Jul 24Member-onlyAn Open letter from a Boomer to Gen X, Millennials, Z’s, and AlphasAn Open letter from a Boomer to Gen X, Millennials, Z’s, and Alphas Dear Millennials, and Gen X, Z and Alpha, Things are not good. I don’t mean global warming, racism, etc. Of course, these are very bad, but I believe you’ve already built the foundations for real progress with…Modern Life4 min readModern Life4 min read
Published inInvisible Illness·Sep 18, 2021Member-onlyWhy Aren’t People With Medical Problems Given Mental Health Care?I opened my first psychiatric office in 1989 right across the street from our local hospital. I joined the hospital staff, did consultations on in-patients and, joined the local medical society. In other words, I was visible. My plan was to make my presence as a psychiatrist known to the…Mentally Ill5 min readMentally Ill5 min read
Published inInvisible Illness·Sep 16, 2021Member-onlyCOVID And Young People: The Future of Mental Health For All of UsSolving this problem — the way modern life interacts negatively with our psyches — is a defining task of our era. — During my 30-year career practicing and teaching psychiatry, there has never been anything like COVID to stress test the emotional vulnerability of our society. I have written two articles about the mental health fallout of the pandemic (to be clear, I mean life during the pandemic, not specific things like…Mental Illness4 min readMental Illness4 min read
Published inInvisible Illness·Aug 10, 2021Member-onlyWhat to Know If a Loved One is At Risk for SuicideHow to talk about suicide — Each year, over half a million people show up at emergency rooms because they are contemplating suicide, or have already hurt themselves. In the year that follows this visit, these people are at very high risk for completing suicide. This is a nightmare scenario for anyone who care about these…Mental Illness6 min readMental Illness6 min read
Published inBe Yourself·Jul 24, 2021Member-onlyHow Much Stress Is Too Much to Cope With?We live in an era of a national opioid crisis, common suicides and mental illness, which seems to spread like wildfire. Given these concerns, and the undoubtedly stressful world we live in, it’s reasonable to ask if most of us know when we are emotionally overwhelmed. …Stress5 min readStress5 min read
Published inInvisible Illness·Jul 14, 2021Member-onlyHow to See Mental Illness AccuratelyA How to Guide — After 30 years in the practice and teaching of psychiatry it occurred to me that no one discusses the best way for people who are neither sufferers of psychiatric disorders nor their families to understand what mental illness is all about. If you wanted to learn what mental illness was…Mental Illness5 min readMental Illness5 min read
Published inBe Yourself·Jul 13, 2021Member-onlyBurnout Is Common Even In Normal Workplace JobsAs a psychiatrist with 30 years of experience, I still make it a habit to browse general medical journals. Over the past few years the subject of Burnout has begun popping up in these publications. The people discussed in these articles were usually doctors, nurses or others with intense, life…Burnout4 min readBurnout4 min read
Mar 31, 2021How to Heal Your Narcissist’s Scars by Using Their Savage Skills1K7Kristina HKristina--this is important stuff and I am glad you are giving it voice.Kristina--this is important stuff and I am glad you are giving it voice. As a psychiatrist I hate to hear when someone copes with an N by saying : "F--- then, they are pieces of s---." They are cultivating the same devaluing that a narcissist uses to deal with conflict. You can stand strong and look them in they eye and say "I do not like that" or "I do not agree with you." You may be scarred but you must keep your dignity intact for the future. Please keep up this writing.1 min read1 min read
Mar 20, 2021Member-onlyThe Roaring 20s Are BackWill it lead to a world war again? — On May 29, 1919, Arthur Eddington tried, for the third time, to confirm Einstein’s theory of General Relativity. He sent an expedition to the African island of Principe and went himself to the Brazilian town of Sobral to observe a solar eclipse. If Einstein was right, the eclipse would show…Technology6 min readTechnology6 min read
Published inInvisible Illness·Feb 4, 2021Member-onlyAre You Really Treatment Resistant?A careful review of your psychiatric history is due before receiving this label — In psychiatric practice, a sad but common thing to hear is, “I’ve tried everything, and nothing works.” The person giving this history may have any disorder: Depression, Bipolar Disorder, OCD, or others. The story is, unfortunately, the same: many years of hard work without much relief. What should the clinician…Mental Illnesss4 min readMental Illnesss4 min read