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Entries by doctoralex

Can Anxiety Cause High Blood Pressure?

Anxiety and stress can contribute to higher blood pressure readings. When feeling anxiety, it is common to have a short-term increase in blood pressure. In response to a perceived threat, stress and fear can cause parts of the nervous system to become activated, raising heart rate and blood pressure. This is known as the sympathetic […]

Zoloft Side Effects in Women: What You Need to Know

Sertraline, also called Zoloft, is a drug known mainly as a treatment for depression. First approved in the U.S. in 1991, recently it has been prescribed nearly 40 million times per year. Although Zoloft can cause side effects in anyone, it can affect women in specific ways. Knowing about the possible side effects of Zoloft in women […]

“Chess Is Best Played Calm.” Relaxing Stress and Anxiety to Win

By Dr. Alex Dimitriu “We suffer more in imagination than in reality.” These were the words of an ancient Roman stoic philosopher, Seneca. While he died in 65 AD, his words could not be more true now, two thousand years later. Am I Stressed or Anxious? Knowing the difference between stress and anxiety can help […]

Daymares – How to Stop Negative Thoughts (and what to do if you can’t)

By Dr. Alex Dimitriu You get an email from your boss asking you to meet later that day, and you immediately think you’ve done something wrong, and might get fired, then lose your home, then your marriage. A lab result comes back slightly off, and you immediately think you might have some serious life-threatening malady, “what […]

5 Essential Steps Towards Joy in the New Year

By Dr. Alex Dimitriu The power of positivity is a skill to be developed. Certain simple behaviors and mindsets have the power to improve your mood almost immediately. I know change takes time, and no one expects you to change completely overnight. However, as I tell my patients, it’s good to have some direction and […]

Finally… A Sleep Apnea Pill

By Alex Dimitriu MD Finding an effective pharmacologic approach to alleviating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) could revolutionize treatment of this complex, underdiagnosed, and life-threatening sleep disorder. Results of a study – the MARIPOSA trial — published in the October 2023 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine indicate a combination of two […]

Bingeing on Negative Emotions – How ADHD and Anxiety Impulsively Feed on Drama

By Dr. Alex Dimitriu Checking your phone for the 10th time this hour? You can learn a lot about yourself through observing this simple habit. People with ADHD and anxiety share the common element of impulse control. They can both be “bingey,” – and check their phones or do other things repeatedly. Shiny! Understanding the […]

Aromatherapy May Lead to a 226% Boost in Cognition

Aug 22, 2023 Dr. Dimitriu was published in Psychology Today in an article titled: Aromatherapy May Lead to a 226% Boost in Cognition You know those small vials of fragrant oils sometimes placed on a hotel pillow to calm a guest and improve sleep? Well, science says they work, even suggesting certain aromas can help […]

Better Deep Sleep May Delay or Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

June 22, 2023 Dr. Dimitriu was published in Psychology Today in an article titled: Better Deep Sleep May Delay or Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease Quality deep sleep may compensate for the cognitive dysfunction and memory impairment of Alzheimer’s disease and could become the target of future therapies, especially in early and mild cases of the disorder. That is […]

Winning The “Prior Authorization” Medication Game

By Dr. Alex Dimitriu, Mar 17, 2022 Top tips for consumers about managing medication costs Consider generic medication if possible to lower costs Check on GoodRx.com to find the best prices and pharmacies for meds When a generic request is denied due to prior authorization, ask about the cash price Pay cash over using insurance when […]

ADHD: All About Power, Paradox, and Yes Pain, Too

January 13, 2022 Dr. Dimitriu was published in Psychology Today in an article titled: ADHD: All About Power, Paradox, and Yes Pain, Too Despite all its complexities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a neuropsychological condition characterized by disorganization, procrastination, time impairment, impulsive decision-making, “wandering attention,” and problems with self-management, might be best described in three […]

How Sleep Deprivation Impairs your Mind, Moods, Memory and Impulses

by Dr. Alex Dimitriu Pioneering sleep scientist William Dement once called sleep deprivation “the most common brain impairment.” The research is proving him right. Authors of the latest sleep study, just published (April 2021) in the journal Nature Communications, find that “persistent” sleep deprivation during the midlife years – 50s, 60s, up to age 70 […]

New Research Shows How Sleep Clears Toxins from the Brain

January 14, 2020. Dr. Dimitriu was published in Psychology Today about how sleep clears toxins from the brain. We’ve long known that sleep is as important to our health as good nutrition and regular exercise. Not getting enough sleep is detrimental to daytime functioning – to our mood, energy, concentration and reaction time and over […]

Agitated Depression and the High Functioning Bipolar Rockstar (of Silicon Valley)

Everyone reads the words “bipolar disorder,” and immediately thinks this cannot possibly be a “disorder” that they have. And indeed, this terminology is a bit clinical for most high functioning people who let nothing slow them down and have moved mountains to get to where they are today. Think of bipolar disorder, and one immediately […]

How Much Sleep Do Teens Need?

When you look at your teenager, try to soften the lens and view him/her as an oversized toddler. We say this because the developmental changes taking place in a teen’s brain and body as the result of puberty are equivalent to the changes that take place as infants transition into toddlerhood. With that perspective, it’s […]

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