Dr. Andrea Elkon, PH.D.

Depression is a mental health condition characterized by intense sadness and/or loss of pleasure in previously enjoyed activities; as well as lethargy, sleep and appetite disturbances, concentration problems, critical beliefs about the self (feeling worthless, for example,) and thoughts of death/dying/self-harm. There exist many treatments for depression, including medications, "talk" therapies, and alternate psychiatric interventions such as transcranial magnetic stimulation. As a psychologist, I believe firmly in the power of therapy that helps you a) get re-activated in your life through slowly incorporating more activity and b) helps you learn about the way that depression affects your thinking and teaches you to challenge those negative thoughts. This type of therapy, known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, has been demonstrated in research time and time again to be one of the most effective treatments for depression. In some cases, it is also beneficial to combine this therapy with antidepressant medications.

Yes, in fact medications are absolutely necessary in the treatment of schizophrenia. There currently exist a broad range of pharmacotherapeutic options, and I recommend that your friend be evaluated by a psychiatrist who specializes in psychotic disorders.

Yes, absolutely! A psychologist can teach you more about what is going on in your body when you have a panic attack, and she can also teach you tools to help calm your nervous system and understand that anxiety symptoms are not medically dangerous. Cognitive behavior therapy is one of the most effective treatment for stopping panic attacks.

YES YES and YES! It is my opinion that anxiety is one of the *most* treatable mental health conditions with therapy. There exist a variety of therapies that have been proven effective for anxiety, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness-based therapies such as MCBT and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. I cannot recommend therapy strongly enough!

Medication for anxiety can be helpful but is not always necessary. I recommended getting evaluated first by a psychologist, who can conduct a thorough assessment of your symptoms and offer treatment recommendations. If medication is necessary, the psychologist will refer you to a psychiatrist for a medication evaluation.

"Anxiety attacks" or panic attacks are characterized by a flurry of physical symptoms; including racing heart, quickened breathing, sweating, tingling, dizziness, and nausea. Put simply, these symptoms are caused by a misfiring of our body's sympathetic ("fight or flight") nervous system. However, when someone is having a panic attack, they often *think* that something very dangerous is happening because the symptoms can mimic medical issues. The reality is, nothing dangerous is happening at all! Your body just sounded a false alarm, and the more you remind yourself that you are safe, the more quickly your panic symptoms will resolve.

To that end, I do not recommend medications for panic attacks. Medications only reinforce the idea that panic is a medical problem and that something is wrong. Relying on medications also tends to increase the frequency of panic attacks and does leave room to develop the important cognitive (thinking) and behavioral tools to manage panic all on your own.

I do not specialize in treating addictive disorders, but I hope that you are able to find resources so that you are able to heal!