Beyond Well With Sheila Hamilton

A revisit with Dr. James Polo. He talks about the science behind seasonal affective disorder and why we need to attend to our diets, light exposure, and willingness to socialize during the winter months.

Nearly seventy-five percent of all Americans say they are experiencing election related stress. Dr. Greg Chasson is here to help us get through the coming weeks with evidence-based tools for stress reduction. 

No Stone Unturned. Ron Artis II, Radical Honesty.This episode features live musical performances and was recorded in September of 2019.At the time we noted that Ron Artis II was growing into a newly accessible and emotionally acute period of his life. His new album, Love is Love, was a departure from the funk and soul fans were accustomed to from his wildly popular band, Ron Artis II and the Truth, but its stunning lyrics and melodic sound reveal a growth Ron himself says he nearly missed, “From the age of thirteen to eighteen, while I was concentrating on becoming the best guitar player I could be, I thought emotions were something to be dispensed with, a distraction. I didn’t realize how much potential for creativity I was missing.”

This is a "No Stone Unturned Re-Visit episode.It is from 2019.This is a fun episode as it starts with a conversation with one of our Doctors about a "Silent Retreat" she had just experienced.It also has a bit of a political vibe because we talk to Mike Schmidt who at the time was running for Multnomah county district attorney with one of the most multi-dimensional views toward the criminalization of the mentally ill we’ve ever heard. Mike’s experience as an inner city school teacher informs his sense of justice and rehabilitation.Enjoy!

There is no shortage of evidence that the political divide in America stresses out Americans. From workplaces to families to the Thanksgiving table, there is internalized stress about how to talk about politics without alienating one another.Dr. Greg Chasson takes on the elephant in the living room: should we even try to bridge the divide?

Dr. Greg Chassen is an expert on perfectionism and OCD at the University of Chicago.In this episode, Dr. Chasson discusses the inherent pressure families feel to help their children succeed. The pressure begins as early as infancy, when mothers feel compelled to train their babies in utero, and continues through college, where many mothers and fathers demand their teens attempt to get into an Ivy League school. The CDC says the level of stress on families is in part due to this toxic achievement culture. Dr. Chassen offers strategies for breaking the stress cycle and reclaiming our families' lives and happiness. 

A No Stone Unturned episode.Originally Released in June 2019.Nyna Giles exposes the good and bad news about psychological suffering. Psychological suffering doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care who you are, how wealthy your friends are, how beautiful you are, or what circles you run it. Psychological suffering can and will affect us all. Of course, privileges give certain people access to resources that may help those people cope more effectively with the suffering life deals them, but the suffering will happen all the same. Nyna’s mother had all the trappings of the “perfect” life: she transcended her humble beginnings to become one of the “beautiful people,” hobnobbing with the rich and famous, including Grace Kelly, who she counted as her closest friend. And yet, psychological suffering, this time in the form of psychosis, came crashing down on that beautiful picture. As her mother’s world shrank, Nyna did what any child would do; she tried her very best to “save” her mom. But, of course, even our be

A No Stone Unturned Re-Visit.From September 2019.Lyme Disease is the fastest growing infectious disease in the world, eclipsing the HIV/Aids crisis by over 10X. It is now reported in all 50 states and 79 countries. The CDC estimates 400,000 new cases per year, but even that number is thought to be on the low end of the problem. Lyme has been reported to be associated with various psychiatric presentations because Borreliaburgdorferi can present with symptoms similar to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Because Lyme patients are so often misdiagnosed and mistreated, a higher level of risk to self and others is associated with multiple symptoms developing after acquiring LAD. 

Dr. Greg Chasson provides practical tools for young adults who are entering college. The ages of 18-25 are when a majority of mental illnesses are detected. What can you do to support your mental health now and when you are under intense pressure? 

Along with the information genetic testing can provide, it also delivers more questions and confusion. Alesia Weiss's own experience with an over-the-counter DNA kit in 2014 resulted in severe shock when she discovered that the man who’d raised her was not her genetic father. Learning the identity of her biological father took four long years of research and the news that he’d passed away years before her discovery will always be a profound source of sorrow for her. Because of this experience, Alesia has worked hard to support NPEs, the donor-conceived community, and adoptees in their fight to know their genetic history. Her service on behalf of this community includes genealogical research, education, networking and the provision of informed emotional support.1.  www.nursingfornpes.com  , or NPEN, is a website for anyone who needs assistance with deciphering their DNA , finding a therapist, looking for a mentor,  or just needing resources. 2.  www.facebook.com/groups/thisnpelife

A No Stone Unturned Episode.A re-visit from 2020.What's it like to be a Psychiatrist?Dr. Jim Polo has worked as a general physician, a child psychiatrist, an adult psychiatrist, and in a state hospital setting. He's now the Director of Behavioral Health for Cambia Health Solutions. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Polo about why he chose this specialty and what his biggest breakthroughs/disappointments have been.

How do you find a therapist once you’ve decided to seek help? And how do you assist young adults who need care when they are away at college? Dr. Greg Chasson provides a critical roadmap for accessing mental health services. 

No Stone Unturned.This is a revisit Beyond Well. It's one of our earliest shows from 2019. Edan Armas is an award-winning Spoken Word Artist and Poet and graduate of Stanford University. Armas was the 2019 Baccalaureate student speaker, and an outspoken voice on the topic of student mental Health. Edan’s undergraduate career focused on how emotion manifests in the body, mind and the  collective consciousness.  Edan encourages students to embrace both the tribulations and triumphs of the college experience, noting that the process of adulting is difficult—even painful, and how vulnerability became his superpower.

A No Stone Unturned episode from 2019.Ken Cervera's openness, his honesty and his path to wellness have all been informed by an immensely isolating period in his late twenties when he attempted to end his life. Ken drove his motorcycle through a Los Angeles intersection straight into an oncoming vehicle. Miraculously, both drivers escaped harm.  We believe suicide attempt survivors can be extremely helpful in understanding the suicide epidemic, the mindset of suicidal ideation, and why relationship-centered and evidence-based treatment is essential to recovery.  Ken Cervera is the host of Own Your Truth Podcast, a personal coach, and the Director of Wellness for Mind Health Institute, Pasadena.

A No Stone Unturned episode from 2019."A talk with Doctors, Do I need therapy?"We hire personal trainers to help us get in shape, tutors for difficult subjects, and music instructors to learn to master musical instruments.  So, why are people reluctant to hire a therapist, a person trained to help people better manage their minds? In this episode, Jenna, Sheila and Brian talk about how therapy works and what really goes on in therapeutic sessions.

Beyond Well No Stone Unturned.A re-visit episode from 2019.People are increasingly unsure about kids, and the US and European fertility rate is at an all time low. According to Pew Research, 1 in 5 people will remain childless. This week, the Beyond Well Team talk about the growing number of people who are intentionally childless. If you are attempting to decide whether to have children, this episode is for you. As a farm girl raised in eastern Oregon, Jackie ShannonHollis expected to become another someday. But, after several failed relationships, Jackie met the love of her life, a man who did not want children. In direct and intimate language, Hollis talks about her consideration of what to keep and what to abandon to make space for love. Her debut memoir, This Particular Happiness is receiving critical acclaim for its honesty, its poetry, and one woman’s ability to tell the truth about our most intimate desires.

Dr. Greg Chasson talks about Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, or DBT. DBT is a type of talk therapy (psychotherapy). It’s based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), but it’s specially adapted for people who experience emotions very intensely.“Dialectical” means combining opposite ideas. DBT focuses on helping people accept the reality of their lives and their behaviors, as well as helping them learn to change their lives, including their unhelpful behaviors.Dialectical behavior therapy was developed in the 1970s by Marsha Linehan, an American psychologist.

Doctors Jenna LeJune and Brian Goff.This show aired more than four years ago. We originally titled it “Why Therapy”. But in hindsight we easily could have called it “Why therapy could work for you and what to expect when you get there...Oh, and by the way there are different kinds of therapist approaches so, here’s what you could be looking for” It’s a Doctors only discussion and an interesting insider view from a couple of mental health care professionals. We hope you enjoy the episode. 

Doctors Jenna LeJune and Brian Goff. This show originally aired four years ago. We could easily refer to it as the more time moves on the more things stay the same. :)The subject matter: The political season is winding up into overdrive The noise machine on the Left is facing off with the noise Machine on the Right and the 24 hour News cycle is pummeling everyone with what we should be thinking about who, what and why you should be tuned in for the next big political story! We talked with the Doctors about how it’s ok to feel overwhelmed, It’s ok to have your own political feelings and ...perhaps most importantly... it’s ok to turn off the noise machine. Enjoy the episode. 

Logan Gore is a professional who lives with anxiety and panic attacks. She tried medicine, therapy, and many other forms of assistance. It wasn’t until Logan trained a mental health service animal that her symptoms subsided. Why dogs can be beneficial partners in bringing distressing episodes under control.