As a huge believer and personal witness to the power of psychedelics and the role they can play in healing mental health issues, I am thrilled that Johns Hopkins will be opening a new center for psychedelic research. It's about time! From the NY Times: Since childhood, Rachael Petersen had lived with an unexplainable sense [...]
Meditation and yoga have been practiced by humans for thousands of years. The physical and mental benefits of both are well documented and include the reduction of anxiety, depression and stress. A study published in the journal Brain Imaging and Behavior used MRIs to measure brain structures in participants who practiced meditation and yoga. They [...]
We have long known that there is a relationship between spending time in nature and mental and physical health. Spending time in nature has been found to: boost the immune system lower blood pressure reduce stress improve mood increase ability to focus, even in children with ADHD accelerate recovery from surgery or illness increase energy [...]
Since 1952, psychiatrists have used the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is currently in its fifth edition, as the gold standard for diagnosing psychiatric (mental) disorders. For many years, it's been considered to basically be the "bible" that all psychiatrists use to diagnose and categorize patient symptoms. Despite this, I have [...]
Matcha is a finely ground green powder that comes from green tea leaves. It has been used for more than 800 years in Japanese tea ceremonies and is also used to flavor many different foods including mochi and lattes. Matcha is packed with antioxidants and has been found to have many health benefits, including: Boosting [...]
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring compound found in cannabis. It has gained a lot of popularity recently as it's been reported to be a safe, non-addictive substance that could potentially treat a wide range of illnesses, including pain, anxiety, depression, PTSD, insomnia, cancer, glaucoma, acne, epilepsy, MS, ALS, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, blood pressure, [...]
According to the CDC, 11% of all children in the U.S. aged 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD or ADD. In addition, 4.4% of U.S. adults are reported to have ADHD. One of the primary treatments for ADHD and ADD has been Ritalin (methylphenidate), which is a powerful stimulant that can cause many side effects, [...]
Around 1 in 6 adults in the U.S. report taking a psychiatric medication according to data from 2013. That translates into roughly 40 million Americans who have taken at least one psychiatric medication. Those numbers are likely currently even higher given the increases in reported psychiatric disorders in the U.S. While psychiatric medications may be [...]
The link between sleep apnea and depression has been well established for years. A study published in 2017 demonstrated a significant overlap between the two. Despite this connection, many patients with depression are never tested and the sleep apnea can go untreated for many years. I have witnessed a signficant reversal of depressive symptoms once [...]
I am a believer in the use of psychedelics for both mental health, as well as physical and spiritual health. I am looking forward to being able to utilize psychedelics in my practice some day. MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) is an amazing organization and published this great Podcast with Dr. Andrew Weil. This [...]
