David Hellerstein M.D.

About

David J. Hellerstein, M.D., is a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, and a research psychiatrist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute.

He is author of the recent book Heal Your Brain: How the New Neuropsychiatry Can Help You Go from Better to Well, from Johns Hopkins University Press. He is widely known for his research on the treatment of chronic depression, including medication and psychotherapy studies.

Dr. Hellerstein has also received national recognition for his literary writing, and has been awarded the Pushcart Prize and several MacDowell Colony Fellowships. His other books include Battles of Life and Death (essays about medical training), Loving Touches (a novel), and A Family of Doctors (a memoir of five generations of doctors in one family), and his journalism has been published in magazines including Harper's and The New York Times Magazine.

Books by David Hellerstein M.D.

Recent Posts

The Broken Clock, and a Better Understanding of Depression

A new paper suggests that previous definitions of depression have missed key aspects of depression as lived experience.

Key Questions for the Psychedelic Renaissance

The psychedelic renaissance is well underway. What do we know so far, and what do we need to know?

“Sane in Insane Places,” 50 Years Later

Commentary: What should be done about a famous—but flawed—research paper?

The Pain of Depression

People who are depressed often say they are in pain. Based on new research, it turns out this may be literally true.

The Conundrum of Bipolar II Depression: Q and A

People with Bipolar II disorder cycle between depression and hypomania but spend the most time in a depressed state. What is the most effective way to treat their depression?

NAC: The Amino Acid That Turns Psychiatry on Its Head

Are depression and panic disorder different disorders, or do they result from the same brain abnormalities? For decades, "splitters" have argued with "lumpers." Who is right?

The Power of Wake

College students commonly "get high and pull all-nighters." Can researchers study college students gone wild to treat depression and other disorders?

Unlocking the Unconscious: 30 Years Later

Thirty years ago Short Term Dynamic Therapy was poised to take over the world of psychotherapy. What happened?

Machine Learning and Antidepressant Response

Machine learning offers a powerful new method of exploring response to antidepressant medicine and a host of other treatments throughout medicine, a JAMA Psychiatry report shows.

The Mysteries of Habit

Neuroscience research brings together seemingly unrelated conditions...anorexia, OCD and substance use disorders...which may share common -- and difficult-to-modify -- brain circuits related to habit learning.