Group Counseling and Addiction Recovery
Reading Time: 3 minutesAddiction can feel very isolating, especially if you have difficulty finding a good support system to help you on your recovery journey. Many people end up removing themselves from their friends and family, which is both lonely and dangerous. Therapy can help you work through all of your problems and gain the tools needed to […]
5 Benefits of Telehealth Programs for Anxiety
Reading Time: 3 minutesIf you struggle with anxiety, one of the best things you can do to help manage the symptoms is to join a therapy program. Whether you do individual therapy or a group program, you will gain great tools for helping your mental health. In some cases, however, physically going to a therapy session can increase […]
Alcohol and Mental Health
Reading Time: 3 minutesWhether you are celebrating, socializing, or just relaxing, there is a good chance that alcohol is involved. It can make you feel happy and more relaxed to have an alcoholic drink, especially when joined with others. However, the effects of too much alcohol consumption can be harmful to your physical health and your mental health. […]
Untangling DSM-5 Diagnoses
Reading Time: 5 minutesThe Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, 5th edition (DSM), is clinicians’ tool to form a diagnosis. I have seen plenty of DSM labels stacked together when encountering new patients. They say: I have ADD, PTSD, MDD, BPD, Bipolar and SAD. This tells me more about our current diagnostic system and how it […]
What Medications Do and What They Don’t
Reading Time: 5 minutesThis is a big question for patients. It speaks to individual and societal expectations that we collectively heap onto medications. We see advertisements with happier faces after taking a specific drug, that we should “Talk to your doctor about.” We know of people who are taking antianxiety and antidepressant medications for mental health symptoms ranging […]
Mental Health Is too Valuable for a Drive-Thru
Reading Time: 5 minutesYour mental health is far too valuable for a drive-through experience. For me to even have to say this is a sad sign of our times. Like my patients, I too have experienced the phenomenon of the production-line: prescriptions are rubber stamped with endless refills and the patient emerges from the appointment without feeling heard […]
Dealing with Holiday Anxiety
Reading Time: 3 minutesHolidays are a time for relaxation and celebration. But for many individuals, it can be a time of stress, anxiety, and dread. Planning parties, meeting people’s expectations, and juggling different priorities can significantly affect one’s mental and physical health. However, with the right help and support, managing holiday anxiety shouldn’t be difficult. If you or […]
Having Family Support in Recovery
Reading Time: 3 minutesIndividuals struggling with a substance use disorder often feel isolated and that they are fighting their battle alone. While it is true that those suffering from addiction or mental health disorders tend to withdraw from friends and family, their problems do not occur in a vacuum. Addiction is a disease that impacts the lives of […]
Recognizing Anxiety in Teens
Reading Time: 3 minutesAnxiety is much more than an apprehensive emotion. There are many different types of anxiety disorders with serious societal repercussions and debilitating physical symptoms. This can make diagnosis difficult in all individuals. However, teen anxiety can be more difficult to detect because teens may not express their symptoms to loved ones or caregivers, fearing the […]
Can a Psychiatrist Help My Anxiety?
Reading Time: 3 minutesI ask this question because I sense patients are looking for something when I talk to them the first time. Perhaps they were unsatisfied by prior treatment efforts, are looking for better explanation of their diagnosis, or didn’t gel with their previous provider? I always ask what the person is looking for this time with […]