Journalists love declaring that psychiatric medications symbolize some slice of the zeitgeist. So I can't say I was entirely surprised when I opened my mailbox the other day and saw New York Magazine's latest cover article proclaiming that this is the era of Xanax.

In my experience as a psychiatrist, nearly everything we call a psychiatric symptom or problem, including insomnia, is in reality a signal that we have to face a new challenge in life.

Reports that Xanax and other benzos are not usually lethal when taken alone are vastly misleading. Xanax is rarely taken alone. Why? Because as much or more than any other prescribed drug, Xanax causes medication spellbinding.

By Walter Armstrong "Killed by Prescription Drugs" was the soundbite that headlined much of the instant media coverage of Whitney Houston's sudde...

My first foray into the nebulous world of antidepressants was in 1985 when I was put on Sinequan. It gave me severe cotton mouth, didn't do much for my mood.

Once your celebrity clients have put you on the map as a 'doctor to the stars' the boundaries may become blurred.

Everywhere we look we're seeing evidence of strain, anxiety and panic. While it's natural and expected that we be affected during these uncertain times, stay out of a state of panic.