Mental Health, Stress & Burnout

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Mental health, anxiety, and burnout are often driven by biological factors such as stress hormones, inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and nervous system overload—not just psychology. An integrative medical approach evaluates both brain and body to identify and treat root causes.

At Patients Medical in NYC, physicians treat mental health conditions as medical conditions, not character flaws.

A Medical, Integrative Psychiatry Approach

Anxiety, emotional exhaustion, brain fog, and burnout are among the most common reasons patients seek care—yet they are also among the most misunderstood.

Many patients are told:

  • “It’s just stress”
  • “Try therapy”
  • “You need antidepressants”
  • “This is normal in NYC”

But when symptoms persist, worsen, or affect physical health, something deeper is often happening.

Why Mental Health Symptoms Are Often Not “Just Psychological”

Mental health symptoms frequently reflect biological dysregulation, including:

  • Cortisol rhythm disruption
  • Nervous system imbalance
  • Hormonal shifts
  • Inflammation
  • Blood sugar instability
  • Mitochondrial fatigue

Treating the mind without addressing the body often leads to partial or temporary relief.

Symptoms We Commonly See

Patients seeking integrative mental health care often experience:

These symptoms are real, measurable, and treatable.

What Burnout Really Is (And Is Not)

Burnout IS:

✔ A neuro-hormonal stress condition
✔ A nervous system survival response
✔ A metabolic and inflammatory state

Burnout IS NOT:

✖ Weakness
✖ Laziness
✖ Lack of resilience
✖ “Just work stress”

Burnout reflects physiological overload, not personal failure.

The Role of Cortisol & Stress Hormones

Chronic stress alters:

  • Cortisol rhythm (not just levels)
  • Adrenal signaling
  • Blood sugar regulation
  • Sleep-wake cycles
  • Immune response

Over time, this leads to:

  • Anxiety
  • Exhaustion
  • Brain fog
  • Weight gain
  • Mood instability

Standard labs often miss this.

Why Standard Mental Health Care Falls Short

Traditional psychiatry often:

  • Focuses on symptom labels
  • Prescribes without metabolic context
  • Ignores inflammation and hormones
  • Separates mental and physical health

This leaves many patients medicated but unwell.

Our Integrative Psychiatry Approach at Patients Medical

At Patients Medical, we treat mental health conditions using medical + integrative evaluation, including:

Advanced Testing May Include:

  • Cortisol rhythm testing
  • Inflammatory markers
  • Hormonal panels
  • Metabolic and insulin testing
  • Nutrient deficiencies
  • Thyroid signaling
  • Mitochondrial stress markers

Testing guides treatment — not guesswork.

Conditions We Commonly Evaluate

  • Anxiety disorders
  • Depression with physical fatigue
  • Burnout & executive dysfunction
  • Stress-related insomnia
  • Emotional fatigue
  • Brain fog & cognitive overload
  • Post-viral mental health changes
  • Hormonal mood instability

Case Example (Typical NYC Patient)

Patient: 42-year-old executive
Symptoms: Anxiety, poor sleep, brain fog, fatigue

Previous Care:
Therapy + SSRIs → partial relief

Patients Medical Findings:

  • Cortisol rhythm disruption
  • Insulin resistance
  • Inflammatory markers elevated

Outcome:
Targeted medical treatment improved mood, focus, sleep, and energy.

Who Benefits Most From This Approach?

This model is ideal for patients who:

Feel “wired but tired”

Feel “wired but tired”

Have normal basic labs

Want answers beyond prescriptions

Prefer physician-led care

Are seeking cash-pay, comprehensive medicine

Why Patients Choose Patients Medical

  • Physician-led (not protocol-driven)
  • Integrative, evidence-based care
  • Advanced diagnostics
  • Time to listen and connect patterns
  • Located in NYC
  • Experienced with complex, high-functioning professionals

Frequently Asked Questions

This is medical integrative psychiatry, addressing biological drivers alongside emotional health.

When appropriate — but never as the only solution.

We help patients understand out-of-network benefits, but care is not insurance-restricted.

Final Call

If anxiety, stress, or burnout are affecting your life, you deserve a medical explanation—not dismissal.

At Patients Medical,
Dr. Rashmi Gulati, MD and Dr. Stuart Weg, MD treat mental health as a whole-body condition.

📞 Call 1-212-794-8800 to schedule your appointment.

BLOG

  • Why Anxiety Is Often a Hormonal Issue
  • The Cortisol–Anxiety Connection
  • Burnout vs Depression: How to Tell the Difference
  • Why High Performers Burn Out First
  • Brain Fog, Anxiety & Inflammation
  • Why Therapy Alone Isn’t Always Enough
  • Stress, Blood Sugar & Mood Swings
  • Sleep Deprivation and Emotional Regulation
  • Post-COVID Anxiety & Nervous System Dysfunction
  • Why SSRIs Don’t Work for Everyone
  • Emotional Fatigue Explained
  • Anxiety With Normal Labs: What’s Missing
  • Executive Burnout in NYC Professionals
  • Panic Attacks Without Panic Disorder
  • Hormonal Mood Changes After 40
  • The Gut–Brain Axis and Anxiety
  • Why Burnout Feels Physical
  • Mental Health Symptoms Caused by Inflammation
  • Nervous System Overload & Modern Stress
  • When Anxiety Is a Medical Signal

Begin Your Journey with Patients Medical

Patients Medical specializes in gently helping the patient identify the root cause of their medical issues and then assist them to recover from their problems to help them move forward to good health.

Request your consultation today!

To schedule an in person on Tele-medicine appointment, please call our office at (212) 794-8800 or email us at info@PatientsMedical.com We look forward to hearing from you

Our medical center in New York City.

Patients Medical PC
1148 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1B New York, NY 10128

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