Antidepressant Effects on Sleep
I am often asked about the effects that antidepressants have on overall sleep architecture. Here’s the breakdown: […]
Worry vs. Concern: What’s the Difference?
First, let’s establish that there is a difference between worry and concern. Concern embodies embracing the proper mindset for caring about important issues, decisions, events or conditions. It also means taking proper steps to create effective resolutions, monitoring their outcomes and making changes or modifications where necessary. […]
Treating Anxiety: What Works Best For What
The least convincing evidence for psychotropic medication use is for the treatment of the anxiety disorders. Here’s why: Anxiety is as much a cognitive issue as it is an emotional one. Most of us experience anxiety intermittently; it rises to disorder proportions when there’s constancy to it. And when chronic, anxiety is invariably linked to faulty, irrational or illogical belief systems which require reframing to make relief attainable. […]
5 Steps Alcoholics Can Take To Stop Drinking – On Their Terms
I go public in every Psychopharmacology seminar that I teach by stating that I don’t treat substance abuse in any manifestation. It’s noble work, and for those of you doing it, my hat is off to you. It’s not for me though. That famous line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet – “to thine own self be true” – defines why I wouldn’t be good at it. Substance abuse is fraught with manipulation, deception, denial and minimizing. Extracting the truth from a substance [...]
Famous Last Words In The Drug Industry
I shudder when I encounter the words “studies show” or “clinical evidence indicates.” Evidence-based medicine is valuable only to the degree that what is presented is done so in a thorough, encompassing way. […]
Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Mental and Emotional Health
Join me as I discuss Omega-3 Fatty Acids and their role in both mental and emotional health.
As I See It: Vol.1 Issue #5
A couple of weeks ago while on business in Denver, I walked past a newsstand noting the headlines of two major newspapers. The Wall Street Journal: “Greek default looms large.” USA Today: “Afghan man recounts soldier’s deadly rampage.” […]
Antipsychotics: Risk When Used in Dementia
Antipsychotics are often used in dementia patients with associated symptoms of agitation, irritability and disruptive behavior; although the FDA, several years ago, issued a black-box warning outlining an increased risk of sudden death when used in this special population group. […]
Psychotropic Medication Decision Making: Toss the Algorithms and Decision Trees Aside
At every Psychopharmacology seminar I present, the following occurs: an attendee approaches me with a question regarding drug selection. I’m provided a small measure of the client’s history and the attendee’s assessment of the client’s condition. Invariably, the next question is what medication I would recommend. The expectation is for me to help after a two or three minute conversation guided by rudimentary information at best. […]
Social Isolation and Depression
A symptom of depression that can fly under the radar is social isolation. Isolation is the lead actor in the depression melodrama, ushering in the rest of the supporting cast – hopelessness, helplessness, self-absorption and a glass-half-empty type of existence. […]