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Category: Depression

For my Anxiety or Depression, Should I Use Medication or Therapy?

For my Anxiety or Depression, Should I Use Medication or Therapy?

Dr Gross was recently involved (along with Dr David A Rosen) in presenting an educational webinar on the topic of Anxiety and Depression. Presented by Neil Sideman, the co-chair of the public education committee for ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America). Topic of the webinar was For my Anxiety or Depression, Should I Use Medication or Therapy? Click on the video below to view this very informative webinar. For more information about ADAA – check out their website at www.adaa.org.

When Can I Stop My Medication?

When Can I Stop My Medication?

Despite being a very reasonable and simple request from my patients, I find this one of the more difficult questions to answer adequately. Why is this so? The answer lies in the reality that Psychiatry remains a relatively “soft”  science. As I have previously discussed, my discipline is not as clearly defined as found in specialties like endocrinology, cardiology, etc. I will do my best in providing some basic guidelines. More detailed information may be found at the American Psychiatric Association’s “Practice Guidelines.” If one suffers…

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You’re Not Crazy, You’re Sick

You’re Not Crazy, You’re Sick

Psychiatry is a unique and challenging medical specialty. If I was a cardiologist and a patient presented with chest pain, I would have a number of objective tests at my disposal to evaluate this complaint. A patient presenting to a pulmonologist complaining of shortness of breath and exercise intolerance can be sent for a chest x-ray, pulmonary function tests or a finger oximetry reading. Currently, when a patient comes to a psychiatrist’s office complaining of “depression” there are no definitive…

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Feeling Depressed: Is it Depression, or is it Unhappiness?

Feeling Depressed: Is it Depression, or is it Unhappiness?

The word depression is used indiscriminately to describe a variety of mood states. When a psychiatrist utilizes this term it represents a clinical entity that requires medication and/or psychotherapy.   When asked why they are here to see me, my patients frequently state that they are feeling depressed. My task is to then determine what they mean by these words. The practice of psychiatry is a unique specialty. If an endocrinologist is consulted by a patient to determine if the individual…

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winter depression
Winter Holidays Depression and Stress – Five Tips to Help You Cope

Winter Holidays Depression and Stress – Five Tips to Help You Cope

The winter holidays are here again and people are looking forward to parties, visits with relatives and friends, and participating in all the joys of the season. Yet, while most people will say that the Christmas, Hanukkah, and Thanksgiving holidays are their favorite time of year, they can also be a time of increased stress and depression. View this post on Instagram A post shared by David A Gross, MD (@davidagrossmd) Beneath the fun-filled activities is a layer of demands…

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