Depression Archives - Page 3 of 4

Is More Access to Mental Health Care Actually A Good Thing?

by Ellen Vora, MD on Nov 4, 2018 / Share

Controversial topic, but we need to talk about this. People who are suffering need care, but is access to care actually helping or harming?

Taper During The Follicular Phase

by Ellen Vora, MD on Oct 29, 2018 / Share

For any women doing a psychiatric medication taper, be strategic about timing.

13 Steps to Managing Postpartum Sadness, Anxiety & Overwhelm

by Ellen Vora, MD on Oct 8, 2018 / Share

Original article in mindbodygreen

Image: Holly Clark

October 7, 2018 — 9:24 AM

The postpartum period is an incredibly vulnerable time. Countless new moms are sitting in their gliders right now, isolated at home, surrounded by spit-up and burp cloths, delirious with sleep deprivation, nerves frayed from the confusing cries of their infants, and feeling overwhelmed, sad, anxious, and alone.

Every time this happens to a new mom, I feel we have failed as a culture. It’s normal to experience the transition of becoming a mom as a complicated mix of joy and an unexpected gut punch, but when a mom is isolated and feeling like her sadness and anxiety are about to swallow her whole, there is more we can be doing to support this mom. Here are the steps I find most helpful in my holistic psychiatry practice…

This Integrative Psychiatrist Wants You To Treat Depression Like The Flu

by Ellen Vora, MD on Sep 5, 2018 / Share

Article in mindbodygreen

Photo: Lawren Lu

September 1, 2018 — 9:25 AM

If you ask anyone on the street what causes depression, and come across someone who knows a thing or two about mental illness, you’re bound to get an answer like “a chemical imbalance” or perhaps even “a serotonin deficiency.”

This idea has been so effectively marketed to us that we almost unanimously accept it as fact. You might be surprised to hear this theory has not been well-documented in the scientific literature. Through blood test, lumbar puncture, and brain scan, the well-meaning world of mental health researchers has failed to document this so-called chemical imbalance of depression.

The Real Cause of Depression is About Way More Than Just Serotonin

by Ellen Vora, MD on Aug 30, 2018 / Share

Original article in mindbodygreen

Photo: Boris Jovanovic

August 30, 2018 — 9:25 AM

Many of us have been taught that depression is the result of a genetic chemical imbalance. And while there is certainly a genetic component to depression, and, yes, neurotransmitters like serotonin do play a role in mood, depression actually has many potential root causes.

I’m An Integrative Psychiatrist: Here Are 9 Things I Recommend Before Antidepressants

by Ellen Vora, MD on Aug 24, 2018 / Share

Link to original article on mindbodygreen.

Photo: Death to Stock

August 4, 2018 — 9:40 AM

As a culture, we have a total lack of creative thinking when it comes to treating depression. When we or someone we know is depressed, we often think their only two options are prescription psychiatric medications and therapy. And most likely, medication is front of mind. Well, without going into the pros and cons of psychiatric medications, let’s say this: Medication is not the only option when it comes to treating depression. As a holistic psychiatrist, I know firsthand that there are many avenues that often go unexplored.