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Private Practice Physician
Listed in Castle Connolly Medical, Ltd.’s Top Doctors: New York Metro Area for 10 consecutive years, Dr. Robert McMullen earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature at Washington and Lee University. After completing pre-med classes at American University and Howard University, he received his Doctor of Medicine from the Georgetown University School of Medicine, earning honors in psychiatry. While in medical school, Dr. Robert McMullen took a class with Dr. Murray Bowen, considered by many the father of family therapy in the U.S., and became acquainted with Dr. Harold Searles, a pioneer of psychiatric medicine. Dr. Robert McMullen completed a rotating internship at Overlook Hospital in New Jersey, where he worked in pediatrics, emergency medicine, intensive care, internal medicine, neurosurgery, and neurology. At Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Dr. Robert McMullen completed his residency, training in psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. During this period, he also took extra supervision in family therapy and group therapy. At the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Robert McMullen taught psychiatry and human sexuality courses to medical students, progressing from Instructor in Clinical Psychiatry to Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry. In addition, Dr. Robert McMullen served for 14 years as Clinical Consultant in the Center for Oral, Facial, and Head Pain at the College of Dental Medicine at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center (now New York-Presbyterian Hospital). Currently in private practice in Manhattan, Dr. Robert McMullen specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders. He generally recommends either psychotherapy or medication as warranted. For psychotherapy, Dr. Robert McMullen refers patients to other professionals, as he stopped providing psychotherapy several years ago to concentrate on the treatment of psychiatric disorders with medication. In his practice, Dr. Robert McMullen utilizes a TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) machine, which uses a powerful magnet to stimulate the brain as a treatment for depression, anxiety, and auditory hallucinations. Also interested in vitamin D deficiencies, Dr. Robert McMullen has conducted research on the height difference of Hasidic men and women compared to the general population and its relation to a lack of sun exposure. A dedicated psychiatrist, Dr. Robert McMullen maintains membership in the American Psychiatric Association and the American Society for Nutrition.
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Exercise and Depression, by Dr. Robert McMullen
, Dr. Robert McMullen's Blog on Bigsight
October, 2011
A seasoned psychiatrist with more than 30 years of experience in private practice, Dr. Robert McMullen currently maintains an office in New York City. In addition to prescribing medication, giving nutritional advice, and offering transcranial magnetic stimulation, Dr. McMullen often recommends that his patients make behavioral modifications, including adding exercise to their routines. Here, Dr. McMullen outlines some of the positive effects of exercise for patients struggling with depression.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation
posted at 123people.co.uk
Many studies have connected regular physical exercise with improvements in mood and lowered rates of depression. This connection between physical activity and positive mood is thought to work through a variety of mechanisms, including by the release of endorphins during exercise. Endorphins work with the receptors in the brain to reduce the body’s perception of pain. They can also trigger a euphoric sensation similar to the effect of morphine. Some exercisers refer to this feeling as “runner’s high” and connect it with a positive and more energized outlook.
 
posted at openclipart.org
In addition to releasing endorphins, exercise reduces stress and improves sleep patterns, which can also help mitigate the feelings of depression. Often, people exercise in groups, with a partner, or in a class. The social benefits of group exercise may help create a supportive community, which can alleviate depression. Aside from its psychological benefits, exercise strengthens the heart, lowers blood pressure, improves muscle tone, boosts energy, fortifies bones, and reduces body fat.
Many forms of exercise offer these advantages, including dancing, walking, biking, running, playing tennis, and swimming. Patients can choose an exercise they enjoy or that fits well with their lifestyle or body. Those with joint trouble or other pain problems may benefit from a lower-impact exercise, like swimming or walking, while people trying to improve their bone density should opt for weight-bearing exercises.
If bone density is an issue, then it is critical to have an adequate vitamin D level. The vitamin D 25-OH (25-hydroxy) level should be greater than 32 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) for maximum calcium absorption by the intestine. Calcium does not pass easily through the wall of the intestine without the presence of vitamin D. It seems that for many reasons (for example, to reduce the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer, and to reduce the risk of autoimmune disorders), the optimum vitamin D level is probably between 50 and 100 ng/ml. To achieve this level one needs about 1,000 IUs (international units) per day for every 25 pounds. Hence, a 100-pound person needs about 4,000 IUs per day (this sounds like a lot but is only 1/10 of 1 milligram, that is, 100 micrograms). Thus, a 10-pound baby needs 400 IUs per day, which the American Pediatric Society says should be given to all children beginning soon after birth. Someone weighing 50 pounds needs about 2,000 IUs a day, and someone weighing 200 pounds needs about 8,000 IUs a day to achieve levels between 50 and 100 ng/ml. When in doubt, get a level.
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