What's Trending?

By: Jacqueline Sanzari, LMHC, CRC

If you're on social media, and currently 3.028 billion people across the world are, then you're no stranger to the hashtag (or # for short). There are hashtags for just about anything from #tbt to #food, including hot topics in the mental health community. Although the #whatstrending movement isn't a mental health hashtag movement, it has been pretty popular in today's pop culture often highlighting new fashion trends, celebrity gossip, and fad diets. The catchy phrase and hashtag has been successful in grasping the attention of today's millennials, and others of course, through fancy marketing techniques and product promotion.

What if I told you that over the last couple of years, there has been an extensive amount of research on the benefits of Botox on anxiety and depression? Yep, Botox! For those of you who are not familiar with Botox, it is a prescription drug that blocks nerve signals to muscles in the injection area. Its effects are temporary and typically wears off after three months. Dr. Eric Finzi of Chevy

Chase Cosmetic Center told CBS news that facial expressions are associated with feelings of fear, anger, and sadness (to name a few).

He goes on to explain that each of these facial expressions are part of the circuit of the brain related to mood. Makes sense, right? Dr. Finzi goes further and points out that feelings such as fear, anger, and sadness all go through our facial muscles between the eyebrows and forehead. Botox injected in that area inhibits the muscle and calms it down, therefore making it more difficult to feel those negative emotions. (CBS News April, 2017)

So, is it possible to relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety while also receiving a cosmetic procedure? It is possible! Of course, there are other less invasive, and more traditional, ways to treat mood regulation disorders. If needles aren't your thing, rest assured that research has shown that talk therapy has the potential for positive outcomes and relief of symptoms as well. If you are interested in receiving Botox treatment at Island Psychiatry, visit our request form page or call our office at 631-474-8099.

Stay tuned to see if Botox treatment will be offered at Island Psychiatry!