South of Fine

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, with nearly 50,000 lives lost last year. And while suicide is often a taboo topic, prevention is possible, but it requires intervention from friends, family and community members. In this episode, we speak with Meghan Goldbeck and Denita LeBlanc about the important work the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention is doing to help eliminate the loss of life due to suicide.

After more than a year of remote and hybrid learning environments, as well as quarantines, social distancing and mask mandates, the adjustment back to in-person classrooms may be a difficult transition for K-12 students. In this episode, we speak with Meg Hayden, head nurse at the Oxford School District, to learn more about how to prepare for the transition and how to support our students.

In this episode, Dr. Geralyn Datz, psychologist, joins us to discuss the seemingly mysterious topic of psychological testing. We walk through the purpose of psychological tests and what to expect when undergoing one of these examinations. Dr. Datz is trained in advanced psychological testing techniques and works as a psychologist at Southern Behavioral Medicine Associates in Hattiesburg, Miss.

In this episode of South of Fine, we talk with Rebecca Turner, registered dietician and host of Good Things with Rebecca Turner on SuperTalk Radio, about food anxieties and eating disorders. Disordered eating and overall anxiety around food typically evolves as a result of individual and cultural factors. Eating disorders are not a conscious choice. People suffering oftentimes do not understand the severity of their illness and choose to not seek help. In this episode of South of Fine, we walk through the different types of eating disorders, why they may arise, and how to seek help.

For Mental Health Awareness Month, we speak with Kay Daneault and Melody Worsham of the Mental Health Association of South Mississippi to get their thoughts on the stigma surrounding mental health in Mississippi and where COVID has left progress.

Mothers take on various roles caring for their children on a daily basis. With the implementation of stay-at-home orders and virtual school this past year, moms faced an increased level of mental health struggles. Many mothers face feelings of fatigue, anxiety and loss of self. These feelings have no doubt been exacerbated over the past year. In this episode, we sit down with Carrie Gholston, PMHNP-BC (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner- Board Certified) at the Madison clinic of Right Track Medical Group, to discuss some of the mental health concerns mothers face.

There isn't a person on earth who hasn't experienced anxiety but at what point do we need to seek professional help for the issue? Is stress anxiety? Does anxiety affect our physical health? Dr. Johanna Lu from Right Track Medical Group offers a bit of clarity on the subject.

In this episode of South of Fine, we chat with Active Minds student leaders from the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University about how this generation of college students views mental health, the impacts of COVID, and their mission to end the stigma around mental health on college campuses.

Most college students ended 2020 with continued uncertainty. Normalcy has not returned to our college campuses — or our lives. For many students, the ongoing chaos of COVID-19 continues to cause (or add to) mental health challenges. In the first episode of 2020, we speak with April Estill Lomax, LCSW, and Michelle Howard, LCSW, of the University of Southern Mississippi's Student Counseling Center, about the state of mental health on college campuses and how students can prepare to come back this month.

2020 has been a tough year for many of us. The COVID-19 pandemic and its effects have left people feeling scared, alone, stressed and anxious.In the latest episode of South of Fine, Right Track Medical Director Dr. Katherine Pannel discusses the lasting impacts to our mental health and what silver lining may be found.

In this special holiday episode of South of Fine, we are joined by Christine Green, LPC, NCC and Dayton Brasfield, LPC, NCC, therapists at Right Track Medical Group to discuss the sources of holiday stress and how to overcome it.

To dive a little bit deeper into the mental health needs of veterans, we are joined by Lee County, Miss. Veteran Service Officer Mike Pettigrew.

In this episode, we are joined by Jennifer Young, LPC, a therapist at Right Track Medical Group to get a better understanding of what PTSD is — and what it isn't.

The American Medical Association suggests that physician-led healthcare teams have the potential to improve access to care, and eventually, improve patient outcomes. In this episode, Dr. Stephen Pannel, psychiatrist and Chief Medical Officer at Right Track Medical Group and Taryn Cooper, Marraige and Family Therapist at The Wellness and Counseling Center and former Coordinator of Best Practices at Right Track Medical Group, discuss how the physician-led approach is innovating the world of behavioral healthcare.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Stephen Pannel, DO, ABPN, ABAM, Chief Medical Officer and psychiatrist at Right Track Medical Group to discuss the effects of alcohol on the mental health of college-aged students.

In this episode, we are joined by Robin Minyard. Robin, a former attorney now getting her Masters in social work, knows firsthand the ramifications of suicide and discusses her journey through the intellectual and emotional tidal wave that follows a loved one's death by suicide.

Despite evidence suggesting that sleep is as important to our overall well being as things like diet and regular exercise, an estimated 40 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep issues. Apart from those experiencing sleep disorders, poor sleep is linked to other common mental health concerns like anxiety and depression. In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Anna Katherine Black, clinical psychologist at Delta Autumn Consulting, to learn more about how sleep is integral to our mental health.

A significant portion of college-aged students struggles with their mental health. According to recent student surveys from the American College Health Association, about 60% of students felt overwhelming anxiety, while 40% experienced depression so severe they had difficulty functioning. In Part 2 of our look at mental health and college students, we discuss this potential epidemic with Dr. Morgan Bryant, Director of Student Counseling and Disability Services at Mississippi College.

When students transition from high school to college, they face an enormous amount of upheaval — and it can have a profound effect on their mental health. In this episode, we are joined by Janae Robinson, MS, LPC, NCC, a staff counselor at Mississippi State University's Student Counseling Services and Meg Blaylock, MS, LPC, NCC, a therapist at Right Track Medical Group, to discuss this significant life event and the effects it can have on mental health.

Kids are not immune from mental health challenges. Like adults, they sometimes need therapy to help them cope and to get the support they need when dealing with anything from ADHD to anxiety to depression. In this episode, we are joined by Sheria Green, LPC, RPT, a therapist at Right Track Medical Group and Racheal Pritchett, PMHNP-BC a Nurse Practitioner at Right Track Medical Group, to answer some of the most common questions parents have about sending their kids to therapy.