Mental Health Blog | Advanced Psychiatry Associates

Understanding ADHD and Its Impact on Daily Life

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a pattern of behavior that can include difficulty in maintaining attention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness that is not consistent with a person’s developmental level. ADHD specialists recognize that this condition is not a result of laziness or a lack of intelligence but rather a difference in how […]

Does Taking ‘Depression Naps’ Mean You Have Depression?

Depression Naps Napping can indicate the presence of depression, a sleep disorder or a lack of proper sleep practices. Sleep has a strong connection to mental health, and fatigue is a common symptom of depression, though not always a definite sign. Understanding the differences and connections between depression sleep and other sleep complications can help […]

How to Encourage a Loved One to Seek Mental Health Help

How to Encourage a Loved One to Seek Mental Health Help Knowing how to get someone to seek mental treatment can significantly impact their life. Friends and family members are often excellent support systems for individuals experiencing mental health conditions. If you’re wondering how to get a loved one to seek mental health treatment, some […]

Benefits of TMS Treatment

About 17.3 million individuals in the United States struggle with major depression. Some of these individuals have treatment-resistant depression, which is when the condition doesn’t respond to or improve from common forms of treatment, such as antidepressants or psychotherapy. While treating this type of depression can be more challenging, there are options to help manage […]

Recognizing the Early Signs of Mental Illness

More of an open conversation on mental health is developing, but there is still plenty of progress to be made. Not everyone understands how mental health issues manifest. Different people may experience different symptoms, and it may be difficult to recognize exactly what is happening. Knowing some of the common early signs of mental health struggles […]

The Effects of Bullying on Mental Health

Bullying continues to be a prominent issue for kids and teens. In 2020, one in five high school students stated they were victims of bullying at school. And bullying doesn’t only occur in schools. It can happen in person or online (cell phones, social media, etc.) , and the ramifications can have a ripple effect. […]

Common Misconceptions About Mental Health

Mental health awareness is growing. More news coverage is dedicated to mental health, and terms like “burnout” are now mainstream. People can talk more openly about feeling anxious or depressed — plus the words “mental health” are no longer outright stigmatized. While this progress is a positive sign, misconceptions and misunderstandings about mental health persist. […]

The Most Common Mental Illnesses in the United States

Mental illness is a major concern in the United States. Millions of people struggle with different mental health disorders every day. Mental health concerns have only grown in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. From January to September 2020, the number of people seeking help for anxiety increased 93% compared to 2019 as a whole. With so […]

Tips for Managing Your Mental Illness During the Holidays

The holiday season is known as a time for holiday gatherings and cheer. People commonly visit with family and friends numerous times for parties and large get-togethers. Some people look forward to the holiday season, but others may not feel as jolly during this time. Caring for your mental health is a priority, especially during […]

Benefits of Going to Couples Therapy

When you decided to marry your current spouse, move in with them or otherwise commit to a long-term relationship, you might have had visions of “happily ever after.” As it turns out, making it work with another person for the long term requires effort. You and your partner might occasionally disagree on things or have […]

Strategies for Adults Living With ADHD

If you’re one of the 11 million adults in the United States with adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, you understand how hard it can be to avoid distractions, stay organized and work efficiently. With treatment and behavioral changes, you can learn how to handle ADHD to increase productivity and fulfillment. These simple, effective strategies can help you manage […]

How Mental Health Affects Weight

Mental health issues are important to address in and of themselves. What some people don’t realize, though, is that your mental health also affects aspects of your physical health — including weight. Research out of the UK suggests a strong link between weight and mental health. A 19-year study of 4,363 government workers concluded that anxiety, depression […]

How Age Impacts Mental Health

Aging can impact the brain and mental health, though it is not inevitable. Research about mental health disorders and aging suggests that seniors may have genetic factors that can lead to mental health issues, much like genetics can inform a person’s risk of cancer and other illnesses. The changes that naturally occur with growing older […]

Solo Activities to Help With Depression

Coping with depression can feel like an uphill battle as it saps your energy, motivation and self-esteem. Finding ways to climb out of a depressive episode is not easy, but understanding the illness and how it affects you specifically is the first step to being able to find the coping mechanisms that work best for […]

How to Manage Anxiety at Work

Anxiety disorders, which include panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), are the most common mental illnesses affecting Americans. About 40 million people in the U.S. live with anxiety, and it can have severe repercussions for your work performance. Symptoms of anxiety include: Excessive worry, which can be […]

Healthy Ways to Cope With Depression

Depression, also known as major depressive disorder, is a serious mental health condition that can impact your daily life and alter how you think, feel and act. Depression affects millions of Americans each year. Fortunately, depression is also treatable, and there are numerous things you can do to improve depression symptoms. The first step to […]

Mental Health Resources in Sacramento

Finding help is vital to addressing mental health issues. Unfortunately, about two-thirds of people with mental health problems are unable to access treatment due to various reasons. One of the reasons is lack of information about reliable resources. That’s why we’ve compiled a brief list of mental health resources in Sacramento. How to Get Mental […]

Mental Health in California

California’s public mental health system is in turmoil. It’s not for lack of funding but for lack of proper strategies to tackle the problem and initiate advanced forms of mental health care across the state. The legislation is already in place, but the state lacks enough political support to address the effects of mental health […]

Steps to Good Mental Health

How to Achieve Good Mental Health Physical activity can help your mental health in several ways: Aerobic exercise can boost your mood. Your body makes certain chemicals, called endorphins, during and after your workout. Endorphins relieve stress and make you feel calmer. Getting physical activity during the day can make it easier to sleep at night. Creating […]

The Link Between Obesity and Weight Loss

How Obesity Affects Weight Loss People experience depression for a multitude of reasons. The causes vary so greatly from individual to individual that we couldn’t possibly cover them all extensively in one blog post. For this month’s post, we’re focusing on just one potential cause that’s a concern for many people: obesity. Not everyone who’s […]

Genetic Testing in Mental Health Care: Why It’s Done and How It Can Help You

How Genetic Testing Affects Mental Health With the power to influence how you think, feel, and act, a mental health disorder can have a major impact on how you relate to others, how well you cope day to day, and how easily you earn a living, among other things. If you’ve been diagnosed with an […]

Why Isn’t Your Medication Working? It Could Be Your Genes

Reasons Why Your Medication Is Not Working Whether you have depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), you may be prescribed one or more medications to help control your symptoms and complement your counseling and therapy sessions. There are lots of medications, and they don’t all work for everyone. What works […]

Let’s Talk About It – PTSD

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help call 1-877-APA-5818 or visit 510 Plaza Dr #170, Folsom, CA 95630. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a real illness. You can get PTSD after living through or seeing a traumatic event, such as war, a hurricane, rape, physical abuse or […]

Bipolar Disorder: 3 Prominent Symptoms to Look Out For

More than 5 million American men and women — or just over 2% of the adult population — have some form of bipolar disorder, a chronic mental health condition that causes overpowering mood swings that are far more intense and disruptive than the normal highs and lows that everyone experiences from time to time. For […]

How Can I Know If My Therapist Is Helping?

Know If Therapy is Working Therapy is a kind of interpersonal laboratory where you can achieve just about anything. Whether you’re hoping to overcome anxiety or depression, learn how to cope with grief, or simply improve your relationships with family and friends, talking it out with a professional therapist can give you the tools you […]

Depression Basics

What to Know About Depression Do you feel sad, empty, and hopeless most of the day, nearly every day? Have you lost interest or pleasure in your hobbies or being with friends and family? Are you having trouble sleeping, eating, and functioning? If you have felt this way for at least 2 weeks, you may […]

Common Myths that Prevent Men from Seeking Help for Depression

Myths Why Men Do Not Seek Help for Depression Suicide and depression are frequently in the news, and the message that depression does not discriminate is an important one. Money and fame can’t protect against depression’s demons. That’s why mental health awareness is an essential component of Men’s Health Awareness Month in June. Depression is […]

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: When Worry Gets Out of Control

What Is GAD? Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. You might worry about things like health, money, or family problems. But people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) feel extremely worried or feel nervous about these and other things-even when there is little or no reason to worry about them. People with GAD find […]

Why Women Are More Prone to Depression

Understanding depression True depression is much more tenacious than the normal grieving process you might expect after the death of a loved one, loss of a beloved pet, or other life crises. It tends to sink its hooks deep into your daily routine and, without treatment, can hang around for weeks to months to years. […]

How are medications and devices used in drug addiction treatment?

How Medication and Devices Impact Drug Addiction Treatment Medications and devices can be used to manage withdrawal symptoms, prevent relapse, and treat co-occurring conditions. Withdrawal. Medications and devices can help suppress withdrawal symptoms during detoxification. Detoxification is not in itself “treatment,” but only the first step in the process. Patients who do not receive any further […]

What to Do If You Have a Problem with Drugs: For Adults

If I want help with drug addiction, where do I start? Asking for help is the first important step. Call and Visit your doctor at Southeast Medical Group for treatment. It takes a lot of courage to seek help for a drug problem because there is a lot of hard work ahead. However, treatment can […]

Rewire Your Brain? Yes, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Can Really Work

How TMS Works More than 15 million American adults suffer from depression. That’s 6.7 percent of the entire United States population above the age of 18. Not everyone suffers from the same type of depression or in the same ways, but so many are suffering and in need of help. Support, patience, and understanding from […]

What Is It Like To Be Bipolar?

About Bipolar Disorder “What are you, bipolar or something?” That question can sometimes be thrown around a bit too lightly. When someone says that, they usually don’t really mean it. How could they? Most people don’t really know what it’s like to have bipolar disorder. But those who suffer from it know that bipolar disorder […]

Understanding OCD

All About OCD It’s only normal to experience intrusive, random, or otherwise strange thoughts from time-to-time — virtually everyone does. For most people, it’s relatively easy to dismiss such thoughts and move on, allowing the brain’s stream of consciousness to flow in a different direction. But that’s not the case for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder […]

What do we know about the opioid crisis?

Facts About Opioid Crisis Roughly 21 to 29 percent of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them. Between 8 and 12 percent develop an opioid use disorder. An estimated 4 to 6 percent who misuse prescription opioids transition to heroin. About 80 percent of people who use heroin first misused prescription opioids. Opioid overdoses […]

Opioid Overdose Crisis

Opioid Addiction Crisis Every day, more than 130 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids.1 The misuse of and addiction to opioids – including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids – is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare. The Centers for Disease […]

Overpowering Fear: Finding Relief from Panic Attacks

How to Overcome Panic Attacks Ask yourself if the following situation sounds familiar. You’re sitting at your desk or in your bed, doing something completely innocuous. You’re not doing anything remotely dangerous and you may not even be dwelling on negative thoughts. Suddenly, it hits you. You feel a sensation in your chest that feels […]

Eating Disorders 101

All About Eating Disorders There is a commonly held misconception that eating disorders are a lifestyle choice. Eating disorders are actually serious and often fatal illnesses that are associated with severe disturbances in people’s eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions. Preoccupation with food, body weight, and shape may also signal an eating disorder. Common […]

Is it Anxiety? Recognizing and Treating the Condition

Symptoms and Treatment of Anxiety Our minds are very powerful. Many of the processes that take place are subconscious. They have to be otherwise we wouldn’t be able to go about our days and carry on normal tasks. It’s truly amazing to think how we have evolved to protect ourselves. Think about the “flight or […]

Understanding Bipolar Disorder

All About Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric illness that affects an estimated 5.3 million adults in the United States. Also known as manic-depressive disorder, this chronic mental health condition causes drastic mood swings that range from high-energy manic episodes to low-energy bouts of depression. Although the symptoms of bipolar disorder can vary greatly […]

Avoid Addiction With These Medication Management Techniques

Medication Management Tips to Avoid Addiction Prescription medications are undeniably valuable when they’re able to provide much-needed relief from issues such as chronic debilitating pain, the misery of cluster headaches, or anxiety that stops you in your tracks. But they only work when they’re used as prescribed. If you find yourself taking your medications more […]