Ankur Saraiya, MD

For some people, holistic is a code word that means that they avoid using medications, but that is not at all what l mean. From ahh of my experience and research, l recognize that no treatment is ahh good or all bad and that we are all individuals that can benefit from different approaches.

Then they are not seen for a month, expected to summarize their entire experience of that month in a brief appointment and some small adjustment to the medication might be made.Adding psychotherapy to the treatment is an improvement especially if you can find one of the few psychiatrists who do both therapy and prescribe medications, but adding therapy by itself does not make a treatment holistic.

Depression is a mood disorder that causes long-lasting symptoms that may get in the way of work, school, or social activities. No one knows exactly what leads someone to become depressed, but it's thought to involve brain biology, brain chemistry, hormones, and/or inherited traits. There are different forms of depression, such as bipolar disorder, postpartum depression (after pregnancy), and adjustment disorder (related to loss or life changes).

Anxiety Disorders are the most common psychological disorders in the U.S. with 19.1 million (13.3%) of the adult population (ages 18-54) affected. This number increases when you factor in the high number of adults over the age of 54 who suffer from anxiety disorders. All Anxiety Disorders can cause overwhelming and persistent anxiety, fear, and interfere with daily living.

The understanding of various psychiatric disorders is something that has evolved over the history of the field. In an earlier time, it was thought that only children suffered from attention problems. We now know that this is not the case. Another confusing aspect of attention problems is that they were linked to hyperactivity and people thought that you had to have both to have ADD.

Sleep problems can take on a variety of manifestations and a psychiatrist is a great first clinician to see to address them. As a medical doctor, I am aware of the things to look for so am able to refer patients on for more specialized evaluation if necessary, but often, I can offer a solution to patients that can fix most sleep problems relatively quickly and easily.