Anthony Botrus, LMFT

Self-Medicating: The Link between Depression & Substance Abuse By Premier Forensic Dream Team Member, Anthony Botrus LMFT, with Dr. Alex Avila Originally published in OFFICES OF DR. AVILA: PREMIER FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY EZINE, # 103   on 4/1/17 When faced with a psychological trauma, injury, or stress, our clients often face some form of depression.  A serious form of depression is known as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), in which a client has a period of at least 2 weeks in which they have a depressed mood or the loss of interest or pleasure in nearly all activities.  When evaluating a client, it is important to determine the extent of his/her depression, and if there are any co-morbid (additional) mental health issues. One of the most common co-occurring disorders for someone who has MDD is Substance Abuse. Research has shown that many of the factors that cause depression may also play a role in the development of addiction. A nationwide study of 43,093 adu...

Grounding Yourself: Mindfulness & Meditation for Treatment of Victims of Trauma and Stress By Anthony Botrus, LMFT, Evaluator for Dr. Alex Avila’s Premiere Forensic Dream Team Originally published in OFFICES OF DR. AVILA: PREMIER FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY EZINE, # 102   on 2/28/17 As things heat up in the legal world due to recent (proposed) changes, both attorneys and clients are under increased stress and pressure. In our therapy with clients (and attorneys), we use a very valuable technique known as Mindfulness Meditation that can be beneficial in decreasing anxiety and sadness and increasing self-esteem and relaxation. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, instead of being overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Mindfulness training has been shown to promote cognitive resilience in high-stress patients by curbing attentional lapses over high-dem...