Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Passport Mommy. I'm your host, Michelle Jerson. This
show is for anyone raising little humans. We feature experts
with tips and advice to enrich the lives of our children.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Mom and dad.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Entrepreneurs tell us their inspiring stories, learn about products that
could make both you and your child's life easier and
more fun, and of course, fellow parents discuss and laugh
about what's happening in their child's world.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Motherhood is a journey. Thanks for joining me onmine.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
You're listening to Passport Mommy. I'm Michelle Jerson. And many
of us are considering our retirements and whether we have
young kids or older children, no matter where we are,
I think it's something that's always top of mind, and
we want to make sure that we are investing properly
and we are saving in the way that we should
so that we don't have to worry in our retirement
(00:50):
years that we don't have enough. And yet experts are
saying that the retirement environment is not really reflective of
what we think it might be or what we need
to do. And so I'm really happy to have with
me today Marian Caswell. She is the president of Park
Avenue Securities, Hi, Marianne.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Good morning Michelle. Thanks for having me my pleasure.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
So how is retirement say different today than it was
for the previous generation.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
So retirement isn't just about turning sixty five anymore the
way it was for privish generations. It's a new chapter,
not the end of working life. Today, retirement has become
very flexible and personal. Many people are working part time, volunteering,
or starting to pursue totally new interest in retirement. And
there's many different reasons for this shift. But we believe
(01:43):
retirement is being redefined given americans evolving financial, health and
lifestyle needs.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Absolutely, So tell me about Guardian's Retirement Redefined Report. What
were the key takeaways?
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Yeah, to understand exactly how retirement is changing, Park Avenue,
Securities and Guardians surveyed more than three thousand Americans, including
those still in the workforce and those who have retired,
and we found three key takeaways. First, many people aren't
ready for the impact of living longer and what that
means for their financial well being. Almost half of Americans
(02:20):
told us they worry about running out of money and retirement. Second,
better planning is needed. In fact, forty percent of retirees
said they have regrets about how they've prepared financially for retirement. Third,
most people aren't getting professional advice. We found that the
majority of Americans don't work with a financial advisor. What's
(02:42):
the bottom line as retirement evolves, there's more work that
we can be doing to help people feel secure about
their financial future and well being.
Speaker 5 (02:50):
I agree with you, and I think without being able
to rely on social security or a pension, what are
some other sources of income that we should be thinking
about that we can rely on for financial security in
our senior years.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Yeah, social security and pensions are important, but they're often
not enough to last through retirement. In fact, fewer than
thirteen million Americans have a pension today. And that's where
annuities come in. They're the only product on the private
marketplace that can provide guaranteed income for life, So that
means they can give you financial freedom to pursue those hobbies,
(03:27):
travel to a dream destination, and spending time with your family.
There's two main types of annuities, income and deferred income.
Annuities can start making payments within a year of someone's
initial investment, so write out retirement, and a deferred annuity
can be an option for someone still several years away
from their retirement. A popular option for those still planning
(03:50):
is what's called a registered index linked annuity, sometimes referred
to as arila. ARILA offers someone growth potential while provide
a level of protection during market downturns. It makes it
less risky than traditional equity investments for those nearing retirement
and want to take a little less risk. And there's
(04:11):
a lot of factors you have to consider when choosing
an annuity. So people should talk to a financial advisor,
getting educated and what's the right choice for them in
their financial plan.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah, because I think you mentioned annuity and some people
might know what you're talking about. Others may need more
explaining as far as what exactly that is. And I know,
no matter how old someone is, sometimes they just don't
learn about the different types of investments so that they
can make an educated decision for themselves. And so you
mentioned that working with a financial professional can help explain
(04:44):
things like this. What are some other reasons why we
should work with a financial professional to support retirement readiness,
financial wellbeing overall.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Yeah, they're experts in their field. Financial advisors are well
versed on all of the ins and outs of building
a strong, replier retirement plan that can meet your individual needs.
For example, they can help you think about tax liabilities
or how to adjust investment strategies, or you know things
you can be doing to planning for your estate and
(05:15):
what you want to leave for a legacy for your
children and put simply, they guide you through both the
short term and the long term decisions. They are going
to help you to achieve your goals and the impact
is clear. Our research showed that people who work with
a financial advisor are much more likely to say they're
on track for retirement that those who don't, and that
(05:37):
financial wellbeing has a direct linkage to physical and mental
wellbeing as well.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Absolutely so, where can we go for more information on
how to find a financial professional to help?
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Listeners can go to GuardianLife dot com. That's g U
A R D I A N L I f E
dot com GuardianLife dot com and it's a great resource
for more information. You can read the full report and
how retirement is changing, access to things you may need
in retirement, and of course finding that financial advisor that's
(06:12):
important to work with perfect.
Speaker 6 (06:14):
Thank you so much, Mary and Caswell.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
I appreciate you joining me today on Passport Mommy and
offering these wonderful tips. I think it's absolutely something we
should all be considering and have lined up so that
we do feel comfortable in our retirement.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Thanks for having me, Michelle.
Speaker 6 (06:29):
You're listening to Passport Mommy.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I'm Michelle Jerson, and today's health segment we are going
to talk about treatment resistant depression, major depressive disorder, or
clinical depression. It's one of the most common mental health disorders,
with almost twenty one million adults in the United States
having experienced at least one major depressive episode, and I'm
thrilled to have with me today Doctor Brittany Albright, she's
(06:52):
a board certified psychiatrist and medical director at Sweetgrass Psychiatry,
and Ben, who is a patient living with treatment resistant depression.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker 7 (07:03):
Thank you, Michelle. Ben and I are extremely delighted to
be here with you to discuss treatment resistant depression, a
topic both both Ben and I are very passionate about him.
We're also proud to partner with Johnson and Johnson Perfect.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
So, doctor Albright, can you tell us about the signs
and the symptoms of clinical depression and how common is it?
Speaker 7 (07:25):
Clinical depression is extremely common. In fact, around eight percent
of US adults experienced a major depressive episode last year alone.
Speaker 6 (07:34):
Symptoms to watch out for.
Speaker 7 (07:36):
Often we think of feeling sad or down more days
than not, but actually feeling numb or empty. That's actually
the most common symptom I see in my practice. My
patients describe a lack of energy and also just a
lack of zest for life. The things that they normally
love to do they just don't enjoy anymore. Also, they
(08:00):
experienced sleep disturbances, appetite, weight changes, often feeling sluggish, feelings
of worthlessness, feeling guilty unnecessarily. Also, the worst symptom would
be thoughts of not wanting to live anymore?
Speaker 3 (08:17):
And so, what are the available treatment options right now
that are out there?
Speaker 7 (08:22):
Unfortunately, for decades we've utilized the same treatment options, which
are oral antidepressants that often work on serotonin, dopamine, norropenephrine.
But that doesn't work for a large majority of patients
that experience major depressive disorder. Of course, psychotherapy is another
wonderful treatment option that I recommend to all of my patients.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
But when two or more oral.
Speaker 7 (08:46):
Antidepressants have not been effective for my patients, which is
actually about a third of patients with depression. That's called
treatment resistant depression. And one of the newer FDA approved options,
actually one of the only FDA approved options, is spravado
or esketamine.
Speaker 6 (09:04):
And what is that exactly.
Speaker 7 (09:06):
So it's a completely different mechanism of action than the
typical antidepressants. It actually works on glutamate, which is the
most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, and it is
utilized as a nasal spray actually, and patients come into
my office to self administer these nasal sprays to treat
(09:29):
their depression.
Speaker 6 (09:31):
It's a very safe treatment.
Speaker 7 (09:33):
It's been out now for over six years and we've
compiled over six years of safety data on this. And
again they're there for two hours, they get to relax
in a beautiful practice setting, and in general it's a
very pleasant experience. Occasionally people can experience what's called dissociation
or a light floaty or out of body experience. Very
(09:56):
rare side effects would be respittory issues or also risk
of abuse and misuse. It is a controlled medication, and
so that's also why we have patients administer it in
our office and they can't take this treatment home with them. Also,
it's similar to ketymine, but it is not kedemine, so
I want to make that distinction. But it is not
(10:19):
to be used for anesthesia.
Speaker 6 (10:21):
Got it well, it sounds like a wonderful option. Ben.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
What has your experience been like with treatment resistant depression
and how did you feel when you first received the diagnosis.
Speaker 8 (10:34):
So my overall experience, and I think doctor Robert does
such a good job at going through the symptoms of
everything to give that perspective of like, this is what
you're going through, and then to take that to a
personal level. The numbness is this hollowness that really ruins
(10:56):
who you are inside. You lose your trists and hobbies,
You isolate, you don't become your lose who you are
more and more over time, and then that turns into
for me personally, that turned into this self hate spiral
where my treatment resistant depression was getting so bad where
(11:19):
I couldn't get out of bed in the mornings. The
fatigue is this exhaustion that is the most intense exhaustion
one whatever feel. I wasn't able to brush my teeth
for days at a time. I felt this worthless, hopelessness
(11:40):
and this self hate every day of my life, to
the point where I couldn't function as a human being,
and I needed my family to order me dinners because
I wasn't eating. It was pretty much a bag of
chips and a bottle of whiskey most nights, just to
help them the pain and make me fall asleep. So
(12:01):
when I learned I had treatment resistant depression is when
I went through kind of the antidepressant cycle of going
through different or winding depressants. And what you do, for
those who aren't familiar with the oro in of the
present cycle, is you ramp up from a small dose
up to a higher dose over weeks, typically around eight weeks,
(12:24):
and then you see how you're feeling if it's working.
If it's not working, you have to ramp down over
weeks and start a new one. For me, I went
through ten different antidepressants, and unfortunately with the treatment resistant piece,
I didn't get any of those benefits and I seem
to get all the side effects, and all those side
effects made the depression worse. And receiving the diagnosis itself
(12:49):
was initially like terrifying because I say, this a lot.
Treatment resistant anything sounds terrified. It sounds like, well, you
have no options, that's it. Treatment resistant. But then I
got hope when I saw the millions of people going
through this, and there are other options like spravado, which
(13:09):
is something my sister first introduced me to when it
was going through the approvals and something I talked to
my psychiatrist about. And the treatment resistant depression turned scary
into this very hopeful and exciting and I couldn't wait
to get started because I was so exhausted of all
those side effects from the oorany depressants.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Well, that's incredible. I'm so thrilled to hear that this
has provided the relief and what you need to change
your perspective and to feel different. And to sorry that
wasn't the right words.
Speaker 6 (13:43):
I'll'll edit that.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
I'm so excited that you found the right treatment for you.
Where can we go to learn more about this? And
if we have family members who are also working through
treatment resistant depression and they're not able to find the
right treatment, how can we help guide a loved one
Because I know as a family member sometimes it's hard
(14:05):
for us because maybe they don't want to listen or
maybe they they're at the end of their rope and
they just don't have the motivation.
Speaker 7 (14:13):
It's imperative, Michelle, that we approach our loved ones and
even ourselves if we have depression, with compassion and understanding
and realizing that this is a biological illness. This was
not Ben's fault that he experienced all of these symptoms,
and equally important, we need to assure the general public
and our loved ones that hope is here and help
(14:35):
is available right now. I encourage everyone to speak with
their healthcare provider about options, because there's not a one
size fits all. But if you want to learn more
about Spravado, there's a great website spravado dot com sp
r a vato dot com. Also, if anyone or a
(14:57):
loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call or text
the free suicide Crisis line at nine eight eight.
Speaker 6 (15:06):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Thank you both so much for talking with me today
on Passport Mommy about this very important issue and also
this amazing treatment. And I'm so happy to hear that
there is an option out there. Again, Thank you so much,
doctor Brittney. Al Right, Ben, thank you for joining me
today on Passport Mommy.
Speaker 8 (15:25):
Thank you so much. This has been amazing.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
I am so excited to bring you the shows over
the next few weeks here on Passport Mommy. Because I
am currently in Orlando, Florida with my family, I brought
them down to Universal Studios because we have never been
here before as a family. And my son came home
and he was telling me all about a friend of
his who went to Epic Universe, and it sounded amazing,
and so I thought, you know what, let's go now
(15:47):
before the holidays, because I'm sure during the holidays it
will be even busier. But you know what, there is
no bad time to go down to Universal Studios in
Florida because you can take advantage of all three parks. Now.
Epic Union is amazing, but so is Universal Studios and
Islands of Adventure. Those are the three parks that we
went to. There's also Volcano Bay, the water park, but
(16:09):
of course we're down here during a colt snap, so
going in the water was not an option for us.
But we've stayed at some phenomenal hotels, and I highly
recommend staying at one of the Universal properties when you're
visiting Universal Studios because you can just hop on a
water taxi from the hotel or their free shuttle bus
and get to any of the parks to city walk.
(16:31):
It's really easy, and I love the Low's brands of hotels.
I have always been a big fan of them, and
I'll tell you why in the next episode. But let's
just say it is fun for the kids plus quality
for the adults, and I have always loved that about Lows.
There is also another amazing option right in Universal Studios backyard.
(16:52):
It is called the Villa tel Or Landover Resort, and
this is so much fun for the kids. I don't
want to ruin the surprise, but let's just talk about
theme rooms that include video games and bunk beds and
Nintendo switches, and they now have a full water park
and other amenities for both adults and children.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
I'm Michelle Jerson.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
More coming up in a few you're listening to Passport Mommy,
I'm Michelle Jerson, and I'm so excited to have Misty
Mitchell on the show. She is the director of conservation
and education programs at an amazing aquarium, Johnny Morris's Wonders
of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri, and
(17:32):
I know that they have been voted a best aquarium
for several years in a row, America's number one aquarium.
Thank you so much for joining me today, Misty.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Thank you for having us this morning.
Speaker 6 (17:46):
My pleasure.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
So tell me a little bit about what you're doing
over there at Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium.
Speaker 9 (17:56):
So one was a while Life National Museum and Aquarium
in Springfield, Missouri, turning the whole one point five million
gallon aquarium into a winter glowing wonderland for guests to
enjoy the holiday season but also learn about conservation.
Speaker 6 (18:10):
Amazing, So what was the inspiration behind the event?
Speaker 9 (18:13):
The inspiration is from Johnny Morris's passion to connect people
to the outdoors and nature. Johnny Morris is the founder
of Bass Pro Shops and a leading conservationist, and as
part of the Johnny Morris Conservation Foundation, we are dedicated
to educating that next generation of conservation and stilling the
(18:35):
outdoors ethicic to them to become stewards of the outdoor world.
Speaker 6 (18:39):
And I think it's so important.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
I know how much my kids love going to aquariums,
and I love aquariums where they can learn they can
learn about conservation, they can learn about how they can
do their part to take care of things.
Speaker 6 (18:52):
And so what can guests expect to see?
Speaker 9 (18:56):
So this holiday season, guests can expect to see dazzling lights,
festive music, and holiday scenes throughout the entire aquarium adventure.
They can participate in photo opportunities they could share.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
With their families and friends.
Speaker 9 (19:10):
And then they can also head to our interactive and
educational exhibits and learn more about conservation. We are taking
the holiday season and twisting it with a conservation look.
They're going to learn about our conservation's success programs like
our Sea Turtle Center and our local and regional conservation efforts,
(19:31):
habitat restoration and stream teamwork.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
So tell me a little bit more about your sea
turtle habitat.
Speaker 9 (19:39):
So we have a sea turtle rescue center. We take
in cold stone sea turtles and we rehab them and
we release them back in the wild.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
And we are.
Speaker 9 (19:48):
Actually the only facility in the Midwest part of the
United States that does that. And this is very important
because a lot of these sea turtle populations are declining
and we need to make sure that we protect them.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Amazing, So, how long are they usually with you before
they can be released back out.
Speaker 9 (20:06):
So each sea turtle has a different story depending on
their injuries. Sometimes they're here for about three months, but
other times they could be here up to six months.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
But the goal is to.
Speaker 9 (20:16):
Make sure that every sea turtle that comes to us
is released back in the wild.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Yes, and so if you are local to your museum
and aquarium, sorry, let me start that again. If you
are local to your aquarium, can somebody come and volunteer?
Speaker 6 (20:33):
Can kids get involved?
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 9 (20:35):
Great, So we have lots of opportunities for families. So
families can join our members, they become members, they can
go through the aquarium anytime they want. We also have
lots of programs. We have camps, we have homeschool programs.
So there's so many opportunities, including volunteer opportunities for all
ages to come and enjoy and learn about conservation together.
Speaker 6 (20:58):
Terrific.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
So from your perspective, obviously you do a ton of
work and conservation work with them, but why do you
think Wonders of Wildlife's conservation efforts are so important?
Speaker 9 (21:08):
So through our AZA accreditation, our immersive exhibits, our partnerships
with leading conservation organization and our hands on educational programs.
We are dedicated to conservation and it is our number
one mission. And through Sea of Lights and Chanted Christmas,
it's so important to connect people to nature because the
(21:29):
next generation are going to be the voters. They're going
to make decisions about our wild places and our wild animals.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Yeah, so tell me real quickly about your educational training programs,
your national projects like National Hunting and Fishing Day, and
your mission conservation.
Speaker 9 (21:45):
Lots of programs to participate in. So our Wonders of
the Ozark's Learning facility is actually a school held right
here Wonders of Wildlife. It is a very innovative approach
to a public school. We also host National and Fishing
Day and that celebrates hunters and anglers and everything that
(22:05):
they do for conservation. There's something for every family to
get involved, all the way down from our preschool programs
to our adult programs.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
There's something for everybody.
Speaker 6 (22:15):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
So where can we go to get our tickets if
we'd like to visit Johnny Morris as Wonders of Wildlife
National Museum and Aquarium.
Speaker 9 (22:23):
Yes, to purchase tickets, or to get a membership, or
just to get to more information. You're gonna go to
Wonders of Wildlife dot org slash seasons and we hope
to see everybody here at Wonders of Wildlife's Sea Light's
Enchanted Christmas.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Thank you so much. Well, I hope we can make
it down. It sounds phenomenal. Misty Mitchell, thank you so
much for joining me today. I'm Passport mommy
Welcome to Passport Mommy. I'm your host, Michelle Jerson. This
show is for anyone raising little humans. We feature experts
with tips and advice to enrich the lives of our children.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Mom and dad.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Entrepreneurs tell us their inspiring stories, learn about products that
could make both you and your child's life easier and
more fun, and of course, fellow parents discuss and laugh
about what's happening in their child's world.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Motherhood is a journey. Thanks for joining me onmine.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
You're listening to Passport Mommy. I'm Michelle Jerson. And many
of us are considering our retirements and whether we have
young kids or older children, no matter where we are,
I think it's something that's always top of mind, and
we want to make sure that we are investing properly
and we are saving in the way that we should
so that we don't have to worry in our retirement
(00:50):
years that we don't have enough. And yet experts are
saying that the retirement environment is not really reflective of
what we think it might be or what we need
to do. And so I'm really happy to have with
me today Marian Caswell. She is the president of Park
Avenue Securities, Hi, Marianne.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Good morning Michelle. Thanks for having me my pleasure.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
So how is retirement say different today than it was
for the previous generation.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
So retirement isn't just about turning sixty five anymore the
way it was for privish generations. It's a new chapter,
not the end of working life. Today, retirement has become
very flexible and personal. Many people are working part time, volunteering,
or starting to pursue totally new interest in retirement. And
there's many different reasons for this shift. But we believe
(01:43):
retirement is being redefined given americans evolving financial, health and
lifestyle needs.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Absolutely, So tell me about Guardian's Retirement Redefined Report. What
were the key takeaways?
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Yeah, to understand exactly how retirement is changing, Park Avenue,
Securities and Guardians surveyed more than three thousand Americans, including
those still in the workforce and those who have retired,
and we found three key takeaways. First, many people aren't
ready for the impact of living longer and what that
means for their financial well being. Almost half of Americans
(02:20):
told us they worry about running out of money and retirement. Second,
better planning is needed. In fact, forty percent of retirees
said they have regrets about how they've prepared financially for retirement. Third,
most people aren't getting professional advice. We found that the
majority of Americans don't work with a financial advisor. What's
(02:42):
the bottom line as retirement evolves, there's more work that
we can be doing to help people feel secure about
their financial future and well being.
Speaker 5 (02:50):
I agree with you, and I think without being able
to rely on social security or a pension, what are
some other sources of income that we should be thinking
about that we can rely on for financial security in
our senior years.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Yeah, social security and pensions are important, but they're often
not enough to last through retirement. In fact, fewer than
thirteen million Americans have a pension today. And that's where
annuities come in. They're the only product on the private
marketplace that can provide guaranteed income for life, So that
means they can give you financial freedom to pursue those hobbies,
(03:27):
travel to a dream destination, and spending time with your family.
There's two main types of annuities, income and deferred income.
Annuities can start making payments within a year of someone's
initial investment, so write out retirement, and a deferred annuity
can be an option for someone still several years away
from their retirement. A popular option for those still planning
(03:50):
is what's called a registered index linked annuity, sometimes referred
to as arila. ARILA offers someone growth potential while provide
a level of protection during market downturns. It makes it
less risky than traditional equity investments for those nearing retirement
and want to take a little less risk. And there's
(04:11):
a lot of factors you have to consider when choosing
an annuity. So people should talk to a financial advisor,
getting educated and what's the right choice for them in
their financial plan.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah, because I think you mentioned annuity and some people
might know what you're talking about. Others may need more
explaining as far as what exactly that is. And I know,
no matter how old someone is, sometimes they just don't
learn about the different types of investments so that they
can make an educated decision for themselves. And so you
mentioned that working with a financial professional can help explain
(04:44):
things like this. What are some other reasons why we
should work with a financial professional to support retirement readiness,
financial wellbeing overall.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Yeah, they're experts in their field. Financial advisors are well
versed on all of the ins and outs of building
a strong, replier retirement plan that can meet your individual needs.
For example, they can help you think about tax liabilities
or how to adjust investment strategies, or you know things
you can be doing to planning for your estate and
(05:15):
what you want to leave for a legacy for your
children and put simply, they guide you through both the
short term and the long term decisions. They are going
to help you to achieve your goals and the impact
is clear. Our research showed that people who work with
a financial advisor are much more likely to say they're
on track for retirement that those who don't, and that
(05:37):
financial wellbeing has a direct linkage to physical and mental
wellbeing as well.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Absolutely so, where can we go for more information on
how to find a financial professional to help?
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Listeners can go to GuardianLife dot com. That's g U
A R D I A N L I f E
dot com GuardianLife dot com and it's a great resource
for more information. You can read the full report and
how retirement is changing, access to things you may need
in retirement, and of course finding that financial advisor that's
(06:12):
important to work with perfect.
Speaker 6 (06:14):
Thank you so much, Mary and Caswell.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
I appreciate you joining me today on Passport Mommy and
offering these wonderful tips. I think it's absolutely something we
should all be considering and have lined up so that
we do feel comfortable in our retirement.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Thanks for having me, Michelle.
Speaker 6 (06:29):
You're listening to Passport Mommy.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I'm Michelle Jerson, and today's health segment we are going
to talk about treatment resistant depression, major depressive disorder, or
clinical depression. It's one of the most common mental health disorders,
with almost twenty one million adults in the United States
having experienced at least one major depressive episode, and I'm
thrilled to have with me today Doctor Brittany Albright, she's
(06:52):
a board certified psychiatrist and medical director at Sweetgrass Psychiatry,
and Ben, who is a patient living with treatment resistant depression.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker 7 (07:03):
Thank you, Michelle. Ben and I are extremely delighted to
be here with you to discuss treatment resistant depression, a
topic both both Ben and I are very passionate about him.
We're also proud to partner with Johnson and Johnson Perfect.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
So, doctor Albright, can you tell us about the signs
and the symptoms of clinical depression and how common is it?
Speaker 7 (07:25):
Clinical depression is extremely common. In fact, around eight percent
of US adults experienced a major depressive episode last year alone.
Speaker 6 (07:34):
Symptoms to watch out for.
Speaker 7 (07:36):
Often we think of feeling sad or down more days
than not, but actually feeling numb or empty. That's actually
the most common symptom I see in my practice. My
patients describe a lack of energy and also just a
lack of zest for life. The things that they normally
love to do they just don't enjoy anymore. Also, they
(08:00):
experienced sleep disturbances, appetite, weight changes, often feeling sluggish, feelings
of worthlessness, feeling guilty unnecessarily. Also, the worst symptom would
be thoughts of not wanting to live anymore?
Speaker 3 (08:17):
And so, what are the available treatment options right now
that are out there?
Speaker 7 (08:22):
Unfortunately, for decades we've utilized the same treatment options, which
are oral antidepressants that often work on serotonin, dopamine, norropenephrine.
But that doesn't work for a large majority of patients
that experience major depressive disorder. Of course, psychotherapy is another
wonderful treatment option that I recommend to all of my patients.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
But when two or more oral.
Speaker 7 (08:46):
Antidepressants have not been effective for my patients, which is
actually about a third of patients with depression. That's called
treatment resistant depression. And one of the newer FDA approved options,
actually one of the only FDA approved options, is spravado
or esketamine.
Speaker 6 (09:04):
And what is that exactly.
Speaker 7 (09:06):
So it's a completely different mechanism of action than the
typical antidepressants. It actually works on glutamate, which is the
most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, and it is
utilized as a nasal spray actually, and patients come into
my office to self administer these nasal sprays to treat
(09:29):
their depression.
Speaker 6 (09:31):
It's a very safe treatment.
Speaker 7 (09:33):
It's been out now for over six years and we've
compiled over six years of safety data on this. And
again they're there for two hours, they get to relax
in a beautiful practice setting, and in general it's a
very pleasant experience. Occasionally people can experience what's called dissociation
or a light floaty or out of body experience. Very
(09:56):
rare side effects would be respittory issues or also risk
of abuse and misuse. It is a controlled medication, and
so that's also why we have patients administer it in
our office and they can't take this treatment home with them. Also,
it's similar to ketymine, but it is not kedemine, so
I want to make that distinction. But it is not
(10:19):
to be used for anesthesia.
Speaker 6 (10:21):
Got it well, it sounds like a wonderful option. Ben.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
What has your experience been like with treatment resistant depression
and how did you feel when you first received the diagnosis.
Speaker 8 (10:34):
So my overall experience, and I think doctor Robert does
such a good job at going through the symptoms of
everything to give that perspective of like, this is what
you're going through, and then to take that to a
personal level. The numbness is this hollowness that really ruins
(10:56):
who you are inside. You lose your trists and hobbies,
You isolate, you don't become your lose who you are
more and more over time, and then that turns into
for me personally, that turned into this self hate spiral
where my treatment resistant depression was getting so bad where
(11:19):
I couldn't get out of bed in the mornings. The
fatigue is this exhaustion that is the most intense exhaustion
one whatever feel. I wasn't able to brush my teeth
for days at a time. I felt this worthless, hopelessness
(11:40):
and this self hate every day of my life, to
the point where I couldn't function as a human being,
and I needed my family to order me dinners because
I wasn't eating. It was pretty much a bag of
chips and a bottle of whiskey most nights, just to
help them the pain and make me fall asleep. So
(12:01):
when I learned I had treatment resistant depression is when
I went through kind of the antidepressant cycle of going
through different or winding depressants. And what you do, for
those who aren't familiar with the oro in of the
present cycle, is you ramp up from a small dose
up to a higher dose over weeks, typically around eight weeks,
(12:24):
and then you see how you're feeling if it's working.
If it's not working, you have to ramp down over
weeks and start a new one. For me, I went
through ten different antidepressants, and unfortunately with the treatment resistant piece,
I didn't get any of those benefits and I seem
to get all the side effects, and all those side
effects made the depression worse. And receiving the diagnosis itself
(12:49):
was initially like terrifying because I say, this a lot.
Treatment resistant anything sounds terrified. It sounds like, well, you
have no options, that's it. Treatment resistant. But then I
got hope when I saw the millions of people going
through this, and there are other options like spravado, which
(13:09):
is something my sister first introduced me to when it
was going through the approvals and something I talked to
my psychiatrist about. And the treatment resistant depression turned scary
into this very hopeful and exciting and I couldn't wait
to get started because I was so exhausted of all
those side effects from the oorany depressants.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Well, that's incredible. I'm so thrilled to hear that this
has provided the relief and what you need to change
your perspective and to feel different. And to sorry that
wasn't the right words.
Speaker 6 (13:43):
I'll'll edit that.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
I'm so excited that you found the right treatment for you.
Where can we go to learn more about this? And
if we have family members who are also working through
treatment resistant depression and they're not able to find the
right treatment, how can we help guide a loved one
Because I know as a family member sometimes it's hard
(14:05):
for us because maybe they don't want to listen or
maybe they they're at the end of their rope and
they just don't have the motivation.
Speaker 7 (14:13):
It's imperative, Michelle, that we approach our loved ones and
even ourselves if we have depression, with compassion and understanding
and realizing that this is a biological illness. This was
not Ben's fault that he experienced all of these symptoms,
and equally important, we need to assure the general public
and our loved ones that hope is here and help
(14:35):
is available right now. I encourage everyone to speak with
their healthcare provider about options, because there's not a one
size fits all. But if you want to learn more
about Spravado, there's a great website spravado dot com sp
r a vato dot com. Also, if anyone or a
(14:57):
loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call or text
the free suicide Crisis line at nine eight eight.
Speaker 6 (15:06):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Thank you both so much for talking with me today
on Passport Mommy about this very important issue and also
this amazing treatment. And I'm so happy to hear that
there is an option out there. Again, Thank you so much,
doctor Brittney. Al Right, Ben, thank you for joining me
today on Passport Mommy.
Speaker 8 (15:25):
Thank you so much. This has been amazing.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
I am so excited to bring you the shows over
the next few weeks here on Passport Mommy. Because I
am currently in Orlando, Florida with my family, I brought
them down to Universal Studios because we have never been
here before as a family. And my son came home
and he was telling me all about a friend of
his who went to Epic Universe, and it sounded amazing,
and so I thought, you know what, let's go now
(15:47):
before the holidays, because I'm sure during the holidays it
will be even busier. But you know what, there is
no bad time to go down to Universal Studios in
Florida because you can take advantage of all three parks. Now.
Epic Union is amazing, but so is Universal Studios and
Islands of Adventure. Those are the three parks that we
went to. There's also Volcano Bay, the water park, but
(16:09):
of course we're down here during a colt snap, so
going in the water was not an option for us.
But we've stayed at some phenomenal hotels, and I highly
recommend staying at one of the Universal properties when you're
visiting Universal Studios because you can just hop on a
water taxi from the hotel or their free shuttle bus
and get to any of the parks to city walk.
(16:31):
It's really easy, and I love the Low's brands of hotels.
I have always been a big fan of them, and
I'll tell you why in the next episode. But let's
just say it is fun for the kids plus quality
for the adults, and I have always loved that about Lows.
There is also another amazing option right in Universal Studios backyard.
(16:52):
It is called the Villa tel Or Landover Resort, and
this is so much fun for the kids. I don't
want to ruin the surprise, but let's just talk about
theme rooms that include video games and bunk beds and
Nintendo switches, and they now have a full water park
and other amenities for both adults and children.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
I'm Michelle Jerson.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
More coming up in a few you're listening to Passport Mommy,
I'm Michelle Jerson, and I'm so excited to have Misty
Mitchell on the show. She is the director of conservation
and education programs at an amazing aquarium, Johnny Morris's Wonders
of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri, and
(17:32):
I know that they have been voted a best aquarium
for several years in a row, America's number one aquarium.
Thank you so much for joining me today, Misty.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Thank you for having us this morning.
Speaker 6 (17:46):
My pleasure.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
So tell me a little bit about what you're doing
over there at Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium.
Speaker 9 (17:56):
So one was a while Life National Museum and Aquarium
in Springfield, Missouri, turning the whole one point five million
gallon aquarium into a winter glowing wonderland for guests to
enjoy the holiday season but also learn about conservation.
Speaker 6 (18:10):
Amazing, So what was the inspiration behind the event?
Speaker 9 (18:13):
The inspiration is from Johnny Morris's passion to connect people
to the outdoors and nature. Johnny Morris is the founder
of Bass Pro Shops and a leading conservationist, and as
part of the Johnny Morris Conservation Foundation, we are dedicated
to educating that next generation of conservation and stilling the
(18:35):
outdoors ethicic to them to become stewards of the outdoor world.
Speaker 6 (18:39):
And I think it's so important.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
I know how much my kids love going to aquariums,
and I love aquariums where they can learn they can
learn about conservation, they can learn about how they can
do their part to take care of things.
Speaker 6 (18:52):
And so what can guests expect to see?
Speaker 9 (18:56):
So this holiday season, guests can expect to see dazzling lights,
festive music, and holiday scenes throughout the entire aquarium adventure.
They can participate in photo opportunities they could share.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
With their families and friends.
Speaker 9 (19:10):
And then they can also head to our interactive and
educational exhibits and learn more about conservation. We are taking
the holiday season and twisting it with a conservation look.
They're going to learn about our conservation's success programs like
our Sea Turtle Center and our local and regional conservation efforts,
(19:31):
habitat restoration and stream teamwork.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
So tell me a little bit more about your sea
turtle habitat.
Speaker 9 (19:39):
So we have a sea turtle rescue center. We take
in cold stone sea turtles and we rehab them and
we release them back in the wild.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
And we are.
Speaker 9 (19:48):
Actually the only facility in the Midwest part of the
United States that does that. And this is very important
because a lot of these sea turtle populations are declining
and we need to make sure that we protect them.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Amazing, So, how long are they usually with you before
they can be released back out.
Speaker 9 (20:06):
So each sea turtle has a different story depending on
their injuries. Sometimes they're here for about three months, but
other times they could be here up to six months.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
But the goal is to.
Speaker 9 (20:16):
Make sure that every sea turtle that comes to us
is released back in the wild.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Yes, and so if you are local to your museum
and aquarium, sorry, let me start that again. If you
are local to your aquarium, can somebody come and volunteer?
Speaker 6 (20:33):
Can kids get involved?
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 9 (20:35):
Great, So we have lots of opportunities for families. So
families can join our members, they become members, they can
go through the aquarium anytime they want. We also have
lots of programs. We have camps, we have homeschool programs.
So there's so many opportunities, including volunteer opportunities for all
ages to come and enjoy and learn about conservation together.
Speaker 6 (20:58):
Terrific.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
So from your perspective, obviously you do a ton of
work and conservation work with them, but why do you
think Wonders of Wildlife's conservation efforts are so important?
Speaker 9 (21:08):
So through our AZA accreditation, our immersive exhibits, our partnerships
with leading conservation organization and our hands on educational programs.
We are dedicated to conservation and it is our number
one mission. And through Sea of Lights and Chanted Christmas,
it's so important to connect people to nature because the
(21:29):
next generation are going to be the voters. They're going
to make decisions about our wild places and our wild animals.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Yeah, so tell me real quickly about your educational training programs,
your national projects like National Hunting and Fishing Day, and
your mission conservation.
Speaker 9 (21:45):
Lots of programs to participate in. So our Wonders of
the Ozark's Learning facility is actually a school held right
here Wonders of Wildlife. It is a very innovative approach
to a public school. We also host National and Fishing
Day and that celebrates hunters and anglers and everything that
(22:05):
they do for conservation. There's something for every family to
get involved, all the way down from our preschool programs
to our adult programs.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
There's something for everybody.
Speaker 6 (22:15):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
So where can we go to get our tickets if
we'd like to visit Johnny Morris as Wonders of Wildlife
National Museum and Aquarium.
Speaker 9 (22:23):
Yes, to purchase tickets, or to get a membership, or
just to get to more information. You're gonna go to
Wonders of Wildlife dot org slash seasons and we hope
to see everybody here at Wonders of Wildlife's Sea Light's
Enchanted Christmas.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Thank you so much. Well, I hope we can make
it down. It sounds phenomenal. Misty Mitchell, thank you so
much for joining me today. I'm Passport mommy
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