Down East Psychiatry and Wellness

11/14/2025

🌿 Weekend Self-Care Reminder 🌿

Stress has a way of sneaking into our weekends, even when we’re trying to recharge.

✨ Here are a few simple ways to care for yourself this weekend:
- Step outside: A short walk in fresh air can reset your mood.
- Unplug for a while: Give yourself permission to pause from screens and notifications.
- Connect intentionally: Spend time with someone who brings you peace, or enjoy solitude if that’s what you need.
- Breathe deeply: Even five minutes of mindful breathing can ease tension.

Remember: caring for yourself helps you show up stronger for the people and responsibilities that matter most. 💙

Take this weekend to slow down, reset, and honor your well-being.

— Down East Psychiatry & Wellness

11/11/2025

11/11/2025

🌈 Today, in honor of National Coming Out Day, Down East Psychiatry and Wellness affirms this truth: coming out is courageous, and it’s not a one-time event. It’s a journey that can carry both pride and pressure.

This Stress Awareness Month, we recognize how identity, safety, and belonging intersect with mental health, especially for LGBTQ+ individuals. You deserve care that celebrates you, not just supports you.

At Down East, we’re here to hold space with compassion, cultural humility, and unwavering affirmation.

11/06/2025

🧠 Stress isn’t weakness, it’s information.
It tells us when our systems are overloaded, our boundaries are stretched, or our needs are unmet.

In behavioral health, we see how chronic stress can shape mood, relationships, and even physical health. But we also see how awareness can be a turning point.

✨ This week, we invite you to:
- Notice your stress signals (tight chest, racing thoughts, irritability)
- Name what’s driving them (overcommitment, grief, uncertainty)
- Normalize seeking support (therapy, rest, boundaries, movement)

Stress management isn’t about perfection; it’s about presence.

📌 What’s one small shift you’re making to honor your nervous system this week?

MentalHealthMatters

11/03/2025

🍂 Seasonal Stress Is Real & You’re Not Alone 🕯️

As the days grow shorter and the holidays inch closer, many of us feel the weight of seasonal stress. Whether it’s the pressure to show up joyfully, the ache of grief or estrangement, or the quiet shift in mood that comes with less sunlight. Your experience is valid.

You don’t have to “push through” or pretend it’s all cozy and bright. You can:
- Say no without guilt.
- Choose rest over hustle.
- Name your needs, even if they shift daily.
- Let joy be quiet, rebellious, or unconventional.

If you’re noticing changes in sleep, energy, or mood, it might be more than just “winter blues.” Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is real, and treatable. Therapy, light exposure, movement, connection, and medication can help.

10/23/2025

10/22/2025

🧠 ADHD Is Real. And You’re Not Alone.

At Down East Psychiatry & Wellness, we recognize that ADHD isn’t just about distraction; it’s about navigating a world that often misunderstands your rhythm, your brilliance, and your needs.

Whether you're a parent noticing signs in your child, an adult wondering if your struggles have a name, or someone already diagnosed and seeking support, ADHD is valid, and help is available.

✨ ADHD can look like:
- Forgetfulness that feels like failure
- Restlessness that others misread
- Hyperfocus that surprises even you
- Emotional intensity that’s hard to explain

We offer compassionate, evidence-based care to help you understand your brain, advocate for your needs, and thrive in your own way.

📞 Reach out today to explore diagnosis or medication support. Your story matters, and we’re here to listen.

🔗 downeastpsychiatryandwellness.org

I offer brief counseling and prescription medication management with a focus on emotional and physical wellness.Meeting clients in person or on a secure website

10/20/2025

🌿 October is Emotional Wellness Month 🌿
As we move through changing seasons, it’s a powerful time to check in with our emotional health.

🧠 Research shows that naming our emotions ,even silently, reduces activity in the amygdala (the brain’s fear center) and increases regulation in the prefrontal cortex. This practice, called “affect labeling,” helps us feel more grounded and less overwhelmed.

✨ Try this: When emotions rise, pause and name them gently. “I feel anxious.” “I feel proud.” “I feel tender.” No judgment, just noticing. It’s a small act of self-respect that rewires the brain for resilience.

Let’s honor our emotional lives this month, with curiosity, compassion, and community. 💛

EmotionalWellnessMonth

10/14/2025

🧠 OCD Awareness Week: Let’s Talk About It

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) isn’t just about being “neat” or “quirky.” It’s a mental health condition where unwanted thoughts (obsessions) create intense anxiety, and people feel driven to perform certain actions (compulsions) to try to relieve it.

💬 In everyday terms:
- Obsessions = thoughts that feel intrusive, scary, or “wrong” (like “What if I hurt someone?” or “Did I lock the door?”).
- Compulsions = actions or mental rituals done to feel “safe” or “right” (like checking, counting, repeating, or avoiding).

OCD isn’t a personality trait; it’s a condition that can deeply affect someone’s daily life, relationships, and sense of peace. Awareness matters because:
- Many people suffer in silence, thinking they’re “just being dramatic.”
- Misunderstanding leads to shame, not support.
- Compassion and accurate info can change lives.

10/13/2025

Managing your health is a personal journey, and there is no shame in using medication as a tool to support your mental or physical well-being. Yes there may be side effects. Yes, a medication might not work for you. But what we do over here is that we trust folks to make informed decisions about their own health and do what works for them!

10/09/2025

Providing support to someone who lost a loved one to su***de can be overwhelming—but there are ways to support someone who is going through such a difficult time: 988lifeline.org/help-yourself/loss-survivors/

The is also here to provide support