Tolerating wobbles. Nothing is perfect, and we should tolerate a small amount of variability and imperfection before we make the call on what works and what doesn’t. And every bump in the road is not always a cliff. Stay patient, stay optimistic. This video is part eleven of twenty-six excerpts from a presentation hosted by […]
Dr. Dimitriu was published in Psychology Today on the topic of The Essential Role of Sleep Medicine. Sleep is truly the other half of our waking lives, as well as an essential half of modern psychiatry. During sleep, our brains recharge the neurotransmitters that are so important to our mood and thinking—dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, to […]
Sleep is truly the other half of our waking lives as well as an essential half of modern psychiatry. During sleep, our brains re-charge the neurotransmitters that are so important to our mood and thinking – dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin to name a few. “If there is no gas in the tank, you can’t push […]
By Dr. Alex Dimitriu, July 11, 2019 We all have occasional trouble sleeping. Anxiety, jet lag, something we ate, or any number of other things can have us tossing and turning restlessly now and then. Most of the time, these episodes of sleeplessness are of brief duration and with resolution of the root cause we […]
Sleep is perhaps the most important vital sign for the human mind. You cannot push the gas pedal if there is no gas in the tank. Poor sleep is associated with almost every mental issue we face today and can impact mood, anxiety, attention and focus, memory, and impulse control. A good understanding of sleep […]
A house cannot be built on a poor foundation. At the core of all living things is our biology. Understanding the basic underlying principles of mood, anxiety, energy, and cognition is essential to building the foundation for better mental and physical health. Our psychology and interpersonal relationships are all ultimately dependent on these more fundamental […]
Smiling depression isn’t an oxymoron. It’s a serious atypical manifestation of depression in which the sufferer masks typical depressive symptoms like sadness and lethargy with the outward appearance of a happy, successful, productive life. While approximately 10 percent of the U.S. population suffers from depression, not all sufferers experience it in the same way. Typically, […]
By Dr. Alex Dimitriu, March 12, 2019 Sleep isn’t optional. It is one of our most basic physiological needs, right up there with air, water, food, and shelter. It isn’t heroic to go without sleep and it isn’t true that many people need only four or five hours a night. Most of us need seven […]
By Dr. Alex Dimitriu, March 12, 2019 Insomniacs know all about good sleep hygiene. They’ve lowered the temperature in the bedroom, hung room-darkening shades, eliminated nicotine, caffeine, and liquids before bedtime, taken warm baths, and banished electronic devices from the bedroom. Many have tried prescription sleeping pills but were groggy the next day. Natural relaxation […]
By Dr. Alex Dimitriu, February 21, 2019 We all have occasional trouble sleeping. Stress, anxiety, a change in routine, something we ate, …any number of things might be responsible for a night of restless tossing and turning. For most of us, bouts of insomnia are of short duration. But for many millions of people, sleepless […]
Millions of people experience episodes of depression every year, making it one of our most common mental disorders. Although its symptoms may look similar, clinical depression differs in its intensity and duration from the ordinary sadness that we all experience from time to time. Sadness triggered by a loss, disappointment, or a major life change […]
By Alex Dimitriu, MD, January 22, 2019 With anxiety disorders ranking as the most common mental illness in the United States – affecting 18% of the adult population every year – perhaps it’s not surprising that more than 1 in 10 Americans take antidepressants, the class of medications used most often to combat anxiety.
By: Alex Dimitriu, MD, January 6, 2019 With the rise in states legalizing the use of both medicinal and recreational marijuana, more attention is now being given to a component of the cannabis plant that’s been scrutinized for decades – CBD, or cannabidiol. But far from seeking a “high,” many of those giving fresh consideration […]
By Dr. Alex Dimitriu, 12/20/18 Even as the stigma associated with mental illness has – thankfully – dissipated over the last decade, millions of people still fail to get the help they need because the stigma around the medication that can alleviate their suffering endures. Fueled in part by celebrities talking about their struggles with […]
By Dr. Alex Dimitriu, 12/13/18 We all worry. Occasional anxiety is part of everyday life –- an upcoming test, a job interview, a troubled relationship –- and anxiety may have a beneficial effect, helping us focus and problem-solve by studying for the test, preparing for the interview, or working on the relationship. But for millions […]
