Tag: <span>Mental Health Treatment</span>

Adult Psychiatry Addiction Therapist • Impaired Professionals • Mental Health • Mental Health Treatment February 1, 2021 By PSYCHIATRY NYC 0 Comments

Neuropsychological Testing and Substance Use Disorders

Written by Ronnit Nazarian, Psy.D.

Most of us are aware of the long-standing emotional and behavioral effects of substance abuse. However, the more subtle and detrimental effects that are harder to assess are the negative impacts substance abuse has on a person’s cognitive abilities (e.g., short-term memory, fluid reasoning, processing speed).

For example, we see that opioid addiction increases depressive emotions and behaviors. More subtle impacts of opioid addiction, according to research, are the effects on a person’s prefrontal cortex and temporal lobe.² Consequently, these areas of impact, in turn, affect a person’s cognitive abilities, which our Manhattan psychiatrists can identify with a neuropsychological evaluation.

Specifically, with an impact on the prefrontal cortex (e.g., influences emotion, memory, and executive function) and temporal lobe (e.g., influences language and visual perception), we would find that most opioid users would have difficulty retaining visual memory, comprehending spoken language, planning, and making decisions.²

Before going into the most common areas impacted by substance abuse, our psychiatrists in Manhattan will discuss what neuropsychological testing is and how it can inform the type of treatment plan you receive medically and therapeutically.

What is a Neuropsychological Evaluation?

A neuropsychological evaluation is an in-depth assessment of a person’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses, academic achievement, and social-emotional functioning. The evaluation measures areas such as:

Attention
Emotions
Executive functioning
Memory
Visual-spatial reasoning
Processing speed
Verbal comprehension
Reading
Writing
Math

In order to assess a person’s neuropsychological functioning, a variety of measures are administered such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Woodcock Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities, Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Conners 3, and many others. Typically, concerns that suggest neuropsychological testing are difficulties in the following areas: attention, memory, problem-solving, and comprehension. These concerns can be due to a variety of reasons (e.g., Anxiety, Depression), as well as an underlying effect of substance use.

What are the Benefits of a Neuropsychological Evaluation?

A major benefit of having a neuropsychological evaluation is using the results to assist professionals and clients in obtaining a comprehensive picture of the client’s concern and, consequently, informing their selection of an effective treatment for the client. For example, let’s imagine a client who is experiencing symptoms of anxiety: Neuropsychological testing can inform the patient in understanding that their presentation of anxiety impacts their processing speed (ability to complete tasks within the allotted time) and verbal memory. If this were an adult client, this information can be valuable in understanding the difficulty of working in high-pressure environments with timelines on projects and demand for high-quality work. Tying it back to therapy, neuropsychological testing assists the therapist to better understand the impact of the concern on the client’s life across different settings (e.g., work, school, home, relationships), which can in turn influence the therapeutic treatment to be centered around the client’s needs.

With neuropsychological testing, our Manhattan addiction psychiatrists can also find the current impacts of substance abuse on a person’s functioning. In addition, the evaluation can help identify long-standing underlying conditions (e.g., Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Depression) that may have driven substance use to begin with. For example, research shows clients who abuse specific substances may have presented with anxiety since a young age, which could have influenced their use of substances in order to cope with the anxiety.⁴ In other cases with neuropsychological testing, we may find that the client experienced a traumatic event, which triggered an increase in alcohol usage and leading to dependence in order to cope.³

What are Common Impacts of Substance Abuse on Cognitive Abilities?

An overwhelming amount of research shows that people with addiction typically have cognitive deficits affecting predominantly executive functions, decision making, emotion regulation, attention, and memory.¹ The cognitive area impacted differs as a function of the principal drug of choice. Specifically, research has shown that “cocaine and methamphetamine are linked to deficits in working memory, response inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and decision making. Opioid addiction is associated with deficits in verbal episodic and working memory as well as fluency and decision-making. Alcohol addiction relates to cognitive deficits across the board, spanning from basic abilities such as speed and language to attention and memory and more complex executive functions and decision-making. Cannabis addiction, however, is linked to specific alterations in episodic memory although they can be short-lived. MDMA (ecstasy) users also show discrete alterations of memory processes. Most populations with addiction problems have deficits in emotion processing and regulation as well as social cognition and interaction problems.”²

Can Cognitive Abilities Improve after Being Impacted by Substance Use?

While these areas are heavily impacted, there are effective therapies out that can help alleviate the impact of substance abuse and result in improvements (e.g., Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Individualized Withdrawal Treatments, Motivational Interviewing, Medication Management, Group Therapy).⁶ With the ability to use neuropsychological tests to identify areas of concern and the influence on use of substance abuse, we can use this information to pave the way for treatment planning and effectively treat these areas to show improvements and change.

We Provide Neuropsychological Testing in Manhattan, New York City

At Fifth Avenue Psychiatry, our Manhattan psychiatrists strive to provide our clients with an integrative and client-centered approach. We gather pertinent information across all areas of a client’s life and then formulate a more tailored treatment plan. Neuropsychological testing is one aspect of informing an effective treatment plan that is individualized and improving recovery by understanding a person’s psychological functioning. It will allow you to understand the experiences, abilities, and areas that may impact you.

Our Manhattan psychiatrists provide neuropsychological testing in New York City. Get in touch with our team for more information.

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Bruijnen, C., Dijkstra, B., Walvoort, S., Markus, W., VanDerNagel, J., Kessels, R., & DE Jong, C. (2019). Prevalence of cognitive impairment in patients with substance use disorder. Drug and alcohol review, 38(4), 435–442. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.12922
García, A.V. (2018). The neuropsychologist working in addiction: What to know? Ten questions and answers. Revista Iberoamericana de Neuropsicología, 1(2), 170-179.
Khoury, L., Tang, Y. L., Bradley, B., Cubells, J. F., & Ressler, K. J. (2010). Substance use, childhood traumatic experience, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in an urban civilian population. Depression and anxiety, 27(12), 1077–1086. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.20751
McCauley Ohannessian C. (2014). Anxiety and substance use during adolescence. Substance abuse, 35(4), 418– https://doi.org/10.1080/08897077.2014.953663
Punzi, E. H. (2015). Neuropsychological Assessment in Substance Abuse Treatment—Focusing on the Effects of Substances and on Neuropsychological Assessment as a Collaborative Process. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 85(2), 128-145. doi: 1080/00377317.2015.1017357
Sofuoglu, M., DeVito, E. E., Waters, A. J., & Carroll, K. M. (2013). Cognitive enhancement as a treatment for drug addictions. Neuropharmacology, 64(1), 452– https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.06.021

Addiction and Treatment Adult Psychiatry Alcoholism and Recovery Mental Health Alcohol Addiction • Co-Occurring • Drug Addiction • Mental Health Treatment • ptsd November 21, 2019 By PSYCHIATRY NYC 0 Comments

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Addiction

By Britt Gottlich, Psy.D.

I often meet with people who say they are unsure of whether they have experienced trauma or not. So, what is trauma? Most people define trauma based on how trauma is portrayed in the media. But, in reality, it is a very subjective experience. Something that may be traumatic for one person may not be traumatic for another.

The American Psychological Association defines trauma as “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster.” The way I like to understand trauma is based on an individual’s interpretation of the event. As children, we live under the assumption that “good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people.” When we experience a trauma, often our interpretation of this rule becomes clouded and confused. For example, it could change to, “If good things happen to good people, and this happened to me, then I must be bad.” Therefore, a person’s reaction to a traumatic experience often affects the way they see themselves, other people, and the world around them.

We can’t change or erase a traumatic experience, unfortunately. But what we can do is change the way we interpret it and ultimately the way we understand the world around us as a result of that event.

What is Cognitive Processing Therapy?

This is where Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), a 12-session behavioral psychotherapy, can be a useful treatment modality. It helps us identify the cognitive distortions that are derived from our traumas and, using evidence and facts, combat those thoughts with rational ones.

How is Cognitive Processing Therapy Used to Treat PTSD?

CPT has been a very effective treatment modality which is often used in treating veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In fact, in 2017, a study which analyzed the effectiveness of CPT on veterans found that veterans who completed the 12-session treatment had a significant difference in their symptoms and a decline in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist scores than veterans who did not complete or comply with treatment.

Other Treatments Used to Treat PTSD

Other treatments that are used for PTSD are Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) and Prolonged Exposure (PE). In my experience and training with all the above modalities, however, I have seen the most improvement and success with CPT.

While there are treatments such as CPT that are very effective in treating trauma, one of the most important pieces in this type of therapy is rapport. In all therapy, it is important to have a positive relationship with your therapist where you feel comfortable and not judged. Especially when disclosing a trauma and going deep into the event, feelings, and cognitions related to it, it is important that you feel trusting of the person providing that treatment.

The Common Connection Between PTSD and Addiction

From my experience working at a VA and here at Fifth Avenue Psychiatry, I see that there is a high comorbidity for substance abuse and PTSD, especially when PTSD goes undiagnosed or untreated. VA statistics note that more than 2 out of 10 Veterans with PTSD also have a substance use disorder, and one out of three veterans seeking treatment for substance use disorders also meet criteria for PTSD. The American Addictions Center reported that 55-60% of individuals who suffer from PTSD have comorbid addiction or alcoholism. They also note that “people who suffer PTSD are between two and four times more likely to also battle addiction than their peers who do not also struggle with PTSD.”

Again, traumas are not something that can be erased, but they can be something you can learn to live with. You can begin to see the world, people, and yourself in healthier ways again. You may never fully believe that “good things happen to good people,” but eventually you may believe that “bad things sometimes happen to good people.”

In need of PTSD treatment in Manhattan? Contact our Manhattan PTSD psychiatrists for an individualized, science-based treatment plan.

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Why More Attorneys Are Searching for an Addiction Therapist Near Me

Addiction and Treatment Mental Health Alcohol Addiction • Drug Addiction • Mental Health Treatment August 15, 2019 By samuel glazer 0 Comments

The Lawyer: The Partyer and the Alcoholic

It’s a tired popular media trope: the attorney, burdened by the stresses of work, pours a glass of bourbon at the end of a long day. Maybe he is waiting for a verdict to come in after an impassioned speech in front of a jury, maybe she is prepping for a long day at the Supreme Court ahead. Alcohol as a coping mechanism in pop culture is as old as television itself. Read more

Addiction and Treatment Mental Health Alcohol Addiction • Drug Addiction • Mental Health Treatment July 29, 2019 By PSYCHIATRY NYC 0 Comments

Why Financial Execs Can’t Manage Stress, Leading to Addiction Treatment

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