Dr. Yvonne D. Hall, MD

Hi,

Thank s for your question. I would suggest that you try talking to your son first, he might be able to tell you why his grades are doping. If he does not want to talk to you, or does not know why his grades are dropping talking to a counselor might help.

You can start by seeing the school counselor, unless you suspect a more serious problem.
Hope this helps.
Yvonne Hall, MD

Hi,
Thanks for your question. Treatment guidelines suggest mood stabilizers as the best treatment for bipolar disorder There are several families of mood stabilizers including several anticonvulsants such as Depakote, atypical antypsychotics such as Latuda, and lithium. Which will be best depends on the patients history of response and side-effects to medications. What is the best medication for one patient, may not work for another. I suggest to work with a trusted health professional to find the best medication for each individual.
Hope this helps.
Yvonne Hall, MD

Hi,

Thanks for your question. I would suggest starting psychotherapy as soon as possible. Sexual abuse can leave profound emotional scars. I want to assure you that it is not your fault. You deserve to live a full and happy life, it is up to you to get the help you need. Hopefully, your spouse will be supportive of you and might even agree to go to marriage counseling if you decided that is necessary besides the personal psychotherapy.

Yvonne Hall, MD

Hi, thanks for your question.

If you are feeling back to yourself, it is your choice. I would suggest you discuss it with your psychiatrist.

Y. Hall, MD

Hi,

Thanks for your question. It sounds like you need a better support system. I would suggest joining your local senior center. I also encourage you to talk to your primary care physician about you problems, many clinics have a social worker that might be able to help you. You could also benefit from counseling. Hope it helps, and good luck.

Y. Hall, MD

Hi,

Thanks for your interesting question. Panic attacks are caused by severe anxiety. They can be triggered by events or come out of the blue. Basically, it is a dysfunction of the autonomic system that responds to a situation requiring a fight-or-flight response. While anxiety can be adaptive and life-preserving, panic attacks are not. Sometimes, medications are needed, but I would suggest trying psychotherapy first as a person with panic attacks can learn how to identify early indicators of anxiety and learn how to stop a panic attack.

Yvonne Hall, MD

Hi,

Thanks for your question. Yoga can help you to relax and can be a component of a treatment plan to treat insomnia. Let me share some helpful tips for better sleep: having a regular bed time; avoiding electronics at least an hour before going to bed (most experts actually advice 2 hours, but that can be hard to do); avoiding caffeinated drinks at least 8 hours before going to bed; having a bedtime routine; daily exercise, yoga included, however, do not exercise right before going to bed. I encourage you to make an appointment with your doctor to figure out the cause of your insomnia and get help implementing a treatment plan.

Yvonne Hall, MD

Hi,

Thanks for your insightful question. Why looking our best is important in today's society, spending hours in front of the mirror, especially if it is causing you problems, could be a symptom of a psychiatric problem. I suggest that you start by looking for a qualified counselor in your area who can help you figure out if you need help and the best approach to get it.

Yvonne Hall, MD

Hi, thanks for your interesting question.
While shopping excessively is a behavior, it could also be a symptom of a more serious mental health problem. The question would be if the behavior is causing significant problems in your wife's life, for example, excessive debt, family problems or conflicts, hoarding of objects, and others. If your wife or your family are experiencing problems because of this behavior, I would suggest seeing a qualified counselor or psychologist who could clarify if the behavior is a symptom of a more serious medical problem. If the behavior is causing marital problems, then I would suggest starting with couple's counseling where the behavior can be further explored and diagnosed. I hope this information will help you.

Hi,


Thanks for your question. First I want to remind you that your daughter is an adult and has a right to protect her health information. If you are concerned about her health I would suggest taking her out for a mother daughter date, and talking about her life and how are things going for her. If you have a relationship built on trust, and acceptance chances are she will talk to you about her problems. Remember if she has a prescription for antidepressants chances are that a health care professional that she trust prescribe them for her. You are lucky to have a daughter that takes charge of her health, and is not afraid to ask for help when she needs it.
If you want to know how to help your daughter I would suggest that you go to the NIMH website and read information on how to help a loved one that suffers from depression and anxiety. I hope this helps.

Hi, thanks for your question. Many women have a problems with feeling sad or overwhelmed after having a baby. However most women start feeling better after a couple of weeks, if it goes on long than that the chances of it being postpartum depression. I suggest you talk to your Obstetrician or your primary care about how you are feeling, as they are trained to diagnose postpartum depression and can initiate treatment. You might also want to make an appointment with a counselor to help you cope with the changes in your life.
In the mean time be kind to yourself, remember there is no way of objectively measuring love. Love can be a feeling, but it can also be defined as wanting the best for the person you love regardless of how you feel. If you are caring for your child and keeping your child happy and healthy, that is objective proof that you love your child despite feeling down.

Some antidepressants may cause sleepiness, however depression can also cause sleepiness. I suggest you contact the prescriber and inform her/him what is going on, so the medications can be properly adjusted.

Thanks for the question. Not knowing the medical history of your mother, or the BP medication she is taking, it is hard to give a full answer. However, I would encourage you to reach out to her primary care physician immediately as hallucination in the elderly many times are related to serious medical problems.