Tag Archives: Mental Illness Education

Depression in the Eyes of Our Youth

As a board certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, I treat youth with depression almost every day. Major Depressive Disorder, the medical term for clinical depression, is a debilitating illness that affects 12.5% of US youth aged 12 to 17 according to the National Institute of Mental Health. This means that, in 2015, 3 million teens had experienced at least one major depressive episode. The signs and symptoms of depression include sad mood and/or irritability crying spells too much or too little sleep weight loss or weight gain secondary to changes in appetite worthless and hopeless feelings fatigue difficulty concentrating thoughts of […]

You are NOT CRAZY

August 30, 2017 0 comments Healthy Living, Mental Health Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Psychiatrist Dr. Leesha

The dreaded “C” word … No one wants to see a psychiatrist or therapist for fear that he or she will be deemed crazy. Even the Merriam-Webster dictionary app defines the word “crazy” within its stigmatizing framework as one who is “not mentally sound: marked by thought or action that lacks reason.” But I am here to tell you that I don’t treat crazy people. I treat children and adults struggling with profound sadness and despair, paralyzing anxiety, difficulties at school or on their job, in the aftermath of devastating trauma, or reeling from failed relationships. Sometimes the individuals I treat suffer […]

Taming the Mood Monster: The Curious Chameleon

August 2, 2017 0 comments Children's Mental Health, Parenting Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, harvesting hope, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Parenting, Psychiatrist Dr. Leesha

A chameleon possesses the unique ability to change the color of its skin. Color change aids in camouflage, heat regulation, and light absorption; but, a chameleon also changes its color in response to its mood. Brightly colored male chameleons more easily attract females while a chameleon donning black coloring may be stressed. Similarly, youth with anxiety behave differently depending on the child and the setting. This is why I often refer to anxiety as the “the great imitator.” We all have the image of an anxious kid – fretful, pacing, and pensive. He asks 20 questions while biting his fingers […]

Taming the Mood Monster: Gloomy, Blue Eeyore

July 25, 2017 0 comments Children's Mental Health, Mental Health, Parenting Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Parenting, Psychiatrist Dr. Leesha

Many of us recall watching Winnie the Pooh as children. The best of friends, Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Tigger, and Eeyore live together in the Hundred Acre Wood. Each character is unique – hunny-loving Pooh, fretful Piglet, persnickety Rabbit, winsome and buoyant Tigger, and gloomy, blue Eeyore. Always sad with his head hung low, Eeyore expects the worst, thinks very little of himself, and struggles to enjoy his friends or his life. Sometimes our children fall into a bit of a funk. Much like us, they have bad days too. Even in their youth, they face a myriad of challenges such as […]

Demystifying Psychiatric Hospitalization

June 12, 2017 0 comments Children's Mental Health, Mental Health, Parenting Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Parenting Dr. Leesha

What We Know 1 in 5 youth ages 13 – 18 have or will have a serious mental illness 50% of all life-time cases of mental illness begin by the age of 14 Almost 80% of youth with mental illness do not receive treatment Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for youth aged 15 – 24 90% of those who committed suicide had an underlying mental illness Rate of psychiatric hospitalization for youth are on the rise – nearly 10% of pediatric hospitalizations across the US were for a primary mental health diagnosis in 2009 Common reasons for […]

Depression and the Believer

March 16, 2017 1 comment Faith, Mental Health Birmingham Alabama, Cultivating healthy minds, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Psychiatrist Dr. Leesha

Formidable, disabling, destructive. The word depression conjures up such negative descriptors; but, depression is also very common both in the United States and globally. According to the World Health Organization, 350 million suffer from depression; and, this mental disorder is the leading cause of disability. The statistics are equally staggering for the United State where 9% of American adults have depression, depression is the leading cause of disability for individuals ages 15 to 43, and suicide is the leading cause of death among individuals age 15 to 29, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Stated differently, 15 million American […]

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