David Gersten, M.D.

Dear Carlos Adams, I can't give a good answer without knowing how old the child is, along with a lot of details about what his or her symptoms are, how long the symptoms have been present, whether or not psychiatric drugs have already been used, whether this is toxic exposure, whether there has been trauma involved, etc. People often think that "depression" just one thing, but it is not one thing. I would be happy to provide more feedback, but the word "depression" is not enough information to say much.

Is your depression and anxiety attacks just a matter of your mind? Or, are they symptoms of a disparity in your body's biochemistry? Well, unlike the other Psychiatrists in Carlsbad, CA, Dr. David Gersten is the only doctor who believes in finding data behind such issues. His renowned amino acid therapy and in-depth knowledge in the field has won him national acknowledgements. With 35 years of professional experience in the field of Integrative Psychiatry, he is an expert at providing targeted suggestions according to your health.

I have been in private practice since 1978, have practiced in every kind of psychiatric setting, and practiced in Encinitas for 20 years. My office is now in Carlsbad. I practice Integrative Psychiatry (holistic) and Functional Medicine. I specialize in amino acid therapy. Amino Acids make up 99.9% of all neurotransmitters and do not have side effects that drugs have. I make my recommendations based on lab work. I use a variety of psychotherapy tools, which I call Strategic Counseling. Mental Imagery is one of several important psychotherapy tools I use.

A urine test is the last test i used to determine neurotransmitters. More than 99% of neurotransmitters are made from amino acids. I've specialized in amino acid therapy since 1985. Amino acids are the precursors to neurotransmitters. Urine organic acids are the breakdown products. Blood platelet neurotransmitters give the most accurate information. I work in a holistic way. Mental/Emotional problems are not just about neurotransmitters. Anxiety and depression, for example, can be caused by inflammation, digestive problems, chronic low-grade viral infection, deficient omega-3 fatty acids, various vitamins and minerals, and PolyVagal theory, which has to the re-balancing the autonomic nervous system.