Articles written by Sergio Silva, M.D.

How To Guides |
Community

About me - Sergio Silva, M.D.

I am a Board-certified psychiatrist with almost 15 years of experience diagnosing and treating mental illness. Psychiatrists are physicians, so I did go to medical school and complete a four-year postgraduate residency training program. While obviously I

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Health & Fitness > Prescription & Medication Factors to consider in choosing anti-depressant medication: 1 of 10

The most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants today are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the so-called "Prozac family" of medications, of which Prozac was the prototype, but which also includes Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, Celexa, and Lexapro. They are widely prescribed because they are very safe and gen...
Health & Fitness > Healthy Living & Wellness How to give yourself the gift of sleep: 2 of 16

How to Maintain Good Sleep Hygiene Insomnia is a common complaint in any doctor's office and by far one of the most common complaints in psychiatry. While there are various medical conditions to be ruled out (such as obstructive sleep apnea), the vast majority of cases are either mood- or stress-related, or else have no obvi...
Health & Fitness > Therapy & Counseling Choosing a therapist: 1 of 8

How to Pick A Good Therapist More people than ever are seeking professional counseling services in one form or another. Thankfully, the stigma of seeing a mental health professional is waning and people are becoming better educated regarding the various options available to them. Needless to say, psychotherapy can be extreme...
Health & Fitness > Therapy & Counseling How psychotherapy helps: 1 of 6

How to Engage in Meaningful, Successful Psychotherapy More people than ever before are seeking professional counseling services. Thankfully, the stigma of seeing a mental health professional is waning and people are becoming better educated regarding the various options available to them. Needless to say, psychotherapy can b...
Health & Fitness > Depression Antidepressants and weight gain: What you should know: 3 of 15

One of the most alarming and universally unacceptable of medication side effects is that of permanent weight gain, and it is not an uncommon one. This article focuses on weight gain as a side effect of psychotropic medication, which falls under the area of my expertise, but the general principles are applicable to weight gai...
Health & Fitness > Depression Depression: Prescribed drugs versus natural remedies: 1 of 3

How To Know If You Need Prescription Medication for Depression We've all experienced depression that comes and goes: mild, spontaneously low moods that get better all on their own and more moderate depressive episodes that are the result of traumatic life events (physical illness, loss of a job, the death of a loved one, div...
Health & Fitness > Bipolar Disorder How to know if you have been misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder: 1 of 3

While only a qualified mental health professional can diagnose bipolar disorder, it is by far the most over-diagnosed mental illness today (along with ADHD). This article will help you sort through some of the basics, to better prepare yourself for that talk with a psychiatrist or therapist, if you think you may be suffering...
Health & Fitness > Sleep Disorders What you need to know about sleeping pills: 1 of 1

How to Make Your Sleeping Pill Keep Working Prescription sleep aides are among the most commonly administered of medications, and they can be a Godsend for many patients. Although once only approved by the FDA for brief trials, recently the FDA approved Ambien for long-term use. In actuality, any prescription sleeping pill c...
Health & Fitness > Prescription & Medication How to avoid medication side effects: 1 of 1

The frequency and intensity of side effects are directly proportional to the amount of medication taken (dosage, especially relative to an individual's body weight) and the rapidity with which it is absorbed. The more milligrams you take at one time and the faster you absorb them, the greater the potential for side effects. ...
Health & Fitness > Depression Antidepressants: How to tell if the medicine is not working: 2 of 3

Why Your Antidepressant May Not Be Working Modern antidepressant medication trials are highly effective across the board, but many patients, particularly treatment-nave individuals who are new to taking psychotropic medications, often report that their medication isn't working as well or as quickly as they had anticipated. T...