BLOG No. ONE

Hi, my name is Dr. Rick Gebhart, but my patients like to call me Dr. G. It’s kind of like Dr. Phil, except I have more hair and don’t have a phony southern accent. But what Dr. Phil and I share in common is our passion to help others. That is why I am writing this blog.

When I first heard the term blog, I thought it might be a Scandinavian dance. Or, perhaps, it was just short for nasal blockage. But when I discovered it was a modern way of communicating ideas to a lot of people, I got very excited. If I had a tail, it would be wagging right now.

The reason I am so enthusiastic, is that I know a lot of people suffer with anxiety and depression and just aren’t getting help. But I have an approach to anxiety and depression that works all of the time! No, it is not some herbal miracle cure I am selling. (Yes, herbs can be great—especially when sprinkled over a roasted chicken or plate of pasta!)

But because anxiety and depression are nothing to joke about, let’s discuss why many patients don’t get relief from these conditions. I will go deeper into this on future blogs, but let’s start with three reasons why treated patients don’t get better.

No. 1:

Family docs know almost nothing about treating anxiety and depression.

Please, I mean no disrespect. I am a family doctor, myself. But do you know how many of my 60 plus rotations in medical school and residency that I spent in psychiatry? If you guessed “0” you would be correct. Everything I learned about psychiatry was from my own personal study of neurotransmitters.

No. 2:

Most psychiatrists don’t know much more about anxiety and depression than family doctors.

Ouch! But I wouldn’t say it if it were not true. I have done my own psychiatry for 25 years, mainly because most of my early referrals to psychiatry just bounced back to me in worse shape, having been put on a sample of whatever the SSRI of the month was. I ended up fixing their mistakes! Few psych’s take the time to listen. They are just too busy.

How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? Answer one: Just one but the light has to want to change! Answer two: Just one. The doc holds the light bulb up and the world revolves around him.

No. 3:

Counselors tend to post blame!

BFS! Yes parents can have a positive or negative effect. Truth be told, anxiety and depression are mostly genetic. I know patients with great parents, who still struggle with anxiety and depression. And I know successful young people who had crappy parents. Yes, counseling can be an adjunct, but the blame game is not going to get you well! You cannot pretend your genetics don’t exist. A PhD friend in medical school once told me, everything in life boils down to two things, neurons that fire and glands that squirt!

Well, I can see that my chardonnay glass is almost empty and Dr. Pimple Popper is coming on. So please tune into my next blog where we will begin talking about the neurons that fire and how they relate to anxiety and depression.

Until next time,

CREDENTIALS:

- Board Certified Family Medicine

- Board Certified Bariatric Medicine

- Adjunct Clinical Professor of Medicine for:

- Ohio University Medical School

- Kettering College of Medical Arts

- Chamberlain College

- Wright State School of Medicine

Check out BLOG No. TWO >