Sitting at home with nothing to do would seem like the ideal thing that any student or kid, for that matter, would want. But that’s not necessarily true. The Coronavirus has spread across the globe with its contagious wrath causing chaos and mass panic. News reports tell us it has a very significant chance of…
Brian looks like he has the perfect life. He has a well-paying job, nice house, great wife, and two amazing kids. But his anxiety was like a dark cloud that threatened to ruin everything. He struggled with anxiety and debilitating panic attacks for years. He often isolated at home and work, spending a lot of…
As a practicing psychiatrist, I am often asked this question both by patients as well as family members. The answer is: it depends. It depends on several important factors that patients need to be aware of, especially when they agree to trying a medication for the first time. So, what are these factors? It depends…
Are you or a loved one struggling with tobacco use? Do you want to quit smoking and don’t know how to start? Have you tried to quit before and been unsuccessful? Worried that vaping is not a great alternative? Nicotine has been proven to be a highly addictive substance. According to the Diagnostic Statistic Manual…
September is National Recovery Month. Recovery Month is a national observance held every September to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can help those dealing with a substance use disorder or mental health issue to live a health and rewarding life. The month celebrates the successes of those in recovery and…
E-cigarettes Through the Eyes of a Loudoun County Teen Walk into any high school or middle school bathroom. Do you smell something fruity? Something minty? That’s not air freshener. Our school bathrooms have turned into Juul Rooms. The administrators sometimes even lock the bathrooms because so many kids are vaping in there. Those sleek black…
For an eight year old movie, the issues that Limitless raise remain as contemporary as ever: What are the actual indications for stimulant pills? What does it say about those living in modern, western culture that they seem simply unable to function without them in modern workplace culture? If so, does that also mean that the…
The answer to this question is most a resounding yes for most patients, families, and, insurance companies. But for the millions of practicing therapists, counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists, we may not get such enthusiastic agreement on this answer. Why is that? The answer may lie in how psychiatric diagnoses are made, and what our expectations…
Many women struggle with adjusting to motherhood following the birth of a child. Not all women are prepared for the major changes that come with the new role of parenting. Some have difficulty balancing old roles such as at work or in relationships and the new demands of caring for children. Add in sleep deprivation…
Anxiety is a very common and very human experience. So common in fact that all human beings experience some degree of anxiety. But there is a distinct difference between anxiety as a brief, understandable concern that occurs when thinking about the future (such as an exam, bills, or a life change) and the debilitating form…