Its Where I Am focuses on the various mental health struggles that people all around the world face every day. Each episode covers a different facet of mental health with a new special guest. It's Where I Am airs on 91.5 Jazz & More every second Saturday of the month.
Wesley Knight 0:00
This is a k, U, N, V studios, original program. You are listening to special programming brought to you by its where I am.com the content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 jazz and more University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education. You
Zandra Polard 0:45
Good morning Las Vegas. It's Zandra bollard. It's where I am on the number one smooth jazz station, 91.5 FM. So today we're gonna talk about failure to launch. Okay, we're talking about failure to launch young adults who are not getting it, they're not moving on. You know what? I mean? Like, I understand, you know, it's really hard, it's expensive to get your own place. But there's some other things that are going on that are preventing our young adults from moving on and spreading those wings. There's the social media aspect. Social media technologies, computers and the such, are kind of making them a little more complacent, I would say I'm noticing, like a minimalist attitude. And this is not something I'm just making up or venting from my own experience. It's something that's most a lot of parents that I know are having issues with and we've been talking about it, and I wanted to do a show about it. So I've decided to bring on a special guest. Dr Sandra Pierre Louis of divine soul, mental health. Thank you for coming on the show. Dr Sandra, thank you for having me. Hey, I need some help. I need some education. Please tell me what's going on. I'm Generation X, right? My parents are baby boomers. I'm Generation X. My kids would be generation ZZ, and then the grand babies would be alpha. Yes, all right, well, I don't want alpha to learn from Generation Z. How do we prevent that?
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 2:50
How do we prevent that? Thank you for having me. Yes. So basically, we get in a lot of these days with alpha generations we get in when we go back into Generation Z. That's when the kids were introduced to technology, the internet. Yes, and but when we look back now, we're looking at the Alpha generation, these kids the technology are more expensive.
Zandra Polard 3:21
Dr Sandra, my grandson, who is only one years old, is scrolling on the phone. Yes, he's taking pictures Absolutely, yeah. And I know it's got to be important. Yes, you know they got to learn this stuff, true. But what we're seeing from the generation before is the complacency, absolutely and the addiction too, yes. And when you take those things away, the depression and anxiety, yes, that comes with it. Absolutely.
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 3:51
Yeah, absolutely. So I see that a lot, which is really true when these kids are overexposed, when the kids are overexposed to the technology, whether it's the social media. We looked at the Internet, the Instagram, the Tiktok right now, and, you know, the Facebook and all of that, they built very exposure. So which will lead them to have social isolation? Social isolation, that's what's going on? Yes, yes, social isolations, and we're looking at social isolation will turns into anxiety, wow, depressions, and then a lot of time they tends to have insomnia where they're not able to fall asleep.
Zandra Polard 4:34
Yes, yes, because I I've got my son up in the middle of the night. Yes, on the computer, absolutely,
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 4:41
absolutely. And that's the time, a lot of time, that's where as a mental health provider, that's where the parents are reaching out and getting some help, because when you get the insomnia, they stay late up at night, not able to go to sleep on time. Do. In a good night's sleep. So therefore, by not sleeping, the lack of sleep causes them to have that anxiety, causes them to be irritable. And when these kids in the morning, it's just so hard to wake them up and for them to get out of bed and to want to do anything and first to get ready for school. So what do we see? And so parents, that's the time they turns around and fine, what are the tools, the proper tools that we can I can discuss, and I can provide an eight you can you're gonna
Zandra Polard 5:33
have to give me those tools, because I know I when I tell my son to take out the trash, he says, Wait a minute. Let me finish this game. No, son, yes, you're not finishing the game. It's when I say to do it now. Yes, yeah, yes. So what are some tools in dialoguing with him to get him to understand that what I say I mean, at the moment, I'm not waiting for your game and to stay on that schedule. Absolutely
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 6:01
those tools, number one that I usually inform and educate the parents. First, it's communications. You know, learn how to communicate, and you know, in a matter whether it's verbal or non verbal, cue and communicate in a way that they can understand. You know, whether or not it's the family time right now and dinner time, yes, you know where you come up with a strategy on in terms of, hey, six o'clock, that's when family is having dinner, right? And the time. That's the time you kind of, like, set boundaries,
Zandra Polard 6:43
and that's the easy one. It's like, okay, no phones at the dinner table. That's easy, absolutely. But the moment you're not at that dinner table, maybe you have stepped away, you're in the kitchen, and then they're pulling out that phone, absolutely,
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 6:54
and then that's the time you as a provider. It's to talk to them and for them to learn how to retrieve them, themselves away from the technology, whatever they on, whether it's game, whether it's there on the internet, you know how to remove themselves away, and then how to take that mental self break, and then on the way that to educate them and let them know whether it's timing to go to sleep. Now it's like eight o'clock, a lot of time. I encourage parent and kids to kind of like by eight o'clock. If you have to go to bed by nine, by eight o'clock, start taking yourself away from the technology. Turn them off, right? You know, whether it's the TV, you know, don't start on, no games, and whether, whether it's to making sure the TV stays off, and then you're getting ready to go to bed, and it's giving you that space, that one hour and mentally and start to having you, getting you ready to go to bed. And
Zandra Polard 7:57
what I understand is, is that, you know, regimen, scheduling,
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 8:02
yes, routine, routine, giving them a routine Yes. And then that's when we're referring. A lot of time, parents are finding a hard time for them, as we talked before, for them to get out of bed in the morning. So when you see that is giving them that rigid routine and making sure they stay on it okay. And then a lot of time these things are not like a one, one time that you repeat that. It could be like every night you literally you and the your sons and daughter to kind of say, hey, it's about eight o'clock and we are getting ready to go to bed and things like
Zandra Polard 8:38
that. Yeah, I find that it's easier for parents to do that with kids and teenagers can be more challenging, yes, but again it goes. I want to get back to that failure to launch of the young adults now they think they're grown, yes, right? Yes, they're grown, but they're in your house, yes, so the routine still
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 9:05
applies. Oh, absolutely, yeah, it still applies. And nowadays, as a provider, I'm getting a lot of kids that graduated from high school and they have no motivations. The parents will come no motivations, yes, to find okay. What are my goal? What am I going to do? And then, do you want to go to school? Do you learn? Do you want to learn something? Do you want to continue to go to school? Because High School, it's not the end, right? Just started. So definitely, a lot of time when they're done high school, they like think that they are done. And how do we get them, motivate to help them, motivate to making sure that we teach them and guide them,
Zandra Polard 9:48
it will tell me, you know, I don't understand when, okay, I have a young adult. Let me just say, you. Hmm, let me go. Try to pretend like it's somebody else. It's me, it's me. In my home, I have a young adult who is unmotivated, yes, and I do not know how to motivate him. I brought so many things to the table, so many ideas, and his response to it is, I don't want to do that. I don't want to do that. And I told him the other day, all of your I don't want to do that has led you to my couch in the living room. Yes, yeah, yes. How do we get them motivated?
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 10:35
How do we get them motivated? A lot of time you kind of you find some local resources, okay? And then trying to find the common ground with them, and try to have a talk to talk, and then what I call Adult talk, because now they're like, 18 and over, and talk to them, and that's it. That's it. So kind of have the adult talk with them, okay, you know, tell me your goal. And a lot of time we as an adult parents, we tend to kind of like tell them, I want you to do this. I want you to do that. But in terms of a lot of time, it just the lead, lead them, Hey, I got full things. What are your interests? Okay, what are your interests? Come with some options. Options. Okay, yeah. Instead of kind of like said, hey, I want you to do that some options in the front of them, okay, and then come up with the time frame too, as well. Okay, because that probably the spring semester, they are not ready to do anything. But comes to summer, the fall, they might be ready, because you want to give them that timeline and in that timeline and then help them write it down, you know, okay, make them accountable, just like we are accountable for ourselves as an adult. Yeah, make them accountable, and then have them write those idea the goals that between you and that person you discuss to kind of come up with said, Hey, in the next six months, what are your goal six and to come up and follow through and follow through. Okay? And then what I would also encourage, it's like if you said, Hey, in the next six months, in the fall, I'm looking to start school. Are you looking to start school full time or part time? And are you looking to, if you do full time, what? How many credit you're gonna what full time means to you? Okay? Is it nine credit? Is it a 12 credit? Okay? And, oh, if you're gonna do it part time, and you still gonna look for work, maybe, let's talk about part time. What is part time look like? Is it two classes, and which equals six units? And normally you talk to them about it, and then a lot of time they need that guidance. And you know, in a total of the six hours, a six unit, six credit that they're going to be taking on, type of work in, what time we're going to be you're going to look What are the hours that you're going to be working, because you need to instill that and in terms that I would encourage two weeks once we come up with the conclusions. And in every two weeks, you and that adult daughter or sons, hey, let's talk. Let's communicate. So every two weeks you kind of have a plan. Let's talk about it. Okay, what you do? Because not telling me you're going to school, but there's no plan, and you're not calling you're not following through, you're not reaching out to the school counselor. And you know, do you know what classes you're going to take, what you want to do? So a lot of time I tell parents to just follow through, and then it is okay to keep repeat because a lot of time that's what they need, but in the manner that it's non disrespectful, and we're to the point you showing them that you are there to help, to guide, okay, and you are not there to be against them, but more like to provide that guidance in a respectable minor as a mentor. Yeah, I usually view my kids right now, adult kids, it's you view them as a I am the mentor, more like I'm not the mother. I am a mentor.
Zandra Polard 14:09
Okay, yes, okay, well, maybe I need to change my thinking, Yes, but I know you better clean those dishes and do that laundry before I get home, Oh, yeah. Oh, it's so difficult because, you know, you you baby them, you know, as a mother, it's like, you know, you want to protect them, yes, and then you're surprised Yes, when they're just not ready to jump out of the nest. Absolutely, yeah. So it's a tough transition. It is for the parent as well. It is yeah. It is yes. Well, you know, I want to say that. I want to talk about your divine soul mental health practice, yes, but you are also a professor here at UNLV Absolutely. Okay, so tell us about being a professor here at UNLV first,
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 14:58
absolutely. So I. I, I've been, I've been going to NLV for over two decade now, you've been teaching you for not, not teaching Okay, as a student, okay, yeah, started out as Yes, starting out as a student, okay? And got my bachelor into bachelor. Later on, a couple years later, I got my master's, and then my focus was family, Nourse practitioners, and once I got my bachelor, and once I got my bachelor, got my master, then I started working and taking care of the aquatic illnesses, whether it's diabetes, it's hypertension, one care, kidney, etc. And as I turned to look over the years in practice, into focus, into chronic illnesses, I find myself more identifying those patients with mental illnesses, whether it's depressions and anxiety.
Zandra Polard 15:59
Is that called a double diagnosis? Oh, yeah, okay, yeah, dual
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 16:03
diagnosis, absolutely. And then we're to the point you might see a patient's three to four months pass the last visit, the A, 1c, was like 6.3 and they were fine. They were control. Then come back later, three to four months later, a 1c is like a nine and two, it's increased
Zandra Polard 16:25
almost. Was that a pinky toe leg? What's coming off on that absolutely,
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 16:30
so it's uncontrolled. So definitely, when it's uncontrolled, like that in a lot of time, as you assess the patients are more like holistic care. Provide that holistic care. And you just not looking at the numbers, but looking at the patients overall. And as you're talking to them, you can see the sadness. You can see the flat affect, and you can see them there is sadness time. They don't have to go into much details. As a provider, you can walk in the room and you know, kind of sense already, there is, um, something going on. Because
Zandra Polard 17:04
we were kind of discussing like, you know, you might think your kid is lazy, but they may be anemic. Absolutely, they may need, yeah, whatever. Absolutely, so looking at the holistic, holistic whole person, absolutely, yes, it's important. It's
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 17:21
important. And in the reason why, when you have when a parents, as we talking about children, when the parents bring them, to me as a holistic practitioner, you look in your assess. You're not only looking at the outside extrinsic factors, you're looking at intrinsic factors as well, what could be going on as well? Because when we're looking at that, when you're looking at if they have a vitamin D, if their vitamin D or low, you can choose that there is no interest. They have some depression going on. Might and definitely, if they find themselves very anxious, anxiety, telling you they can't sleep, they're having a hard time. You know, it's a time to kind of take a look here, whether or not or the anemic, whether or not looking if they have any thyroid issue.
Zandra Polard 18:09
Oh, yeah, that too, that. So I'm like, assessments must be really long,
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 18:14
really, you know, when the assessment comes, you don't just base on the outside surface. So that's the time. As a clinicians, you got to take the times to kind of assess them, yeah, and in making sure that there's no other underlining issue going on, because depression is big, having your vitamin D, vitamin B, 12, all of that can really shows preter Come off into the person is depressed. Where to the point? It's either the thyroid is low hypothyroidism, and then that's the time, a time you like, hey, that person is depressed. They don't want to get out of bed, they don't want to get up, and then they prefer to stay in their room. And how do you get them motivate? No motivation at all. So when they come to me, that's the time that assets everything.
Zandra Polard 19:06
And if they are under 18, it's always good to see your primary care physician first. Absolutely,
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 19:11
yeah, I would also and then that's when we come as a mental health provider. That's when I come as collaborative of care and find out who are they're seeing, who's the primary care and then whether or not, if there is any recent lab that has been taken or because a lot of time, these patients would already been seen by the primary care doctor, and then to be referred through me. So that's the time collaborative of care comes, and then to find out, to see if there is anything else, and then if they anemic to sometime young girls, and then during menses or losing a lot of blood at the same time, it can show them kind of like, not motivate and lethargic, that fatigue and things like that. So, yes, it's always. To kind of making sure that that collaborative of care between you and the mental health provider in the primary care know what's going on, so that way we can treat them.
Zandra Polard 20:08
So you wanted to look at the whole person, the care optimal care for the individual. Yes, so your journey started here at UNLV. When did you decide that you were going to take it further and become a doctor, and then on top of that, help the students in educating them absolutely.
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 20:29
Thank you. So as I said, we I start my journey as a family nurse practitioner as a chronic taking care of the chronic diseases is as I'm doing it for several years into practice, I recognize there was a need into for mental health and then to get them referred sometime, it could take weeks, months sometime to get them into see a mental health provider, whether a psychotherapy, to get counseling and things like that. So I decided to go back to school and get my psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Okay, and become board certified on it. And then, as I done, and got my doctorate and into it's been almost, it's been almost three years that I've been teaching at UNLV, okay, at the psychiatric mental health as a part time instructor, clinical faculty member. You are a busy
Zandra Polard 21:28
woman, absolutely. And you were telling me your schedule yesterday. I was like, gee whiz. I was tired just listening to it. So you're also helping out at another facility to help students to transition into, what is it? Absolutely,
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 21:43
we also have a program I just joined the team this semester, where we have the Dems in program at UNLV, okay? And the program is basically anybody that he had, like undergraduate, bachelor, either an engineer, business administration and everything they decided to do their master and then focus into nursing. And then we actually take them in, and then having them focus into the nursing classes. And then so I'm also the I'm going to be teaching a couple minutes to look at this, to teaching the psychiatric mental health part.
Zandra Polard 22:19
Now, is it difficult to get into nursing school? Because I remember, at one time when I was in school, it was really tough to get in, like, it was very competitive and hard to get in, you
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 22:29
know, it's, it's, it's still competitive. And, you know, absolutely, and that's why we tell young adult studying, making sure that you have the right GPA, you know, when you want to get want to get it into the nursing program, whether it's at the CSA and all the university, you got to have that grade point average to kind of help you lead into getting into the nursing program. Because a lot of time when you get into the core classes, you have to have at least, you know, a B to making sure that you gonna get there you're gonna succeed. Because as you get through the program, it doesn't get easier, it intensify. Yeah. So basically, when you have a student that has like, a D and, you know, baby, you make it so you kind of like, encourage them to, kind of like, go through it and then encourage them to have at least that B, yeah, and everything. So definitely gotta. You gotta work hard right to get what you want. And if
Zandra Polard 23:29
your grades aren't right at this moment, you can make them better Absolutely. Always do better Absolutely.
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 23:35
And that's why, when we start as a mentor and as a teacher and as a provider, you start encourage these kids to reach out to mentors, and then don't be don't take it whatever they're going inside. Don't take it alone. Don't do it alone. Reach out Yes, and then to making sure that you find that right mentor to all
Zandra Polard 23:55
the importance of Yes. Those, what is it called? Are they called Professor hours or teachers hours?
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 24:03
You're looking at, oh God,
Zandra Polard 24:09
office hours. That's what it's called, office hours. Office Hours. Take advantage of those office hours, yes, yes to get
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 24:15
out, granted. And then, oh God, the name is right there and then to kind of be, expose yourself. And then that's the time that I usually encourage parent, when we have our kids are like young as a 1617, yes, let's start this plan around that age too. That's the time we start talking. And then, instead of wait until high school, it's done in and that's when we start communicate. And that's the time we kind of having them, hey, I want to be, what are you want to become? What are your interests? And then having them volunteer hours, that's it. Oh, volunteers to get some volunteer hours, whatever their interest, because that's giving you some exposure. Absolutely, absolutely it could be they want to be in the. Medical field, and then do they want to do non medical fields? And then for them to be exposed, and start exposing, work around others, and start asking the correct question, the right questions, right? Just because you think that, oh, I want to be a nurse, you know, whether or not, when you start doing a volunteer in the clinic or in the hospital setting, whether or not it is for you, right? Yeah, so I usually give kids at least four, at least four of of degree, non nursing, nursing with a doctor. You know when geology and then physical therapy, respiratory therapist, even lawyer and things like that. They didn't just start having them reach out to these offices and said, Hey, I want to be volunteer, whether you want to be a dancer, you know, whatever you want to do. But I usually tell them, hey, let's find out in the community, what are the resources that's out there to make sure we have these kids be exposed and start to do those volunteer hours by the time they're six and 17, they've already have their mind made up.
Zandra Polard 26:07
Yeah, yeah, wow. I mean, I've known you for a few years, and I finally got you on the show, and I'm so glad that you came on. I did not realize your like focus, yes, I didn't know. I just, I knew you threw a mutual friend, yes, right? Yes. And so you've told me so much that I think it will be so helpful, even in my own personal life. But I didn't know you dealt with chronic diseases. Oh, absolutely, yeah. So I would, I would love for you to come back and talk about that. Absolutely. But for now, since we are almost out of here, I want to get into divine soul mental health. Yes, tell us about your agency and how you can help the community. Absolutely
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 26:53
divine soul mental health. It's private practice mental health, solely mental health, that we provide services, and services is from six years old and until older adults to
Zandra Polard 27:08
the lifespan, to the lifespan, absolutely,
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 27:11
we take pretty much all the insurances, and we want to make a difference in the community. And when these patients come we, as a psychiatric mental health we provide that personalized care to the patients. You go back in, you giving that holistic care. And I love that you have telehealth available, absolutely. Yeah, we do have telehealth, and also in patients as well. Oh, okay,
Zandra Polard 27:39
and do you have room to see? You know, new patients, because a lot of times, you know, I have this show, and I give these resources, and people are booked up.
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 27:51
Oh no. At, do you have availability? At divine soul, mental health, we do have availability. We do next week. Oh, wow. Assess you, and do a tool assessment, evaluate your needs, and then come up with that personalized care for you. Oh,
Zandra Polard 28:08
well, we better give out some contact information. Then, what is the phone number to divine? Absolutely,
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 28:13
the phone number to divine. So it's 702-843-5015.
And also we do have the website. You can also reach us via email. Is info, I n, f, O at divine soul mental health.com
Zandra Polard 28:34
and you can check out their website, which is www dot divine soul, mental health.com.
Dr. Sandra Pierre-Louis 28:42
Absolutely, and we'll look forward to see you all, yeah,
Zandra Polard 28:46
and then let me give you the phone number again. It is 702-843-5015,
absolutely. That's divine, Soul mental health. See if they can help you with anything that you may need support you in some way. We all need some form of support, right? Yes, yes, absolutely. All right. Well, this is Zandra Pollard. The show is, it's where I am. My guest was Dr Sandra Pierre, Louis and I thank you for coming on the show. You know, I'm here every Saturday at 7:30am I'll be tuning in next week. Want to thank all my listeners out there. And a special, special thanks to 91.5 jazz and more. Special shout out to my friends, Yesenia, Marcy, Theresa, I love y'all. Bye. You.