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Jessica McCaffery, LCSW is a social worker in Boston, MA specializing in social work. Jessica McCaffery, LCSW is affiliated with Boston Medical Center.
801 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA 02118
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Anxiety
Anxiety is a generic name given to a variety of conditions characterized by unusual amounts of fear and worry, especially unrealistic fears and tension. People who suffer from anxiety often are aware that their fears are irrational, but that knowledge does not make the feeling of being scared and anxious go away. To qualify as anxiety, symptoms must last for 6 months or more and interfere with the way a person lives their daily life. Some cases may be mild, where, for example, a person simply avoids certain situations. Other cases can be severe enough to be disabling.
Some of the specific conditions covered under the general label of anxiety include:
Collectively, anxiety disorders are the most common mental health issues diagnosed in the United States -- even more common than depression. Women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with anxiety, and it is extremely common for a person with anxiety to have another illness at the same time, such as depression, a physical illness, or substance abuse.
Treatment for anxiety usually involves medication and psychotherapy together. Medications used may include antidepressants (which also work for anxiety), anti-anxiety medications, or beta blockers (which can be used to control the physical symptoms of anxiety). Psychotherapy can be useful to teach patients new ways of thinking and reacting so that they can manage their feelings of worry and fear. Support groups can also be very effective for anxiety, and they can be a form of treatment themselves for social phobias. Stress management, relaxation techniques, and meditation all help reduce feelings of anxiety or of being out of control. Finally, having a strong support network of family and friends is an excellent way to help manage the difficulties of life with anxiety.
Depression
Everyone knows what it feels like to get the blues once in a while. But depression is a serious illness that is more severe than a bad day and lasts much longer. Symptoms of depression stop a person from being able to function and enjoy daily activities for weeks or months at a time. It can happen to anyone, and it isn't something that people can control by force of will or "snap out of it."
Some common symptoms of depression include:
We don't yet know what causes depression, but it's thought that it is a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and social influences. Because of this, the most effective treatments for depression combine medication with psychotherapy. Therapy, especially cognitive-behavioral therapy, can be extremely helpful in resolving the negative thoughts and feelings that come with depression. It gives patients new tools that they can use themselves to cope when their depression is making them feel down.
Some of the common medications used to treat depression include antidepressants such as SSRI's (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft) or atypical antidepressants (Cymbalta, Wellbutrin). It's important to remember that these medications have different effects on everybody, and no one medication works right for everyone. Patients may have to try a couple before finding the one that works just right for them. If the first medication they try doesn't work, they should talk to their doctor about trying something else. In extreme cases where medication is not enough, electro-convulsive therapy and hospitalization may be the answer to keeping a severely depressed person safe.
Depression is a difficult illness to deal with, but it is more common than believed and there are many people who can help. With the right treatment, individuals with depression can get back to fully enjoying life again.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that people may develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. PTSD causes recurring nightmares, flashbacks, and disturbing memories about the traumatic event. It is frequently triggered by particularly intense and life-threatening incidents. For example, someone involved in a serious car accident may have severe anxiety about the accident months or even years later. War veterans and people involved in armed conflict are particularly prone to developing PTSD. In decades past, PTSD was called shellshock and was used to describe the negative emotions that soldiers endured from war. Today, medical professionals who treat PTSD recognize that it can occur in all types of people and can result from all types of traumatic incidents. It is not known exactly why some people develop PTSD, although PTSD frequently arises from:
People who have experienced significant and repeated trauma are more likely to develop PTSD. Those who have disorders like depression or a family history of depression may also be more prone to PTSD. PTSD symptoms typically begin one month to one year following the traumatic event. There are four main categories of PTSD symptoms:
The intensity and frequency of these symptoms can vary over time. PTSD symptoms may suddenly return after disappearing for years. Many PTSD patients find treatment helps to gradually reduce their symptoms over time.
The most common treatments for PTSD are psychotherapy and oral medications. Psychotherapy for PTSD can include cognitive therapy (therapy to change thought patterns), exposure therapy (therapy to confront memories of the traumatic incident) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR). EMDR integrates exposure therapy with guided eye movements to help patients confront and process their trauma. Certain oral medications may help with PTSD, such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications. Self-care, support groups, and relaxation may also benefit those with PTSD.
The path to overcoming PTSD can be long and challenging and people with PTSD can benefit greatly by seeking professional treatment from a mental health care provider. Treatment can reduce PTSD symptoms, provide essential coping strategies, and improve one's quality of life.
She has a state license in Massachusetts.
Licensed In: Massachusetts
Jessica McCaffery, LCSW is associated with these hospitals and organizations:
Jessica McCaffery, LCSW appears to accept the following insurance providers: Fallon: Senior Plan, CCA: SCO Primary Care, Tufts Health Public Plans (THPP): Unify (OneCare Plan), Tufts Health Plan: Tufts Medicare Complement, Neighbborhood: Commonwealth Choice, Neighbborhood: ACO, Aetna: QPOS, Neighbborhood: Commonwealth Care, Aetna: Medicare Advantage, Fallon: Major Medical/Health & Life Assurance Company Programs, Tufts Health Plan: Select Network HMO & PPO, Aetna: ElectChoice, Fallon: Select Care, MultiPlan (Beech Street): Medicare Advantage Private FFS Network, Cigna: HealthSource Preferred, Tufts Health Plan: GIC Limited Network Product, CCA: Inpatient Services Program, BCBSMA: Indemnity, Aetna: Aetna Choice POS II, CCA: OneCare, Tufts Health Public Plans (THPP): ACO, BCBSMA: HMO Blue, Fallon: Flex Care Select, Aetna: Managed Choice POS, BMC Healthnet: MassHealth, Senior Whole Health: SCO, Tufts Health Plan: HMO, MultiPlan (Beech Street): MA PPO Network, Neighbborhood: CarePlus, BMC Healthnet: ACO & Senior Care Options, Aetna: National Advantage, Neighborhood PACE, Senior Whole Health: Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan, MultiPlan (PPO Network Company): Primary PPO Network, HPHC: HMO, Fallon: Preferred Care, Unicare: Commonwealth Indemnity Plan (formerly GIC), Tufts Health Public Plans (THPP): Subsidized Connector Plans, Cigna: HealthSource Preferred Managed Worker's Comp, HPHC: PPO, Uphams Elder Svc Plan: PACE - Elder Service Providers, Humana, BCBSMA: Preferred Provider Arrangement, Neighbborhood: CMA, Health Plans Inc., United Healthcare: Commercial & SCO, Kaiser, Tufts Health Public Plans (THPP): Non-Subsidized Connector Plans, BMC Healthnet: Commonwealth Choice, Tufts Health Plan: Non-HMP (PPO, POS & EPO Products), Neighbborhood: MassHealth, Tufts Health Public Plans (THPP): MassHealth, Fallon: Senior Plan Preferred, Cigna: HealthSource NH, Chickering Claims Administrators: Student Health Plan, Aetna: HMO, CCA: SCO, MultiPlan (PPO Network Company): Complementary Network, Aetna: Open Choice PPO, BCBSMA: Medicare Advantage, VA Choice, BMC Healthnet: QHP, Neighbborhood: Commercial and Aetna: Aetna Select.
According to our sources, Jessica McCaffery, LCSW accepts the following insurance providers:
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Ms. Jessica McCaffery's specialty is social work. Ms. McCaffery is professionally affiliated with Boston Medical Center.
