Dr. Payton

As i was watching a TV special entitled “the 1619 project” [1619 is the first year that slaves were brought to America] it became clearer to me what is meant by the message that African Americans who were enslaved were protecting our democratic form of government when they challenged every attempt to undermine our democracy…

Jason Fletcher from the Yale School of Public Health published a study showing some of the economic impact of childhood ADD/ADHD on the adult labor market. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, Dr. Fletcher shows that employment is reduced by 10-14%, earnings are reduced by one third and the need for…

I was reading Arthur The Seeing Stone, by Kevin Crossley-Holland and one of the characters [protrayed as Merlin] mentioned that “Doubt is like rust which corrodes metal. It travels from your brain into your body and eats you away.” Then alittle later another quote referring to doubt was “Nothing comes of doubt, except inaction and…

I listened to a Podcast from “OnBeing” guided by Krista Tippet as she interviewed Vivek Murthy who is the Surgeon General of the United States. The focus of the podcast was on how to “Be A Healer.” It was very moving as Dr. Murthy’s compassion and love for others came through as he discussed healing…

It took me awhile to learn what TMI meant even though I work with a lot of people who seem to be burdened by knowing too much about others. I have come to see that their feeling burdened is related to their feeling and acting responsible for others. This “responsibility” is a burden because even…

Suicide is a leading cause of death for adolescents. A recent article in JAMA Psychiatry by Nock, Ph.D.,et. al. decribes research investigating what factors lead to suicidal behavior in adolescents. Lifetime rates of: suicidal thoughts = 12%; suicidal plan = 4%; suicidal attempts = 4%. Importantly, 60% of adolescents who are suicidal with a plan,…

A number of behaviors that are frequently found associated with people who have ADHD, seem to be coping strategies. Thus these behaviors help to reduce stress associated with ADHD even though they may appear to be symptoms of the disorder and a part of the problem. One behavior is procrastination. Deadline pressure seems to help…

There are a number of reasons that any person might have difficulty concentrating or focusing. I have had young adults in their 20’s come to me convinced that they have Alzheimer’s [Dementia] because they can’t remember to do things even after a short amount of time. Inevitably, they are experiencing stress and their brains automatically…

I have prescribed amphetamines [Adderall, Vyvanse, Dexedrine, Ritalin, Concerta, Focalin, Evekeo and others] for thousands of people of all ages that I have diagnosed with ADHD. To diagnose ADHD I require that current symptoms meet the current DSM criteria for ADHD as they are self-reported using a scale that has been shown to be reliable…

A number of different medications have been prescribed for PTSD. These mostly include antidepressants. At times this can be helpful as chronic stress associated with PTSD can lead to depression that can be relieved, at least in part, by medication. I say in part because if the stress connected to PTSD is ongoing then depressive…