Learn More About Depressive Disorder While everyone feels sad sometimes, some people live with a condition called depressive disorder that is much more serious. This illness, also called clinical or major depression, affects how they think, feel, and behave. It affects both their minds and bodies and interferes with normal functioning, changing their daily lives. With the proper […]
Normal Grief or Depression?
I recently got a new kitten. He was one of five in the litter and was about to have a reunion with his brother after a week of them being apart. I was so excited, expecting a big reunion scene like in the movies in which they would hug, kiss and let each other know […]
Anxiety Attacks
Anxiety attacks – often called panic attacks — are characterized by intense mental and physical symptoms that can be overwhelming. Since this is not a psychological term the definition tends to vary. It is typically used interchangeably with panic attacks or to refer to versions that are less severe. Anyone who has experienced one of these […]
Living with Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is the sixth leading cause of disability worldwide according to the World Health Organization. In any given year, 5.7 million adults in America are living with this condition. It affects women and men equally and is found in all races, ages, and ethnic groups. According to a National Institute of Mental Health study, one […]
The Role of a Psychopharmacologist
WHAT IS A PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGIST? There are many branches of psychiatry and the one that deals with the genetic basis, physiology, and biology of mental illness is called psychopharmacology. Apsychopharmacologist is a medical doctor who has received specialized training in psychiatry and who practices in the use of medications for the treatment of mental illnesses. This practitioner […]
Stress
Everyone experiences stress sometimes and what triggers it varies from one person to the next. Though normal stress can help us muster our energies and skills to meet necessary challenges and deadlines. However, persistent or intense feelings of stress and anxiety can increase the risk of heart disease, clinical depression, and other serious medical conditions. People who […]
INSOMNIA Keeping You Up at Night?
Sleep disorders come in many forms ranging from sleep apnea (low breathing or pauses in breathing that result in not enough oxygen getting to the brain, resulting in waking) to insomnia, which makes it difficult to get to sleep and/or remain asleep. Though we all experience trouble falling asleep sometimes and may even find it difficult to stay asleep […]
How bright light therapy is underused and undervalued in medicine
What is BLT? If you ask most medical doctors, BLT conjures up images of a nice lunch break from the office at a local diner. But actually, bright light therapy, or BLT, is an underused and undervalued treatment for certain types of insomnia, jet lag, and depression. How Does Bright Light Therapy Work? Studies show […]
Stressed in Los Angeles? Los Angeles Psychiatrists abound – 6 signs you should start looking
Los Angeles is both a beautiful and tough place to live. In today’s day and age most of us are in stress overload, particularly if we live in a busy, demanding, and traffic-taxed city like Los Angeles. With ever-increasing technology and information right at our fingertips there is more pressure than ever to be more […]
6 Online Options for Insomnia Therapy
There aren’t enough practitioners of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) to allow for all sufferers in need of the gold-standard treatment to get in-person help, but online programs can fill some patients’ needs. We profile online CBT-I options, including the peer-reviewed research that supports their programs, their effectiveness data, and price points. By C.A. […]