EpiphanyClinic BC
Our goal at EpiphanyClinics is to help you meet your full potential in life. We offer diagnostic assessments, counseling, coaching, medication management, on-line programs, educational webinars, advocacy and group support. Come in and see us.
We have re-branded. Our new name is EpiphanyClinic BC. The epiphany is the 'aha' moment when you put two and two together, generating a transformative insight. To encourage more of that, I've teamed up with a group of therapists and we're now offering psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in North Vancouver. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at info@northshoreadhd.com. You can also reach us by fax at +1 778-508-3552. Talk soon.
Why Treat ADHD?
ADHD is the most common neuro-developmental disorder. It is more heritable than eye color. It's more common than anxiety and bipolar disorder combined. At least 50% of kids with ADHD grow up to be adults with ADHD.
Why treat ADHD? So you can function in all domains and meet your full potential in life.
People who have ADHD are twice as likely to drop out of school, become parents in their teens, have their electricity cut off, get fired, go bankrupt. They are three times more likely to fail in relationships, get divorced or get injured in car accidents.
But the greatest injury of all, is the steady decline in self-esteem that accompanies repeated failure, despite their best effort. That's a catastrophe.
That's not cool. That's why we treat it.
Why Treat Addiction?
If you take 100 people off the street and give each of them an addictive substance, only 20% will get addicted. That's 20% of the entire population. That may or may not surprise you. The thing is, people who suffer from addictions are our sisters, cousins, parents, brothers, neighbors and co-workers, and they need our help.
They say that where there is addiction, there is pain. That pain can be depression, anxiety, trauma, boredom or actually real physical pain. The substance (or addictive behavior) is a compensation for that pain. It's what that person has learned to do when their brain says, "do something". But that something, whether it's cannabis, crack, or compulsive shopping also causes pain. We're suggesting treatment. That treatment could be anything from meditation, to medication, to MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. That's where we come in. Let us know your pain. We'll pack some resources and walk, with you, down the path of wellness. Let's start today.
If a patient has Depression and ADHD, which should you treat first?
Most clinicians have been trained to treat the Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) first. Well actually, most clinicians miss the ADHD, because they have not been trained or refuse to recognize ADHD. So they treat only the Depression.
Other clinicians, even if they do diagnose the ADHD, will still treat the MDD first, because that's what they have been trained to do.
We've been collecting ADHD and MDD data for over 20 years. The data says the best outcomes are associated with treating the ADHD first. Why would that be? Again the data shows that treating the ADHD first improves cognition and executive function, which decreases distress and therefore improves mood indirectly. Whereas treating the MDD first, with an SSRI, usually, increases mood directly, but is associated with worsening of cognition, executive function and impulsivity.
Research has shown that SSRI's stimulate Serotonin circuits, but Serotonin competes with Dopamine.
So treating the ADHD first is a win-win, while treating the MDD first is a win-lose.
How can psychedelics help me?
Psychedelics don't have much of an effect on ADHD.
But psychedelics do help people manage trauma. I've never seen anything like it to be honest. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is counseling, turbo-charged by the mind-jiggling effects of psychedelic molecules. Psychedelics allow us to look at scary memories, with less fear.
By addressing the underlying trauma that drives addiction, we get better outcomes. People are not as unstable, so the need to cope with substances, is less. As substance use subsides, life with ADHD is more manageable.
How do psychedelics work?
We know quite a bit about how they work, but there are still a lot of unknowns.
We know all psychedelics have their effects throughout the same brain circuits as anti-depressants. All psychedelics hit the same receptor as Prozac (5HT2a).
Usually 'cross-talk' from different parts of the brain is constrained, so that you don't get overwhelmed by unnecessary information. Psychedelics increase the conversation amongst different parts of the brain that usually don't talk to one another.
By increasing the amount and volume of chit-chat across different brain areas, it is easier to put 2 and 2 together, where perviously they were not connected. That's the basis for the aha! moment. Looking at something old, yet seeing something new. Seeing a connection between two things that previously escaped you.
Psychedelics also trigger learning through the same pathways as anti-depressants. We call it 'neuroplasticity'. feeding the brain to allowing neurons to grow together. But there's more.
Psychedelics can perform another magic trick. They turn up the 'consideration of others' circuit and they turn down the 'it's all about me' circuit (Default Mode Network, DMN).
Temporarily turning off the DMN allows you to see the world through different eyes. Psychedelics allow you to 'walk a mile in someone else's shoes', and that's exactly the part of the brain that lights up when you use psychedelics, the empathy circuits, the Left Brain.
Psychedelics trigger insights that facilitate adaptation, learning and change, mysteriously disconnecting circular patterns of thinking that contribute to mental distress. Phew, that's a relief. Taking psychedelics, is like shaking the snow globe. After the snow falls, all the old tracks are gone, and new options appear.
During the session, ketamine provides the opportunity for psychedelic exploration, which allows you to objectively and safely revisit past events, life experiences, and traumas. When paired with the structure and support of talk therapy, there’s an opportunity to establish new tracks, stories and habits.
All of a sudden, you’re able to see the bigger picture. That allows you to breakdown unhelpful psychic structures and build new ones. It's a bridge to healing.
How it Works
1
Mental Health Assessment
2
Psychotherapy Assessment
3
Psychedelic Session
4
Psychotherapy Integration
Group Support
Repeat step 3 and 4
add groups and contemplation
Psychedelic Integration
The real magic is how psychedelics allow you to re-tell the story of your life's journey, the good with the bad, in a blame-free way, to make a cohesive narrative that allows the past to integrate into the present.
Choose your location
The first rule of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is: 'Set and Setting'. Our first goal is to get to know you. Our second goal is to treat you where you are most comfortable: at our clinic; at your home; or a hybrid model which includes the best of both
%202.jpeg)
Moving Pieces
To whom it may concern,
The impact that EpiphanyClinic has had on my life is inexpressible. To start, it felt like there were so many moving pieces. I didn't have the tools to communicate my needs. Anyways, they just cut right through all the static. It changed everything and set me on the path to --not just actualizing my potential-- but finding contentment within myself (I can't overstate the difference it makes to a confused kid, just having somebody on your side; someone to speak for you, when you aren’t able to speak for yourself)
It was a real turning point in my life. Dr. Ocana made a difference. Sorry if it's a little cheesy, I just don't think I've ever properly thanked him.
