Blog Archive

Do the holidays give you the blues? If so, you’re not alone. For some, the holiday season worsens or even triggers symptoms and sensations of depression. This may include reduced energy, too much or too little sleep, low mood, feelings of sadness or shame, or even thoughts of suicide. You...

Living with either chronic pain or depression puts strain on you, your loved ones, and your quality of life. It can seem unfair, then, that depression and chronic pain often go hand in hand. If you suffer from one of these conditions, you’re at heightened risk for the other. However,...

Nervous feelings happen to everyone. But, if you’re often, or always, nervous, it’s worth taking the time to consider whether you might be dealing with an underlying anxiety disorder. Clinical anxiety causes frequent nervousness and also involves parts of your psychology that you might not realize play a role in...

When autumn rolls around each year, so do increases in seasonal illnesses like colds and flu. While you can get sick at any time of the year, factors like cooler temperatures and schools resuming sessions mean that communicable illnesses spike in autumn and winter. When more illnesses are “going around,”...

We conceptualize the brain primarily as the place where thoughts come from. But your brain and cognition, or thinking, play more of a role in your physical and mental health than you might realize. In addition to thoughts, your brain registers sensations like pain and even regulates your mood. That...

Are you living with chronic pain? If you’ve had pain symptoms lasting 12 weeks or longer, you’re said to have chronic pain. Your symptoms complicate your life, reducing your ability to focus, rest, or even enjoy yourself. Chronic pain often arises from complex causes, and treating it poses unique challenges....

Getting older doesn’t just affect your looks, although the appearance of your skin and hair can certainly give away your age. The oxidative stress that comes naturally with aging harms your soft tissues, hair, nails, and even bones. As modern health science learns more about what actually occurs during the...

You may have heard of ketamine as a type of party drug. Ketamine, which creates a dissociative effect on your brain, was historically used for surgical sedation. But, as modern medicine has continued to study ketamine, we’ve learned more and more about mental and physical conditions that can be eased...

Chronic migraine headaches pose major problems. Your headaches may leave you in pain for hours or even days, dealing with heightened sensory sensitivity, nausea, and other uncomfortable and disruptive symptoms as well. It can be difficult to determine why you’re suffering from repeat migraine headaches. Dietary triggers or nutrient deficiencies...

It’s one thing to be aware that negative mental health symptoms are damaging your quality of life. It’s a whole other to determine what part of your brain chemistry and psychology are causing your symptoms. And you may need an accurate diagnosis to find treatments that work effectively for you....

Wintertime can make you sleepy. While sometimes it can be nice to drowse peacefully on a winter evening, heightened fatigue and tiredness throughout the winter months can eventually take a toll on you. It may be worth thinking about why you feel so tired in winter, and what treatments and...

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) presents serious difficulties for sufferers. But there are a lot of myths and lies out there about PTSD. Are you sure you really have the facts about this mental health condition and how it may be affecting you or a loved one? Board-certified anesthesiologist and US...

Mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even chronic pain conditions, may respond well to treatment with therapeutic intravenous (IV) ketamine infusion. Dr. Bryant S. Edwards specializes in this type of treatment at his ketamine infusion clinic, Iconic Infusions, PLLC. Located in Briarwood Hills, Fayetteville,...

Mental health conditions like depression and anxiety are all about what’s going on in your mind, right? Well, not exactly. You may be surprised to learn just how closely your mental health and your physical condition connect. For one thing, your brain is a part of your body. Many types...

Another day, another headache. Is that how it is for you? If you suffer from frequent or recurrent headaches, you might be wondering if there’s an underlying issue causing this symptom. And you’re likely wondering what you can do to eliminate your persistent headaches, too!  In fact, once you determine...

Chronic pain, or pain lasting for more than 12 weeks, impacts every part of your life. And research shows that chronic pain may be more likely to impact some individuals than others. Specifically, chronic pain often seems to target women. Women have a higher risk of chronic pain conditions like...

When something isn’t right with your mental health, you can tell. Symptoms affect your mind and emotions, causing you to be nervous, sad, or hopeless. And mental health conditions like depression and anxiety also cause physical symptoms like sleep irregularities and digestive troubles. However, figuring out what’s going wrong for your mental health can...

Have you been feeling unusually low energy lately? Maybe you wake up every morning still feeling fatigued or notice you run out of steam when you’re not done with your plans. Or, you might have been dealing with the challenging impacts of chronic fatigue for some time without sufficient symptom...

There are lots of myths out there about chronic pain. In part, that’s likely because of the way that chronic pain symptoms vary for different individuals. There’s no standard model for chronic pain symptoms, treatment, or recovery. But, at Iconic Infusions, PLLC of Briarwood, Fayetteville, North Carolina, Dr. Bryant S....

It’s not easy living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This chronic condition is the most common type of autoimmune arthritis in Americans and does not have a cure. While it’s impossible to cure RA, you have options for treatments to manage your symptoms and slow the progression of your condition. Intravenous...

Depression can be more than just a bad mood. If you have major depressive disorder, symptoms of low mood, poor energy, or emotions of hopelessness can drag you down for months or years at a time. That makes it hard to keep seeking treatment! While conventional depression treatments like psychotherapy...

Every part of your body needs vitamins and nutrients for maximum health and wellness, from your bloodstream to the ends of your hair. Vitamin supplementation can help you improve your immune system, complexion, hair growth, and energy levels. And the benefits of a full complement of vitamins also safeguard your...

Did you know that your sleep cycle can be closely related to mental health problems with depression? And conversely, depression can throw off your sleep, causing insomnia and sleep disruption. Studies show that the link between depression and sleep goes both ways. If you’re having trouble with sustained low mood or...

Mental health conditions, like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), intrude on your life and can be difficult to treat effectively. If you’ve tried other therapy and medication management methods without enough symptom relief, Dr. Bryant S. Edwards and his team at Iconic Infusions, PLLC might suggest ketamine. Historically...

The symptoms of depression, including low mood, fatigue, loss of interest in daily life activities, and an increased tendency toward substance use problems, can be majorly intrusive in your life. If you or a loved one is living with clinical depression or major depressive disorder, you need treatment and support to...

Four out of five people experience lower back pain at some point in time. Given these statistics, you may feel as though it’s unavoidable, which may make you ask yourself why. Why is lower back pain more common than any other type? At Orthopedic & Wellness, we treat all types of pain conditions. Our...

Mental health conditions like anxiety disorders or major depression can be complex to treat and difficult to live with. If you’re struggling with symptoms of depression or anxiety and haven’t found sufficient relief with other forms of treatment, you should know more about the mental health benefits of intravenous (IV) ketamine therapy. Board-certified anesthesiologist Dr....

The relationship between the physical structures of your brain and mood and your mental health is complex and fascinating. We’re still learning more about mental health treatment and the brain as we work to improve the lives of people suffering from conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treatment-resistant depression....

B complex vitamins are essential to your body’s cellular regeneration capabilities. If you’re not getting enough B vitamins, you might start to notice yourself lagging partway through the day or always feeling fatigued. If your vitality is low, and you’re wondering if a vitamin B deficiency could be the cause,...

Did you know that anxiety can harm your physical health? That’s right, anxiety might start in your brain, but it can negatively affect your body in multiple ways. The physical problems that are keeping you uncomfortable and the anxiety that troubles your mind could be deeply connected with each other....

Arthritis is one of the most common causes of chronic pain for adults across the United States. Arthritis comes in multiple types, most commonly osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and infectious arthritis. The symptoms of pain, tenderness, swelling, and limited range of motion common with arthritis can be complex and...

Going through a depression flare-up is a difficult experience. If you live with major depression, it makes sense to pay attention to preventing difficult and stressful depression flare-ups.  You might use strategies like lifestyle changes, therapy, or medication management to try and keep your depression under control. If approaches like...

Social anxiety can keep you trapped, preventing you from engaging with the world, new experiences, and new people the way you want. The effects of social anxiety may be detrimental to your personal life and professional success. You don’t have to give up your hopes and ambitions due to social...

Your body needs a full supply of essential vitamins and nutrients to stay strong, healthy, and fully functional. That includes your brain! Vitamin deficiencies don’t just affect your physical health. Your moods and mental health may also suffer if you have vitamin deficiencies. At Iconic Infusions, PLLC, of Briarwood Hills,...

Intravenous (IV) ketamine therapy shows real promise as an effective treatment option for mental health conditions like chronic pain and treatment-resistant depression. If medication management, therapy, and lifestyle changes haven’t done enough to relieve your symptoms of anxiety, depression, or chronic pain, you may be able to benefit from IV...

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex mental health condition that can arise from a variety of causes. PTSD causes distressing symptoms that damage your quality of life, including insomnia, nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, and depression. US Army veteran and board-certified anesthesiologist Dr. Bryant S. Edwards understands PTSD at a deep...

Dehydration can strike as a result of hard work, strenuous physical exercise, and even the holiday party season. Dehydration, when your body doesn’t have enough water resources available, affects your short-term wellness and long-term health. You can rapidly reverse the effects of dehydration with IV hydration, a faster way to...

When you live with chronic pain, it’s just a matter of time until the next flare-up sidelines you from your own life. Your work, family, hobbies, and aspirations can end up taking a back seat to your symptoms of chronic aches, body pain, sleeplessness, and fatigue. Diagnosing and treating chronic...

You might think of anxiety as primarily about negative emotions of stress, concern, and worry. Those emotions can be a challenge. But anxiety can present in other ways, as well, damaging your quality of life and keeping you from living each day to the fullest. At Iconic Infusions, PLLC, our...

Major depressive disorder, also known as clinical depression, casts a cloud over your entire life. Your psychological symptoms of sadness, hopelessness, low energy, and even unexplained body pain make going to work or having fun with family and friends an almost impossible challenge. For some individuals, treatment methods like antidepressant...

Your body relies on nutrients to power your life. You do your best to optimize your dietary nutrient intake by eating plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy sources of protein. However, nutrient deficiencies are common in American adults. For a faster nutrient uptake than you get with nutritional supplements,...

Your body has to handle a lot of strains on a daily basis, from stressful situations at home or at work to late nights out, hot summer temperatures, and even high-intensity physical activities like athletics. Not to mention how hard your body has to work to fight off common illnesses...

You can develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after many types of traumatic experiences. You could have PTSD as a result of military service, sexual assault, childhood abuse experiences, or even a traumatic accident or prolonged, intensive stress. PTSD can leave you suffering from intrusive and debilitating symptoms, including negative thoughts,...

The stresses of day-to-day life, as well as one-off situations, put your body to the test, consuming fluids and nutrients to create the energy you need. When you push yourself to the limit, burnout becomes a possibility, damaging your long-term health and wellness. Eating and drinking are the slow way...

Intravenous (IV) hydration lets you rapidly restore and replenish your body’s store of fluids. It takes much less time for IV fluids to completely hydrate your body than it would if you drank fluids for rehydration. A wide range of people can potentially benefit from IV hydration treatment. You can...

Your body gets essential vitamins and nutrients from sources, including the food you eat. Even sunlight can provide needed vitamin D. Vitamins and nutrients fuel all the systems of your body, including your immune system. Now, more than ever, having a strong immune system that can fight off contagious diseases...

Chronic pain is the primary reason for long-term disability in the United States. Once pain becomes chronic, you may not even be able to pinpoint its origin. Pain sometimes radiates from the initial site of injury to other areas of the body. When a physical reason for pain has already...

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by a terrifying or traumatic event. Symptoms typically include, but are not limited to: depression, flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety that is out of the individual’s control.  Did you know that there are about 20 million veterans in the...

Chronic pain is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States. Unlike pain from cutting your finger or pulling a muscle, chronic pain is a debilitating condition in which pain lasts for three months or more. This type of pain impairs function, distorts the nervous system, migrates...

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 50 million Americans—about 20 percent of the population—suffer from chronic pain. Chronic pain is defined as experiencing a moderate level of pain on most days, for at least six months. Oftentimes, people take opiate pain medications to alleviate the symptoms...

In medicine, specifically in psychiatry, when a person experiences two or more disorders at the same time, those disorders are considered co-morbid. In mental health, the most common instance of comorbidity is anxiety and depression. It is believed that half of all people who suffer from the characteristic depression symptoms...

Research recently conducted by Elizabeth Neilson of Morehead University found that certain masculine traits may contribute to the development of more severe symptoms of PTSD. The research specifically identified that personality traits such as self-reliance, stoicism, and emotional control are encouraged during military training. These traits are an asset, as...

The significant decline in mental wellness has become a dire situation for this country. Depression alone is estimated to cost $210 billion annually and there is a critical shortage of psychiatrists and other mental health specialists. In this time of crisis, artificial intelligence (AI) may offer hope for more effective...

Alcohol addiction is a widespread disorder that has presented itself as being extremely difficult to treat. Currently, there are very few effective treatments available. The most common are therapy, detox, and rehabilitation, 12-step programs, or several different prescription drugs. Scientists, however, believe that they may have found an innovative breakthrough...

Ketamine is becoming a widely popular drug for treating depression. Traditional drugs often take days or weeks for them to start working, whereas Ketamine works almost instantly. As a result, this is a very appealing option for those diagnosed with depression. If you are considering Ketamine infusions and are nervous...

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc across the country, impacting our lives in ways we never imagined nor thought possible. Those who suffer from a clinical mental health disorder—specifically depression or anxiety—are especially fragile during these uncertain (and unsettling) times. With the world whirling in circles around us, changing seemingly by the...

The practice of “social distancing” has been mandated by our government, which means we are isolated in quarantine, and away from our friends, colleagues, and extended family members. Even if you are an introvert and don't love social situations, studies show that too much isolation can be detrimental to our...

Thoughts and emotions affect not just your mental health, but also your physical health. The mind is an organ that is connected to the entire body. This means that our emotions, thoughts, and feelings all affect our overall well-being. When someone has great emotional health it means they are aware...

Loneliness, money stress, and burnout all contribute to elevated levels of depression among millennials. Defined by the Pew Research Center as those individuals aged between 23 and 38 (as of 2019), this generation has seen a 47% increase in major-depression diagnoses. Underscoring this statistic is the fact that mental health-related...

None of us lives without anxiety. We’ve all experienced a racing heart or butterflies in our stomachs or muscle tightness when facing a tense situation. Anxiety is a normal human response to stress, and a necessary one at that. Without anxiety, there would be nothing to stop us from standing...

Depending on whom you ask, the concept of ideal mental health varies—however, the definition of “good mental health” oftentimes boils down to the desire for perfect bliss. Of course, this is impossible...and yet so many people believe otherwise. As a result, many people suffer through periods of depression specifically as...

Depression is a mood disorder that manifests as constant feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and anxiety that lasts for more than two weeks. It is one of the most common mood disorders in the world, effecting more than 264 million people worldwide. However, the cause of depression is a multi-faceted problem,...

Depression and obesity. Two epidemics of magnanimous proportions here in the United States. More than 70% of Americans are overweight or obese, and almost 7% suffer from severe, clinical depression. Both conditions are oftentimes—and sadly—fatal. In the past, research has suggested a link between depression and obesity. Overweight or obese...

Ketamine was first synthesized in the 1960s as a painkiller and anesthetic. Then in the early 1980s, it became a popular club drug. In more recent years, medical research has discovered that it can rapidly reduce the symptoms of depression, chronic pain, migraines, and even some symptoms of PTSD. This...

Now, more than ever, it is important to understand how these issues differ and what the symptoms are. With the COVID-19 pandemic upending daily life, many are feeling a lack of control over what is happening around them. There is a constant worry of contracting the virus; fear and anxiety...

During the pandemic, most people are paying attention to their health and well-being more than ever in order not to get sick. One of the best ways to prevent getting an illness is to boost your immune system—and in order to do this, you want to make sure you have...

The stigma of ketamine being a party drug is slowly being stripped away as doctors explore the medical and potentially life-saving benefits it provides. Over the past 20 years, researchers have been uncovering many uses for the drug. Perhaps the most exciting came when ketamine was first shown to alleviate...

As a result of coronavirus, millions of people have found themselves suddenly unemployed. These people are experiencing stress and anxiety about what their future will look like due to the economy. Will their job be there when things return to normal? If not, will they be able to get a...

Here is one simple stress management tip to reduce anxiety: drink more water! The link between dehydration and stress has been well researched since our entire bodies are composed mostly of water. If you are dehydrated, your body is not functioning properly, and therefore may cause increased levels of stress....

For many folks, up until a couple months ago “remote” was an adjective used to describe with far-off places, not your work environment. Indeed, when searched, among the first definitions include “distant” and “disconnected” as part of the term’s meaning. Such words are taking on all new levels of significance...

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world we live in. From social distancing, stay at home orders, and closures of businesses, it has transformed everything we thought we knew about our daily lives and instilled a sense of widespread fear and panic. For chronic pain sufferers, COVID-19 has also presented many...

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world we live in. From social distancing, stay at home orders, and closures of businesses. It has transformed everything we thought we knew about our daily lives and instilled a sense of widespread fear and panic. For so many this has been an overwhelming experience...

By now, everyone is familiar with the current Coronavirus pandemic, which started in Wuhan, China and quickly spread across the globe, infecting millions of people. While we wait for a vaccine to be developed, tested, and released to the public—which we expect to happen in the next 18 months—the best thing...

The global coronavirus pandemic has turned the world on its head in a matter of weeks, giving all of us precious little time to prepare for such an unprecedented disruption. As the proportions of the moment we are facing have come into view, many folks have directed their energy toward preparing in basic...

With the new and novel Coronavirus spreading around the world, government officials have ordered everyone to stay home, to avoid large groups of people, and to socially distance themselves from others. While the world waits for a vaccine, following these suggestions are all we can do to prevent the spread of...

The economic burden of mental health issues in the United States is staggering. Depression alone is estimated to cost $210 billion annually, with more than half of this deriving from absenteeism and reduced productivity in the workplace. A major contributing factor to the struggle that is faced with how to treat...

According to a recent article, there are five distinct biotypes of depression: undermethylation, high-copper, folate deficiency, toxic metal, and pyrrole. These biotypes offer a biological explanation for the cause of a patient’s depression. For the 300 million currently suffering from this mental health disorder, understanding why they feel the way they...

When someone experiences chronic pain in their body, the last thing they want to hear is, “It’s all in your head.” However, the mind and body are interconnected and research shows that, when you treat your brain, you can treat your pain. A research article regarding pain management in matters of...

According to a new study, certain traits associated with masculinity have been found to make the symptoms of PTSD more severe in military veterans. This research also indicates that these traits make it more difficult to treat PTSD in veterans. The masculine personality traits connected with this research are those of self-reliance, stoicism...

If you get headaches, feel fatigued or even depressed, or have difficulty concentrating, you may actually be dehydrated. Our bodies react to dehydration just like we do any other physical or biological abnormality: adversely. Thankfully, dehydration is quite simple to prevent. Therefore—unless you suffer from congestive heart failure, or have...

In the U.S, millions of people suffer from depression—many of which have been left hopeless due to treatment failure. The standard procedure for treating depression is a combination of talk therapy and a daily selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). However, with the traditional combination failing to deliver for so many,...