Dr. Johnathan M. Wormhoudt

Yes depending on the particular antidepressant you are taking, it may cause drowsiness and fatigue. SSRI's are more prone to these side-effects than Dopaminergic antidepressants such as Wellbutrin.

Yes there are several disorders that are related to obsessive rumination regarding one's health.

Not necessarily. Visit your primary care physician and have a full check-up prior to exploring psychological potential reasons for this condition.

Yes with a variety of medications.

Yes

Yes

There is no set time frame.

I would suggest in the near term it would be most beneficial to contact a psychiatrist to investigate whether an antidepressant would be helpful and safe for your husband medically. That won't solve the issue so long-term, I would recommend that you contact a psychologist for him to talk about what is making him depressed.

Psychologist and psychiatrists have different specializations. Psychologists attend an accredited APA graduate school: earn a masters in psychology and complete the requirements for a doctorate in psychology. The emphasis in training for a psychologist is typical the administration and interpretation of psychological and intelligence test, learn understand and treat different psycho-pathologies and personality disorders such as depression and anxiety. Psychiatrist attend a medical school and complete the requirements that apply to all medical schools. they then do a residency in psychiatry and the primary focus is on prescribing psychiatric medications. Both must complete an exam that provides them the license to provide psychological treatment in their respective fields.

Depending on the the of therapy you are dictates who leads the therapy sessions - though that is not a hard and fast rule as many clinicians have their own preference as to how to conduct sessions. As a rule of thumb, if you are in therapy that is based on CBT the therapist is more likely to lead the session. If you are in therapy that is more psychodynamic, the therapist is more likely to allow you to decide what is important for you to talk about during a session.

This is a complicated question and there is no absolute right or wrong answer. The newer largely is determined by a psychologists training and theoretical orientation. cognitive behavioralist often have clear ideas about how many session may be require to resolve a particular problem by addressing the elimination of the symptoms the result as a consequence of the psychological problem the patient is experiencing. They are not concerned with the underlying causes of the problems. Other psychologist, who typical identify themselves as psychodynamic, eclectic or psychoanalytically-oriented in terms of their theoretical approach to treatment are inclined to believe it is important to understand, to the extent that it is possible, the underlying causes of the psychological distress and believe that by doing so the symptoms with consequently be eliminated. Psychologists who take this position believe that if one eliminates the symptoms without addressing the underlying causes that the underlying problem will continue to fest, potentially get worse or express themselves with a different set of symptoms. Psychologists in the former camp tend to think in terms of short-term therapy that may last anywhere forma a few sessions to a maximum of several months. However, psychologist who identify themselves in the second group are unable to predict how long it will take to resolve and more fully understand the underlying root of the problem. Therefore, depending on the complexity of the problem, therapy may last for a brief amount of time to a more lengthy treatment that may include a significant amount of time to resolve the issues that need to be addressed to resolve the symptoms. That being said, they are likely to be able to give you some estimate, based on their experience treating the particular issues at hand with other patients an approximation of how long they believe it may take to resolve the issues that are using the symptoms that the patient is looking to eliminate through seeking psychotherapy.

If one is experiencing significant chest pains it is advisable to contact one's physician to ensure there is not a physciolgical problem that needs to be treated by your doctor. If there is no evidence of a physiological problem then the pain or physical discomfort is like to be a symptom of your anxiety. When one is anxious the body is responding to a sense of "not being safe." Consequently, physiological our bodies automatically prepare one's self to either "flight or fight". In other words, our body prepares itself to either escape the danger or confront in aggressively in order to protect one's self. There are many different symptoms that are reflective of this process that people may experience and include but are not limited to, chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness, dry mouth, accelerated heart beat, sweating and lightheadedness. These symptoms may be controlled by either mediations that are classified and mild sedatives or beta blockers. The for category of medications are approtiate in acute situations on an "as needed basis". Unfortunately, they are addictive and may lead to abuse, and misuse of these medications to ward of withdrawal effects that occur with continued use of them. The second citatory of medications are not addictive and do not tend to lead to abuse but should be closely monitored by a doctor. Ultimately, the most important endeavor is to try and understand the nature of the anxiety and whats or of situations trigger these feelings. By doing so, one will with the assistance of a psychologist will attempt to develop internal emotional ways to regulate one's emotions in such a way that will eliminate or significantly reduce the the frequency and occurrence of these discomforting feelings.

The opportunity to have the entire attention of a professional psychologist who is trained to listen and in which any and all information will not leave the four walls you are sitting in with your psychologist is a rare gift. It is understandable that at first this situation might make one anxious; in fact, it would be unusual if one didn't feel anxious about speaking about personal issues with a stranger. Recognize this is normal and that you have the luxury to take your time and go at your own pace in opening up and sharing the personal issues that brought you to therapy. If you are uncomfortable after the first session, you are under no obligation to continue, barring in mind that you initial anxiety will likely diminish as you become more comfortable with your psychologist. Try and make an effort to attend at least a couple of sessions before whether or not you want to continue with this particular psychologist. Feel free to ask questions from your therapist. It is a misconception that psychologists just listen and will reveal nothing about themselves or how they work. Remember, you are in control as to whether you wish to continue and you will want to know something about your therapist and his/her background and training as well as what their initial perception of what you are there to talk about and how they believe they might be able to help you with these issues. You are the consumer and not beholden in any way to a therapist in an initial therapy session as well as throughout the the course of your treatment.