Blog - Page 4 of 7 - Dr Antoinette Miric

09 Feb 2015

What are antidepressants?

The term ‘antidepressants’ can get confusing because although antidepressants were originally marketed as treatments for depression, they have been found to work in other conditions. They are used in anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social phobia, premenstrual syndrome, insomnia, pain relief, headaches/migraine prevention. The three main neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) they target are serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Different medications affect different neurotransmitters in the brain. Molecules of the antidepressants bind to nerve cells in the brain and affect their basic functioning. Here is a picture of a nerve cell in the brain. Put very simply, it is a […]

28 Feb 2015

Doc, can I have a drink?

The research is out there – if you suffer from a mood disorder (depression or bipolar disorder) and you drink alcohol – it can affect your mood stability. Alcohol been shown to Increase episodes of mood disturbances Worsen the intensity of mood disturbances Cause a relapse of symptoms What does alcohol do to the brain? Alcohol enters the body via the stomach and is absorbed and transported in the blood to the brain (amongst other organs). In the brain, it affects various neurochemicals – particularly in a way that causes euphoria (happiness), slowed thinking, sleepiness and disinhibition. This is a […]

12 Mar 2015

Self-stigma: what you tell yourself about your mental illness

“Self-stigma is an issue for many, if not all, people with experience of mental illness. When you are struggling to fight the discrimination in your community, how do you deal with the discriminatory voice inside your head?” One area that I don’t think is spoken about enough is the internal distress and shame that someone feels when diagnosed with mental illness. I’ve seen quite a few patients lately who are depressed and anxious due to many reasons. Frequently, one of their big areas of concern is the fact that they have a mental illness and what that implies about themselves. […]

12 Apr 2015

Women and Depression – 6th World Congress on Women’s Mental Health

This blog post is a brief review of the ‘Depression’ topics at the 6th World Congress on Womens Mental Health, which recently held in Tokyo, Japan. Women are twice as likely to develop depression compared to their male counterparts. Depression in women was covered in detail at the Congress. Some of the topics covered were working women and the problems that they have – with the dual responsibility of work and family. One of the Japanese professors Prof. Toshiko Kamo presented a fascinating talk on Women’s Mental Health in Japan, showing how women move through different psychological stages in their […]

24 May 2015

What happens when I quit Anti-Depressants cold-turkey?

Most psychiatric medications are not meant to be stopped abruptly. Discontinuing antidepressants can lead to – Antidepressant Discontinaution Syndrome – A whole range of side effects – from headaches, muscle pains, nausea, vomiting, buzzing sounds, goose flesh and chills. If you need to stop your medication because of – side effects, because you are feeling better, or as I’ve written in a previous post you don’t want to ‘depend on’ medication anymore Please contact your treatment provider to get advice on how to do it safely and how to monitor your withdrawal and mental state afterwards. I am not at […]

24 May 2015

Where does Mental Illness come from?

I have been asked this frequently over the last month, and it can be a difficult concept to explain. Put briefly, mental illness is thought to be due to a combination of your genetic makeup and your environments affect on your developing brain. There is a continual ‘Nuture vs Nature’ debate about mental illness. All mental illnesses (Schizophrenia. Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Substance Disorders etc) have been found to have genetic links. This means that ‘part’ of the illness is most likely inherited. It is not one specific gene that causes mental illness but is thought to be a […]