Dr. Brooke E. Hillary, Ph.D.

Psychologist | Clinical

3180 Lakeshore Dr Deerfield Beach FL, 33442 Show map

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Dr. Brooke Hillary is a psychologist practicing in Deerfield Beach, FL. Dr. Hillary specializes in the treatment of mental health problems, and helps people to cope with their mental illnesses. As a psychologist, Dr. Hillary evaluates and treats patients through a variety of methods, most typically being psychotherapy or talk therapy. Patients usually visit Dr. Hillary because they have been experiencing depression, anxiety, stress or anger for a significant period of time and are seeking help. Psychologists may perform a variety of exams and assessments to diagnose a mental condition.

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Dr. Brooke E. Hillary, Ph.D.

Dr. Brooke E. Hillary, Ph.D.'s Expert Contributions

My Answers

What doctor is best for treating schizophrenia?
A psychiatrist for medication and therapy with a clinical psychologist. Kind Regards Brooke E Hillary ph.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist Www.drbrookehillary.com HTTPS://doxyme/drbrookehillary READ MORE
How can I reduce panic attacks?
Hi, Im sorry you are struggling with panic attacks. You can lessen the number of attacks( frequency), and the length of the attacks ( duration) using several strategies. Learning good coping strategies is the best way to decrease your anxiety and by extension, your panic attacks. Im a behavioral medicine psychologist and I look at the mind body connection. Begin by monitoring your frequency and duration of your panic attacks for a week. Use a journal to document your overall anxiety level (0-10), depression (0-10), panic attack frequency, and duration. Review your sleep hygiene. Do you have a set bedtime? Can you fall asleep easily? Do you wake up very early? Journal what you eat. Make sure you eat less processed foods and more Whole Foods. Panic attacks are hard on the body. When we are not sleeping well and not eating well, we become emotionally more vulnerable. This will lead to increased anxiety and more panic attacks. Taking caffeine can compound this. I advise patients to drink as little caffeine as possible. Similarly, taking alcohol and drugs can make you more anxious. Drugs like cocaine amplify anxiety and panic. Cognitive behavioral therapy ( CBT) is the best treatment. Learning breathing techniques to decrease anxiety is very helpful. There are several free apps which help you do the breathing correctly watching a sphere that expands and contracts so you learn the timing. This technique is all about practice. 5 minutes of Box Breathing is all you need. 2-3 times a day is best. By practicing the technique, your brain begins to make the connection. Gradually, you will begin to do the breathing in response to anxiety. Through practice, your body learns that this type of breathing means the brain calms down. Using Progressive Muscle Relaxation is another technique that can really help. In this technique you take large muscle groups and contract them, holding the contraction for 8 seconds, then releasing. You can contract small muscle groups, and depending on your anxiety you can do longer or shorter sessions. Another technique is called Guided Imagery. Here you think of a beautiful, comfortable place. It can be real, or made up. Note details, like how does the sun feel on your skin, sand in your toes, etc. you imagine this place and as you take in the details, you begin to relax. Again, all these techniques take some practice but then become integrated in to your adaptive coping strategies list. Another thing that may help is to look at things from a perspective of mindfulness. Being mindful of our surroundings and our bodies can help us to moderate emotions more productively. The best way to accomplish this is probably to see a psychologist who can help teach the techniques and highlight why it works. You can look the techniques up and watch UTube videos to learn how to practice them. However, if youre able, it is better to have someone to help you learn the correct technique so you get the same benefits. Exposure therapy is very good for panic attacks and anxiety. In this technique the patient makes a hierarchy of ascending fears( eg. Im going to panic and pass out). After the patient is relaxed, you begin to use the fears to challenge the patient( telling the patient that they are sweating, and people are looking at them). The idea here is to expose the person to their fears, then relax them again. This shows the patient how to use adaptive coping strategies, as apposed to the maladaptive strategies that the patient has been using. Exercise is another important piece to decreasing anxiety and panic. Any exercise is great. But walking just 10-15 minutes while the sun is out can be very therapeutic. Please feel free to contact me by text or phone if you have questions about the techniques. Kind Regards Brooke E Hillary PhD Licensed Clinical Psychologist Www.drbrookehillary.com HTTPS://doxyme/drbrookehillary READ MORE
Can anxiety be controlled without medications?
Hello, The answer to your question is not straightforward. Depending on the level of anxiety, and what is causing it, as well as a number of other factors all have to be examined. It depends on acuity( how long have you been anxious), and is also mediated by other factors such as environment ( do you have a good support system, a safe place to live). To your specific point: yes, anxiety can be controlled with medication. But, its always best to use medication and therapy to learn coping strategies to handle your anxiety. This is the most optimal combination, except in the case where the anxiety is secondary to an acute stressor, that is transient by definition( a move to a new home, or a change in life which is normal, but acutely stressful). In cases like that, a small amount of medication for a short period of time often works to decrease the anxiety. Kind Regards Brooke E Hillary ph.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist Www.drbrookehillary.com HTTPS://doxyme/drbrookehillary READ MORE
Can you treat alcohol addiction?
Hello, Its not clear from your response what type of addiction to alcohol you have. Yes alcohol addiction has been shown to respond to therapy and depending on your needs; you can do this with inpatient treatment ( an alcohol treatment program), intensive outpatient therapy ( IOP), and/ or individual treatment. These programs take insurance. I would recommend a 30 program for you to detox, work the program and learn about effects of alcohol. A great first step( if you cant do inpatient program), is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). There are different types of meetings, and wherever you live there are meetings at various times. I hope this is helpful. Please reach out to me if you have any questions. Kind Regards Brooke E Hillary ph.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist Www.drbrookehillary.com HTTPS://doxyme/drbrookehillary READ MORE
How long should I take antidepressants for depression?
This very much depends on the disorder you are being seen for. If this an acute stressor which is resulting in increased anxiety or depression, 6-12 months. If something more drastic has happened, which takes a serious toll to family, friends, spouse, etc., it be necessary to go on medication for a longer time, or the rest of your life. But, that is not a problem. If you were told you had diabetes and told you would needed to take medication to manage it, you would probably be ok with that. Kind Regards Brooke E Hillary ph.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist Www.drbrookehillary.com HTTPS://doxyme/drbrookehillary READ MORE