Tag Archives: SIU Psychiatry

Supporting a friend who’s miscarried

By Lauren Murphy, SIU School of Medicine
According to the Association for Reproductive Health Professionals, approximately one in four pregnancies before 20 weeks will end in miscarriage. Although the cause of most early pregnancy losses is unknown, health care providers, including SIU Med School’s family medicine physician Dr. Tabatha Wells, say oftentimes, women blame themselves.sad woman
“When I counsel women who’ve miscarried, I reassure them that there is nothing she could have done to prevent it. But most women have trouble accepting this and remain convinced that they must have done something wrong,” explains Dr. Wells.
It’s that line of thinking that Dr. Wells warns can have a long-lasting emotional toll on women who have miscarried. That’s why she emphasizes the need for supportive friends and family following a miscarriage.
“Women often feel a mix of emotions, ranging from sadness and grief to devastation or even relief,” says Dr. Wells. “I try to help her realize that feeling sad or relief or other mixed emotions are perfectly normal responses.”
When comforting a friend or family member following a miscarriage, Dr. Wells says it’s about giving her whatever she needs. “Treat it as a death in the family, and know that everyone grieves differently. Some women will want to talk about it; some women won’t. If she wants to be distracted, distract her. Most importantly, be supportive and offer encouragement.”
Dr. Wells and Linda Childers and Teresa McUsic of Nurse.com offer the following suggestions for family and friends:

  • Listen to get a sense of wha­­­t the pregnancy means to her: McUsic and Childers suggest, “Listen for the word ‘baby.’ Has the woman bonded?” Respond accordingly and withhold your own feelings.
  • Don’t deny her feelings: Avoid using “at least” statements, such as, “Well at least you got pregnant.”
  • Help her realize it wasn’t her fault: The reality is that nearly a quarter of pregnancies fail and, oftentimes, the reason goes unknown. A miscarriage isn’t necessarily a sign of infertility.
  • Acknowledge the loss and offer empathy: McUsic and Childers recommend, “Simply say, ‘I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you.’”
  • Give her time to heal: Whether she needs two weeks or two years, simply give her time. Don’t allow her to suffer in silence.

For other unique ways to care for a friend or family member following a miscarriage, visit http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelwmiller/ways-to-support-someone-who-has-had-a-miscarriage.
Copyright © SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois

Social media: friend or foe?

Written by Rebecca Budde, SIU School of Medicine
Love social media‘em or hate ‘em, social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are here to stay. Most of us know those people who just can’t bear to be off social media for a day, but is social media such a bad thing for everyone?
While many articles focus on the negatives of social media — bullying, fear of missing out, obsessive behaviors or relationship conflict — psychologists and counselors also feel that social network sites (SNS), when used with the right motivation, can provide benefits to a subset of patients with mental issues. Estimates show that by 2016 the world will have nearly 2.13 billion social network users, and mental health care providers are becoming more mindful of the impact.
“The studies regarding the benefits and disadvantages of social media are conflicting because there are so many variables,” says Dana Ingram, LCSW, psychotherapist at SIU School of Medicine. She says that in the past, she didn’t often consider social media’s influence on her client’s issues. But, with more than 73% of adults using SNS, “it’s always in the back of my mind now.”
Thumbs Up“The power of the ‘Like’ button is amazing,” says Ingram. “Positive feedback on any type of SNS can really help increase self-esteem and confidence.” Many with social or general anxiety issues use SNS to build a sense of social capital and self-esteem. “It’s a safe, self-protective way to practice social skills and get feedback. By watching others and their interactions and responses, they can learn how to phrase things to sound supportive with little risk of embarrassment, giving them a little boost of self-confidence.”
Ingram also shares these benefits of social media:

  • Connects those going through similar life experiences or illnesses
  • Eases anxiety
  • Provides social support
  • Provides distraction from illness or problems
  • Inspires creativity
  • Connects friends and family who are not in close proximity
  • Connects people of similar interests

Connection can be especially important for those who are dealing with a newly diagnosed disease or the effects of the disease and treatment. Dr. Patricia Fank, who specializes in behavioral and psychosocial oncology, works with many of these patients. “Online social networks can help people who are looking for a way to keep friends and family apprised of their journey with an illness without having to tell the story numerous times,” she says.
“If the motivation to use social media is based on positive interaction that decreases feelings of anxiety and inadequacy rather than provoking it, then you’ll have positive results,” Dr. Fank says. “If the motivation is negative, the results will be as well.”
*names have been changed
Statistics gathered from to statista.com and Pewresearch.com.
Adapted from Social Media: Friend or Foe?
Copyright © SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois

Next Steps for Depression Treatment

Written by Karen Carlson, SIU School of Medicine
When you’re suffering from chronic depression, life seems, well, lifeless. What if medications and therapy don’t work?
Depression is a serious medical illness affecting more than 14 million American adults every year, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health. Women are almost twice as likely as men to suffer from depression, although depression in men may be under-reported.
Psychotherapy and medication are the preferred methods of depression treatment. For those who haven’t reached success with those methods, some additional treatments are available. Dr. Jeffrey Bennett, psychiatrist at SIU School of Medicine, explains the next steps to ward off the shadows of depression.
1. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy – a specialized chair, looking like a dentist chair, this non-invasive treatment focuses magnetic fields on the brain. Magnetic pulses produced by the device are the same type and strength as a magnetic resonance imaging scan. Patients receive rapid magnetic pulses in 30-second intervals. The pulses, which feel like a tapping on the scalp, induce a small electrical current in the brain that the patient can’t feel. The charge stimulates brain neurons, which affects the “feel good” chemicals serotonin and dopamine. “With TMS, patients are alert, and there are almost no side effects,” Dr. Bennett says. “It’s extremely easy to endure, something somebody could get for 38 minutes a day and be ready for the rest of their day without feeling side

TMS

Dr. Bennett explains TMS.

effects. There may be some headache or scalp irritation, but it’s minimal.”
“TMS therapy brought me from darkness to light. It changed my life,” said Marie S., 63, who has suffered from chronic depression since she was 18. She underwent TMS therapy in 2012 and says the weight of depression has lifted. “I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t have the heaviness on my chest and shoulders. Things just seem better.”
Dr. Bennett was named a Medical Innovator for his neurostimulatory treatment methods for mental disorders, such as depression, that resist treatment. This 5-minute video describes TMS and includes a patient’s personal story.
Read more TMS Therapy at SIU School of Medicine in Aspects magazine.
2. Electroconvulsive Therapy – Also known as electroshock therapy, this is a safe and effective treatment with a high success rate for people suffering from various forms of depression.
3. Light Therapy – Exposure to full spectrum light provides relief for many people suffering with seasonal depression.
4.Vagus Nerve Stimulation – sometimes referred to as a “pacemaker for the brain.”
This device stimulates a particular cranial nerve alerting the electrical activity in the brain to control depressive symptoms that are resistant to treatment. This method of treatment has been shown to stimulate the area of the brain that affects mood and has been used to treat patients with epilepsy as well.
Ask your primary care physician or mental health provider about these FDA-approved treatments or call SIU HealthCare psychiatry at 217-545-8000.
Copyright © SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois