I help break down the stigma by being open and honest. I look forward to the day where people won’t be judged by their disability, sexual orientation, or color of their skin. Until then, I’ll keep sharing my story and living my life to the fullest no matter what. And when I have a bad day, I will cry because contrary to what this world tells me, boys DO cry.

Richard is 29 years old and living his dream in Los Angeles, CA. He is a believer in Jesus Christ and his faith has helped him in his struggles with mental illness. He is a writer and is working to publish his autobiography, Out of the Darkness, later this year. He loves music, movies, and reading. He strives to break down the stigma surrounding mental illnesses and disorders by sharing his story. He hopes to inspire the mental health community. Follow Richard on Instagram or email him at Rbrea1986K@aol.com.

May 26, 2016 5 comments

Series

Questions I Bet Your Psychiatrist Never Asked You

written by freudandfashion

Why I created this series:

Every psychiatrist has their own style, but I’ve always been interested in asking patients more open-ended questions if I think it will provide me with a greater understanding of who they are as unique individuals. Unfortunately, I believe that the art of psychiatry has dwindled down to a checklist which subsequently churns out a diagnosis and treatment plan based on the minimum criteria needed to properly meet billing requirements. Such a practice may lead to a lack of connection in the therapeutic relationship, therefore, I sought to create a series that explores the unspoken thoughts that a person may have when meeting with a psychiatrist. If you would like to contribute to future questions in this series, please email me at freudandfashion@gmail.com or add me on Snapchat (freudandfashion).

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

How do you think medical doctors treat patients with mental illness differently than those without mental illness?

RESPONSES:

I didn’t really notice much of a difference in the way medical doctors treated me with a mental illness, until I had to get surgery on my wrist. My surgeon went on extensively that I was at a higher risk for abusing the pain medication post surgery. I had to go to lengths to prove to him that I would be able to minimize this risk, and wean myself off the pain medication as soon as possible. After this experience, I wondered if a patient without mental illness would have gone through as much scrutiny.

~ Logan, pre-med student

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Doctors treat patients with mental illness differently than those without a mental illness. From experience, doctors treat people with mental illness like they are stupid, incompetent, and incapable of doing anything for themselves. They get treated with less respect as well.

~ Allyson, student

__________________

It depends on how much the doctors actually know about mental illnesses. The majority, unfortunately somehow equate people with mental illnesses as mentally challenged individuals. Most doctors know, before they even meet you, that you have a mental illness due to the fact that the doctors generally see what kind of medications you are currently on prior to walking into the examination room.

I literally have had some very rude doctors that would be new to me and upon opening the door, they don’t say hello…my name is…or anything. They will have their nose in the charts or x-rays and then don’t look you in the eye and tell you what they recommend and then just walk out. It really pisses me off when they act so arrogantly. I generally never do return back to see a doctor who treats me like that. Then there are those that seem a bit nervous about meeting me; however, once I start talking like the college-educated woman that I am, they seem impressed and/or astonished that a person with a mental illness could have such insight.

So it angers me and depresses me that most doctors will tag a “stupid idiot” label on someone who is taking psychotrophic medications or acts as though nothing I say is true for I might be having delusions…yet, with each new doctor I encounter, I hope to go away feeling satisfied that I for one don’t meet the stereotype that our society has created for people with mental illnesses.

~ Anonymous

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My family medicine doc never follows up on anything, ever. I have to remind them of everything so if I don’t bring it up, it never gets addressed. And when I try to bring it up, they look at me like I’m crazy. I guess it’s a good thing that I’m smart, knowledgeable and know a lot, but I can’t imagine what it must be like for people who don’t know anything. I just finished reading Black Men, White Coats and that book is really honest. I see it happen all of the time. I think patients are disregarded in all aspects and I think with African Americans, they treat us differently when it comes to mental health. But i don’t want to pull the race card, this is my perception of what i see.

~ Sherita, pre-med student

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Personally, sometimes I think some people don’t consider mental health as important as physical health. Maybe that’s why some doctors do not pay attention to this point.

~ Anonymous, student

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If you have any thoughts or experiences pertaining to the question, please comment below!

May 14, 2016 11 comments

Medicine

How I Connect With Our Future Doctors

written by freudandfashion

Latino Medical Student Association National Conference 2016

I realize it has been a few weeks since my last blogpost and the reason is because I have been even busier since receiving wonderful opportunities to speak at conferences. Blogging and being active on social media has provided an amazing outlet to share my views on mental health, yet speaking at conferences would also be a great way to directly connect with our future doctors and health care professionals. I’m pretty open on my blog about my previous struggles with social anxiety, so although public speaking can be challenging and highly anxiety-provoking, it has been one of my best methods for overcoming my anxiety.

The video above is a quick edit of my participation as a speaker for the Latino Medical Student Association’s National Conference, which was held at my medical school, Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific. I hosted a workshop on ‘medical student burnout’ and was also a panelist for the Women In Medicine panel. Speaking at my medical school was a reminder of how I’ve come full circle as a former struggling medical student and returning as a physician sharing my knowledge and experiences!

Video by Marlon Santos

April 26, 2016 5 comments

Medicine

Healthcare Lesson On a Plane Ride

written by freudandfashion

{Sacramento International Airport}

On my flight from Austin (where I spoke at the SNMA conference) to Sacramento last week, I sat next to a kind, wise man in his 80s who explained his history of diabetes as he pulled out his glucose meter to check his blood sugar. “I hope you don’t mind needles, but my blood sugar tends to run high during plane rides,” he said. I let him know that I was a physician and didn’t mind at all, then told him a story of how I helped a lady who fainted from low blood sugar a few days ago during my flight from Los Angeles to Austin. He replied, “Oh, when my blood sugar gets low to around 50, my eyes pop out so I know to sip some orange juice to bring my blood sugar back up.”

When the flight attendant came around, I watched him request a glass of water and some peanuts as a snack. “My blood pressure was running low today and my doc told me I should have a little salt and some water when I get this way,” he said.

Quite impressed by his self-awareness and knowledge of his medical issues, I asked how he became so pro-active in his care. “I’ve had a great doctor for the last 20 years and he always lets me know when I’m doing something right or wrong when it comes to my health, and I listen because I know he cares.” I looked at him and smiled with a bit of nostalgia and envy as I said, “You’re lucky to have a wonderful doctor.”

Made me wonder how much more proactive and healthier people could be if so much bureaucracy didn’t get in the way of the doctor-patient relationship.

April 2, 2016 16 comments

Medicine Psychiatry

Why I Chose Psychiatry As My Specialty

written by freudandfashion

{Rancho Cucamonga, California}

I am often asked why I chose psychiatry as my specialty, yet as one of my readers pointed out, I’ve never described my reasoning in a blogpost! So here goes my short story of why I chose the path to become a psychiatrist…

The time to solidify your choice in medical specialty and apply for residency training programs occurs during the Fall of the 4th (and final) year of medical school. Students have various reasons for choosing a specific specialty, some knowing which specialty they wanted to go into since childhood, others typically contemplative until right before application season. Some people even change their minds in the midst of residency training and decide to switch specialties.

As a medical student, I attended most class lectures, yet spent majority of the time passively writing notes while chatting on instant messenger. However, when it came to psychiatry, I woke up every morning with excitement to attend each lecture (quite unheard of since I practically dragged myself to every other lecture series), paid attention (and even turned off my instant messenger), thoroughly read the textbook, diligently took notes, and excelled at every exam.

During third year of medical school, students start clerkships, which consists of rotating through various primary care specialties (typically family medicine, internal medicine, Ob/Gyn, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery). When interacting with patients during each rotation, regardless of the specialty I was assigned, I ALWAYS spent more time with my patients asking about their psychological and social backgrounds. As a result, I eventually became identified by my senior resident and Attending physicians as the student who would generally be assigned the patients with a history of mental illness or medically-related psychiatric issue. Also, if a patient was admitted to the hospital for physical symptoms, yet the extensive medical workup failed to determine any causative explanation for the symptoms, I was told to assess if there were any emotional issues that might be contributing to a patient’s intractable symptoms (such as cyclical vomiting syndrome, intractable pain, etc).

I specifically remember one patient — a young woman with intractable nausea/vomiting, who was unable to keep down food and fluids. Her medical workup was normal and the medical team could not identify a cause. While the medical team spent only a few minutes to check in on her (to do a quick medical exam and see if she had eaten), I went to visit her after rounds to chat. My intuition told me that there was more to her issue than solely a physical complaint. She was quite shy and spoke only a few words, yet after a few minutes of engaging in conversation, I believe she saw that I wholeheartedly cared about her wellbeing. As it turned out, she experienced ongoing stressors at home due to a recent move with her boyfriend and often felt isolated since she was often home alone with no friends in her new area of residence. I promised to check in on her after daily rounds and she thanked me for taking the time to speak with her.

On the third day, I saw her untouched food tray, and after a few minutes of talking, I asked if she liked ice cream. I brought her vanilla ice cream from the supply in the nurses’ station. We talked about how she missed her family back home. After several minutes into the conversation, I watched her open up the ice cream cup and slowly start nibbling on small scoops. After eating 25% of the cup’s contents, she politely asked for a cup of water. I quickly got up to pour ice water and asked about her little brother as she took a few sips from a straw. Before I left the room, I closely watched her for a few minutes to observe if she’d vomit the contents. She appeared comfortable with no sign of nausea.

The following morning, I viewed the nurses’ report, which noted that she had no episodes of vomiting overnight and even ate a jello snack. I said ‘goodbye’ to her that morning since our medical team informed her that she’d likely be discharged home after lunch. I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d be okay returning home to the same environment that triggered her symptoms. However, the empty plate on her breakfast tray was an indicator that she ate that morning, which reassured me.

Others docs may feel this way about their own specialty, but in my view (currently and as a medical student at the time), there is an art to psychiatry. There are no labs to rely on and although psychopharmacology is of importance, I immediately noticed the value of a therapeutic connection and communication necessary to fully understand an individual’s situation and the context of their symptoms. Despite such a strong emphasis on pharmacology during medical school, I recognized early on how much certain symptoms (even physical) could not be improved solely by medications and standard treatment alone. I recalled reading The Diving Bell and the Butterfly as a medical student, which inspired me to try various different creative ways to communicate with other patients who struggled to verbalize their needs, and had a bit of success with many.

I have several other reasons that contributed to my decision to pursue psychiatry, but wanted to emphasize how much the nature of my connections with patients empowered me as a medical student. The psychological components of a person’s history are often not prioritized when it comes to a patient’s medical care. Throughout medical school, I often felt inferior particularly because I didn’t achieve the highest grades compared to my classmates. However, I knew one thing for certain when the time came to apply for residency: as a psychiatrist, I could play a vital role in emphasizing the importance of an individual’s psychological and social background in order to fully address health and wellness. And I felt confident that I’d do whatever I needed to be damn good at my profession.

Photo by Marlon Santos

March 18, 2016 24 comments

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