Dr. George David Annas M.D., M.P.H.

What is akathisia?Akathisia is a feeling of anxiety or restlessness. Its symptoms tend to overlap with the symptoms of other physical and psychological disorders. The diagnosis depends on a very subjective feeling of restlessness. Hence, recognizing akathisia can be somewhat tricky. Movement...

Anxiety and depression are similar conditions that develop when neurotransmitters, like serotonin, are not as effective. Low serotonin levels, as well as dopamine and epinephrine levels, play an important role in the development of both anxiety and depression. Since both conditions affect the same...

Trypophobia is a term that was created way back to refer to a certain kind of phobia. It is not an official name and you can’t even find it in the official list of phobias. However, the kind of phobia that this term is used to refer to is as real and as natural as it gets. That should explain why...

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...

IntroductionLou Gehrig's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord. It is also called as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS. It is a progressive disorder that leads to the loss of voluntary muscle control in the body. This disorder often affects the...

Major depressive disorder (MDD) — also referred to as clinical depression — and Dysthymia are two of the most common types of depression. While there are some less common types too, MDD is a condition that is quite common among people today. In fact, according to the National Institute of...