Why Words Are So Important In Psychiatry

Why Words Are So Important In Psychiatry

As reviewed in a past article, the field of Psychiatry is unique among medical specialties. At present, medical technology has yet to provide adequate imaging or laboratory testing that would allow for more objective assessment of a patient’s symptoms and concerns. A person with chest pain, fatigue and a racing heartbeat can rest assured that a carefully designed testing protocol will clarify the nature of the problem. Cardiac enzymes, electrocardiogram, chest x-ray and even cardiac catheterization will provide objective evidence…

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Not All Addicts Are Alike

Not All Addicts Are Alike

Since the cocaine scourge of the ’70s and ’80s and the ongoing tragedy of the opiate epidemic, the American public has become painfully aware of the societal impact of addiction. Because of the prevalence and lethality of fentanyl-laced opiate overdoses almost everyone knows of a family that has lost a loved one. And despite all the time, effort and money invested in eradicating tobacco we now have to confront the growing addiction to nicotine through the expanding use of nicotine…

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Mental Health And A Slice Of Pizza

Mental Health And A Slice Of Pizza

The biological field consists of not just our brain but the body systems that ultimately influence brain function such as the cardiovascular, endocrine, pulmonary and gastrointestinal. As an example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can reduce the availability of oxygen to the brain and consequently alter brain function. A simple experiment decades ago demonstrated that the use of a portable oxygen generator can significantly increase the IQ of a person suffering from COPD. This same individual would subsequently experience less…

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“There’s Something Rotten In…”

“There’s Something Rotten In…”

I consider myself a well-trained mental health professional and as such an expert on human behavior. These days however, I find myself more and more at a loss pondering the amount of violence and hate visible in our world. This week I attended an interfaith vigil united to protest hate crimes and violence. It was uplifting to share in the community expression of mutual support, love and the need to heal. However, I left feeling that there still were no…

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On Being A Physician

On Being A Physician

Looking back on my many years as a physician I thought it appropriate to comment on this profession especially in a time when the core values of physician-hood are being tested. I truly am grateful and honored to continue to serve as a physician to my patients. Unlike other “jobs”, being a physician is a unique calling. Perhaps the best way for me to share with you the special nature of this profession is by relaying an experience from my…

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How Do You Know That You Have Received A Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation?

How Do You Know That You Have Received A Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation?

As I have discussed in previous blogs on this website, the practice of Psychiatry is challenging. Unlike other medical specialties there are a paucity of laboratory testing or radiologic imaging that will reveal the true nature of the problems being presented at the time of our appointment. Instead of relying on objective data I must process a wealth of subjective information; that is, the words that you use in describing your current emotional state. I view this challenge much like…

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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.

Media-Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Media-Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Veterans of the Vietnam War have sadly raised our awareness of the existence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).   PTSD is a chronic, sometimes lifelone condition resulting in pathological changes in mood, thinking and behavior  It can be incapacitating and lead to job loss, family turmoil and dissolution, poor quality of life and often suicide.  We now understand that the development of PTSD has its basis in enduring alterations of brain function that helps to explain the chronic and…

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“Turn on, tune out” – America’s Infatuation With Marijuana

“Turn on, tune out” – America’s Infatuation With Marijuana

Having witnessed first hand the extreme societal turbulence of the 1960s and 1970 I am struck by the striking similarities present in our current national scene. More specifically, I have been absolutely dumbfounded by the support that the “medical” marijuana movement has garnered across much of this nation. As a level headed physician whose medical belief systems are based on scientific knowledge and the credo “do no harm,” I find the groundswell of support for marijuana most troubling. In addition to the carefully studied health…

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How to better understand anxiety

How to better understand anxiety

It is safe to say that anxiety is ubiquitous. No one escapes the experience. That being said, anxiety is not necessarily pathological or an indication of a psychiatric disorder. Believe it or not, anxiety can be a necessary experience. Many of us need a certain level of anxiety to succeed because it does have a motivational value. Consider the athlete or performer who acknowledges significant anxiety before their event only to succeed admirably at their task. This is where the…

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