Health & Fitness
L+M's Physician Friday -- Dr. Amarilis Talavera-Briggs
Physician Friday introduces you a different member of the Lawrence + Memorial Hospital medical staff.
Dr. Amarilis Talavera-Briggs was among 20 physicians from Lawrence + Memorial Hospital included in Connecticut magazine’s recent list of the state’s “Top Docs,” but the subject never came up in a recent discussion of her work.
In fact, perhaps one of the reasons she earned the honor is her intense focus on her patients, both as assistant chair of L+M’s Department of Psychiatry and as medical director of L+M’s child and adolescent psychiatric services.
Double boarded in adult and pediatric psychiatry, Talavera-Briggs spends most of her time these days addressing the myriad of problems affecting the youth of the region.
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While she treats adults, her weekly caseload includes mostly children from as young as three years old up to young adults of 25.
“The stressors of life today, especially the economy, place an additional emotional and psychological burden on most people,” she says. “We are seeing the impact not only on adults, but also on how children are affected by this with increased depression and anxiety. Some parents have trouble keeping their fears about financial concerns to themselves and shielding their children. Often, the children become aware of their family’s situation and that can lead to their own sense of insecurity.”
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Bullying is another issue Talavera-Briggs sees in her work. “It has always been around, but it may be getting crueler these days, with anonymous posts on the computer and cyber bullying,” she says.
“Other children have learning disabilities and they realize they’re not keeping up with their peers, and there is an awareness of their limitations and that can also lead to depression and poor self esteem.”
The teen-age years are always challenging, with physiological changes and peer pressure regarding sexual activity and drugs and alcohol.
In one instance, Talavera-Briggs said she treated a young man for six months after he smoked a drug called “salvia” just once.
“Kids think they are safe, but they don’t know what some of these drugs are mixed with,” she says.
Another modern epidemic is autism. While it remains unknown what causes autism, Talavera-Briggs said new studies are revealing surprising findings.
“Studies have shown a possible connection to autism if the father is older or if the mother is overweight during pregnancy,” she said. “It is not a cause, but there seems to be an increased association. There are also studies indicating that there may be a genetic component to autism. More research is being done in this area because it’s such an enigma. It used to be that 1 in 100 was diagnosed with autism. Now it’s about one in 80 children.”
Talavera-Briggs said her first line of treatment is therapy, with medications being used only where appropriate.
“Here at L+M, we have a great team of psychotherapists that work collaboratively to provide excellent services to our patients,” she said.
Anyone who thinks they could benefit from psychiatric services should not hesitate to call a doctor, Talavera-Briggs says.
“For some people there is still a stigma attached to mental illness. We have to do a better job of educating the public on mental health and how it can be as debilitating as any other medical condition,” she said. “There may be environmental factors that are compounding a problem, but many of these conditions have a genetic component. In fact, sometimes when I evaluate a child, I find out that one of the parents has a condition that needs treatment, such as bi-polar disorder. Sometimes the other spouse will say, ‘My God, I wish we’d known this years ago.’”
Ultimately, Talavera-Briggs is a “top doc” at L+M because she cares.
“If I can impact a child’s life and make a difference, it is so rewarding,” she said. “I often grow very fond of my patients as they grow and become young adults; and usually, when they turn 18, I have to say good-bye as they go away to college or join the service. I feel a sense of great personal satisfaction to know that I helped them and their families in a small way to reach that milestone.”
To learn more about Dr. Talavera-Briggs, click here.