Top of Mind

Helpful articles to help you better understand mental health issues.

The Two Spectrums of Bipolar Mood Disorders

February 15, 2024
By Peter White, M.A., LPCC, LICDC, Lindner Center of HOPE Outpatient Therapist The problem during Bipolar Mood Disorders is a pattern of swings of the essential elements of mood between the two poles, like the North Pole and South Pole, of Mania and Depression. These swings are not moodiness, which are swings of mood throughout […]

Dangers of Dieting: Why Dieting Can Be Harmful

February 8, 2024
BY: Anna Guerdjikova, PhD, LISW, CCRC, Lindner Center of HOPE, Director of Administrative Services, Harold C. Schott Foundation Eating Disorders Program University of Cincinnati, Department of Psychiatry, Research Assistant Professor   An estimated 45 million Americans diet each year and spend $33 billion annually on weight loss products. WebMD lists over 100 different diets, starting […]

Is it Trauma?

January 18, 2024
                Sidney Hays, MSW, LISW, DARTT, Outpatient Therapist, Lindner Center of HOPE “Trauma” has been a buzzword in recent years. Accompanying it has been discourse around what counts as trauma. From the extreme of exaggerating minor inconveniences as trauma to the opposite end of the spectrum which attempts […]

Managing your mental health while coping with chronic illness

January 5, 2024
Heather Melena, APRN, PMHNP-BC, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Lindner Center of HOPE           Living with a chronic illness can be difficult to manage not only physically but also emotionally and mentally as well. The challenges that can come with chronic illness include learning to cope with the symptoms of that diagnosis, figuring […]

Postpartum Depression Facts

December 22, 2023
By Danielle Beltz, MSN, PMHNP-BC, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Lindner Center of HOPE Pregnancy and childbirth can be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling things a woman can do in her lifetime but can hand in hand be one of most challenging and emotionally taxing times. A female goes through not only physical changes throughout […]

Coregulation

December 14, 2023
  by Dawn Anderson, LPCCS Humans are a very resilient species. We have overcome generations of burdens to accomplish family unity, and yet this effort renews with new barriers and challenges each year. A vital component of a thriving family unit is the ability to co-regulate. Co-regulation describes the process in which a parent can […]

How to Know When Residential Treatment May be Necessary

November 6, 2023
What is Residential Treatment? A loved one is experiencing mental health problems – or perhaps you are dealing with mental illness yourself.  As you look into treatment options – outpatient, inpatient, etc., one option that may be recommended is a residential treatment center. Residential treatment is a specialized form of inpatient care. It typically includes […]

Understanding Psychological Evaluation

October 9, 2023
People often wonder what “psychological evaluation” is, what it is used for, and how it can help. This blog post is written by Jennifer L. Farley, PsyD, Lindner Center of HOPE, Staff Psychologist. We’ll dive into the varying answers to those questions, learn more about referral questions, testing settings and why psychological evaluation is important. […]

Understanding Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia

September 18, 2023
What is Panic Disorder? Panic Disorder is an anxiety disorder that occurs when someone experiences recurrent, spontaneous, unexpected, and untriggered panic attacks. This leads to preoccupation with and fear of experiencing another attack. Panic attacks occur when there is an intense physical surge of symptoms that quickly reach their peak, usually in a few minutes. […]

Demystifying Bipolar Depression

August 21, 2023
  By: Zachary Pettibone, MD Staff Psychiatrist, Lindner Center of HOPE Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry University of Cincinnati Bipolar depression has been gaining attention recently in popular culture and the profession of psychiatry. New medications have emerged to manage this often difficult to treat illness. Bipolar depression denotes a specific type of “depression,” a […]

Body Image in a Culture of Fat Phobia

July 24, 2023
                          At times it can feel like it’s impossible to have a positive relationship with our body image. We are inundated with ads that encourage us to lose weight via this supplement or that diet/wellness program, guaranteed to give you results. Diet Culture […]

Weight gain in bipolar disorder

June 14, 2023
One of the greatest challenges in the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD) is the significant weight gain associated with psychotropic medications.  Mood stabilizer medications with antimanic activity, which include lithium, valproate as well as atypical antipsychotics, remain the mainstay of treatment despite being associated with different degrees of significant weight gain.  This is particularly notable […]

What is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and How Does it Help with OCD?

May 19, 2023
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder that presents in many forms. OCD is comprised of obsessions, which are persistent and unwanted intrusive thoughts, images, or urges. In OCD, these intrusive thoughts are considered ego-dystonic, meaning they are inconsistent with someone’s self-image, beliefs, and values. Therefore, these obsessions cause significant distress, anxiety, and worry […]

Finding the Right Depression Treatment Center: Five Questions Families Should Ask

April 30, 2023
When someone is suffering from depression, a family member is often called upon to help make important treatment decisions.  In the midst of a major depression, your loved one may be too disturbed to make practical decisions about his or her care. One of the most important decisions to make is the selection of the […]

Menopausal Depression: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

April 17, 2023
Women appear to be particularly vulnerable to depression during the perimenopause years and in the years immediately after menopause. An estimated 8 – 15% of all women experience menopausal depression symptoms.  Unfortunately, problems are often misdiagnosed, because many menopausal depression symptoms mimic those of normal menopause. The causes of menopausal depression are mostly tied to […]

Is Cannabis as Safe as We Think?

April 3, 2023
By Thomas Schweinberg, PsyD, Staff Psychologist, Lindner Center of HOPE                Over the last few years, cannabis has clearly become much more prevalent and accepted in this country, both for medical and recreational purposes. This is in stark contrast to the demonization of cannabis that existed from the 1950’s […]

Common Anxiety and Panic Disorders

April 3, 2023
by: Ronald Freudenberg, Jr., MA, LPCC-S Outpatient Therapist, Lindner Center of HOPE Anxiety can take many forms.  Anxiety is also one of the most common reasons one might seek out mental health treatment.  In this blog, we will explore some of the most frequently occurring anxiety disorders, as well as panic attacks, which can be part […]

An Introduction to Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy

March 20, 2023
Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (RO DBT) is a treatment developed by Thomas Lynch for those who develop disorders associated with an overcontrolled (OC) personality.  OC individuals are often described as reserved and cautious, not very expressive with their emotions, and great at delaying gratification. OC individuals tend to be strong rule followers and feel […]

Decluttering is supposed to help my anxiety, why is it making me feel worse?

March 15, 2023
By: Anna Guerdjikova, PhD, LISW, CCRC, Director of Administrative Services, Harold C. Schott Foundation Eating Disorders Program, Lindner Center of HOPE            Spring is in the air. More often than not during this time of year, we find ourselves determined to clean, declutter and organize. In a way, spring cleaning is […]

Psychological Assessment Settings

March 5, 2023
By Jennifer Farley, PsyD, Lindner Center of HOPE, Staff Psychologist There are a number of reasons someone may undergo a psychological evaluation or assessment. The type of testing that is done depends on the individual’s functioning and the setting in which testing may be pursued. This article will look at the different settings of mental […]