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]

As the month of April concludes, there is more than April showers bringing May flowers. This is particularly true in the academic settings around the country with students coming down the home stretch of the school year. This is a time of year for considerable anxiety for students. How will I do on my finals? Will I be able to graduate with my class? What do I do once I graduate? Those are just some of the questions that are being posed by students and family members during this stressful time. It is uncanny how often over my years of practice that new patient appointments are set up at this time of the year by parents and young people for a variety of reasons. [Read More]