Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories

The therapeutic relationship is built on trust, we come to therapy expecting that we are going to be heard and believed.Jeanine wasn't believed-- about her childhood sexual assaults, or the emerging psychotic symptoms, or her intractable suicidality....even after many near fatal attempts and over 40 inpatient stays.This episode looks at how and why we believe some people and discount others.  It turns out that the way people tell us their stories matters just as much as the actual words they choose. And, unfortunately, certain clinical presentations make patients/clients much less likely to be heard and believed. A heads up-- this episode includes descriptions of childhood sexual abuse, self-harm, and suicide attempts.Dopamine, saliency, and the onset of paranoiahttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-020-00912-4Borderline personality diagnosis leads to demedicalization and poor treatmenthttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4870819/Inappropriate affecthttps://www.betterhelp.com/advice/personality-disorders/inappropriate-affect-symptoms-and-signs/Dr. H/BFTAhttps://www.craigheacockmd.comSupport the show

Dive into the incredible journey of healing through psychedelics as Stella shares her transformative experiences with psilocybin and MDMA. Discover how these substances helped her confront childhood trauma and navigate toxic relationships. The discussion uncovers the magic of self-care practices, shadow work, and the profound impact of emotional integration. Explore the deep connections these therapies forge with self-compassion and personal growth, offering insights into breaking generational patterns and finding a path to wellness.

Dr. H sits down with Dr. David Puder, a psychiatrist and host of the Psychiatry and Psychotherapy podcast, to explore the beauty and challenge and mystery of psychotherapy.  What are Chris and Craig wanting for Christmas...??? How about writing us a review!Dr. Puder and the Psychiatry and Psychotherapy podcasthttps://www.psychiatrypodcast.comDr. H essay on psychedelic healing for CNN.comhttps://www.cnn.com/2020/12/20/opinions/psychedelics-trauma-healing-this-is-life-heacock/index.htmlBFTA and Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.comSupport the show

In most specialties of medicine, the dictum "Diagnosis guides treatment" is the law of the land. In psychiatry, however, most of what we treat are often overlapping syndromes, not actual diseases, and these syndromes involve hugely varying dimensions of symptoms with a vast array of potential causes and exacerbating factors.Maggie came to Dr. H with a challenging clinical presentation:  likely genetic loading for a mood and/or anxiety disorder, childhood emotional neglect, years of school problems, hormone irregularities and progesterone hypersensitivity, all leading to  steadily worsening mood instability, depression, and hopelessness.  Over the course of the last 12 years, Maggie and Dr. H were eventually able to co-create both a successful treatment course and a shame-free narrative, without a clear diagnosis to guide them.Comments, suggestions, questions? We'd love to hear them! Email us via https://www.craigheacockmd.com or message us on Twitter @bftapodIf you haven’t already, please write us a review!Support the show

The podcast Psychedelics Today recently released a two part interview with Will Hall, an author, podcaster, therapist, and voice of the anti-psychiatry community. This BFTA episode came about after Dr. H reached out to the hosts of PT and asked for a counterpoint to Will's complete dismissal of psychiatry as a meaningful part of the mental health treatment community. Here Dr. H  presents a more nuanced, balanced, and hopeful perspective, one that recognizes the harm that psychiatrists and other physicians have caused in the past and continue to cause today, while also asking that we try to lean into the positive, to identify and celebrate what works for people, to reject the black/white thinking that calls for tearing down systems which are, by their very nature, messy and imperfect, just as we humans are messy and imperfect. Psychedelics Todayhttps://psychedelicstoday.comDr. H and BFTAhttps://www.craigheacockmd.comSupport the show

Dr. H sits down with his friend Brian, who watched his daughter, and then his wife, plunge into the depressive abyss.   This is the journey of a father and husband, of a "we can fix this" engineer trying to find a path through the ambiguity and uncertainty of psychiatric treatment.This is the second in an intermittent series of family members describing their journey of trying to support their loved ones through their darkest times.Grief and loss raft trips (mentioned by Brian)https://www.pathfindersforyou.orgDr. H/Back from the Abyss https://www.craigheacockmd.comSupport the show

In this third of an intermittent series about therapists in the abyss, Dr. H sits down with his colleague  Dr. Elena Estanol, a Colorado-based psychologist, to explore Elena's "fourth dark night of the soul".  Her story serves as a springboard for exploring how to cope with the randomness of life,  learning to go inward to heal relational wounds, differentiating pain vs suffering, and finding peace with who shows up for us and who doesn't. Dr. Elena Estanolhttps://www.synapsewellness.com/Dr. H and BFTAhttps://www.craigheacockmd.comSupport the show

Dr. H finds a trove of patient letters from the last 15 years and shares three of the most poignant, using each as a springboard for lessons learned.Dr. H and BFTAhttps://www.craigheacockmd.comSupport the show

After a difficult final year of high school, Tessa hoped and prayed that her youngest son would make the transition to college and find a way to thrive. He would be only an hour away, he wanted to go, and she was hopeful that getting a new start there could reverse whatever was happening to him. Yet just two months into his freshman year, it was apparent that he was sinking fast into a maelstrom of panic, body dysmorphia, delusions, and hopelessness. This is Tessa's story of trying to find the strength, and eventually, the self-compassion, to both find help for her son as well as work through her own guilt and shame.Book recommendation (from Tessa)The Stressed Years of Their Lives: Helping Your Kid Survive and Thrive During Their College YearsBFTA and Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.comSupport the show

Trauma embeds in the complex zone between body and spirit, deep within the realm of primary consciousness. The typical psychiatric approaches of meds and talk therapy rarely access these unconscious realms. In prior episodes of BFTA, we have heard accounts of healing these deep wells of trauma with EMDR, psilocybin, and MDMA-- this episode highlights the unexpected power of a loving teacher and a guided spiritual practice.Jeff Finlin, a Colorado-based singer/songwriter and recovery coach, shares his story of recovery after recovery, accessing his embodied trauma and deeper self years into sobriety, through a practice of the breath and self-compassion.Jeff Finlinhttps://www.jefffinlin.comBack from the Abyss and Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.comOn Twitter @bftapodSupport the show