How is brain scanning (EEG) used to treat mental health?

If you are currently taking medication as a part of your mental health treatment, and it is not working, you are not alone.  Almost 20 million Americans have failed two or more medication therapies (mynd analytics) for a mental disorder.

To tackle this problem, an online database was created called PEER Online.

What is PEER Online?

PEER stands for Psychiatric EEG Evaluation Registry.  

Through this tool, your doctor can learn which medications have been effective, and which have not, in treating patients with similar brain patterns.  Doctors use the data to help identify the medications most likely to achieve a positive outcome based on your unique neurophysiology.

An electroencephalogram (EEG) which records a person’s brain electrical activity, much like an EKG does for the heart, helps your doctor understand the unique brain patterns or neurophysiology.  Your EEG is then, compared to others with similar EEGs to see which medications worked and which didn’t.  This information is used by your doctor to better design your treatment options.

EEG is sometimes covered by your insurance depending on the results of the outcome report. If you are interested, contact Mind Therapy Clinic’s doctors for more information.  You can also find more information in our diagnostic imaging and eeg pages.

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Who gets PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and why? – Trauma Series by David Campell, MD

Since announcing Trauma Services as a specialty at Mind Therapy Clinic, we’ve been receiving a lot of questions about therapy as it relates to trauma. Most commonly people want to know what is PTSD, and who gets it and why?

With so many traumatic experiences in today’s news – from police shootings, racial tensions, war, car crashes, crosswalk and bicycle accidents, physical and sexual assaults, gun violence, natural disasters, racial and economic fallouts, etc. – it makes sense that there is a heightened awareness and interest in the need to fully understand the impact of these events and treatments for those who are affected.  Media often presents PTSD with a military focus, but recent research has revealed that civilian PTSD is 13 times more common. In fact, an estimated one out of every nine women develops PTSD (more than twice as likely as men).*  So, what is considered PTSD and who should receive treatment? 

Let’s start with how does someone become traumatized?

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Typical student or early signs of serious mental trouble?

Recently, we’ve been hearing a lot about “college students flooding the mental health centers” and new clinics popping up near campuses designed to help students cope with anxiety, depression, and related disorders.  According to WSJ,* 17% of college students are diagnosed with or treated for anxiety last year, and as of this Spring, 13.9% were diagnosed and treated for depression.  This is up more than 10% for both disorders.  

While these numbers are alarming, when it comes to your own child, what should you know?Sometimes, it is difficult to decipher whether your student is showing initial signs of serious mental trouble, or he/she is now more comfortable asking for help to cope with the stress of competitive learning environment.  It is especially difficult when you are unable to see the day-to-day episodes of the mental breakdowns.

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Psychological “First Aid Kit” – What’s included?

When a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis, it’s natural to feel confused and helpless. Throughout your life, many of us learn how to give first aid in an emergency for all types of situations…. except for those involving mental calamities.  Yet, many of us find ourselves in a situation where help is clearly and eminently required, and you have no idea where to start or who to call.  Here are a few tips and tools that should be included in your psychological ‘first aid kit’…

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World Mental Health Day – October 10

Today marks World Mental Health Day, which aims to raise public awareness around mental health issues and the importance of mental wellbeing.   World Health Organization (WHO) declared the theme of this year’s World Mental Health Day –  “psychological first aid”.  

Psychological first aid includes support that ensures anyone in acute distress to receive basic support including health, mental health, and social support.  It’s a good reminder for all of us to remember, one out of four of us experience psychiatric problems, and that mental crisis requires a first aid as would any physical injury.  

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