The Connection Bridgewater-Somerville Edition June/July/August

www.theconnectionsnj.com PAGE 61 327 South Avenue West, Westfield, NJ 07090 • 908.228.5711 Whole Body Cryotherapy is the Brief Application of Extremely Cold Temperature (-260°F) to the Skin 3 Minutes to Optimal Health, Fitness & Beauty • Weight Loss • Anti-Aging • Athletic Performance, Injury & Recovery • Pain Management Wellness $ 40 00 www.chillcryo.net * *Book On-line or Call FIRST SESSION Now Offering Infrared Sauna with Light Therapy Summer Special Chances are that you have a relationship with someone who has a psychological or psychi- atric disorder. It could be a family member, a friend, or a co-worker. You may know the diag- nosis or suspect one. Equally likely, if you are not trained or educated on mental illness, you may share a common myth with many people regarding mental illnesses such as Depression, Anxiety, or BiPolar Disorder. Or, myths about neuro-biological disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (ADHD) and Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It would be help- ful for both you and the individual afflicted that you understand some of these myths so that you do not contribute to their angst with unre- alistic expectations or intolerance. Myth: Individuals with depression can “snap out of it” by simply controlling their feelings and actions. While depression can be managed well with medication and cognitive behavioral therapy, it is not a “mind over matter” process. Depression can be debilitating and literally take over a person’s functioning. It can be very powerful and by telling an afflicted person to just “get out of bed and think positively that day” is not only difficult to impossible, it makes the person feel inadequate and subse- quently even more depressed. Myth: A person shouldn’t be depressed when they have such a good life, great marriage, financially secure, beautiful children, and a great job. Sometimes, it may be difficult to understand how a person can be depressed when they have such a fortunate life-or even the perfect life. First of all, what looks like on the outside may not exactly be what is happening on the inside. But, even if it is the quintessential life, clinical depression is insidious and can be sole- ly driven by neuro-biological factors occurring chemically in the brain. It is similar to an extremely conditioned athlete, who is in per- fect shape muscularly as well as cardiovascu- lar, but has a pulled hamstring. Even though they look perfect on the outside, there is an internal, invisible biological condition that is preventing them from performing. Myth: Panic attacks only occur due to some stressor or fear. Actually, panic attacks can occur as a direct result of a specific fear or stressful situation. However, they can also occur idiopathically, or without any known cause. It is easier to man- age, or even prevent when there is a known cause, but sometimes they just occur. It is sim- ilar to motor tics often seen in children. Some- times they are due to a specific condition, sometimes due to stress, but other times they occur for no known reason. Myth: If my child can play video games for an hour, he must not have ADHD. Motivation and interest are extremely power- ful as a compensatory skill for the inability to sustain attention due to ADHD. Sitting in a classroom, with visual and auditory distrac- tions, and a potentially boring lesson make focus and concentration a real challenge for a youngster with ADHD. When they are engaged in a video game, watching a video, or reading a book, they are hyper-focusing, which enables them to exclude extraneous stimuli. You literally have to shake them to change their focus and concentration. Myth: Someone with Obsessive-Compul- sive Disorder (OCD) can control their obsessions and compulsions if they had better self discipline. Although self-discipline is a part of the treat- ment plan for OCD, the fact is that their obsessions (repetitive thoughts) and compul- sions (intense need to complete a behavior or behavioral sequence) are driven by neuro-bio- logical forces. Would you be able to resist scratching a fresh mosquito bite? Or, could you use self-discipline to not feel cold if you were standing outside without a jacket in 4 degree temperature? It’s just not that easy. If you really want to help an individual who has a mental illness, understanding and toler- ance needs to replace judgment and expecta- tions. Educating yourself on the specific con- dition would also be most helpful to you, as well as the person afflicted. Dr. Michael Osit is a Licensed Psychologist prac- ticing in Warren, and author of The Train Keeps Leaving Without Me: A Guide to Happiness, Freedom, and Self Fulfillment (2016), and Gener- ation Text: Raising Well Adjusted Kids In An Age Of Instant Everything (2008). ATTACKING MYTHS - COMMON MISBELIEFS ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS By: Dr. Michael Osit