Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories | Psychotherapy, Trauma, and Psychedelics

Dave and Laurie sit down with Dr. H to share their journey through the denial, fear, grief, and eventual acceptance of their son’s life-altering psychiatric illness.


NAMI Family to Family support
https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Mental-Health-Education/NAMI-Family-to-Family

BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcast
https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

BFTA/ Dr. H
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

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One of the tragic truths of psychiatry is that the sickest patients more often than not either don’t realize they are ill, or are convinced that treatment will do nothing. No group of patients better exemplifies this than those with schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses. A common presentation in Dr. H's  office is an older adolescent or young adult, often male, who is descending into psychosis and also completely unaware of the illness or need for treatment. Meanwhile, the parents are telling of frightening threats, explosive outbursts, bizarre behaviors, profound social isolation, and/or paranoid beliefs.  

This episode today is the first of two parts— in part 1, Karen, the mother of Sam, describes the progression of his illness and how she has grieved and coped and parented him. In part 2 in two weeks, we’ll hear from Laurie and Dave, who also have a son with severe mental illness. The two stories are both the same and also different in some key ways. One thing they both share is that their sons, after some very scary times,  both finally agreed to engage with treatment.

NAMI Family to Family support
https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Mental-Health-Education/NAMI-Family-to-Family

BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcast
https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

BFTA/ Dr. H
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

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Dr. H sits down with Dr. Julia King Olivier, a Swiss psychiatrist and co-founder of the Compassionate Care Center in Geneva, Switzerland, to explore the fascinating landscape of psychedelic-assisted therapy there. Julia is one of a small group of physicians in Switzerland who has permission to work with LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine, and she shares her clinical experience and wisdom in this emerging realm.


BFTA among the Top 15 Psychedelic Podcasts of 2023!
https://podcasts.feedspot.com/psychedelic_podcasts/?_src=alsoin

BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcast
https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

BFTA/ Dr. H
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

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Dr. H's patient Lindsey shares her story of self-medicating her anxiety and depression with cannabis, then steadily building tolerance and moving on to THC concentrates. This led to full-blown dependence and a spiral downward into daily bouts of terrible nausea, near constant panic, and emerging hopelessness.

BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcast
https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

BFTA/ Dr. H
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

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In this season 5 opener, Craig sits down with Shelly Winemiller, a Colorado-based trauma therapist, to witness her powerful story of reclaiming her body and spirit from the nightmare of clergy sexual abuse.

Shelly Winemiller
http://www.oasisforhealing.com/meet-shelly

BFTA/ Dr. H
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

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Craig sits down with  Dr. Hillary McBride, a psychologist, researcher, author, and podcast host (Other People's Problems) to explore all things psychedelic.


Dr. Hillary McBride
https://hillarylmcbride.com/

Roots to Thrive-- a model of ketamine group therapy used by Hillary at Katalyst
https://rootstothrive.com/

Hillary's ketamine groups at Katalyst
https://www.katalystmentalhealth.com/

Psychedelic Ceremony and the Art of Groups with Dori Lewis
https://www.elementalpsychedelics.com/psychedelictraining

Dr. H
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

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BFTA's co-conspirators explore what they learned this season, their favorite episodes, ideas/plans for season 5, whether BFTA has become too psychedelic-heavy, and what they most value in each other.

BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcast
https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

BFTA/ Dr. H
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

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In this final story of season 4, Craig speaks with Wayne, a longtime patient of his who has battled treatment resistant depression and crippling anxiety for many years.  Wayne's story highlights a few crucial things— the fact that sometimes you can do everything right, do all the self-care things, yet still be waylaid by the crushing dark force of depression…this story also illustrates the power of the therapeutic relationship, and the fact that two people can deeply respect and care for each other, even when they land on opposite ends of the religious and political divide.


BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcast
https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

BFTA/ Dr. H
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

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Can you treat >95% of all patients with mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders with just ten meds? Dr. H says YES.
Here he posits his top ten, based on efficacy, safety, tolerability, and cost.


BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcast
https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

BFTA/ Dr. H
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

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Craig sits down with Ana, a Mexican medicine woman, or curandera. Ana shares a unique perspective and an earned wisdom that is particularly relevant today as we enter a veritable renaissance of plant medicines and psychedelics, while also trying to avoid the rampant mistakes and misuses of the past.

Ana works with various medicines, including one that was mentioned in the “The Dark Side of Psychedelics” episode—  that would be Bufo, also known as  5-MeO, or 5-methoxy-DMT.  In contrast with that episode, Ana describes much more mindful and careful use of this powerful compound.

The Revolution Will Not Be Psychologized (The Emerald podcast)
https://www.buzzsprout.com/317042/12293967-the-revolution-will-not-be-psychologized

BFTA on Instagram. @backfromtheabysspodcast
https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheabysspodcast/

BFTA/ Dr. H
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/podcast-page/

Support the show