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Entries by Melissa Chefec

Can I Drink Alcohol While Taking Methylphenidate?

By Macy Alcido, Jul 29, 2025 While taking any medication, it’s important to use caution when drinking alcohol, says Alex Dimitriu, M.D., a double board-certified specialist in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. Dr. Dimitriu specifically recommends limiting alcohol intake when taking methylphenidate. “Alcohol is a sedative, while Ritalin is […]

Can Supplements Help With Depression?

By Erica Sweeney, Jul 28, 2025 “This research is very relevant, as so many people will try supplements before they ever even seek professional help,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine physician and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine in Menlo Park, California.  Click HERE for the full article.

This Silly Hack Can Actually Really Help With Anxiety

By Caroline Bologna, Jul 25, 2025 “Words are powerful. I always tell my patients to be careful with the ‘mantras’ you say to yourself each day,” said Dr. Alex Dimitriu, who’s double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California. “My concern is that when you say […]

ADHD in Women: Why It’s Hard to Detect—and What to Do if You Think You Have It

By Stephanie Booth, Jul 24, 2025 For starters, “women are more likely to have the inattentive version of ADHD, which can sometimes be confused with anxiety, forgetfulness, and disorganization,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, a double board-certified psychiatrist in Menlo Park, CA. Even the hyperactive type of ADHD may manifest differently in girls than boys. Instead of physical […]

4 Ways Therapists Say People With Anxiety Get Stuck — And How To Get Unstuck

By Alexandra Frost, Jul 22, 2025 “A vast number of patients in my practice have benefited from work we have done to catch ‘the stories’ that we tell ourselves, and realize what is real, and what is made up,” said Dr. Alex Dimitriu, who’s double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park […]

Why You Suddenly Start Seeing the Same Thing Everywhere, According to Psychologists

By Kendra Cherry, Jul 18, 2025 “Selective attention is the ability to notice some things and not others,” explains Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board-certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. We are surrounded by so much information that it’s just not possible for the brain to process, sort, and […]

Mediterranean and 3 other diet types may lower dementia risk, especially in women

By Jessica Freeborn, Jul 16, 2025 This study highlights the diet’s important role in possibly protecting against dementia. Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, who was also not involved in the study, noted the following clinical implications of the research: “This study […]

I Drank Bone Broth Every Day for a Week to Stave Off Brain Fog—Did It Work?

By Kendra Cherry, June 4, 2025 Gut health plays an essential role in mental health, explains Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board-certified psychiatrist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. “The gut is able to communicate with the brain via the vagus nerve, and the microbiome of the gut can affect how nutrients (like B12) are absorbed, Dr. […]

6 Sneaky Signs You Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, According to Experts

By Beth Krietsch, May 30, 20205 Sleep disturbances are another common feature among people with chronic fatigue syndrome.2 These sleep issues can show up in a number of ways, including lighter sleep, more trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, restlessness during the night or waking up too early in the morning. “Because of lighter sleep, [people with […]

The Connection Between Adderall and Depression

By Sarah Sheppard, May 30, 2025 Though ADHD and depression can be diagnosed separately or together, says Alex Dimitriu, MD, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, it’s better to treat one condition at a time. Even though ADHD can cause depression and stimulants like Adderall can help with symptoms of both conditions, it’s often […]

What Is Painsomnia?

By Anna Smith Haghighi, May 14, 2025 Painsomnia is not a medical diagnosis. Patients first assigned the name to the condition, describing the struggles they have sleeping with chronic pain. Alex Dimitriu, MD, psychiatrist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in California and a medical reviewer for Everyday Health, defines painsomnia as “insomnia […]

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