Dr. Sarah Carolyn Akerman M.D.

Cognitive dissonance definitionPsychologically speaking, cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort (stress) that a person undergoes when he/she goes through simultaneous contradiction of ideas, values, or beliefs when doing something that runs counter to one or more of the ideas, values, or...

What is the link between sleep and depression?A sleep disorders is one of the key signs of clinical depression. While some people suffering from depression sleep too much, others are not able to sleep at all. A sleep disorder does not necessarily cause depression, but the lack of rest and sleep does...

A study published in the journal, Child Development, suggests that mothers who show signs of depression, or mothers who are depressed, are more likely to disrupt sleeping routine of their baby. In this study, researchers monitored mothers throughout the night, while they tended to their children....

If you have depression, the most recommended treatment for you would be psychotherapy. The term psychotherapy, which is also known as therapy, in short, involves various techniques of treatment. During therapy, you talk to a licensed, trained, and experienced therapist in mental health care. The...

After delivering a child, a mother can succumb to overwhelming emotions of fear and anxiety, which can ultimately lead to her development of depression. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a multitude of depressed emotions in the mother, which develop within four weeks of delivery. Baby blues, which most...

As men age, their risk of heart attack rises, especially if they are prone to anxiety. In a 12-year study, anxiety was found to increase the risk of heart attack by 30% to 40% in men who are anxious when compared to men who are calmer, irrespective of other personality and risk factors. In this...