Mental Health Tips for the Holidays: Brown Alpert Medical School’s Uebelacker LIVE

Sunday, December 29, 2019

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Professor Lisa Uebelacker at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University joined “Smart Health” on GoLocal LIVE where she spoke to mental health tips for the holidays — and the latest in mental health research. 

“Number one, if folks are suicidal — it is to get help. That is the most important thing.  It’s on their website, you can chat, you can call them 24/7,” said Uebelacker.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

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Uebelacker said that people who have concerns for friends and family members should call, too. 

“I think you could call the hotline yourself to say hey, this is what I’m thinking, I don’t know how to talk to my loved one, can you give me tips,” said Uebelacker.

Uebelakcer, who is a Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Alpert Medical School, offered tips for those who might be dealing with grief or depression. 

“The first thing to know is that you’re not the only one struggling at this time of year. We go into the holidays, they’re supposed to be wonderful, everyone ‘appears’ to be having such a great time, so you may feel more alone in your grief or your sadness or anxiety or whatever you’re struggling with. So the most important thing to know is you’re not the only one who struggles,” she said. 

“Reaching out to friends, neighbors, family you can trust, who will distract you — who will go with you to a movie, and just distract you for a little while,” she added in her tips. 

More Coping Tips

Uebelacker also spoke to situations that might be stressful during the holidays — and how to plan ahead. 

“Setting expectations at the holidays for a limited period of time. You might be with family members that are challenging to be with at times but they are a limited period of time — so keeping that in mind, pace yourself. Sure, go to the party but plan to only go for two hours and then go home afterward and kind of allow yourself to retreat and have some quiet time,” she said.

Uebelacker’s work focuses on developing and testing innovative psychosocial methods for treating depression, and the use of yoga, physical activity, and health education as adjunctive treatments for depression.

“We’re really interested in physical activity in general — we know it is helpful for physical health and mental health,” she said. “The challenge is how to get yourself out there. What I see is that when folks become depressed, often the first thing that they stop is going to the gym. So we’re trying to find other ways we can help motivate people to get out.”

“Look for something you really enjoy— it’s really important,” she added. 

About Warren Alpert Medical School 

Since granting its first Doctor of Medicine degrees in 1975, the Warren Alpert Medical School has become a national leader in medical education and biomedical research.

By attracting first-class physicians and researchers to Rhode Island over the past four decades, the Medical School and its seven affiliated teaching hospitals have radically improved the state's health care environment, from health care policy to patient care.

"Smart Health" is a GoLocalProv.com segment featuring experts from The Warren Alpert Medical School GoLocal LIVE.

 

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