October 2026
Welcome to the October edition of the Inspire Behavioral Health Newsletter. Please let us know if you know someone who would like to begin receiving our newsletter and will be happy to send them a copy. We offer high quality and compassionate mental health care and addiction treatment to people living in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, virtually and in-person with offices in Vienna, Fairfax, Sterling, Washington, D.C. and Bethesda, Maryland. Our experienced psychiatrists, addiction psychiatrists and psychotherapists strongly believe that we all have solutions to resolving our struggles within us. We believe enjoying our mental health is a matter of learning how to tap into these solutions. Providers at Inspire Behavioral Health help people heal, cope and manage their mental health by allowing them to focus on their strengths and harness their available resources. We work together to treat your symptoms while helping you to identify the underlying causes for those symptoms, and by encouraging the use of more effective techniques to cope with life’s difficulties. We try to help you in building resilience to help maintain your optimal mental health. Call us for more information and to schedule a convenient appointment in the near future at 703-592-4600. We are often able to offer clients an appointment the same day of your call or the next day. Please visit our website:www.InspireBehavioralHealth.com. And, on behalf of Inspire Behavioral Health, we hope you and yours are enjoying a happy and healthy month. Please consider celebrating this special month by investing in your mental health today by freeing yourself from the obstacles that keep you from living your best life, and by calling us to schedule an appointment. Happy October!
World Mental Health Day
October is an important month in mental health and well-being. This month we mark World Mental Health Day, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, National LGBT History Month and National Coming Out Day, as well as National Disability Employment Awareness Month and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Week.
The theme of World Mental Health Day 2026, announced by the World Federation for Mental Health is, “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change.”
World Mental Health Day is an opportunity to meaningfully engage with people with lived experience (PWLE) of mental health conditions and to recognize their knowledge as a vital form of expertise. This year’s campaign calls for their voices to shape the policies, services and decisions that affect their lives.
Lived experience is what someone has experienced themselves, especially when it gives the individual knowledge or understanding that people who have only heard or learned about such experiences do not have.
Too often, PWLE are asked to share their stories but excluded from decisions. Meaningful engagement extends beyond simply being heard.
It means creating opportunities for people to influence decisions, co-design services, strengthen peer-led approaches, challenge stigma and strengthen accountability. When PWLE are meaningfully engaged, mental health systems are likely to become more person-centered, rights-based and responsive to people’s needs and concerns.
One important priority for PWLE is the shift away from long-stay psychiatric institutions towards community-based, person-centered mental health care. Institutions tend to be isolating and are too often associated with poor-quality care, coercion and human rights abuses. Deinstitutionalization requires a carefully planned shift in funding, services and support so that people can live in their communities. Reflecting this priority, WHO will launch practical guidance on deinstitutionalization.
On this World Mental Health Day, let us move from listening to action – and build mental health systems with PWLE, not merely for them.
World Mental Health Day (WMHDAY), observed annually on October 10th, began in 1992 as a bold initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health. Spearheaded by then Deputy Secretary General Richard Hunter, it was envisioned as a day to promote mental health advocacy and public education worldwide.
What started as a modest broadcast from Tallahassee, Florida-featuring live participation from five continents-quickly revealed the global appetite for connection and awareness. One of the earliest signs of impact came from Swaziland, where WFMH members spontaneously joined the broadcast, and from Peru, which sent the first of many feedback reports.
In 1994, under the guidance of then Secretary General Eugene Brody, WMHDAY adopted its first official theme: “Improving the Quality of Mental Health Services throughout the World.” That year, 27 countries reported back with activities ranging from national campaigns to grassroots gatherings. Within just three years, WMHDAY had become a recognized occasion for governments, organizations, and individuals to spotlight mental health care and advocacy.
In 1995, the reach of WMHDAY was unmistakable. Events spanned from month-long celebrations in Egypt to symbolic acts of remembrance in the United Kingdom, where spring bulbs were planted at the historic site of “Bedlam.” The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) played a pivotal role in expanding access by translating and distributing materials in Spanish, inspiring WFMH to later offer resources in French, Hindi, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and Arabic-thanks to the dedication of our global members and supporters.
Over time, WMHDAY has grown into a self-sustaining global movement. From parades and conferences to street-level advocacy and digital campaigns, millions of people now participate in their own unique ways. Institutions like the World Health Organization and the United Nations have embraced October 10th as a cornerstone of global mental health awareness. The rise of social media amplified our reach exponentially, and in 2019, WMDAY unveiled the first official World Mental Health Day logo which is now a lasting symbol of unity and advocacy. That same year, the campaign reached over 10 million people online, a milestone that affirmed WMHDAY’s place as one of the world’s leading mental health awareness days.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, or BCAM, takes place every year from October 1 to October 31. BCAM is recognized as a time to increase awareness of breast cancer, emphasize the importance of early detection, and support those affected. There’s no single official national theme for Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2026, but every October the focus stays the same: early detection, education, and support for those affected by breast cancer.
BCAM is not just symbolic. It is an annual, coordinated effort to educate, engage and take action on behalf of those facing breast cancer and those who may in the future.
BCAM reminds us that breast cancer doesn’t wait. Right now, someone is getting the news that they have breast cancer and does not know what to do next. Someone is starting treatment and needs support to make it through. Because of BCAM and people like you, we can deliver help, hope, and support when it’s needed most.
Breast cancer can bring up questions at every stage, from understanding your risk and recognizing potential signs to navigating screening and support. Find clear, reliable information to help you better understand breast cancer and make informed decisions about your health.
The National Breast Cancer Foundation says that in 2026, more than 382, 640 people will be diagnosed with Breast Cancer and that early detection is the key to treatment and survival. When breast cancer is detected early, and is in the localized stage, the 5-year relative survival rate is 99%. Early detection means finding cancer before it spreads. Breast cancer cannot usually be prevented, but early detection provides the greatest possibility of successful treatment. Early detection includes doing monthly breast self-exams and scheduling regular clinical exams and mammograms. By following the three steps outlined here, you can help increase your chance of detecting breast cancer early.
Breast Self-Awareness
The first step in practicing early detection is developing breast self-awareness. Knowing how your breasts normally look and feel, also called breast self-awareness, will help you identify any changes or abnormalities in your breasts that should be reported to your doctor promptly. You should know the geography of your breasts better than anyone.
One of the most commonly reported breast changes is a lump.
A breast lump is a mass, growth, or swelling within the breast tissue. A breast lump often feels like a solid or thick spot in or around the breast tissue, or in the underarm area. A breast lump will be noticeably more solid than the surrounding breast tissue. Breast lumps can vary in size, shape, and feel. Some may be the size of a pea, while others may be larger than a golf ball. Breast lumps may feel round, smooth, and moveable, or may be hard, jagged, and stationary. Breast lumps may be present in one or both breasts. Some breast lumps may cause pain or discomfort, but many do not. A painful breast lump is not necessarily a sign of breast cancer, but should be looked at by a doctor. If you find a breast lump, schedule an appointment with your doctor, but don’t panic – most lumps are not cancer. In fact, 60-80% of breast lumps are non-cancerous. However, it is important to note that the absence of a noticeable breast lump does not mean breast cancer cannot or has not developed.
Male breast lump
Although breast cancer primarily affects women, men also have breast tissue that can develop breast cancer. Male breast cancer is rare and makes up less than 1% of all breast cancer diagnoses. While rare, men carry a higher breast cancer mortality rate than women due to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Male breast cancer is usually self-detected as a hard lump underneath the nipple and areola. As in women, the lump may or may not be painful. Men should see a doctor immediately if they notice a lump anywhere within the breast tissue of either breast or underarm area.
Breast self-exam
Every woman will have a unique “normal” feel to their breasts. Some women’s breasts may be more textured, or dense, than others. The feel of your breasts may also change based on your monthly menstrual cycle. It is important for all women to be breast self-aware and know what normal feels like for them. This will help you easily and quickly identify any breast changes. The best way to become familiar with your normal breast feel is to perform a monthly breast self-exam. Additionally, if you have had breast surgery, either for breast cancer or other reason, you will need to re-learn the “normal” look and feel of your breasts as surgery may change what was once normal for you. Adult women of all ages are encouraged to perform a monthly breast self-exam to look for any changes in the breast tissue, including a lump or other abnormalities, such as changes in the breast skin. While a breast self-exam is a useful tool for the early detection of breast cancer, it should not take the place of regular mammograms and clinical exams.
How to perform a breast self-exam
You should perform a breast self-exam 7-10 days after your menstrual period starts which is when your breasts are the least tender and lumpy. If you are no longer menstruating, then you should select the same day of the month (first of the month, for example) and mark it on the calendar to remind yourself when to perform this self-exam. You should look for any changes from your previous month’s exam to this month’s exam.
There are 3 steps to follow to perform a thorough breast self-exam:
- In the Shower. With the pads/flats of your 3 middle fingers, check the entire breast and armpit area, pressing down with light, medium, and firm pressure. Check both breasts each month, feeling for any new lumps, thickenings, hardened knots, or any other breast changes.
- In Front of a Mirror. With your arms at your sides, visually inspect your breasts, looking for any changes in the contour or shape of the breasts, any dimpling, swelling, or other skin irregularities on or around the breasts, or any changes in the nipples. Next, rest your palms on your hips and press firmly to flex your chest muscles. Look for any dimpling, puckering, or other changes, particularly on one side. Note that the left and right breasts will not exactly match—few women’s breasts are perfectly symmetrical.
- Lying Down. When lying down, the breast tissue spreads out evenly along the chest wall. Place a pillow under your right shoulder and put your right arm behind your head. Using your left hand, move the pads of your 3 middle fingers around your right breast, covering the entire breast area and armpit. Use light, medium, and firm pressure to feel for any new lumps, thickenings, hardened knots, or any other breast changes. Also squeeze the nipple to check for discharge. Repeat these steps for your left breast.
Signs & Symptoms
Every person should know the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Many early-stage breast cancers do not produce any noticeable signs or symptoms, but sometimes symptoms may be present. Most people who have breast cancer symptoms will initially notice only one or two, and the presence of these symptoms does not automatically mean that you have breast cancer. If you notice symptoms or anything unusual, talk to your doctor promptly.
Changes to look for include:
- A new lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area
- Any unexplained change in the size or shape of the breast, including swelling or
shrinkage (especially if on one side only)
- Dimpling anywhere on the breast
- Puckering in the skin of the breast
- A nipple turned inward (inverted) into the breast
- Discharge (fluid) from the nipple (particularly clear or bloody discharge)
- A change in the skin texture, discoloration, swelling, or an enlargement of pores in
the skin of the breast (some describe this as similar to an orange peel’s texture)
- Scaly, red, or swollen skin on the breast, nipple, or areola
- Recent asymmetry (unequal or lack of sameness) of the breasts
You should see your doctor about any of these symptoms.
LGBT HISTORY MONTH
October is also a celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month, an annual month-long observance of LGBT history and the history of the Gay rights and related civil rights movements. It was founded in 1994 by Missouri high-school history teacher Rodney Wilson. LGBT History Month provides role models, builds community, and represents a civil rights statement about the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. As of 2022, LGBT History Month is a month-long celebration that is specific to Australia, Canada, Cuba, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. In the United States, Canada, Armenia, Romania, the Netherlands, Southeast Asia, and Australia, it is celebrated in October to coincide with National Coming Out Day on October 11, and to commemorate the first and second marches on Washington in 1979 and 1987 for LGBT rights.
National Coming Out Day
National Coming Out Day is an annual LGBT Awareness Day observed on October 11 to support anyone, “coming out of the closet.” First celebrated in the United States in 1988, the initial idea was grounded in the feminist and gay liberation spirit of the personal being political, and the emphasis on the most basic form of activism being coming out to family, friends, and colleagues, and living life as an openly LGBT person. The founders believed that homophobia thrives in an atmosphere of silence and ignorance and that once people know that they have loved ones who are LGBT, they are far less likely to maintain homophobic or oppressive views.
History
NCOD was inaugurated in 1988 by Robert Eichberg and Jean O’Leary. Eichberg, who died in 1995 of complications from AIDS, was a psychologist from New Mexico and the founder of the personal growth workshop “The Experience”. O’Leary was an openly lesbian political leader and long-time activist from New York and was at the time the head of the National Gay Rights Advocates in Los Angeles. LGBT activists, including Eichberg and O’Leary, did not want to respond defensively to anti-LGBT action because they believed it would be predictable. This led them to establish NCOD to maintain positivity and celebrate coming out. The date of October 11 was chosen because it is the anniversary of the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987.
“Most people think they don’t know anyone gay or lesbian, and in fact, everybody does. It is imperative that we come out and let people know who we are and disabuse them of their fears and stereotypes.” Robert Eichberg, 1993.
OCD Awareness Week
OCD Awareness Week is a worldwide event that serves to dispel myths about obsessive compulsive disorder, break the stigma around mental illness, and provide education about the disorder and how to support those affected. Many of the over 200 million people worldwide living with OCD, face public misconceptions about OCD which can prevent them from accessing the timely, effective treatment they need to move from suffering to thriving. This OCD Week, whether you share facts, tell your own story or otherwise support OCD Awareness Week, you are making a powerful difference.
The International Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation is committed to decreasing stigma, increasing community, and making sure everyone is educated about OCD whether you live with the condition or know someone who does. Help is available.
OCD is often minimized and ridiculed in mainstream media. Because intrusive thoughts can involve taboo topics, people with OCD may be completely mislabeled as violent and even dangerous. As a result of this stigma, many people with OCD suffer in silence out of fear of judgment. Being educated and aware helps break down misinformation, making it easier to talk about OCD and seek life-changing treatment.
We encourage our community to speak up and increase awareness because it helps people realize they’re not alone and empowers them to seek help before symptoms worsen. Early intervention and evidence-based treatments like exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy can change lives and even save them.
Please call Inspire Behavioral Health today to schedule an appointment with one of our providers to learn more about OCD.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
In October 2026, we celebrate the 81st anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an annual recognition of the positive impact of people with disabilities in the American workforce. This yearly event began in 1945 as a weeklong national observance of the contributions of people with physical disabilities. In 1988, Congress designated the commemoration as NDEAM, which then evolved to acknowledge the importance of increasing opportunities for people with disabilities, including those with mental health conditions and other nonobvious disabilities, in the workforce. In 2001, ODEP was created and entrusted to administer NDEAM, including the selection and promotion of its annual theme.
Concurrent with the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary this year, the NDEAM theme and graphics will also honor the national milestone. NDEAM 2026 will recognize the value and talent American workers with disabilities add to our workplaces and economy and highlight their achievements both past and present. That is the spirit behind this year’s official theme: “Celebrating Value and Talent.”
Mental Health in the News
Work in optogenetics helped investigate neurological and psychiatric disorders.
(From the WSJ 10.6.2026 by BETSY MCKAY AND GARETH VIPERS)
Three neuroscientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in the Physiology or Medicine category for their pioneering work on optogenetics, a method of controlling nerve cells with light, which the 2026 prize recipients on Monday at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, the Nobel committee said the work of Drs. Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel had laid the foundation of a new era in neuroscience. The work “unlocked new understanding of how the brain works, new possibilities for treating neurological and psychiatric disorders,” said Jonathan Levin, president of Stanford University, where Deisseroth is a neuroscientist and psychiatrist. Hegemann is based at Humboldt University in Berlin and Nagel at the University of Würzburg in Germany. Understanding the brain is one of the most formidable challenges in science. Its inner workings, and how they are linked with behavioral disorders, have long confounded scientists. The brain has billions of neurons and a diversity of cell types.
Deisseroth, Hegemann and Nagel developed techniques that have become a major tool in neuroscience, allowing researchers to trace the neural circuits involved in memory, emotion and behavior while also providing new ways to investigate neurological and psychiatric disorders. Their work has allowed scientists to use light to turn individual nerve cells on and off and study the downstream effects on emotion and behavior. In medicine, the technology is being tested as a way to potentially restore sight in people who are visually impaired. In 2021, scientists reported the first case of partial vision restoration using optogenetics in a person with a rare, inherited genetic disorder called retinitis pigmentosa that can lead people to lose most of their vision. Some companies are now studying the technology for the disorder. More broadly, the method is used to study how brain activity is linked to psychiatric or behavioral conditions. Finding the cells that matter can then help to design new therapies, Deisseroth said Monday. Studies are under way using optogenetics in autism and schizophrenia, and others coming along for Parkinson’s disease and depression, he said. Researchers used optogenetics to show that emotions require bodily feedback, Deisseroth said, helping to answer a long debate in psychiatry over whether emotion is inside the brain, or whether it involves what is happening in the body. Using the method, they found that elevated heart rates directly induced fear and anxiety behaviors in mice, he said.
YOUR Mental Health
Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health. Remember your insurance covers mental health, and Medicare covers many mental health services to support you.
A primary care provider is a good place to start if you’re looking for help. Your doctor can refer you to a qualified mental health professional, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist, or psychotherapist, here at Inspire who can help you figure out next steps.
How to Find a Counselor
Once you decide to get professional help for a personal struggle, whether it is anxiety, depression, grief, a mood disorder, an addiction, sexual or relationship issue, finding the appropriate type of provider and service can be daunting. We can help because Inspire Behavioral Health is home to many caring professionals, and we are confident you will find the provider who specializes in addressing your particular issues. Please visit our website to read about each of our providers and their expertise. If you are in a rural area, you may have difficulty finding a mental health professional nearby, so remember that all of our clinicians are available to you virtually.
Substance Use and Addiction
Research suggests that men are more likely than women to use almost all types of illicit drugs, and illicit drug use is more likely to result in emergency department visits or overdose deaths for men than for women. “Illicit” refers to use of illegal drugs, including marijuana (according to federal law) and misuse of prescription drugs. For most age groups, men have higher rates of use or dependence on illicit drugs and alcohol than do women. However, women do struggle with this issue.
Inspire Behavioral Health offers a full range of services for people struggling with substance use and process addictions with medication-assisted therapy such as Suboxone as well as Naltrexone and other anti-craving drugs, along with individual, couple, family and group therapy. Nearly eight million adults in the United States experience co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders; in fact, of adults with a mental health diagnosis nearly twenty percent also have a substance issue, and of adults diagnosed with a substance use disorder, nearly forty percent also have a mental health issue. Many of our providers offer treatment for both issues concurrently.
Patterns of substance use among MSM (men who have sex with men) vary depending on demographic factors, substance type, and MSM subgroup. Bisexual men have higher rates of substance use than other subgroups of MSM. Substance use in general, and methamphetamine use in particular, is associated with high-risk sexual behaviors and HIV and other STI transmission. Please call us to talk about making healthy choices and getting treatment.
Spravato-assisted Psychotherapy Services
Psychotherapist, Sarah VanThompson, LCSW, is offering intention-setting sessions prior to or at the early phases of Spravato treatment along with weekly/biweekly integration sessions as a means to optimize your response to Esketamine. Please call Sarah at Inspire for more information. 703.592.4600.
Men’s Education and Therapy Group
Men in this group offered at Inspire Behavioral Health and led by Psychotherapist, Ed Andrews, are taught the basic skills necessary to help manage life’s stressors and manage your physical health. This is done in a framework that helps men understand that we are doing the best we can while recognizing that there are new strategies we can learn that will be more effective than what we are doing now.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a compassionate type of behavioral therapy that is intended to help people move toward a more mindful, aware and purposeful life. Learn the four pillars of DBT which are Core Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotional Regulation and Distress Tolerance. When you learn these four pillars and their accompanying skills and you will have to tools you need to build a “life worth living.”
This group is a safe, confidential place for men who are sustaining their recovery from substance (alcohol or drugs) and/or process (pornography, internet or gambling) addictions, or coping with chronic illness such as Prostate or other cancers. aging, managing stress, anxiety and/or depression, accommodating change in their lives, coping with loss and transition, dealing with sexual issues including identity and ED, and who are seeking support and growth. This is a place where men can explore their grief, sustain their recovery, talk about their role as a dad or new dad, and about how change, aging and growth can mix.
Please contact us for more information about this important group. Call Ed Andrews for more information about this program.
Thank you for being part of Inspire Behavioral Health. We appreciate you and wish you a happy October!
Office Location:
Vienna: 2110 Gallows Road Suite D, Vienna, VA 22182
Fairfax: 11211 Waples Mill Road Suite 150, Fairfax, VA 22030
Washington, DC: 3000 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 137, Washington, DC 20008
Sterling: 46090 Lake Center Plaza, Suite 103-104, Sterling, VA 20165
Bethesda: 6203 Executive Boulevard, North Bethesda, MD 20852
Ed Andrews, LPC, LMFT, Newsletter Editor
703-592-4600
info@inspirebehavioralhealth.com