The team at Fifth Avenue Psychiatry aims to help both adults and adolescents with substance abuse and mental health issues.
Anxiety and Alcohol Use
By Ronnit Nazarian, Psy. D A common theme that I have found while speaking with patients who overdrink has been that they also experience an underlying anxiety disorder. Moreover, they have mentioned having difficulty finding something that helps them disconnect from their stress and anxiety that works as well as having a drink. To most people looking in from the outside, a person who experiences anxiety and a person who experiences drinking problems are often viewed as two separate individuals. Contrary to common belief, however, research shows that approximately 50% of individuals who experience alcohol problems also meet the criteria for one or more anxiety disorders.1 Alcohol use and anxiety are strongly linked and often called co-morbid disorders that interact …
What is an Addiction Therapist?
By Tracey Bassett Psy.D. Deciding to take the step to seek addiction treatment is a very important and often difficult step. It can be complicated by the overwhelming amount of treatment centers, treatment modalities, and types of professionals that say they specialize in addiction. Today, our Manhattan addiction therapists will explore the different types of addiction treatment professionals and how to decide what is best for you. Types of Addiction Treatment Professionals Addiction Psychiatrist (MD) A psychiatrist is a doctor who went to medical school and then specialized in mental health. Psychiatrists conduct evaluations for treatment planning and diagnosis, prescribe medication, and sometimes, but not always, conduct therapy as part of their practice. There are general psychiatrists who treat a …
The Effects of the Pandemic Lockdowns: Substance Use, Depression, Anxiety, Attention and Concentration
Written by Britt Gottlich, Psy D As we begin to see an end in sight for the pandemic, I’ve spent time reflecting on my time as a psychologist for the past year. While the pandemic may be ending and places are starting to open up and as we return to a sense of normalcy, I can’t help but wonder what aspects of the pandemic will stick long-term and how I can use what I have learned over the past year to help prepare. Attention and Concentration While Working from Home During the Pandemic The two biggest complaints people have reported have been difficulty with attention/concentration and social isolation. Having to work from home, and quarantine, completely changed our lives in regard …
Neuropsychological Testing and Substance Use Disorders
Written by Ronnit Nazarian, Psy.D. Most of us are aware of the long-standing emotional and behavioral effects of substance abuse. However, the more subtle and detrimental effects that are harder to assess are the negative impacts substance abuse has on a person’s cognitive abilities (e.g., short-term memory, fluid reasoning, processing speed). For example, we see that opioid addiction increases depressive emotions and behaviors. More subtle impacts of opioid addiction, according to research, are the effects on a person’s prefrontal cortex and temporal lobe.2 Consequently, these areas of impact, in turn, affect a person’s cognitive abilities, which our Manhattan psychiatrists can identify with a neuropsychological evaluation. Specifically, with an impact on the prefrontal cortex (e.g., influences emotion, memory, and executive function) and …
The Importance of In-Person Addiction and Alcoholism Treatment During the COVID 19 Pandemic
There have been many mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased depression, anxiety and exacerbations of PTSD as a result of isolation, changes in lifestyle and fear. Along with increases in suicidality and domestic abuse, one of the most dangerous mental health effects of the pandemic has been increased substance abuse.1Along with all the dangerous effects of substance abuse there have been “an increasing number of reports from national state and local media,” including New York, of “an increase in opioid and other drug related mortality.”2 What is the Cause of Increased Substance Abuse During the Pandemic? The cause of increased substance abuse is many. More people are using illicit drugs and alcohol to cope with their symptoms …
Coping Mechanisms Against Depression and Anxiety During the COVID -19 Pandemic
Written by Olga Megwinoff, MD I did not want to write about anything related to the pandemic given that we are already so saturated by news and information related to it. However, I have realized it’s unavoidable. This pandemic and the ensuing quarantine have changed everything about the world as we know it. Most aspects of our personal, familial and social lives have been upended. Therefore, regardless of what I feel, I think that the most useful thing I can do is to write about coping mechanisms for how to endure social distancing and the fear. I want to focus on what we can do to help each other and ourselves as we are starting week 11 of social distancing …