The team at Fifth Avenue Psychiatry aims to help both adults and adolescents with substance abuse and mental health issues.
Q & A: The Complex Cycle of Alcohol Use and Depression
By: Tracey Basett, Psy.D. The relationship between depression and alcohol use is a very complicated one. This is because both depression and alcohol can exacerbate the effects of each other in unhealthy ways. Although there is the common perception that depression causes alcohol misuse, the majority of studies show that alcohol use actually increases the likelihood of depression (1 & 2). In addition, studies also report a co-morbid relationship between depression and alcohol that actually increases with age. It has been shown that the combination of Alcohol Use Disorder and Depression is “associated with higher risk of alcohol dependence, suicide attempt, lower global functioning, and life dissatisfaction” (3). The complex relationship between alcohol and depression for a lot of people …
Adderall Addiction in the Workplace
By Britt Gottlich, Psy.D. At Fifth Avenue Psychiatry, we often get new clients seeking stimulant medications for ADHD. These individuals are usually surprised with how cautious we tend to be with these medications, as our NYC psychiatrists require new or recent neuropsychological testing to confirm this diagnosis rather than just handing out medications based on reported symptoms. The reason we are more conservative with stimulant medications is because of the high rate of stimulant addiction that we see as a result of these controlled substances being prescribed too readily. What are Prescription Stimulants? The National Institute on Drug Abuse defines stimulants as “medications generally used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy- uncontrollable episodes of deep sleep. They increase alertness, attention, …
How To Choose the Right Psychiatrist for Addiction Treatment
By Samuel Glazer, MD Addiction is understood as a brain disease that is multidimensional, and, to this point, there are still very few effective treatments. What we also know is that addiction responds best to a combination of both medicine and psychotherapy for the addiction, as well as its underlying causes (only once the substance use stops). Unfortunately, though, there is still a great deal about addiction and its treatment that is misconstrued by both patients suffering with addiction and many psychiatrists and therapists treating them. Though there are many excellent therapists and skilled psychiatrists with variable levels of training, the following are some suggestions by our New York City addiction psychiatrist on how to find a psychiatrist who can …
Kratom: Harmful or Helpful?
By Dr. Ronnit Nazarian There is little information on Kratom, and there is much misinformation out there. Some people believe Kratom is a safe drug to use because it is legal, easy to obtain, natural, advertised heavily, and has “claimed” to treat many illnesses from anxiety to diabetes to opioid withdrawal symptoms. However, the consequences of Kratom use have shown that the drug can create dependence and addiction similar to the effects of opioids (e.g., pain relief and euphoria) and stimulant properties. In some cases, Kratom can actually create Opioid withdrawal symptoms and lead to opiate use disorders or even mimic them.2 Our New York City addiction psychiatrists are here to help provide the following information: What is Kratom? Why …
Understanding the Harm Reduction Model (Controlled Drinking)
By Dr. Britt Gottlich, Psy.D. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health performed by the NSDUH, “[A]bout 7.3 percent of adults ages 18 and older who had Alcohol Use Disorder in the past year received any treatment in the past year… People with Alcohol Use Disorder were more likely to seek care from a primary care physician for an alcohol-related medical problem, rather than specifically for drinking too much alcohol” (NIAAA). Why? Seeking help for substance abuse can be overwhelming and scary. Often, clients report that coming in for the initial appointment is the hardest part due to the unknown of this type of treatment program. What clients often do not expect, is that substance abuse treatment …
Cannabis: A New Drug Epidemic?
By Dr. Olga Megwinoff During the late 1990’s when I was a psychiatry resident at NYU Langone Medical Center, the opiate epidemic was just beginning. We were taught that if a patient had pain, you had to give them prescription painkillers. At the time, “research” showed that they were necessary to control pain and did not have addiction potential when used to treat people for pain. This didn’t make sense to me, but who was I to question my teachers or “the research?” I was but a lowly resident. The mood about marijuana reminds me of the early days of opioid painkiller use. Though I don’t believe marijuana will ever be understood to be as dangerous as prescription painkillers have …