Communication

Most everyone realizes the important role of good communication in a relationship.  We probably could swap stories all day about funny miscommunications that leave us with our heads tilted and thinking, “really?”  Often these misinterpretations could have easily been avoided with proper communication tools in place.  For instance, did you realize that between 60-80% of communication is non-verbal (variance due to different cultures).   It is the body language, facial expression, amount of eye contact, tone of voice that often communicates the true message in our words.  The irony is that our culture seems to be moving away from face to face communication and more toward the written word, or more accurately, the written abbreviation!  This makes good communication skills even more important because the written word lacks the nonverbal pieces mentioned above giving way to the greater possibility for miscommunication.

Styles of communication can vary greatly depending on our culture, temperament, education, age, gender, and even certainly our personality.  Some may describe themselves as “detail” communicators, while others are more “abstract”.  For example, we have all heard stories of how different types of people, give different travel directions. “Stay on the same road until you pass the big oak tree on the left, keeping going until you see the hardware store, then turn left;  and if you see the fire station, you’ve gone too far” as opposed to, “Stay on Main street for 3 blocks then turn left onto Maple Drive”.  Neither is correct or incorrect, just different.

There is a story in my family, passed around for many years, that is a very good example of different communication styles   It was time for our twelve year old son to learn how to do laundry.  The day of instruction I was at my office and he was at home on summer break from school.  He called me shortly after waking with a sleepy voice but willing spirit.

My biggest concern was that the right clothes were washed together and that he used the proper temperature of water.  I began this monologue of teaching about the importance of each.  I went into great detail about how to sort the different clothes types, the amount of detergent, how to use bleach, the different drying cycles, which clothes to hang up instead of using the dryer, where to find the supplies; I mean, I had a rhetoric that could have been used in the instruction manual from the manufacturer.  My studious son was taking it all in, I could tell because he was throwing in an occasional “uh-huh”.  I felt good about the communication process.

As I ended my directive speech, I asked him if he had any questions (feeling confident that I had covered everything so thoroughly I couldn’t imagine that he did, but it felt like a “connecting” kind of question to put out there).  As he walked through the house carrying the phone I could hear him opening the door to the laundry room, pondering all that was in front of him.  He was quiet while he was lining up the instructions with all that surrounded him.  And then he said the words I will never forget, “I just have one question, which one is the washer and which one is the dryer?”

What….just…happened…here?

We have laughed about this incident for years!  But there are actually some valuable pieces of information to take away from this encounter regarding communication styles.  If we are aware that there are different styles of communicating, we will become less frustrated when our message is not received.

The way in which we choose to speak is only half of the process.  It is a common mistake to forget that communicating includes listening as well as speaking.  Are we really listening to the message, taking in all of the words, inflections and non-verbals?  Or, are we nodding our heads and secretly preparing what we are going say next?  If tested, could we correctly and precisely reflect what the person just said to us?   This is a skill that is extremely important in our intimate relationships, but also can be vital in a business transaction or even a parent/teacher interaction.  Not only will reflective listening show respect to the other person, but it will also provide space for clarification.  This is just one example of an important communication tool.  There are many others that can be learned, practiced and implemented into our lives during session with any of the counselors at Gilstrap & Associates.

At Gilstrap & Associates, we have worked with many combinations of people trying to communicate; spouses, parents, teenagers, young children, grandparents, teachers, employers, business associates, co-workers and different blendings of these individuals.  Please call our Orlando office if you would like more information on how individual counseling, marriage counseling or group counseling, or even a workplace seminar could help improve communication in your world.  Do not be left wondering if your message was received as you intended it.

Relational Connection

This entry was submitted by CB on May 12, 2011

Relational connection gives purpose and meaning to our lives. On this YouTube video Dr. Brown talks about her personal discovery and life-changing experience that occurred while researching relational connections and the people involved. She discusses the difference between those who are connected and those who are not. Her discoveries are quite profound and I believe are helpful for each of us to grasp as we consider how to connect more deeply with one another. She addresses the subject of shame and fear and how they block us from connecting. She discusses our sense of worthiness as to whether we “feel worthy to be loved.”

Listening to Dr. Brown encouraged me to be aware of what keeps me from connecting more deeply with someone. Is it fear? Is it a sense of shame? These are good questions to ask as we strive to be more connected in our close relationships. I encourage you to take a few moments to listen and consider what Dr. Brown has to say about vulnerability.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o

Christy Braman, LMHC

Why is the Ice Cream in the Pantry and Where are the Clean Towels?

True Story…I went to the pantry to take out a box of cereal for breakfast and there was my new half-gallon container of ice cream sitting on the shelf next to the cereal. Technically, it was just the container sitting on the shelf; the ice cream (I use the word “ice” loosely) was dripping onto each shelf below forming a cascade of sticky gooey liquid all the way down to my floor! Really? While I was cleaning the mess, I realized what had happened was while putting away the groceries the evening before, I was so preoccupied with a financial matter that my body was performing one task and my mind was on a totally different wavelength. Result? No ice cream and no solution to the financial issue. Does that happen to you?

Or maybe you can relate to this story. This past week I have been so busy with major home repairs, graduate school, and internship that one day I woke to the realization that I didn’t have any clean towels or clean forks. How does this happen? I cannot change anything in my schedule right now…so how do I manage all that is required of me? I felt as though I was failing in so many areas and that I had too much responsibility for one person to manage. There are seasons in our lives that contain an inordinate amount of activity or problems which deplete us of strength, physical and emotional. These are the times we say to our friends, “I HAVE SO MUCH STRESS!”

The three leading sources of stress for Americans right now is Money, Work and the Economy; this according to a recently published study on the effects of stress on Americans, published by the American Psychological Association (Stress in America Findings. November, 2010. www.stressinamerica.org). Great, I have little control over the national economy or the decisions being made on my behalf, but they are causing me great stress….what can I do? So what about stress that is out of our control?

There is no stress in your life that is out of your control. Stress is an internal (INTERNAL: of yourself) response to an external factor. It is not the lack of money, lack of time, loss of job, fear of flying, information overload, working three jobs to make ends meet, teenager on drugs, etc. that gives us stress; stress is our reaction. Each concern on this list is legitimate for attention. But it is important to realize that in many cases we are choosing our response to that concern (albeit subconsciously most of the time). If we begin to understand and believe this, then we are empowered to change it. Here are some additional thoughts to consider about changing the stress response.

Determine the triggers

Take time to name the items, events, people, or thoughts that are causing your stress response. Note any specific relationship to time that might be present. This is the first step in determining how to respond differently.

Determine what is needed to change

Once you have filtered through the causes of your stress response, begin to imagine what life would be like without feeling stressed in each area you have noted. What would be necessary to make a change? How do you get to where you want to be? This may require a long hard look at your life, your priorities, your values and your self-worth (don’t rush over that word: self-worth, what is your worth to yourself?). Recognizing what is keeping you from fulfilling your goal is a big step to achieving it.

Do you practice Self Care?

Women are especially bad about giving time to themselves. We take care of others, but often put ourselves last in line for privileges and downtime. If you are a planner, perhaps you can schedule time on your calendar for yourself. If you are more of a winger, than take advantage of opportunities that come across your path without feeling guilty.

There are options to controlling the stress response factor in life. If you find you need help in this process please call our office. We can help you in any of these stages of change. We can offer interventions such as relaxation techniques, talk therapy or behavior modification for you to use as tools in managing your stress response. Invest in yourself so that you can be happy and healthy in your service to others.

Once I began considering stress relief as a responsibility to myself and my family I was able to work toward a solution without guilt. Whatever that looks like for you, I hope that you come to a place where managing your stress response is a deliberate effort. Don’t wait until the stress inside of you pours out (ice cream in the pantry and no clean forks). Determine that you are going to manage it instead of it managing you!

Brenda Stutler, BA, Student Intern

Is there a way to treat my anxiety and depression naturally?

Submitted by hnapolitano on Sun, 04/26/2009 – 19:00

Many of my patients ask me this question. Most doctors will tell you “no”. There are 2 main reasons for this. First, very little about natural supplementation is taught in medical school. The second reason is because there are no “FDA” indications for the use of supplements in mental health. However, because so many patients have interest in this, I would like to share with you what I have seen be beneficial to some patients in my practice. Please keep in mind that this is only MY OPINION, based on MY EXPERIENCE. Most of the products mentioned below have some limited evidence of usefulness, but my suggestions are mostly based on what I have observed from my patients.

For Depression:  Having said the above, there actually is good evidence that 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptohan, which is basically Serotonin) can improve the sypmtoms of MILD Depression.  I have seen this work in a number of patients, but again, only if that patient has presented with MILD Depressive symptoms.  More often, I have seen it be beneficial by adding a small dose to an antidepressant.  You see, antidepressants don’t actually increase the amount of serotonin in your brain.  They only make your nerve cells use it better.  So sometimes, if you’ve been on an antidepressant for a while and it stops working, it may be because your nerve cells are working so well they’ve used up all the serotinin and need more.  I have also used 5-HTP to help in cases where a higher dose of an antidepressant has not been tolerated (because of side effects), to augment the effects of the antidepressant.  Other benefits of 5-HTP:  decreasing carbohydrate cravings, helping with mild anxiety and helping you sleep better.

*PLEASE DO NOT MIX ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND 5-HTP WITHOUT A DOCTOR’S ADVICE.  This is because your body CAN get too much serotonin, resulting in something called serotonin syndrome, which can make you very sick!

My next recommendation for depression is not actually a supplement, but is something that is considered a “medical food” (that means you still have to have a prescription for it).  The product is called Deplin.  It is a methylated folate (folate is one of the B vitamins) tablet.  It actually also has lots of evidence that indicate it helps depression get better faster and more completely, when added to an antidepressant.  The fact that it is “methylated” means that it’s basically already in it’s usable form.  It should be absorbed more easily and used more reeadily by your body than a regular folate tablet that you can buy over the counter.  There are certain conditions where you would want to avoid extra folate, so you must speak to your doctor about this as well.

For Anxiety:  The calming neurotransmitter, GABA, or Gamma-AminoButyric Acid, is a tyupical target of supplements that treat anxiety.  In fact, the ones I have seen be beneficial are Theanine, an amino acid precursor to GABA, and simply taking GABA itself.  Medications usch as Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin help anxiety by working on the GABA receptors.  Sometimes adding GABA can help people reduce their need for one of the above medications, and sometimes helps with sleep as well.  Please talk with your doctor before using this, because there are adverse effects from too much GABA!

Theanine (found in green tea) has many uses, and actually can increase levels of serotonin and dopamine, in addition to GABA.  Ihave seen it be beneficial for mild anxiety by itsefl, or to help limit the dosage needed of an antianxiety medication.  As a bonus, there is some evidence it enhances your body’s immune response to infection, and when added to caffeine, may increase cognition and mood (caffeine, however, is not recommended for anxiety and should be reduced in anxiety disorders).  It is also usually an ingredient in over the counter “natural” sleep aids.  While it is hard to get too much theanine, I would still only advise using it after consulting with a physician knowledgeable in the use of supplements.

Another product I have found useful in treating anxiety is Kavinace.  This product is made by a company called Neuroscience.  It contains 3 ingredients that all work to increase GABA production and activity.  The first ingredient is phenibut, which is a derivative of GABA that actually gets into the nerve cells more easily than GABA.  The second ingredient is Taurine, which is an amino acid that promotes the production of GABA and prevents the breakdown of GABA, therefore, making more available to your nerve cells.  The final ingredient is B6, a vitamin which is needed in order for your body to make GABA.  This product is useful on an “as needed” basis for anxiety, similar to the way one would use xanax, or also when taken regularly, usually 2 or 3 times a day, to help reduce overall tension, stress, or agitation, and sometimes hyperactivity.  This product is only available through the Neuroscience company (an excellent company, in my opinion!), but many websites and physicians have collaborated with this company to make their products available.

AGAIN, FOR ALL SUPPLEMENTS, PLEASE ONLY USE AFTER TALKING WITH A PHYSICIAN KNOWLEDGEABLE IN THE USE OF SUPPLEMENTS; and be sure to disclose all your current medications and medical conditions, so the physician can make the most appropriate recommendations for you.

My only recommendations on brands of supplements are to try to find “pharmaceutical grade” products.  I do have some of these things that I recommend available at our offices, and I am working to make more readily available at minimal costs.

Heidi Napolitano, M.D.

Psychiatrist

Keeping the fractured Economy from fracturing you or your Family!

Submitted by jgilstrap on Tue, 04/21/2009 – 19:36

The challenges of our fractured economy are evident in all of our lives.  We see job loss, business failures, and families in turmoil.   Our national financial structures are being savaged by greed and dishonesty and those failures have cascaded down upon us and our families.  This malaise has touched each and every one of us.  However………………….

This is not new to our economy; it is consistent with the cyclical nature of how our capitalist system works.  It has happened before, and it will happen again, but in the meantime how do we cope with the loss of our jobs, businesses, and our life savings.

First things first, we must keep the faith.  Know that God is in control, and that all things in heaven and earth are under His authority.  He gives us practical principles for us to follow when times like this arise.

Make sure that you are secure in your faith. If not, spend some time with your pastor, priest, rabbi, counselor or your spiritual leader.

Second, if you have suffered a loss, either job, business or life savings consider the following.  Prepare two budgets; one for your finances and one for  how you spend your time.   Your financial health for your family is critical.  Take the same steps with your family budget as our state is doing with its budget.  What excesses can you remove that will not deter your basic needs; food, clothing, and shelter.  Take a look at your current assets and your long term assets.  If you have toys like boats, cars, four wheelers, etc, consider taking a loss and turn them into cash.  If you are depressed because you have lost your life savings, know that you are not alone.  Also know that this too will pass.  Long term financial success comes to those who spend less than they earn, become lenders not borrowers, and become debt free.  While this may not be where you are now, our present day economy gives us a great reason to begin to put these principles in practice now.  Take time to sit your children down and explain to them what has happened to your family finances.  This can be tricky because we do not in any way want your children to take on more than is appropriate, but we do want to encourage you as families to all learn money principles.  Include them in as much detail as you are comfortable sharing.  Let them become part of the process.  Try to have a family time to pray and to discuss where and what you are doing to manage your financial budget.  This exercise may help with the “I want, and can I have’s”.

Thirdly, budget your time.  If you have lost your job, or know that a layoff is imminent begin to take steps now to manage your time.  Take the three step process.  Make sure that you are spending Time with God; either by a quiet time, or with other believers of your faith.  Exercise daily and rigorously.  Make sure you sweat every day.  This will keep you mentally sharp and help you fight depression.  Network with everyone.  Men tend to have a difficult time networking.  However necessity causes all of us to do things that are somewhat uncomfortable.  The best place to start networking is with those that are in your same faith, whether at church, synagogue, or temple.  Start with those that you know and those that know you best.  Do not be intimidated to ask anyone for a job or a reference.  Make lists of previous employers, job mates, and Sunday school friends.  Call them personally, ask for a job or a reference that might lead to a job.  Finally, take what you can get for a start.  It is easier to get a better position when you are working than when you are not working.  Do not send out resumes and expect something to happen.  You have to manage this personally with a phone call or a visit.

Finally, if you are completely overwhelmed, we can help.  We have capable counselors and Psychiatrists within our staff that are trained to help you overcome your challenges.  If you are at the point where you no longer can find answers, call us, we can help.

What is rEEG?

Submitted by jgilstrap on Mon, 04/27/2009 – 13:24

As per the request from our speaking engagement at the “Your Not Alone – Campus Crusade”, this past weekend, we wanted to provide further information about the rEEG testing that we have found to be extremely beneficial within our practice.  We have had several clients that have taken this route in their journey toward healing and have been extremely pleased with the outcome.  We hope this information is helpful to you as well.

Thank you so much for coming to our seminar!

Jessica Gilstrap, LMHC and Curtis McGown, LMHC

What is rEEG®?

Referenced-EEG (rEEG®) is the first objective, physiology-based system consistently shown to guide psychiatrists to appropriate treatment in the most challenging patients. It is the culmination of a 20-year effort combining Quantitative Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology that allows a physician for the first time to objectively determine which CNS (central nervous system) medications will be effective for a particular patient.

Why is rEEG® Not Diagnostic? Psychiatrists and addictionologists are now using this system to guide treatment of patients previously defined as treatment-resistant. Approximately 75% of these patients have, in fact, been successfully treated with currently available medications when rEEG® was utilized to guide treatment.

The problem we solve“There are over 100 medications available for treatment of behavioral disorders. The core problem is not that we need three more. The problem is we need to know how to use the 100 that we have.”- Stephen Suffin, M.D., Co-founder Medical treatment of mental disorders differs fundamentally from the treatment of all other health disturbances in one important way – psychiatrists or addiction specialists have no objective physiologic measurements to guide treatment of mental or addictive illness. Twentieth Century technical advances provided x-rays to the orthopedist, EKGs to the cardiologist and CT scans to the neurologist, but did not lead to any analogous technology for psychiatrists. There is no physiologic brain measurement system available to assist the physician/psychiatrist. Treatment choice primarily has relied on a diagnostic system that considers behavioral observations by the physician/psychiatrist and descriptions of emotion and behavior by patient or family members as the basis for prescribing medications.

Without the benefit of any physiology-based measurement tools, physicians/psychiatrists simply are making an educated guess at what effective therapy might be. Clinical treatment is neither efficient nor completely effective in most cases. Approximately 70% of patients have either no, or an incomplete, response to medications.

Referenced-EEG® (rEEG®) is a patented (issued 2003 and 2007) proprietary technology of CNS that utilizes commonly used digital electroencephalography (EEG) in conjunction with a normative database and a proprietary clinical (symptomatic) database to identify abnormal patient physiology. Appropriate medications are then statistically selected specifically to normalize discovered abnormalities. This process has been correlated to treatment outcome in a database of over 1,600 patients and 13,000 medication trials. The results of the analysis for each patient are produced in a two-page report provided to the physician from the CNS reference laboratory. Treatment directed by rEEG® has led to positive outcomes in over 75% of the 3000+ patients who have previously failed to respond to traditional treatment efforts as indicated in retrospective and prospective trials as well as in pilot clinical programs.ApplicationCNS Response technologies are also being applied in drug research and development, a field that has been plagued by the same lack of physiologic markers as has clinical psychiatric care. rEEG® can be used to improve the success of FDA clinical trials, to provide insight on effective therapeutic dosing of investigational drugs, to identify additional indications for psychiatric medications, to provide insight into effective drug combinations, and to identify psychiatric indications for non-psychiatric medications, to manage adverse neuropsychiatric effects of other medications and for other benefits.

 

Additional Links

ALIVE

Submitted by bstaton on Tue, 05/12/2009 – 11:45

Nine laughter-filled, candle-lit, chocolate-aided Thursday nights this spring, a small group of women has met at the Gilstrap & Napolitano offices to consider this question: What does it mean to live fully alive?

The question stems from St. Irenaeus, who said, “The glory of God is man fully alive.”

What does he mean by that? And, is it possible? As we face the pain of broken relationships or the mundane of carpool line, is there more to life than getting through the day? To echo the old movie title, is this as good as it gets?

During our Alive Group meetings, we discussed these topics:

  1. Finding Life in My Own Story (Sharing our stories with one another.)
  2. Alone Time: Now What? (What to do during meditation/spiritual retreat time.)
  3. No Fear (Barrier to aliveness #1: fear.)
  4. When Life Sucks (Barrier to aliveness #2: pain & suffering.)
  5. Get Out of Jail Free Card (Barrier to aliveness #3: personal history.)
  6. Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places (The false lovers/addictions we turn to . . . yes, we played the old Johnny Lee song.)
  7. Who Are My Peeps? (Finding real life in community; relationship with others.)
  8. What Does God Have to Do with It? (Finding real life in spiritual filling; relationship with God.)
  9. Reflection (Feedback from the group.)

The Alive Group is a safe, confidential environment where women of all ages come together to share their stories, learn from one another, and imagine what it means to really live.

If you are interested in joining a nine-week Alive Group in Fall 2009, please contact Beverly, our Office Administrator. Groups will be offered in the daytime and the evening.

Britt Staton, M.A.

Wow, what a day yesterday was!

Submitted by jgilstrap on Fri, 06/26/2009 – 12:43

Farrah Fawcett died Thursday, June 25th due to complications with her long battle against cancer.  Then just four hours and fifty-eight minutes later, the Los Angeles Times reported that the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson had died.

Farrah was a national sex symbol of the 70’s, a third of the well-known Charlie’s Angels and a star whose beauty seemed to overshadow her natural talent as an actor, artist and mother.  She was 62 years of age.

Michael Jackson was a “pop icon” whose career spanned over a period of almost 40 years.  According to the Guinness Book of World Records, he was “the most successful entertainer of all times”, the first African-American entertainer to successfully transcend and amass listeners and followers of all ages and all ethnicities.  He was 50 years of age.

We never know the day or the time that we will leave this world.  Farrah Fawcett and her family and friends had an idea that her time here on earth was coming to an end sometime soon.  Her family had the benefit of saying goodbye and expressing their love and life ending thoughts.  Her long, difficult and very public battle with cancer finally ended yesterday morning.  This was not a shock; this was something that on some level they were prepared for, unlike the death of Michael Jackson.  My guess would be that Michael Jackson did not wake up yesterday  morning and know that he would only live until the early afternoon, his family certainly did not know.  It was a shock!  I was shocked!  It seems that for most people it was a shock!

I can remember my Dad, my uncle and my cousin driving to Jacksonville to see his production of “Thriller.”  It was an unbelievable show with fireworks and of course his famed “moon walk”.

I am reminded of just how magnificent our bodies are, and yet how fragile our lives can be.  Each Sunday in the fall, giant brutes of men beat and bash each other’s bodies playing football.  Yet few sustain life threatening injuries.  Our Olympians complete feats of athletics’ that is almost unimaginable.  They push their bodies to complete exhaustion.  Yet, one can leave this earth because of a flu, virus, or worse depression leading to death.

I am also reminded of one of my dear friends who was vibrant, exciting and just fun to be with.  But in the blink of an eye, at 60 God decided to take him home.  Like Michael his family had no time to say good bye or I love you or I am sorry for my anger or transgressions.  So, on this day I rehearse and remember a very important lesson that my Grandmother taught me; never let the sun set without making right any wrongs that you may have committed to another.  You may never get the chance to do so.  This is so clear to me because it happened in my own family.  My cousin became estranged from his mother, and did not speak to her for a year.  It broke her heart, and she died of a broken heart.  The sad part was that her son will never be able to say I love you, or I am sorry.

Finally, we all will die one day.  Those who believe in Christ believe that they will have an afterlife with God.  This might be a good time for you to take a personal inventory of where you are with your family and loved ones and also your relationship to Christ.

When the Kid Causes Parental Insanity

Submitted by cmcgown on Mon, 06/29/2009 – 07:48

Throughout my experience as a counselor, there has been a consistent trend of a certain category of child.  I have seen successful, intelligent, and compassionate parents come to the edge of sanity trying to effectively parent and discipline a certain type of child.  This category of child is usually male, although it does not exclude females.  The category goes beyond Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder, although it can include these.  These children tend to increase their challenging behavior the more “good” parents pour on their “good” parenting skills.  Ironically, these very same parenting skills are typically successful with the other one to five children in the family but somehow backfire with this one special child.  These parents fluctuate from blaming themselves and feeling like failures to blaming this particular child and wondering if the babies were switched at the hospital.  Both of these extremes are typically not healthy or helpful for the family dynamic, nor are they actually true.

Let me describe a little about this particular type of child.  He tends to be physically active, seeks abundant attention, and will either argue or question every directive.  He will have tantrums or meltdowns (they look different as he gets older), which usually occur later in the day or evening.  He has difficulty multi-tasking and easily “forgets” anything that is not on his personal to-do/wish list.  This child can drain every emotional reservoir within 50 feet of him, but somehow he can still pull off a charming and likeable persona, which confuses the matter all the more.  These kids are fun and funny.  They are the guys that could take the party to the next level when they get older.  I will talk about these guys as they get older in another blog.  These kids sometimes have learning problems or at least they do not conform to the crowd in their learning styles.  They appear to be lazy in some areas of life but very motivated in other areas of life, such as an abiding commitment to watching television or playing video games.  If only marriages had the type of commitment and time investment that these kids have involved with visual stimulation.  These kids can be a blast and actually lead productive law-abiding lives (most of them anyways), but it does require an entirely different mindset and set of skills to nurture and guide them along the way.  Stay tuned for more about this new mindset and skill set.

-Curtis McGown, LMHC

http://www.curtismcgown.weebly.com/