On today’s episode, we are discussing the second part of a two-part series on the effects of social media use on mental health, specifically with regards to anxiety and mood disorders. Click here to catch up on the first part. Today’s episode will cover some of the negative potential effects on mental health that can ..read more

On today’s episode, we are discussing the first part of a two-part series on the effects of social media use on mental health, specifically with regards to anxiety and mood disorders. Today’s episode will cover some of the history and background of social media and mental health, and then we will discuss some of the ..read more

On today’s episode, we are working through six challenging clinical scenarios: everything from how to approach confrontational patients, to what to consider when deciding whether to answer personal questions from patients. I would love to hear what other tips and tricks you have for managing these clinical scenarios, so feel free to comment below! References ..read more

On today’s Medication Minute, we will be discussing gabapentin, including its pharmacology, use in management of psychiatric diagnoses, and it’s more recent growing potential for abuse. Gabapentin is a gamma-aminobutyric acid analog that is was approved for use as an antiepileptic in 1993 and for post-herpetic neuralgia in 2004, but is also used off label ..read more

Today’s episode covers the treatment option of long acting injectable antipsychotics, including first generation and second generation options, and also how to appropriately convert a patient from oral antipsychotics to a long-acting injection version. Estimated adherence rate in patients taking oral antipsychotics is about 60%. This can be due to the unpleasant potential side effects ..read more

Today’s episode is part of our medication minute series, and today we will be doing a brief review of alpha 2 adrenergic receptor agonists and antagonists, in the context of their psychiatric uses. This discussion will include pharmacodynamics properties, indications for use, side effects and dosing. We discuss specifically clonidine, guanfacine, prazosin, and yohimbine. References ..read more

Today’s episode is all about the assessment, diagnosis and management of generalized anxiety disorder. We will first review the epidemiology of GAD, followed by discussion of the clinical presentation, diagnostic criteria, and evaluation of GAD. We will then move on to management, including options for psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. References Sadock, Benjamin James. Sadock, Virginia Alcott ..read more

Today’s episode focuses on managing tobacco use in our patients. As most mental health professionals come to find, cigarette smoking is a common comorbid condition in our patient population. Sometimes our patients are noncompliant with follow-up with a primary care physician, and as their psychiatrist we may be presented with the only opportunity to counsel ..read more

Today’s episode constitutes a review of adult ADHD, with focus on evaluation, diagnosis, management, prognosis, and other concerns regarding adult ADHD. Adult ADHD has long been a controversial topic. The reality is that 50-66% percent of children with ADHD will continue to suffer symptoms into adulthood, and it is no longer considered to be a ..read more

Today’s topic is the management of acute alcohol withdrawal. On our last episode #10 from December 2017, we covered alcohol use disorder, including evaluation and management of this condition. Please review episode 10 for more information on alcohol use disorder. Today we will discuss epidemiology, DSM5 criteria, etiology, evaluation, clinical course and treatment of acute ..read more