Lott Behavioral Health

07/25/2025

☀️“It wasn’t just hot outside. It felt like the heat had taken over my mind, making everything heavier, harder, and more overwhelming.”

Sound familiar? You’re not imagining it.
Rising temperatures aren’t just a physical health risk; they can quietly wreak havoc on your mental health too.

From disrupted sleep and irritability to increased anxiety, mood swings, and even higher rates of ER visits, heat waves are impacting our emotional well-being in ways we rarely talk about.

In our latest blog, we dive into:
✔️What the research says about heat and mental health
✔️Who’s most at risk
✔️How to protect your mental well-being when temps soar
✔️Why climate change is now a mental health issue

🌡️Ready to learn more? Head to the blog (link in comments) to read “How Heat Waves Affect Mental Health”

💬And if the heat has you feeling off, mentally or emotionally, know that support is just a call away. We’re here to help.

07/21/2025

That’s what anxiety feels like when your vagus nerve isn’t regulating your nervous system properly.

When the vagus nerve has low “tone,” it struggles to send the signal that you’re safe. Your body stays stuck in a low-level fight-or-flight mode reacting to minor stressors like they’re emergencies.

It’s not just you. You’re not weak.

Your nervous system just needs help learning how to feel safe again.

And the beautiful thing?
You can train it.

Practices like deep, slow belly breathing, humming or singing, splashing your face with cold water, and even gentle yoga all strengthen the vagus nerve and teach your body to believe:

“I’m safe. I can relax.”

Have you ever felt like your body goes into panic mode before your brain knows why? Drop a 🙋‍♀️in the comments!

07/17/2025

If you’ve been struggling with treatment-resistant depression and feel like nothing helps fast enough, you’re not alone.

Research shows that traditional antidepressants can take 4–6 weeks to show results but that’s a long time to wait when you’re hurting. That’s why more and more people are turning to innovative treatments like Spravato® (esketamine nasal spray) and ketamine, which are shown to deliver rapid relief, sometimes within hours.

At Lott Behavioral Health, we offer evidence-based depression treatments, including Spravato® and ketamine, for people who haven’t found success with other medications.

No more waiting weeks to feel a little better. You deserve to feel better now.

Visit us at LottBehavioralHealth.com to learn more about Spravato®, ketamine, and other depression treatments that really work.

07/14/2025

Meet the Team Monday: Brian Sautter, PA-C
Brian is a certified Physician Assistant (PA-C) with a unique journey into medicine. He earned his Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies from Trine University, where he focused his research on su***de screening in the Emergency Department — blending his interests in psychiatry and emergency medicine.

Before becoming a PA, Brian spent a decade as an engineer, graduating summa cm laude from the University of Illinois Chicago. He also completed medical research at UIC, earned a National Science Foundation fellowship, and later pursued pre-med studies at Northwestern.

During his transition to medicine, Brian volunteered at a Chicago non-profit as a certified phlebotomist and worked on an ambulance as an EMT — proving his dedication to helping others every step of the way.

We’re thrilled to have his expertise, compassion, and diverse experience on our team! 💙

✨ Say hi to Brian in the comments below!

07/11/2025

I used to check all the “self-care” boxes… and still feel burned out.
Yoga class? ✔️
Reading a book? ✔️
Saying “no” to plans? ✔️
But somehow, I’d wake up Monday morning feeling just as drained...maybe worse.

It wasn’t until I learned what my nervous system actually needed that self-care finally started to work. Sound familiar?

That’s because I was practicing the internet’s version of self-care, not the nervous system’s.

🌱Real self-care isn’t always pretty, and it’s not always what you see on Instagram. It’s what your nervous system actually needs to feel safe, calm, and regulated.

Here’s what finally worked for me:
✨Laying on the floor in a dark room for 10 minutes with my hand on my chest, just breathing.
✨Saying no to dinner with friends and actually staying home without cleaning the whole house.
✨Letting myself cry instead of “powering through” my day.
✨A slow walk in nature without a podcast or steps goal.
✨Noticing when I was dissociating at my desk and standing up to shake it out.

The first time I did self-care this way, I didn’t feel drained. I felt like my body finally exhaled.

If your self-care feels like another task on your to-do list it’s not your fault. That’s what we’re taught. But your nervous system deserves more than a trend. Listen to what your body is asking for not what the internet tells you to buy or post.

06/25/2025

The sun is shining, school’s out, vacations are planned… so why do anxiety, depression, and burnout still spike for so many people? Because seasonal shifts can quietly sabotage mental health, especially for those managing mood disorders, trauma, or stress sensitivity.
⠀
🧠According to a 2022 study published in GeoHealth, people with bipolar disorder and PTSD are significantly more sensitive to heat and light changes, often reporting worsened symptoms during extreme weather or seasonal transitions.
⠀
🔎Common summer triggers include:
– Disrupted routines (sleep, meds, therapy attendance)
– High social expectations + emotional masking
– Heat-induced irritability and poor sleep
– “I should feel better” guilt = shame spiral
⠀
✅The fix? Don’t wait until fall to feel like yourself again.
At Lott Behavioral Health, we offer:
– Individual therapy sessions
– Personalized support for seasonal mental health shifts
– Compassionate care grounded in science
⠀

06/20/2025

🧠What if your brain could reboot itself? Depression isn’t just “in your head.” It’s deeply rooted in your brain chemistry. And for those with treatment-resistant depression, traditional antidepressants often fall short.
⠀
That’s where ketamine and Spravato® (esketamine) come in, offering hope backed by science.
⠀
📊Up to 70% of patients experience rapid symptom relief (NIH, 2019)
🧬Targets glutamate, not serotonin
🌱Boosts Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) to promote neuroplasticity and new brain connections
⠀
💡In simple terms: These treatments help your brain break free from stuck patterns and begin healing in days, not weeks.
⠀
At Lott Behavioral Health, we offer evidence-based ketamine and Spravato® treatments in a calming, therapeutic environment because you deserve care that works.
⠀
📍Now accepting new patients
🔗LottBehavioral.com
📞 Call to schedule an appointment

06/13/2025

Dr. Lott and Dr. Hung with Naperville area mental health professionals - a big thanks to everyone who came today!

06/12/2025

Healing gets easier when your surroundings align with your needs.
Whether it’s a toxic relationship, high-stress job, or a home filled with chaos your mental health needs safety to recover. Healing isn’t just about therapy or medication. It’s also about boundaries, rest, and removing yourself from what’s keeping you stuck.

If you’ve been feeling anxious, depressed, or emotionally drained, take a closer look at what (or who) is surrounding you. Your environment matters a lot.

Healing starts where you feel safe, seen, and supported.

In-person and online psychiatric care for anxiety, depression, & addiction. Located in Lisle, near Naperville, Wheaton, Downers Grove, & Chicago.

06/10/2025

You can’t meditate your way out of everything. 🧠💊
While mindfulness and therapy are powerful tools, sometimes your brain needs more support. Medication isn’t a failure, it’s a treatment. And combining therapy and medication often leads to the best results for depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.

06/07/2025

Ever struggle to put your feelings into words? The How We Feel app makes it easier. 🧠💬

This free mental health app helps you track your emotions, recognize patterns, and boost emotional awareness in just seconds a day. Developed by scientists and therapists, it’s designed to support emotional regulation, mood tracking, and mindfulness, all with zero cost and no ads. 🙌

✨ Why we love it:
✅ Backed by research
✅ Easy mood check-ins
✅ Visual emotion maps
✅ Journaling prompts & insights

Mental health support doesn’t always have to be complicated or expensive. Try this free tool and start learning how you feel and why. Use this app to help share data and guide your sessions at Lott Behavioral Health.

06/02/2025

🧠 Meet the Team Monday: Dr. Hung 👨‍⚕️✨

Say hello to Dr. Hung! A board-certified psychiatrist with a powerhouse background in both psychiatry and internal medicine. A Stanford honors grad with dual MD/MPH degrees, he brings over two decades of expertise across mental and physical health care.

His career spans leadership roles in both pulmonary rehab and behavioral medicine, most recently serving nearly a decade as Medical Director of the Behavioral Medicine Unit at Edward Hospital–Endeavor Health.

Dr. Hung’s care philosophy? The biopsychosocial model. Treating the whole person by considering how our bodies, social lives, and environments affect our mental health. 💬 He’s a member of the APA who is deeply passionate about bridging the gap between mind and body care.

We’re lucky to have him on the team!