Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories

In the first half of this two part mini-episode, Dr. H explores the four stages where fully dissociative doses of ketamine can get a little rocky:  *reaching escape velocity*re-entry*dissociative shatter*post-session processingWhat if a psychiatrist were allowed to ask only one question at a session....what might that be? In the second part of this episode, Dr. H ties together sleep, mood, hormone cycling, friendships, work, circadian rhythm, addiction, and dogs vs cats into just one question.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 do write us a review!Support the show

Saj Razvi, a professional associated with Innate Path and the Psychedelic Somatic Institute, joins Craig for a thought-provoking discussion. They explore the deep connections between trauma, dissociation, and depression, emphasizing the unique challenges therapists face. The conversation delves into the unconscious motivations behind actions, stressing the need for self-awareness in therapy. Additionally, they discuss the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, such as psilocybin and MDMA, while unpacking the necessary conditions for healing from trauma.

We typically think of addiction as a symptom of a deeper issue, such as trauma or a psychiatric disorder. Sometimes, however, addiction is the main event, and powerlessness is the starting point, not some ambiguous distant stop on the substance abuse train.Lena fell hard into addiction by sixth grade and by all rights should have been dead or imprisoned long ago.  Yet today she is fully alive, deeply grateful, and six years clean and sober.Dr. H and Lena explore her journey out of darkness and the varied and often surprising roles that jail, a caring probation officer, Suboxone, and a seemingly random visit by two near strangers all combined to help her change the course of her life.Dr. H and Back from the Abysshttps://www.craigheacockmd.comOn Twitter @bftapodSupport the show

Season 2 is here! We kick off our new season with Dr. H going deep into the immediate aftermath of losing four patients and his eventual path back into the light. Save this one for when you are in the right headspace. Dr. H and Back from the Abysshttp://craigheacockmd.comOn Twitter @bftapodSupport the show

Can a podcast have an identical twin separated at birth? If so, then "Inside Eyes" might possibly  be that long lost twin of BFTA. Laura Mae Northrup is the creator of Inside Eyes and a trauma therapist in the Oakland area. She put a ton of work into these moving stories of healing from childhood sexual trauma with entheogens and psychedelics. She is planning to soon feature a favorite BFTA episode on her show, while Dr. H picked this one as a favorite. This episode is the story of Shan, an NYC tattoo artist who found unexpected healing from her sexual abuse and rheumatoid arthritis through ayahuasca.  It's truly a mind-blowing and moving memoir. Website: www.InsideEyesPodcast.comInstagram: @lauramaenorthrup Twitter: @inside__eyesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraMaeNorthrupSupport the show

Self-described podcast junkie Dr. H reached out to Sarah Buino, host of the excellent podcast Conversations with a Wounded Healer, and they agreed to do this super nifty episode swap, in which Sarah will feature a favorite BFTA episode on her show, and Dr. H chose a favorite episode to feature here.  In this episode Sarah interviews one of the more thoughtful and compelling people in the podcast universe, Dr. Hillary McBride (of both The Liturgists and Other People's Problems). They explore Hillary's journey of healing and how this informs her current work as a therapist and researcher. Dr. H interviewed on Conversations with a Wounded Healerhttps://headhearttherapy.com/114-craig-heacock-back-from-the-abyss-with-psychedelic-assisted-psychotherapy/Subscribe to Conversations with a Wounded Healer!https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-with-a-wounded-healer/id1356225272Conversations with a Wounded Healer home pagehttps://headhearttherapy.com/podcast/IG: @headhearttherapyFB: @woundedhealr and @headhearttherapyTwitter: @woundedhealr and @HeadHeart_ChiSupport the show

BFTA's two co-conspirators sit down together for a look back at the first year-- the origin story, highlights, points of gratitude, mistakes made, Craig's most poignant/painful moment, the Enneagram, and Chris' desert island albums (no Meat Loaf!)Back from the Abysshttps://www.craigheacockmd.comSupport the show

In this second of a two part exploration of OCD, Dr. H and Dr. Amy Indermuehle, a Colorado-based OCD expert, deconstruct Erin's treatment. Dr. Amy is a big fan of in vivo exposures, whether that be watching stomach-churning Youtube videos, touching forbidden items at Target, or riding out the anxiety wave in a public bathroom. Dr. Amy highlights how OCD treatment is so different from typical psychotherapy for anxiety and why so many therapists default to the much more comfortable (but counterproductive) option of trying to help patients soothe their nervous systems. OCD is arguably the most-missed psychiatric diagnosis, for reasons that Dr. H and Dr. Amy explore. OCD is often mistaken for generalized anxiety or for bipolar disorder, with the unceasing obsessions being mislabeled as racing thoughts, and the frantic compulsions as mania. Dr. Amy Indermuehlehttp://facemyanxiety.comExposure and response preventionhttps://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/10/exposure-response-prevention-for-ocd/505538/Meds for OCDhttps://iocdf.org/about-ocd/ocd-treatment/meds/Exposure therapy and OCD-related disordershttp://jonabram.web.unc.edu/files/2012/07/Abramowitz-Jacoby-2014-misuse-of-exposure.pdfDr. H and Back from the Abysshttps://www.craigheacockmd.comOn Twitter @bftapodSupport the show

The postpartum period is by far the most psychiatrically vulnerable time in a woman's life. Erin had always some some mildly annoying obsessive-compulsive tendencies, but they were never a major factor in her life, until just after her daughter was born. Almost immediately she was flooded with horrific violent images and urges, these then morphed into a paralyzing dread of viral contamination. This is the first of two parts. This episode is Erin's story of learning to lean directly into her fears, the next episode will be Dr. H and Dr. Amy Indermuehle, an OCD expert and Erin's therapist, deconstructing Erin's treatment and how exposure therapy helped her to reclaim her life. Postpartum OCDhttps://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/postpartum-ocd/https://www.postpartumdepression.org/postpartum-depression/types/ocd/Exposure and response preventionhttps://iocdf.org/about-ocd/ocd-treatment/erp/Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.comOn Twitter @bftapodSupport the show

Listeners ask: "Can I tell my story on Back from the Abyss?""Can you heal trauma that you cannot remember?Dr. H then looks back at 3 years of 800+ ketamine sessions and further explores the question of intramuscular (IM) vs intravenous (IV) treatment, as well as whether reaching full dissociation is necessary for optimal efficacy. Dissociation improves ketamine responsehttps://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/home/depression-advisor/ketamine-induced-dissociative-symptoms-predict-antidepressant-response/Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.comOn Twitter @bftapodSupport the show