There are a lot of misconceptions about suicide. In this post, I offer clarity and insight and hope to dispel some of the myths and mistruths that persist and impede people from getting the help they so desperately need and deserve.
Read MorePostpartum Depression (PPD) is a serious medical condition that affects women after childbirth. According to the Centers for Disease Control, PPD affects 1 in 9 women in the United States and can last up to a year after a woman gives birth. Sadly, up to 50% of women with PPD go undiagnosed, sometimes with devastating consequences like maternal suicide. Postpartum Depression disrupts a mother’s ability to take care of herself, her new baby, and her family.
Read More1) Raise endorphin levels Endorphins are brain chemicals that create feelings of euphoria. Exercise releases endorphins as well as sex, certain foods (chocolate, chili peppers), stress, and pain. 2) Decrease stress and anxiety Exercise triggers the release of endorphins which generate happy feelings. Physical activity also increases norepinephrine, a stress hormone that strengthens the mind and body’s response to stress. 3) Improve memory and cognition Exercise raises levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein involved in learning and memory. Exercise also increases the production of new nerve cells (neurogenesis) in the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in forming […]
Read MoreMy youngest daughter, Khloe, turned 3 a few months ago, and she embodies all things “I am three” in her adorable pint-sized form. Multiple times a day she reminds me of how fiercely independent she is as she repeatedly chants, “I can do it!” She is confident. She is sassy. She is persistent. And I’ve learned a few things from her. 1) Remove the limits For Khloe, the rules and societal norms do not apply. It matters not that her preschool-aged peers wear typical school attire for she dons a tutu and princess crown to school almost every day. She wants to […]
Read MoreAs a board certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, I treat youth with depression almost every day. Major Depressive Disorder, the medical term for clinical depression, is a debilitating illness that affects 12.5% of US youth aged 12 to 17 according to the National Institute of Mental Health. This means that, in 2015, 3 million teens had experienced at least one major depressive episode. The signs and symptoms of depression include sad mood and/or irritability crying spells too much or too little sleep weight loss or weight gain secondary to changes in appetite worthless and hopeless feelings fatigue difficulty concentrating thoughts of […]
Read MoreThe dreaded “C” word … No one wants to see a psychiatrist or therapist for fear that he or she will be deemed crazy. Even the Merriam-Webster dictionary app defines the word “crazy” within its stigmatizing framework as one who is “not mentally sound: marked by thought or action that lacks reason.” But I am here to tell you that I don’t treat crazy people. I treat children and adults struggling with profound sadness and despair, paralyzing anxiety, difficulties at school or on their job, in the aftermath of devastating trauma, or reeling from failed relationships. Sometimes the individuals I treat suffer […]
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