Author Archives: Ashden Smith

***TRIGGER WARNING*** Mental health is complicated. Our brains are genetically wired, but also wired by our experiences. Our brains are influenced by what we eat, what we watch, the people we surround ourselves with and what we choose to focus on. So, when it comes to treating a mental health disorder, it may take aContinue reading “There is no One Size Fits All Treatment”

One of the most common things I heard from patients and see on social media is the phrase, “I am depressed” or “I have always been a depressed person!” It’s like suffering from depression becomes a part of peoples’ identities and they use that as a trait to describe their personality. Here is something toContinue reading “Hi, I AM depressed!!”

I cannot tell you how many times I would hear a patient come in saying that their sister, mother, father or brother were depressed and/or suicidal. “It runs in my family!” The last statistic I read, stated that depression is about 40-50% genetic, however other research has shown that epigenetic and other environmental factors playContinue reading “Can I change my Genetics? Yes…well, somewhat!”

What has been discovered about the brain in the last 10 years is astounding. I know I haven’t even scratched the surface of it. It seems like we can throw out the principles that we use to believe and adapt new ones. On the intro page I mention that Neurogenesis is something that can helpContinue reading “You CAN teach an Old Dog New Tricks!”

This story has always resonated with me, but I saw it in action not too long ago. So, I wanted to share my insight. It is an old Cherokee tale, and it is as follows: We don’t realize how people around us can influence us. Again, small adaptations and changes over time are hardly noticeable.Continue reading “Feeding the right Wolf”

Neuroplasticity is defined as “a process that involves adaptive structural and functional changes to the brain.” Another more specific definition is “the ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli by reorganizing its structure, functions or connections” (Puderbaugh & Emmady, 2022, para. 1). Why should you careContinue reading “What is Neuroplasticity and why do I care?”

I am listening to an audio book called, “The Molecule of More” by Dr. Daniel Lieberman and Michael Long. It’s about Dopamine and how it affects our lives. One section explained (I am horribly paraphrasing) that we tend to release more dopamine in anticipating the task rather than actually doing the task. I am queenContinue reading “A Challenge for the readers… If you are out there!”

I feel like life is constantly learning. We should all never stop learning, no matter how far we have come. My goal with the blog portion of this site is to provide helpful resources to people who actually read it. The purpose of the posts on this site are things going on in my headContinue reading “Helpful Resources”

I was watching a movie on Netflix called, “Love Happens” about a man who lost his wife, but gives conferences about being “A-okay” when in actuality he has never mourned or gotten over the loss of his wife. As he was coaching and helping other individuals mourn the loss of their loved ones, he wasContinue reading “It’s going to take time and time is not on your side!”

I took antidepressants, on and off, for 15 years. Do I still struggle with depression and anxiety? Yes, but now I feel like I have better tools on how to cope with it. Do I think it will ever go away? Maybe. I really don’t know though. It is cyclical for me. One of theContinue reading “How are you not on anything?”