If you or your partner is in need of urgent mental health support, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Today, I welcome back psychiatrist Dr. Lisa Benton-Hardy to the show. Dr. Hardy is Board Certified in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry and has been practicing for over 20 years.

In the second of this two-part discussion of mental health, we start by reviewing some of the reasons you or your partner may need to seek professional help and the process for finding the appropriate care. Dr. Hardy outlines how primary care physicians, therapists, and psychiatrists play a role in making a diagnosis. In the context of a relationship, the professionals involved may be:

• A therapist for the person experiencing challenges
• A psychiatrist for the person experiencing challenges
• A couples therapist for the sake of the relationship
• A therapist for the partner

Dr. Hardy gives a brief lesson on neurotransmitters in the body that impact mental health, and when a person may need medication We go on to discuss treatment options mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Dr. Hardy categorizes treatment into three levels

• Primary
  • Restorative sleep, healthy eating, exercise
• Secondary
  • Prescription medications
• Tertiary
  • Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), Ketamine

Since people often hesitate to take medication because of concerns about side effects, Dr. Hardy describes how doctors can mitigate effects by switching prescriptions and dosing. She shares her concerns about over the counter treatments, and explains how nicotine and alcohol adversely impact the effectiveness of prescribed medications. Dr. Hardy concludes by imploring us to seek professional help when needed, and to disclose ALL substances we consume to our doctors...our lives depend on it.

If you like what you heard...

• Follow Practically Married with Paula Holt on your favorite podcast platform to get every episode!
• Visit PracticallyMarried.net/Newsletter to sign up and receive even more relationship info and resources!
• Follow @getpracticallymarried on Instagram to tell us about your experiences using the strategies you hear on the show!

Edited by Veronica Gruba
Music by Sage Holt-Hall

If you or your partner is in need of urgent mental health support, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Today, I welcome psychiatrist (and close friend) Dr. Lisa Benton-Hardy to the show. Dr. Hardy is Board Certified in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry and has been practicing for over 20 years. In the first of this two-part discussion of mental health in the context of relationships, Dr. Hardy addresses:

• Signs of mental health challenges and what she calls going "0 for 2"
• Causes of mental health problems
• The mind-body connection

We go on to discuss the numerous ways individual mental health struggles impact relationships, and then Dr. Hardy describes the following common conditions that one or both partners may experience:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• ADHD
• Substance abuse

Dr. Hardy shares how the acronym CAGE can help determine if symptoms rise to the level of being a problem, and the steps to take to get a proper diagnosis (and that doesn't include taking advice from "Dr. Google" Lastly, we discuss co-dependency and enabling behavior within relationships.

If you like what you heard...

• Follow Practically Married with Paula Holt on your favorite podcast platform to get every episode!
• Visit PracticallyMarried.net/Newsletter to sign up and receive even more relationship info and resources!
• Follow @getpracticallymarried on Instagram to tell us about your experiences using the strategies you hear on the show!

Edited by Veronica Gruba
Music by Sage Holt-Hall

In this solo mini episode, I'll explain my unexpected extended break in Season 2 before touching on what Practically Married has had me thinking about and working on over the last couple months. I'll share...

• Some thoughts about weddings
• The marriage book I'm reading - 'Til Stress Do Us Part by Elizabeth Earnshaw
• A promo of my upcoming discussion on couples and mental health

Practically Married website redesign by Going Bold Studio.

If you like what you heard...

• Follow Practically Married with Paula Holt on your favorite podcast platform to get every episode!
• Visit PracticallyMarried.net/Newsletter to sign up and receive even more relationship info and resources!
• Follow @getpracticallymarried on Instagram to tell us about your experiences using the strategies you hear on the show!

Edited by Veronica Gruba
Music by Sage Holt-Hall