Topic: Anxiety & Depression

depression during the holidays
Nov 8 2022

“How can I help family and friends living with depression during the holidays?”

Family Caregiving  •  By Miles Varn, MD

If someone you care about is among the 10% of Americans living with depression, the holidays can become more complicated to navigate. Holidays can be more emotionally difficult and draining for people with depression and other mental health conditions. Parties, family dinners, and celebrations can add to stress, increasing depression symptoms and making it harder... Read More

Topics:
forgetfulness
Oct 11 2022

Is isolation affecting your health?

Healthy Living  •  By Miles Varn, MD

Even before the pandemic, isolation and loneliness were growing problems that contributed to a range mental and physical health issues. Then the pandemic struck and people around the world were encouraged to separate themselves from others to slow the spread of COVID and protect their health, raising reported levels of loneliness even higher. While many... Read More

Topics: , ,
summer SAD
Jun 13 2022

Seasonal affective disorder doesn’t just happen in winter

Disease Management  •  By Miles Varn, MD

When they hear about seasonal affective disorder (SAD), most people think about the type of depression that occurs during the fall and winter when the days are darker and colder. While that’s the most common form of this mental health condition, it does have a summer counterpart. For people living with seasonal affective disorder that... Read More

Topics:
Depression
May 31 2022

A whole-person approach to treating depression

Complementary & Integrative Medicine  •  By Michael Scott, ND, MSA

We talked with Dr. Peter Bongiorno, ND, LAc, a naturopathic physician who specializes in treating patients with mental health conditions. Dr. Bongiorno graduated from Bastyr University and completed five years of training in naturopathic medicine and acupuncture. Before medical school, he researched as a pre-doctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland... Read More

Topics: ,
mentla health
May 26 2022

Mental health: Could a physical problem be causing your psychological symptoms?

Health Risk Management  •  By Miles Varn

If you’re experiencing the symptoms of mental health issues like anxiety or depression, you may want to discuss with your doctor whether these symptoms could be the result of a physical health problem. A number of different physical health problems share symptoms with mental health conditions, which can sometimes lead to misdiagnosis. When should you... Read More

Topics: ,
substance use disorder
Apr 14 2022

Factors to weigh when choosing substance use disorder treatment

Disease Management  •  By Miles Varn, MD

During the pandemic, the already significant number of people living with substance use disorder increased. According to data gathered by the CDC, in June 2020, 13% of Americans surveyed said they had started using substances (not including alcohol and tobacco) or increased their use in response to the stress of the pandemic. The number of... Read More

Topics: ,
resiliency
Jan 25 2022

How to build resiliency and support better physical and mental wellbeing

Complementary & Integrative Medicine  •  By Michael Scott, ND, MSA

We talked with Julie Wald, Founder and Chief Wellness Officer at Golden (formerly Namaste Wellness) about the role of resiliency in health and wellbeing. The company’s new name was inspired in part by the Japanese practice of Kintsugi, repairing and strengthening broken household items with gold. Ms. Wald has been a wellness practitioner for over... Read More

Topics: , ,
seasonal affective disorder
Dec 7 2021

Managing seasonal affective disorder as pandemic stress continues

Uncategorized  •  By Miles Varn, MD

The continuing COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of people worldwide who are experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. As we enter a second winter of living with the pandemic and its stresses, many people will be working to manage not only feelings of sadness, worry, and burnout related to the pandemic, but also the... Read More

Topics:
mental health provider
Nov 30 2021

Signs you may need to find a new mental health provider

Healthy Living  •  By Miles Varn, MD

In 2020, 24.3 million adults in the U.S. received care from a mental health provider. If you’re currently seeing a mental health specialist, it’s wise to occasionally take stock and check to see if you’re benefitting from your treatment and your mental health provider is still a good fit. Over time, your needs may change,... Read More

Topics:
COVID anxiety
Oct 5 2021

Improved mental health: Another reason to get a COVID-19 vaccine

Preventive Care  •  By Miles Varn, MD

As you would expect, the COVID-19 pandemic increased symptoms of anxiety and depression in people of all ages. Not only were people concerned about themselves or the people they care about getting seriously ill with the virus, they also faced increased social isolation during stay at home orders, loss of jobs, financial hardships, and the... Read More

Topics: