I’m coming to the end of my around the world journey, having changed time zones more times than I can count. This is the trick I use to help quell jet lag.
Be With Discomfort
From temperature control to yoga poses and feelings, we need to practice being with our discomfort and tolerating a wider range of feelings and sensations.
“Over-Hungry” – A Lesson I’ve Learned From My 2-Year Old
Having a baby taught me the concept of “overtired,” which has transformed the way I treat insomnia. Now I’ve begun to recognize the existence of “over-hungry.”
Why Silent Disco Should Be A Part of Your Exercise Routine
This goofy, judgement-free way of dancing is the latest addition to the microcize repertoire.
Having Trouble Falling Asleep? Can’t Stay Asleep? These 10 MD-Approved Tips Are Actually Proven To Work
Original article in mindbodygreen
Image: Studio Firma
October 8, 2018 — 9:30 AM
So you can’t sleep? You’re in good company (read: nearly everyone these days), but it’s still a lousy problem. Chronic sleep deprivation can make you depressed, anxious, prone to getting sick, at higher risk for cancer, and it makes you more likely to gain weight and develop diabetes and dementia. Poor sleep is at the root of so many cases of ADD/ADHD, and, worst of all, it shortens our life span. And of course it doesn’t feel good to be jolted awake by an alarm when your body is screaming: No! I haven’t gotten enough sleep yet.
Let’s try to solve this problem right here and now, in eight steps—because you’re tired, and that’s about all you can handle at the moment…
13 Steps to Managing Postpartum Sadness, Anxiety & Overwhelm
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…
Have Anxiety? You Need To Do This 1-Week Zero Caffeine Test
Original article in mindbodygreen
Photo: Guille Faingold
September 9, 2018 — 9:36 AM
As a holistic psychiatrist practicing in busy New York City, there are two traits nearly all of my patients have in common: anxiety and caffeine consumption.
And for the record, in general, I think that caffeine is safe, common, normal, enjoyable, and even potentially beneficial. I have nothing inherently against it! However, if you happen to suffer from anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, insomnia, or depression, and you consume caffeine, it’s time to recognize that caffeine very likely plays a role in your symptoms.
This Integrative Psychiatrist Wants You To Treat Depression Like The Flu
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
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
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.