In my 27 years in the private practice of psychiatry, I have certainly seen my share of changes in the field over that time. There is a distinct increase in the percentage of male patients I see in my practice now compared to when I started. The amount of ADHD I treat in both children and adults has also grown over the years for a variety of reasons. However, the biggest surprise to me has little to do with the type of patient I meet with or the actual diagnosis being treated. Instead, it has to do with the tremendous importance pets have on the lives of my patients. [Read More]

When patients come into the office for a session, the conversation often turns at some point to how things are at work. Sure, we go over compliance with the treatment plan, whether it relates to cognitive approaches or medication, but to me that's simply not enough. I have always believed that every meeting with a patient is a therapy session in its own way, even if the patient is there ostensibly for medication management. [Read More]

As more of my patients tell me about how the current economic times are affecting them them, it is as if media reports are adding insult to injury. Various outlets regularly put forth reports outlining all of the country's financial woes, how they came about, and how they could either continue or be eased in the coming months. For years, the primary source of such information was either the business section of a local newspaper or one of the financially-focused newspapers and magazines like The Wall Street Journal or Business Week. The "old" news cycle allowed a certain lag time between when events happened and when they would run in print media. Not so, anymore. [Read More]

Difficult economic times are presenting major challenges that I hear about on a daily basis from my patients. In nearly 25 years of practice, there has never been a topic that patients have so consistently talked about than their anxieties regarding the ongoing financial crisis. Even the anxiety-provoking aftermath of 9/11 did not produce such a widespread sense of personal impact. Concerns then were primarily about what had happened in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. There was at the very least a physical distance. These financial problems know no boundaries. They live everywhere and affect everyone. [Read More]