When considering the word “trauma,” what is the first thing that comes to mind? I’d wager that most people equate this word with PTSD and military personnel. Still others might associate trauma with physical or sexual abuse or assault. All of these are correct. However, these examples are only three out of many types of traumatic experiences. Other types of traumatic experiences include: emotional abuse and psychological maltreatment, neglect and abandonment, forced displacem

The fields of neuroscience and mental health seem to be on the rise… And if you don’t know all of the fancy-sounding terms that are being batted around, then don’t despair! Most people would be hard pressed to explain the differences between a psychologist and a psychiatrist, much less describe the role of a neuropsychologist. So today, my goal is simply to remove any assumptions and start from the very beginning. PSYCHIATRY. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (M.D. or D.O.)

As we enter the month of October, let's change gears from the topic of memory loss and dementia and focus for a moment on anxiety disorders instead. After all, Halloween is just around the corner and with this holiday comes a deluge of horror movies, scary costumes, and other fear-provoking stimuli. As a matter of fact, a news report was released in south Florida just the other night that warned parents of a "creepy clown" threat- an Instagram post that pictured a clown with

If you suffer from depression, or you have suffered an episode of depression in the past, then (hopefully) you've already spoken with your doctor to rule out the possible medical conditions that could be responsible for your symptoms. The list of possibilities is longer than you might think! However, this is a GOOD thing because knowing the cause of your symptoms can help you identify the most effective treatments. It is important that you see your doctor for annual physical

"But I don't feel that depressed..." Is it possible to be clinically depressed and not even know it? The answer is YES. As I mentioned last week, a feeling of sadness is only one component that makes up the criteria for a diagnosis of depression. Sometimes people don't acknowledge that they are feeling down because they are unable to provide an explanation for it. First of all, it's important to understand that you don't need an excuse to feel depressed! Although it could be