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Where Discovery Creates Hope

Natalie’s story revisited: Help and hope at a time when we ALL need it most

Natalie Narvaez simply wanted to help other people like her.

And so, the University of Minnesota sophomore opened up about her long struggle with depression and her participation in Dr. Katie Cullen’s promising research using mindful breathing and neurostimulation as alternatives to existing therapies.

Watch Natalie's Story

Now, with a global pandemic, civil unrest and an uncertain economy getting so many of us down, we need Natalie’s voice as well as that of Dr. Cullen and her graduate student researcher Michelle Thai more than ever.

How do we recognize depression in ourselves? How do we know when to reach out for professional help? And, most importantly, how do we get to the other side?

I couldn’t sleep for probably the first two weeks

“The coronavirus has been very stressful,” Natalie says through a computer screen in her parents’ home. “My dad is 72. So I worry about him every day.”

“I kept thinking about this virus going across the globe,” admits Dr. Cullen, whose research is only now ramping back up as campus gradually reopens.

Adds Michelle, who sees students as part of her training: “Our teens have lost so much that it’s hard for some of them to maintain the progress they’ve made.”

Tori and husband

We have feeling symptoms. Body symptoms. And thinking symptoms.

Feeling low, like there’s nothing to look forward to, Dr. Cullen says, is the most common symptom of depression.

Losing interest in some of the things that used to give us pleasure is another key sign – along with difficulty sleeping and a change in appetite.

But it’s suicidal thoughts, Dr. Cullen says, not just in ourselves but in our loved ones, that are most worrisome and call for professional help.

Effective therapies and medication are available for those of us with thoughts of harming ourselves or who are paralyzed by worry, Dr. Cullen says.

Tori and husband

The smell of tea takes me somewhere else

For the rest of us, the key is self-care, including plenty of sleep, a healthy diet and connections to family and friends. Even if it’s virtual.

Meditation, like the mindful breathing used in the research study, is helpful, too. So is an escape: For Natalie, it’s a dreamy cup of tea. For Dr. Cullen, it’s a book from the Harry Potter series.

And for Michelle: “I’ve been getting back into painting. Engaging in something creative can get your brain thinking a

We have feeling symptoms. Body symptoms. And thinking symptoms.

Feeling low, like there’s nothing to look forward to, Dr. Cullen says, is the most common symptom of depression.

Losing interest in some of the things that used to give us pleasure is another key sign – along with difficulty sleeping and a change in appetite.

But it’s suicidal thoughts, Dr. Cullen says, not just in ourselves but in our loved ones, that are most worrisome and call for professional help.

Effective therapies and medication are available for those of us with thoughts of harming ourselves or who are paralyzed by worry, Dr. Cullen says.

Tori and husband

Conversations bring me sparks of hope

But of all the tools to get us through, everybody agrees that hope is huge.

And nobody put it better than Natalie. For her, it’s to start looking for the good that can come out of the current struggle. Like families walking together, camping together, just being together.

“Maybe,” she says, “we’re all going to get a little more in touch with our loved ones and nature and realize that there’s a lot of changes that need to be made.”

And, at that moment, Natalie introduces a bright white kitten with a lofty – and hopeful -- name for navigating these cloudy days. Nimbus.

1 in 5 US adults experience mental illness in their lifetime; 75% of the time this begins before age 24. Our youth are facing changes to their school structure, social life, and family life due to COVID-19 that might exacerbate these numbers. For children and adolescents seeking mental health evaluation, you may also call the Intake Line for the Outpatient Psychiatry Clinics at University of Minnesota Medical Center, 612-273-8700 or 8710.

If you or someone you know are worried about mental health, please call the National Alliance for Mental Illness at 800-950-NAMI or text “NAMI” to 741741. You are not alone.

Mindful breathing with transcranial direct current stimulation: A new approach to depression therapy

Depression is a complex phenomenon involving several areas of the brain and the connections among them. Research is looking at what goes wrong with these networks in depression and if we can develop ways to make them work normally again.
Areas of the brain communicate with each other through a complex process involving electrical signals. Researchers think that in depression the pathways of communication between brain regions that are important for maintaining a normal mood are disrupted.
Mindful breathing is a known strategy for relieving stress. Some research has suggested that mindful breathing alone can change the brain and may improve mood.
In this experimental study, researchers are testing if the effects of mindful breathing can be accelerated by stimulating brain circuits using a non-invasive method.
Scientists are measuring if the combination of electrical stimulation and mindful breathing can change the connections between areas of the brain, offering the possibility of “reprogramming” brain networks and relieving depression.
Right now, this research is testing the theory that this combination of mindful breathing with brain stimulation can lead to hoped-for brain changes. Scientists use magnetic resonance imaging of the brain before and after the experiment to measure if change happens, and if that change relates to symptom improvement.
Natalie

Natalie Narvaez

Patient

Natalie’s mindful breathing technique, which, amidst the drumbeat of COVID-19 news, might be helpful to everybody.

“I close my eyes but I guess you really don’t have to,” she says. “Concentrate on your breathing. When a thought comes to mind, acknowledge it, let it go and come back to slowly breathing, in and out. Grounding yourself. Calming down if you’re panicked about anything.”

Dr. Jakub Tolar

Dr. Jakub Tolar

Dean of the University of Minnesota Medical School

His own research is finding new ways to treat children with lethal diseases but his insatiable curiosity—and position—put him at the helm of all of the U’s clinical research: “I’m interested in everything,” he says with a smile. “It’s my weakness.”

Dr. Katie Cullen

Dr. Katie Cullen

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Division Head

“I love working with kids. They’re interesting and fun. But, also, most mental health disorders emerge during adolescence. So it’s a critical period for us to study and make a difference.”

Nikita Tavares

Nikita Tavares

Study Coordinator for Mindful Breathing and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS). Department of Psychiatry

“What I like most about working with students is they are close to my age so I understand the experiences they’ve gone through, and I’m able to connect with them and build a strong rapport to be their point of contact throughout the study.”

Resources:

Inspired

University of Minnesota Campus Public Health Office

Dr. Cullen’s Research in Adolescence (RAD) Lab:

Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, University of Minnesota

Mindfulness & tDCS Study and Enrollment Form:

Mindful Breathing Exercise

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