Over the past year, I have had the pleasure of being a regular guest on a cable morning television show. We usually discuss sports during one segment and an issue related to psychiatry in the second segment. Most recently, we talked about the issues of self-confidence, self-esteem, and social anxiety as there had been requests from viewers and listeners of the show to take a look at these subjects. [Read More]

Summertime is upon us. With it comes a variety of questions about how patients should take their medications during these months. Some patients ask about the necessity of taking ADHD medications when school is not in session. They wonder if it is alright to take time off from their medicine. I remind them that ADHD is a 24/7 condition. Just because school is out for the summer doesn't mean your ADHD will take the time off as well. Others ask about trying to taper down medications--often anti-depressants--during the summer. This is a strategy I am more willing to consider. For some, stress is lessened during the summer. The combination of less-structured time and longer days is more likely to make people feel good enough that they want to see how they might do off their medications. [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]