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What It’s Really Like Living with Bipolar Disorder
As of 2019, 0.53% of people in the world are bipolar, according to a study from the World Health Organization. I am one of them. Living with bipolar disorder isn’t easy. Scholarly journals document the symptoms and struggles that come with this disorder, but they’re far from accurate. Common...
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Stress or ADHD? What Holiday Breaks Reveal About College Students’ Struggles
When college students return home for holiday breaks, families often notice changes that were easier to overlook during the semester. A student who once seemed capable may now appear overwhelmed, disorganized, emotionally reactive, or shut down. Parents begin to ask whether they are seeing typical...
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Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Breaks Ground on New Campus to Expand Music Therapy and Education
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (BKCM), a 128-year-old nonprofit transforming lives and building community through music, has announced that it has broken ground today on a new 12,000-square-foot campus at One Prospect Park West. The state-of-the-art facility will double BKCM’s capacity to deliver...
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An Epidemic of Anxiety and Depression Requires a Reevaluation of Conventional Treatment
The field of psychiatry has been governed by a medical model of illness in recent decades. This model posits behavioral health conditions, including anxiety and depression, are manifestations of biological abnormalities that may be corrected through interventions commonly employed in other branches...
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The Overlapping Roots of Mental Health Disparities: Poverty, Racism, and Trauma as Social Determinants
Mental health cannot be fully understood — or effectively addressed — without considering the powerful forces that shape people’s everyday lives. Poverty, racism, and trauma are more than just challenges individuals face; they are deeply embedded social determinants of mental health that...
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Bridging the Tech Gap: How Ambient Monitoring Is Modernizing Mental Health Facilities
As a psychiatrist, I’ve witnessed the fragility of patient safety during a psychiatric crisis. As an attorney who’s defended doctors in malpractice cases, I’ve seen the devastation when safety protocols fail. If I’ve learned one truth from my dual careers, it’s that, in behavioral health,...
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From Childhood Fears to Adult Anxieties: Understanding Anxiety Across the Lifespan
Anxiety is a universal human emotion that we all experience, both children and adults alike. In fact, it is normal to experience some anxiety and worry at times, as anxiety can be adaptive in nature and serve both as a motivator and as a means of keeping us safe. For example, anxiety can indicate...
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The Connection Between Tobacco, Depression, and Anxiety
Despite decades of public health efforts, tobacco use remains a persistent public health issue, especially for individuals experiencing depression and anxiety. These two common mental health conditions are closely linked to tobacco use, both in terms of higher smoking prevalence and the emotional...
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Treating Depression in Pregnancy Is Lifesaving—Here’s What the FDA Panel Got Wrong
This week, the FDA held an unbalanced and largely inaccurate panel discussion on SSRI use during pregnancy. Of the 10 presenters on the panel (three from outside the U.S.), only one represented the robust body of research demonstrating the safety and efficacy of taking SSRIs during the perinatal...
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Maternal Mental Health: Reducing the Stigma Through AI
Maternal depression affects approximately 1 in 5 women in the United States. For many, their struggles go undetected and untreated. It's critical that we acknowledge both the prevalence of this condition and the innovative solutions emerging to address it. The lack of diagnosis of postpartum...
