Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories

Most medical illnesses appear later in life,  as organ systems fail and the decades of wear and tear eventually  erode the body's innate homeostatic mechanisms.  Psychiatric illness, however, is profoundly different. Here Dr. H explores six central reasons why serious psychiatric illness tends to appear in mid to late adolescence.These factors include:•Leaving the tribe•Contagion and heightened peer influence•Early existential life crises•Developmental brain changes•Sleep deprivation and sleep cycle derangement •Cannabis and alcoholBFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/BFTA/ Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/Support the show

Last month marked a fairly momentous occasion in Colorado, the statewide passage of Proposition 122, the Natural Medicines Health Act. Coloradoans voted, by a tally of 53 to 47%, to approve both the decriminalization of psilocybin, DMT, ibogaine, and mescaline, along with the medicalization of psilocybin, with the possibility of a medicalization pathway for the others in 2026. This is a landmark, tipping point kind of social change, and one that triggers a huge number of hopes, concerns, and questions. Here Craig sits down with Shannon Hughes, a CSU Professor of Social Work who specializes in issues of drugs, meds and society; she is also a co-founder of the Nowak Society, Colorado’s preeminent force for psychedelic education and community.  Together Craig and Shannon explore the wide-ranging implications of decriminalization and medicalization of psilocybin and other psychedelics.Chris Johnson/Whooz Larry--  "Have My Heart" https://open.spotify.com/track/7CoXPcTsQGjIU3mEbeTMQX?si=dc6f5f06a4394b2cDr. Shannon Hugheshttps://www.drshannonhughes.com/BFTA/Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/Support the show

Psychiatric meds so often get demonized in the media, including the podcast world, and while psych meds are far from perfect and often cause problematic side effects, they also literally save people’s lives every single day.Steve grew up as the youngest of four, a happy boy in a happy family,   a “golden” childhood as he describes it….until everything fell apart. Within a period of just a few years, he lost his father and both his beloved older brothers, all while still a young teenager, leaving him with his Mom and an older sister. His family had been cut in half, yet his most frightening and overwhelming challenges were still to come. BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/BFTA/ Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/Support the show

Three women. Three stories.One must listen.Act 1- SarahMusic by Dori LewisAct 2- KarenMusic-- Karen and Craig,  "Waterfall of Wisdom" by Fia Act 3- ElizabethBFTA/ Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/Support the show

Raised in an abusive misogynistic home amidst deep shame and the purity culture of her parents' faith,  Micah's journey carried her though Southern pageant culture, anorexia, estrangement, birth trauma, and, eventually, connection and acceptance and grace.Micah Stoverhttp://www.micahstoverconsulting.com/BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/BFTA/ Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/Support the show

Anne grew up always feeling on the outside-- outside her family, her peers, her species. She knew something was "wrong", but a diagnosis would not arrive until she was well into adulthood. Meanwhile she became an expert in studying the ways of people, of "operating in manual", consciously and methodically using the lessons she had learned to know what to do in social situations and how to pass as "normal". Unlike so many others with ASD, Anne was able to marry and have two children and even develop a secure loving attachment to her children-- something she herself never got to experience as a child growing up amidst severe neglect. Yet her years of careful observation and mimicry didn't fully insulate her from the emotional pain and alienation of ASD, which she shares in her story today.BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/BFTA/ Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/Support the show

This is a talk that Dr. H gave in Denver at the Nowak Society in Aug. 2022. Medicalization and/or legalization of psilocybin is likely coming to Colorado soon, with other psychedelics soon to follow. This will foster both a new era of psychiatric treatments and psychospiritual exploration, as well as a significant increase in adverse psychiatric events, including psychotic breaks. Dr. H explores the various classes of psychedelics (cannabinoids, tryptamines, phenethylamines, ketamine, e.g.) and assesses their relative risk of triggering psychosis, how and why polypharmacy (particularly with THC) greatly magnifies risk of developing psychosis, and the complex interplay between genetic vulnerability for psychosis/schizophrenia and the use of various psychoactive drugs. BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/BFTA/ Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/Support the show

Dr. H sits down with Dr. Jeremy Sharp, Director of the Colorado Center for Assessment and Counseling and host of The Testing Psychologist podcast,  for an exploration of  the psychological and psychiatric aspects of ADD/ADHD.Dr. Jeremy Sharphttps://www.coloradocac.com/about/dr-jeremy-sharp/The Testing Psychologist podcasthttps://www.thetestingpsychologist.comBFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/BFTA/ Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/Support the show

In this season 4 opener, we hear the unforgettable story of a mother and daughter torn apart by addiction, then slowly finding the path of compassion, acceptance, and grace. BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/BFTA/ Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/Support the show

Craig sits down with Inside Eyes creator Laura Northrup for a wide-ranging discussion where they explore topics including:•Trauma as a spiritual wound •How psychedelics can help reach the realm of trauma•Why psychedelic trauma therapy can be so profoundly painful•The uniquely damaging sequelae of sexual trauma•What it means for a therapist to have adequate trauma training•How and why therapists hurt their clients/patients, particularly in the psychedelic space•The crucial nature of preparation•Therapist burnout and spiritual practice•Coming to terms with our conscious and unconscious beliefs and biases around money Laura's Website: www.InsideEyesPodcast.comInstagram: @lauramaenorthrup Twitter: @inside__eyesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraMaeNorthrupBFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/BFTA/ Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/Support the show