We live in a world that keeps us connected to one another at all times thanks to the wonders of technology.  But have you ever asked yourself why we begin to feel disconnected?  Have you ever wondered why your child has thousands of friends on facebook, instagram, tiktok, or snapchat but complains of feeling bored or even alone?  Do you find that a loved one or even yourself has a difficult time falling asleep as if all of the days questions are reeling in your head?  Do you find yourself spending hours each day thumbing through photos or posts from people you barely know feeling a sense of longing?  Do you remember a time when you used to love playing video games, but its become work-like and requiring you to feel that you need to play even more than you would like to?  You, your child or a loved one may have an unhealthy relationship with technology.

The young people of today face a unique burden, balancing the demands of their normal lives with the constant bombardment of information from social media, work/school emails, and electronic gaming.  In addition to common mental health conditions, at Level Up Mental Health we pay special attention to the impact that technology has on an individual’s mental health.  We are beginning to understand the how technology use alters the presentation of mild, moderate and severe mental illness such as — Depression, Generalized Anxiety, Social Anxiety, ADHD, OCD, Schizophrenia, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Bipolar Disorder.

Dr. Mike Feldmeier is both a Child and Adult Psychiatrist whose passion is helping children and young adults overcome their struggles with both mental illness and technology use.  He is especially skilled at helping those who have been successful in their lives, but may be getting stuck and not following through with their dreams because mental illness is getting in the way.  Dr. Feldmeier works with families to improve existing strengths and helps family members take an honest but non-judgmental look at processes that could use improvement.