Category Archives: Mental Health

Jesus, Therapy, & Prozac: Pastors Need Help Too

August 29, 2018 0 comments Faith, Mental Health Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Faith, harvesting hope, health, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Psychiatrist, special education Dr. Leesha

I had never heard his name until just a few days ago, but I now I can’t get his name or his heartbreaking story out of my head. I am overwhelmed by grief at the loss of this man’s life and at the unbearable pain that I imagine his wife, his 3 boys, and his church family now find themselves swallowed within. At the tender age of 30, Andrew Stoecklein, lead pastor at Inland Hills Church in Chino, California, died by suicide. Multiple news outlets report that he had struggled with depression and anxiety for the past several months and […]

The Scoop on Bipolar Disorder

April 30, 2018 2 comments Health Education, Mental Health, Women's Mental Healthl Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, health, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Psychiatrist Dr. Leesha

A few weeks ago, singer Mariah Carey disclosed that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. While her initial diagnosis came over 15 years ago, she has only recently decided to divulge details of her psychiatric illness to the public, a secret she kept out of fear and denial as reported in her interview in People Magazine. Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness affecting roughly 3% of US adults. It is a mental illness that is poorly understood and often misconstrued in the media.

3 Tips For When Your Child Worries

March 22, 2018 1 comment Children's Mental Health, Mental Health, Parenting, Schools Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, children, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Parenting, positive parenting, Psychiatrist, schools Dr. Leesha

Honestly, these last 2 weeks have been pretty tough for the Cox family of five. Between my husband hosting the 2017 – 2018 NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championship at Birmingham Southern College, my son’s weekly baseball practices and games, the daily grind of work and school, and threats of severe weather, we have been stretched thin. On top of that, there have now been 3 school shootings as of this writing – Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, Huffman High School In Birmingham, AL on March 7, AL, and Great Mills High School in Great Hills, Maryland on March 20. Each shooting, tragic, and occurring within weeks of the other, my own anxiety escalated. But, this time my oldest was deeply impacted.

The Scoop on Schizophrenia

March 15, 2018 0 comments Health Education, Mental Health Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Psychiatrist Dr. Leesha

Misunderstood. Feared. Stigmatized. Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia regularly battle derogatory stereotypes. The media portrays those with schizophrenia as crazy, suffering from split personalities, or as deranged killers that commit mass murders. Others use the term “schizophrenic” to describe erratic weather patterns. But the psychiatric illness that is schizophrenia is none of this. Schizophrenia is a disabling brain disorder that impacts about 1% of the adult population.

HELP! My Child is Struggling in School!

March 7, 2018 0 comments Children's Mental Health, Health Education, Mental Health, Parenting, Schools Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, children, disruptive behavior, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, education, Mental Illness Education, Psychiatrist, schools, special education Dr. Leesha

From kindergarten through high school, our children spend the bulk of their day at school. Within the school setting, they learn new skills and demonstrate mastery of educational concepts, form new friendships and nurture old ones, solve problems, manage conflicts and disagreements, and grow. Not infrequently, however, children begin to experience symptoms of a psychiatric illness that may greatly interfere with his ability to accomplish these tasks at school. The statistics bear out this very real risk of psychiatric illness.

The Scoop on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

February 27, 2018 0 comments Children's Mental Health, Mental Health, Parenting abuse, Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, bullying, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, neglect, Parenting, Psychiatrist, PTSD Dr. Leesha

School shootings. Bullying. Sexual assaults. Hurricanes. Flooding. Tornadoes. Car accidents. Fires. Physical and sexual abuse. Exposure to violence. These days, the traumas that our children face seem endless. Exposure to traumatic events such as these can lead to the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.

Dr. Leesha | Psychiatrist, Therapist, and Parenting Expert