I am 25 years old and have suffered some form of depression and anxiety since I was ten. I have been in psychiatric care and taken many medications, but nothing seems to work. I have a constant headache on the left side of my head, and I am exhausted most of the day because of sleep disturbances. I have sleep paralysis at least once a month and feelings of deja vu before going to bed.
What kind of professional should I see? Answered by:Jonathan W. Stewart
Sleep paralysis, one-sided headache and deja vu make me concerned about a neurological problem, such as epilepsy. Perticularly since standard psychiatric treatments have not helped, perhaps it is time to consult with a neurologist. If this is not a neurological problem, then I would ask your psychiatrist for referral to a more experienced psychopharmacologist.
Dr. Stewart, who received his B.A. from Swarthmore College and his M.D. from Yale University, has worked at the DES since 1978. He is interested in the diagnosis and treatment of affective disorders, particularly in biologic and clinical measures that help treatment decisions.
