Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories

Dr. H distills down his 20 years of clinical experience into just under an hour of musings, lessons learned, and insights."Sometimes the why really isn't crucial" (Essay from the NYT about addiction)https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/19/health/psychology/19essa.htmlBFTA on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/BFTA/ Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

Devin found out the hard way that psychedelics can have a very dark side. This is a story of discovery and of joy…of connection and dancing and jam bands….and it’s also a story of two psychotic breaks, sexual assault, and the eventual grinding realization that psychedelics demand respect. Devin speaks out  so that others might avoid her mistakes and take seriously the imperative of having a safe container for psychedelic exploration and therapy.BFTA on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/BFTA/ Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) has long been the last stop for severe and treatment resistant depression, but now there are at least two other good options for those who don't respond to meds and therapy.  Dr. Dan Fisher, an ECT expert, founder of Colorado's Guerra Fisher Institute , and Craig's go-to psychiatrist for tough cases, joins BFTA to discuss how and when to think about ECT vs  ketamine vs TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) .BFTA on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/BFTA/ Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

Expectation, set, setting, dosage, and route of administration provide the context and scaffolding for psychoactive drugs. An IV morphine drip can make unbearable pain completely manageable, while IV heroin, which is immediately converted to morphine once it crosses the blood brain barrier, destroys tens of thousands of lives a year.  A benzodiazepine such as lorazepam, when taken orally at sensible doses, can stop a panic attack in its tracks, yet snorting or injecting benzodiazepines, or mixing them with alcohol, can lead to complete blackout and terrible consequences.  Taking psilocybin mushrooms with friends out in nature vs at night alone in the darkened streets of an unfamiliar city vs with a trained trauma therapist in a healing setting—- the resulting risks, benefits, and experiences are mind-blowingly different.In today’s story we hear Graham’s long and winding road with various drugs and alcohol in the context of childhood trauma and bipolar disorder, with a particular emphasis on his complicated relationship with ketamine. For years, he used and abused massive quantities of ketamine, yet now he has transitioned to using ketamine in a therapeutic context with Dr. H, and the experience of ketamine, the consequences, and the end results are just shockingly different….all because of expectation, set, setting, dosage, and manner of administration. Audio note: Graham's emotional support dog makes some intermittent appearances on his microphoneBFTA on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/BFTA/ Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

Dive into the underground world of psilocybin therapy, where healing meets ethical dilemmas. A seasoned therapist shares their personal journey with childhood trauma and emphasizes the importance of safety in unregulated practices. Explore the nuances of client selection, dosage considerations, and the therapeutic dynamics of individual versus group settings. Discover the differences between psilocybin and ayahuasca, along with the critical role of relational skills in effective healing. This conversation sheds light on the potential and pitfalls of psychedelic therapy.

Body dysmorphia is the disorder of imagined ugliness, a type of delusional OCD that can lead to severe depression, eating disorders, compulsive body alterations, and suicidality.  As a young child, Georgina was a "cute kid", not particularly self-conscious, and able to move through her world without undue pain. With the onset of adolescence, however, her self-image changed completely-- she suddenly found her face horribly ugly, she felt helpless and hopeless, and she frantically tried to find ways to cope. Here Georgina shares her story of recovery from body dysmorphia and an eating disorder, a long and winding path from Health and Wellness Instagram fame while compulsively exercising and restricting to the hard work of showing up in therapy to rediscovering her non-judgmental inner child during a psilocybin journey.  Georgina and Dr. H also explore orthorexia, atypical anorexia, intuitive eating, and the concept of healing through embodiment.Georgina Berbari is a writer and photographer living in NYChttps://www.georginaberbari.comDr. Hillary McBride's new book "The Wisdom of Your Body"https://hillarylmcbride.com/the-wisdom-of-your-body/BFTA on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/BFTA on Facebook@Back From The Abyss PodcastBFTA/ Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

Doug Friedman, the co-host and producer of the podcast Your Mental Breakdown, contacted Craig last spring and said that he was ready and wanting to tell his abyss story-- that of his wife’s death and his journey of recovery thereafter. Doug has mentioned a number of times on his podcast that his wife passed away the same week in 2018 that he was diagnosed with MS… but the details of his loss are actually much more profound and heartbreaking.  That’s because Doug’s beloved wife Kim, who was also a psychotherapist, died by suicide when her bipolar disorder overtook her.  After Kim’s death, Doug plunged into a process of painful reckoning that finally culminated in a move to the Colorado mountains to plumb his emotional depths through songwriting and music. The result of his inner process, of his working through the paralyzing grief and the overwhelming emotions… is the music you will hear throughout this story.Doug Friedmanhttps://www.clearmindfullheart.comYour Mental Breakdown podcasthttps://www.yourmentalbreakdown.comBFTA on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/BFTA/ Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

Here Craig sits down with Jeff Pincus, a nationally recognized couples therapist and trainer from Boulder, they explore why it’s so challenging to be an effective marriage therapist, why we are all destined to marry the wrong person (hint….our partners eventually become a mirror for us and our issues),  and how marriage can be the most nourishing yet also the most difficult and painful relationship of our lives.Jeff's work is informed by cognitive neuroscience, somatic psychotherapy, systems thinking, and Tibetan Buddhism. He is an expert in PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy) and was one of the original core faculty for the PACT  Institute. He currently offers transformational three-day intensives for couples interested in healing, growing and loving. https://jeffpincus.comBFTA is now on Instagram@backfromtheabysspodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/p/CVf2XzhlTZ5/?utm_medium=share_sheetBFTA on Facebook@Back From The Abyss PodcastBFTA/Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

When psychiatric meds work well, it can be nothing short of miraculous. Yet so often, patients accumulate a long list of med failures, leading to a sense of deep frustration and even hopelessness.Here Dr. H explores five central reasons why psych meds fail:1. Misdiagnosis, largely due to  overlapping and confusing diagnostic categories and the general lack of a coherent nosology in psychiatry2. The role of trauma as the great imitator3. Sleep issues4. Hormonal status5. Confused and/or unreasonable expectationsBFTA/Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

An amazing healing journey deserves a detailed post-game analysis and deconstruction.   Here Elizabeth,  a participant in the MAPS MDMA study, sits down with Craig and co-therapist Karen Cooper to look back at what were the crux moves and essential ingredients that shifted Elizabeth's PTSD into remission. BFTA/Dr. Hhttps://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/