Psychiatry Blogs 
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My Doctor, My Expert
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In Dinah's post "The Chapter I Wish We Had Written" an anonymous commenter wrote about his problems finding an expert witness for his or her employment discrimination case (since I don't know if Anonymous is male or female I'm going to use a standard male pronoun in this post---apologies if I got this wrong). Anonymous asked his doctor to help with the case, but he refused. He explained to Anonymous that he would be a biased witness and Anonymous also understood that the doctor's involvement might affect the therapeutic relationship. Anonymous's doctor gave her a number of referrals to forensic psychiatrists, but since he ...
Source: Shrink Rap - June 30, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: ClinkShrink Source Type: blogs
“Happiness” and psychiatristsEmail this article to a colleague.
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This article will shortly be published in the June RCPsych London Division Newsletter
If you enjoyed this post you can buy me a coffee!
- June 30, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Frontier Psychiatrist Tags: Thinking about psychiatry Source Type: blogs
Psychiatry's journey from talk therapy to pill pushingEmail this article to a colleague.
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Source: Notes from Dr. RW - June 30, 2011 Category: Internists and Doctors of Medicine Tags: psychiatry Source Type: blogs
Guest Blogger SG on How the Pharmaceutical Companies Have Damaged PsychiatryEmail this article to a colleague.
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SG put a comment on our last post on The Chapter I Wish We'd Written on Bad Psychiatrists. With permission, I'm making part of those comments their own post. I gotta tell you, SG, we shrinks aren't so happy about these issues either.
Per SG:
I don't think the issue is so much a few bad shrinks but bad psychiatry. What I object to most is the pervasive compromising of science by pharmaceutical companies and all-out advertising.
This toxic influence is so pervasive that one comes to the forlorn conclusion that evidence-based medicine as it is currently practiced is really just a way for pharmaceutical compan...
Source: Shrink Rap - June 29, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Dinah Source Type: blogs
How To Complain Effectively About Mistreatment At A Psychiatric HospitalEmail this article to a colleague.
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For those who don’t follow the comment sections of posts, there have been commenters who have been telling us about the awful experiences they have had as psychiatric patients. In particular (but not exclusively) as hospital inpatients. Commenters have used terms like “abuse” and “humiliation” and describe awful scenarios. One person asked why the mean nurses don’t get fired, everyone knows they are mean including the staff. Others throw the baby out with the bath water, one bad experience. There is implication by at least one commenter that he/she would rather die (presumabl...
Source: Better Health - June 29, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: DrDinahMiller Tags: Health Tips Complaint Dissatisfaction How To Lodge A Complaint Psychiatric Hospital Psychiatry Source Type: blogs
The decision point psychiatrists faced with psychotherapyEmail this article to a colleague.
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by Daniel J. Carlat, MDThere’s been plenty of buzz about a recent New York Times story, “Talk Doesn’t Pay, So Psychiatry Turns Instead to Drug Therapy” by Gardiner Harris. The story is essentially a profile of Dr. Donald Levin, a 68 year old psychiatrist who has a private practice in Doylestown, Pa.It is a poignant example of a common situation in psychiatry. Older psychiatrists were trained during a time when there were few effective psychiatric medications, so they cut their teeth on training in psychotherapy. Not surprisingly, doing therapy is fun–it’s involves getting paid for having...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - June 29, 2011 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Kevin Tags: Physician Source Type: blogs
What's rong with Scott Adams and Jezebel Is The Same ThingEmail this article to a colleague.
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Source: The Last Psychiatrist - June 29, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Source Type: blogs
Families Affected by Mental Illness Feel Little Support From ChurchesEmail this article to a colleague.
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A new study conducted at Baylor University indicated that families with a mentally ill member would like their congregation to offer more assistance. The study, published in the journal “Mental Health, Religion and Culture,” was the first to look at how mental illness of a family member influences an individual’s relationship with the church.
“Families with mental illness stand to benefit from their involvement with a congregation, but our findings suggest that faith communities fail to adequately engage these families because they lack awareness of the issues and understanding of the important ways...
Source: World of Psychology - June 29, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Therese J. Borchard Tags: Disorders General Mental Health and Wellness Research Spirituality According To John Anxiety And Depression Archives Of General Psychiatry Baylor University Church Families Church Groups Co Author Dbsa Depression Anxiety Devout Source Type: blogs
An Epidemic of Bad Infographics: DepressionEmail this article to a colleague.
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In an effort to keep trying to get people’s attention in an increasingly attention-deficit world, we get a lot of inquiries for links to websites promoting education programs and other affiliate websites. The latest effort is focused around “infographics,” those graphics made popular by the USA Today newspaper that combines an interesting graphical element with hard data. A well done infographic ostensibly makes data more engaging. A fantastic infographic puts data into proper perspective and gives it valuable context.
What these marketing firms send me, however, are not fantastic or even well-done. So in...
Source: World of Psychology - June 29, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: John M. Grohol, PsyD Tags: Depression Disorders General Minding the Media Policy and Advocacy Affiliate Websites Anti Depressants Antidepressants Attention Deficit Clinical Depression Cmtm Inc Conglomerate Depressing Statistics Education Programs Epidemi Source Type: blogs
The Chapter I Now Wish We'd Written: Bad ShrinksEmail this article to a colleague.
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When Jesse read our Shrink Rap book, he said we were too nice to psychiatrists in it-- that we didn't mention that there are some really bad psychiatrists out there and he thinks part of the venom towards psychiatry comes from the whole rushed 15 minute med-check culture.
I thought about this and I thought, really? We have a whole chapter called When Things Go Wrong and we discuss a psychiatrist who is not sensitive enough to a patient (though, granted, the patient is overly demanding and overly sensitive--so I guess not the best portrayal of insensitivity by a shrink), one who is rigid in her formulation to the poi...
Source: Shrink Rap - June 28, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Dinah Source Type: blogs
Maryland Authorities Charge "Lupron Protocol" Promoters With Unprofessional Conduct, Unlicensed Practice of Medicine [8]Email this article to a colleague.
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Discussion by a health care provider who returned to the “Geiers” after an initial consultation to inquire about Lupron] “First of all Dr. Mark Geier was not in the room the son was giving us the lab result and the treatment protocol. As a [health care provider] I found that to be odd because the son is not an M.D. therefore I felt this was practicing without a license.”
The Respondent’s conduct, in whole or in part, constitutes the practice of medicine without a license, in violation of H.O. § 14-601.
If, after a hearing, the Board finds that there are grounds for action under H.O. §§ ...
Source: neurodiversity weblog - June 28, 2011 Category: Autism Authors: Kathleen Seidel Source Type: blogs
True believersEmail this article to a colleague.
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I can't remember the last time I touched on the problem of so-called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (sometimes called myalgic encephalomyeltis even though there is no real evidence that it is actually associated with encephalomyeltis, which means an inflammation of the brain). It is called a "syndrome" because it is defined by a cluster of syndromes rather than any known etiology (i.e., causal process). The symptoms overlap with those definitive of fibromyalgia, another syndrome of unknown etiology. I would say that the difference is an emphasis in the latter case on pain, and in the former on overwhelming fatigue, but sufferers...
Source: Stayin' Alive - June 28, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Source Type: blogs
Do Physicians Prefer Ventilated And Sedated Patients?Email this article to a colleague.
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You ever wonder what doctors really think but are afraid to say out loud? Here’s one example:
“I wish all my patients were on a ventilator”
There’s a reason vented and sedated patients are considered desirable. In addition to the obvious economic benefits of
ROS unobtainable
Billing critical care CPT 99291, 99292
There are the less talked about, but equally pleasant side effects most hospitalists, ER doctors, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, pulmonologists, surgeons, infectious disease doctors, endocrinologists, psychiatrists, rheumatologists, dermatologists, nurses, respiratory therapist...
Source: Better Health - June 28, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Happy Hospitalist Tags: Humor Opinion Billing Critical Care Medicine Doctor Patient Relationship ICD-9 Codes ICU Physician Preferences Sedation Ventilation Source Type: blogs
Marsha Linehan: What is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)?Email this article to a colleague.
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Last week the New York Times ran a fascinating piece on Marsha Linehan, Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington and the original developer of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), a modification of standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), but including elements of acceptance and mindfulness. Her work has been designed specifically for people who harm themselves, for those diagnosed with borderline personality (BPT), and those who suffer from pervasive suicidal thoughts and/or attempts.
For the first time in her life, the mental health expert disclosed her own story (that we also discussed on the blog ye...
Source: World of Psychology - June 28, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Therese J. Borchard Tags: Borderline Personality Brain and Behavior Disorders General Mental Health and Wellness Psychiatry Psychology Psychotherapy Research Self-Esteem Self-Help Treatment Bpt Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Dark Emotions Delusions Di Source Type: blogs
Obesity, Overweight, Fat pregnancy Risks Low IQ BabyEmail this article to a colleague.
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Despite the headlines health and nutrition consultant and fertility expert from Foods for Life, Yvonne Bishop-Weston in Harley Street London said today "It's fine for mothers to eat for two if they eat whole food rather than half food. If mother's focus on a diet rich in low GL plant foods such as vegetables, beans, fuit, berries, nuts and seeds, it's much harder to overeat and much easier to get a full complement of the fibre, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, omega 3 essential fatty acids and anti oxidants to ensure the optimum health of mother and baby. There's no maternal nutritional need in a coffee and a doughnut, you...
Source: Healthy Eating and Nutrition News - June 28, 2011 Category: Nutritionists and Food Scientists Source Type: blogs
JAMA on 60s Psychedelic Drug CultureEmail this article to a colleague.
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An amusing semi-anthropological study was published in JAMA by Ludwig and Levine in 1965. It was based on extensive interviews with 27 "postnarcotic drug addict inpatients" who were treated at a hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. The specific drugs of interest included peyote (from the peyotl cactus plant), mescaline, LSD, and psilocybin. The current availability of each drug, most popular methods of intake, slang terms, psychoactive properties, and subcultural norms were discussed. Hallucinogens were sometimes combined with narcotics, barbituates, amphetamines, or marijuana, depending on the specific demographic group. Basi...
Source: The Neurocritic - June 27, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
Video Game Violence: What the Science ShowsEmail this article to a colleague.
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The Supreme Court decided today that it’s unconstitutional for the state of California to bar minors from buying violent video games (here’s the WSJ story). The 2005 law, which never took effect, violates children and adolescents’ right to freedom of expression, the court ruled by a 7-2 margin.
But do video games actually provoke aggressive feelings, reduce activity in the frontal lobe of the brain and promote violent behavior, as the California law asserts? (Justice Stephen Breyer believes so; his dissenting opinion includes an extensive bibliography of academic literature on the topic.)
Many academics a...
Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog - June 27, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Shirley S. Wang Tags: Consumer health Legal Mental Health Research Source Type: blogs
2 podcast recommendations: Robert Whitaker debates Irish Psychiatrist Patricia Casey--and Leonie Fennell, a mom who lost her son to suicideEmail this article to a colleague.
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Source: soulful sepulcher - June 27, 2011 Category: Mental Illness Source Type: blogs
Is The Cult Of Self-Esteem Ruining Our Kids?Email this article to a colleague.
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what does the author want to be true?
Source: The Last Psychiatrist - June 27, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Tags: Narcissism Source Type: blogs
Dare To Be HappyEmail this article to a colleague.
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If there is no struggle, there is no progress.
~ Frederick Douglass
Let’s get this out in the open: I am bipolar II. That means the mania is really low-key and infrequent and the depression, at least in my case, for most of my life, has been pretty much nonstop.
There are degrees of depression, of course. Mine gets severe relatively quickly and stays that way a relatively long time. Yes, I have been an inpatient at psychiatric hospitals. Yes, I have self-harmed. Yes, I have been on every psychotropic medication known to man, and failed most of them. The two that I’m on right now combine for one really annoying side eff...
Source: World of Psychology - June 27, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Candy Czernicki Tags: Bipolar Depression Disorders General Happiness Mental Health and Wellness Personal Self-Help Abject Misery Bipolar Ii Coming Home Depressive Episode Fellow Writer Frederick Douglass Long Time Medication Memory New Year Source Type: blogs
Healthcare Update — 06-27-2011Email this article to a colleague.
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A different kind of deadly epidemic. Armed robberies at pharmacies rose 81% between 2006 and 2010. Then number of pills stolen now tops 1.3 million. Not surprisingly, the criminals are taking opiates such as oxycontin and Norco. One New York robber walked into a pharmacy and shot without warning – killing the pharmacists and two customers.
Many times it isn’t your negligence that causes the car accident – it’s the other person’s negligence. Here could be one reason why: Eleven percent of day drivers and fourteen percent of night drivers have drugs in their system. Six percent of day drivers and ten percen...
Source: WhiteCoat's Call Room - June 27, 2011 Category: Emergency Medicine Doctors Authors: WhiteCoat Tags: Healthcare Update Source Type: blogs
Under-staffed, under-funded and over-crowded psychiatric wards are not offering the patients the care they need most, says Max Pemberton. #ukmh #mhuk #nhsEmail this article to a colleague.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8596674/Max-Pemberton-Finger-on-the-pulse.html
Filed under: News, Views, All Topics
Source: Dawn Willis sharing the News and Views of the Mentally Wealthy - June 27, 2011 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Dawn Willis Tags: News, Views, All Topics Source Type: blogs
Robert Whitaker speaksEmail this article to a colleague.
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<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pharma05-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;o=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;p=8&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;l=bpl&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;asins=0465020143&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;fc1=000000&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;IS2=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt1=_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;m=amazon&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;...
Source: PharmaGossip - June 27, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Source Type: blogs
"Unfinished Business" - Turning Life Regrets Into Future FulfillmentEmail this article to a colleague.
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Clinical studies find that freeing yourself from regrets and recriminations about your unexplored aspirations actually leads to a longer, healthier, happier life.(PRWEB) December 4, 2004According to Peter Brill, M. D. and David Debin, founders of the non-profit Third Age Foundation, for people in their mid-40Âs to mid-60Âs, 'Unfinished Business' is defined as unrealized desires or fantasies about who you are and what you want to experience in life. There are two kinds of unfinished business: Emotional - deals with ghosts of the past, prisons of the present, fears of the future; and, Forward Going - deals wit...
Source: Not Mercury - June 26, 2011 Category: Autism Tags: travel Source Type: blogs
Day 1 without GeodonEmail this article to a colleague.
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My first day without taking Geodon the night before went better than expected. I didn't sleep nearly as soundly as I normally do, but I didn't wake up feeling tired, either. Hopefully that will improve over time, or I'll just get used to how I sleep now. I've felt anxious today, but not overwhelminlgly so. I think I'm more coherent and alert. My appetite is down, Mark has to keep reminding me it's time for meals because I'm just not hungry, probably due to the anxiety. But again, it's not overwhelming. I expected to have some anxiety.My goal is NOT to be medication free. I ne...
Source: bipolar.and.me - June 26, 2011 Category: Mental Illness Source Type: blogs
Blaming Parents: Autism Families Torn Apart by IgnoranceEmail this article to a colleague.
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Families with autistic children, parents who love their autistic children dearly, must endure much in order to live a normal life with their children, to be happy with their children to see them grow and develop to the best of their abilities notwithstanding their disabilities. The concerns and challenges of parents of autistic children are often dismissed contemptuously by scientists, health care professionals, educators, social workers ... and some involved with the justice system.
Last week the world learned that a caring British Columbia single father lost his autistic daughter to that province's chil...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - June 26, 2011 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
Screening elderly patients for drugs and alcohol?Email this article to a colleague.
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Louise Newson discusses a new report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists
Source: OnMedica Blogs - June 26, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Source Type: blogs
Understanding the Research on Psychotherapy Trends-- a Discussion with Dr. Ramin MojtabaiEmail this article to a colleague.
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For whatever reason, it bothers me when media says that psychiatrists don't do psychotherapy, and lately, it happens a lot. What am I, chopped liver?
They quote a study by Mojtabai and Olfson in the Archives of General Psychiatry, and say, "Only 10.8% of psychiatrists see all of their patients for psychotherapy." Is that really true? Is it really relevant? I tried to read the article and I wanted to understand how the study was done so I could think about it myself, but I didn't understand how the research was done-- Roy thought it was based on CPT codes, then he said it wasn't. So w...
Source: Shrink Rap - June 25, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Dinah Source Type: blogs
FDA-Approved Drugs Are Not Always Effective: The Benefits Of Alternative MedicineEmail this article to a colleague.
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On Saturday, while thousands of Boston Bruins fans gathered at Government Center to celebrate the team’s recent Stanley Cup victory, a hundred or so true die-hards met a few blocks away at a Massachusetts General Hospital conference to talk about complementary and alternative medicine for psychiatric disorders. While I hated to miss the Bruins parade, I’m glad I attended the MGH conference.
I’ve always been a bit of a skeptic about so-called natural therapies for one simple reason: they don’t have to go through the same rigorous testing in clinical trials that medications do. At the same time, I realize that FDA-ap...
Source: Better Health - June 25, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: AnnMacDonald Tags: Health Tips Research Alternative Medicine American Psychiatric Association APA CAM Complementary And Alternative Medicine Depression FDA FDA-Approved Drugs Harvard Maca Root Massachusetts General Hospital Mental Health MGH Na Source Type: blogs
Medical Students Deterred From Primary CareEmail this article to a colleague.
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Primary care physicians are getting paid more, two surveys agree, while hospital employment is rising.
Internists earned $205,379 in median compensation in 2010, an increase of 4.21% over the previous year, reported the Medical Group Management Association’s (MGMA’s) Physician Compensation and Production Survey: 2011 Report Based on 2010 Data. Family practitioners (without obstetrics) reported median compensation of $189,402. Pediatric/adolescent medicine physicians earned $192,148 in median compensation, an increase of 0.39% since 2009.
Among specialists, anesthesiologists reported decreased compensation, as d...
Source: Better Health - June 25, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: RyanDuBosar Tags: Health Policy Research Compensation Health Care Reform Hospital Employment Hospitalist Income Internist Medical Group Management Association Medical Students Merritt Hawkins MGMA Money Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Source Type: blogs
Can Crime Be Linked To Cuts In The Mental Health Budget?Email this article to a colleague.
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From the New York Times today we have a story entitled, “A Schizophrenic, A Slain Worker, Troubling Questions,” a horrible story about a mentally ill man who killed a social worker in his group home. The story highlights the defendant’s longstanding history of violence with several assaults in his past. He once fractured his stepfather’s skull and his first criminal offense involved slashing and robbing a homeless man. (On another post on this blog Rob wondered why the charges were dismissed in that case; from experience I can tell you it’s probably because the victim and only witness was home...
Source: Better Health - June 25, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: DrAnneHanson Tags: Health Policy Opinion Budget Crime Insanity Jail Medication Mental Health Mentally Ill Murder New York Times Prison Psychiatry Psychology Psychotic Schizophrenia Source Type: blogs
bias in nursing practice.Email this article to a colleague.
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Our brains are fickle lumps of flesh. Easily led astray.
As nurses one of the things we need to be aware of are the many biases, cognitive errors and prejudices that can flavour and misdirect our decision making process.
Such erroneous thinking has been referred to as cognitive dispositions to respond or CDR’s. It can lead to adverse outcomes, errors and a generally poor quality of nursing care.
The big problem is that when you are working from within a place of CDR it is very difficult to remember to step back and examine your thinking process objectively.
This is why critical thinking and reflective practice is such ...
Source: impactEDnurse - June 24, 2011 Category: Nurses Authors: impactEDnurse Tags: Features Source Type: blogs
That Pesky Gambling QuestionEmail this article to a colleague.
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The DSM-V is set to label problem gambling an addiction.
Nobody has ever bet enough on the winning horse.
— Unknown wise person
I used to gamble. Back when I did, I was also an active alcoholic and a chain smoker. Camel filters, if you’re wondering. And we had a running joke, my wife and I, although the humor leaked out of it for her pretty quickly. We would breach the doors of the gambling palace, and plunge into the dark, icy interior of a casino at Las Vegas or Tahoe, and stand on the edge of the gaming room, taking it all in for a moment. “Ah,” I would say, surveying the roomful of cigarette smokers with dri...
Source: Addiction Inbox - June 24, 2011 Category: Addiction Authors: Dirk Hanson Source Type: blogs
TAKEN: BC Government Takes Autistic Girl From Caring DadEmail this article to a colleague.
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Derek Hoare shows a picture of himself with his daughter Ayn in happier timesJohn Van Putten Photo
The British Columbia government, Ministry of Children and Family Development, has taken an autistic girl from her father's care after she went missing, very briefly, and was found safe at the nearby home of a neighbor. The father is on social assistance and had care of two autistic children, with the agreement of his wife. He is described in the Adrian MacNair - Abbotsford News report on bclocalnews.com as a caring father.
I felt a real chill reading this article and the fathe...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - June 24, 2011 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
Embedded Networks of Influence in Health Care: An Illustrative CaseEmail this article to a colleague.
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At the 12th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC), sponsored by Transparency International, one of the plenary sessions was devoted to the topic of "embedded networks of influence." The session description included this description of the topic as:the major stumbling block in the fight against corruption, namely, the power of 'embedded networks' in advancing personal or group interests through state institutions. The extent of their power can create what is known as “state capture” meaning democratic governance failure. It will take a close look at the influential role of private sector, especially...
Source: Health Care Renewal - June 24, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: executive compensation Charles Nemeroff key opinion leaders revolving doors Donna Shalala free speech embedded networks of influence University of Miami conflicts of interest Source Type: blogs
9 Myths, Misconceptions and Stereotypes about ADHDEmail this article to a colleague.
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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects about four percent of U.S. adults (Kessler, Chiu, Demler & Walters, 2005). Still, many myths, stereotypes and downright fallacies abound — everything from questioning the very existence of ADHD to downplaying its seriousness. Below, we spoke with two experts who treat individuals with ADHD to set the record straight.
1. Myth: ADHD isn’t a real disorder.
Fact: ADHD is a mental disorder with a strong biological component (like most mental disorders). This includes an inherited biological component, notes Stephanie Sarkis, Ph.D, a national certified counselor and...
Source: World of Psychology - June 24, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. Tags: ADHD and ADD Brain and Behavior Children and Teens Disorders General Medications Research Treatment Adhd Symptoms Adults With Adhd Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Attention Deficit Hyperacti Source Type: blogs
Apres le Deluge: The CEJA Spin Cycle BeginsEmail this article to a colleague.
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Source: The Carlat Psychiatry Blog - June 24, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Tags: Thomas Sullivan Medical Marketing and Media CEJA Policy and Medicine Source Type: blogs
Psych Meds are THE Problem: A Post for Duane SherryEmail this article to a colleague.
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Shrink Rap prides itself on being a take-all-comers place for open dialogue about the issues and controversies in psychiatry. Five plus years, and the feel of our blog has gone through many evolutions. In the last 6-8 weeks, things have gotten very heated around the topics of involuntary hospitalizations and the question of whether medications cause illness or treat illness.
I see patients who walk in the door in distress. The only people who walk in feeling well are those who have been treated by someone else and are coming to continue treatment, either because their shrink moved, they moved...
Source: Shrink Rap - June 23, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Dinah Source Type: blogs
Guest Blogger Dr. Jesse Hellman: Tarzan, the Computer, and the UnconsciousEmail this article to a colleague.
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In Tarzan of the Apes, written a hundred years ago, the protagonist is born to a couple cast up on the coast of Africa by a shipwreck. His parents die, and he is brought up by a female ape, Kala, who had lost her baby. He learns English, but not its pronunciation, by looking at the picture books his parents saved from the wreck. Tarzan develops the physical abilities of a jungle denizen, but also shows a remarkable intelligence and nobi...
Source: Shrink Rap - June 23, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Dinah Source Type: blogs
Our invisible addictsEmail this article to a colleague.
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This report warns that not enough is being done to tackle substance misuse in the aging population – making them society’s “invisible addicts”. It pulls together evidence to highlight the extent of the problem.
Report
Royal College of Psychiatrists - press release
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - June 23, 2011 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Library Service Source Type: blogs
When Things Go Wrong in Massachusetts, Fire the Employees, Not Carney HospitalEmail this article to a colleague.
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Mental health care in Massachusetts is sometimes a hit or miss proposition. Especially if you’re poor or indigent, or may present a danger to yourself or others.
For the 14-bed locked hospital unit at Carney — now owned by Steward Health Care — it apparently was such a “miss” proposition that they ended up sacking the entire staff. Yes, you heard me — all 29 psychiatric nurses and mental health counselors were let go about a month ago.
Meanwhile, Massachusetts continues to pay Carney Hospital to run its program, with all new staff.
Is it possible that 29 different professionals really we...
Source: World of Psychology - June 23, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: John M. Grohol, PsyD Tags: General Health-related Industrial and Workplace Policy and Advocacy Treatment Asses Best Foot Boston Globe Carney Carney Hospital Deficiencies Department Of Mental Health Dollar Contract Expert Panel Female Patient Hospital E Source Type: blogs
AMA Votes To Discourage Commercial CMEEmail this article to a colleague.
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The ongoing controversy over industry sponsorship of continuing medical education took a new turn this week when delegates to the American Medical Association annual meeting voted to restrict support from entities or individuals that have financial interests in the subject matter.
In other words, the delegates decided there should be little or no commercial support and those who are tapped to teach the material should not have any financial relationship with a drug or device maker. Danny Carlat, a psychiatrist who was once an industry speaker but now derides industry-sponsored CME, calls this vote “huge” (see h...
Source: Pharmalot - June 23, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Ed Silverman Tags: Uncategorized ACCME Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education AMA American Medical Association Source Type: blogs
Brain Training to Enhance Performance, both post-Traumatic Brain Injury and for the workplaceEmail this article to a colleague.
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A couple of very interesting recent announcements show (in a military context) how well-targeted brain training can complement and augment existing approaches, both to help “normal” and “clinical” populations, in ways that silo-based, rear-mirror thinking often misses:
U.S. Department of Defense Awards $2 Million to Brain Plasticity Inc. to Study Impact of Brain Training for Traumatic Brain Injuries (press release):
“Brain Plasticity Inc. (BPI), a technology incubator dedicated to the discovery and development of novel technologies that harness the basic principles of brain plasticity to improve the lives of peop...
Source: SharpBrains - June 23, 2011 Category: Neurologists Authors: Alvaro Fernandez Tags: Brain Fitness Industry attention Brain-Plasticity brain-trainer Brain-Training cognitive-function Cognitive-impairment cognitive-performance Cognitive-Training Cognitive-training-Technology Decision-making Department of Defense enh Source Type: blogs
Scientology, anti-psychiatry quackery, and Mike Adams: It all becomes clear nowEmail this article to a colleague.
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You know, it all makes a lot more sense now.
Actually, I can't believe I didn't see it before. Here I was, all these years, and somehow the thought never crossed my mind, even though all the signs were right there. And then, yesterday, Tufted Titmouse showed me the light. She showed me the light about über-quack, a.k.a. The Health Ranger, the man who has provided me endless entertainment and exasperation at the same time with his reality-challenged (actually, reality-lacking) rants about medicine, vaccines, and science, peppered with bad rap videos and the occasional 9/11 "Truth" rant thrown in for good measure. Through ...
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 23, 2011 Category: Surgeons Tags: Medicine Source Type: blogs
Scientology and Mike Adams: It all becomes clear nowEmail this article to a colleague.
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You know, it all makes a lot more sense now.
Actually, I can't believe I didn't see it before. Here I was, all these years, and somehow the thought never crossed my mind, even though all the signs were right there. And then, yesterday, Tufted Titmouse showed me the light. She showed me the light about über-quack, a.k.a. The Health Ranger, the man who has provided me endless entertainment and exasperation at the same time with his reality-challenged (actually, reality-lacking) rants about medicine, vaccines, and science, peppered with bad rap videos and the occasional 9/11 "Truth" rant thrown in for good measure. Through ...
Source: Respectful Insolence - June 23, 2011 Category: Surgeons Tags: Medicine Source Type: blogs
Better Treatment for Women AlcoholicsEmail this article to a colleague.
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Early treatment for women with alcohol addiction (EWA) reduces mortality: a randomized controlled trial with long-term register follow-up.Gjestad R., Franck J., Lindberg S. et al. Request reprint Alcohol and Alcoholism: 2011, 46(2), p. 170–176.Compared to usual treatment, over the next 27 years introduction of a comprehensively serviced female-only alcohol treatment unit in Sweden substantially extended the lives of its patients – a uniquely convincing demonstration that improving treatment can save lives.Summary Alarmed by rising numbers of alcohol dependent women and their high death rate, in the 1980s Sweden establi...
Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com - June 23, 2011 Category: Addiction Authors: Sparrow Tags: Alcohol Alcoholism Contrast to other models Demographics Detoxification Gays, Lesbians Relationships Symptoms of addiction abstinence alcohol-dependence Anxiety depression medical Source Type: blogs
Nocturnoblog…blogging my night shiftEmail this article to a colleague.
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I haven’t worked a night shift in many months. For a time, years ago, I worked full-time nights. I did it for about seven years, at which time my wife told me I was acting depressed and should move to a daytime schedule. Still, the vagaries of the ER require that we sometimes be here all night. Blech.
So, I thought I’d take this opportunity to chronicle my thoughts through the night. Please be patient if my thought processes seem to ramble.
1) I had, in my lunch container, a cheeseburger, two packs of Swiss Cake Rolls, and a turkey, pepper-jack and honey-wheat bread sandwich. I arrived at 2250....
Source: edwinleap.com - June 23, 2011 Category: Emergency Medicine Doctors Authors: Edwinlea Tags: Physician wellness Uncategorized emergency medicine encouragement for doctors medical education medical policy medicine in general Source Type: blogs
SuicideEmail this article to a colleague.
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Back from holiday and there's always mountains of stuff to sort. Busy busy busy. But the nuisances and inconveniences pale against that adversity that some patients endure. A number of patients presented with different backgrounds causing the same presentation and experience of wishing to die in an active intentional elective manner. Indulge me in merging details of several patients into one vignette.A patient's got severe COPD and is breathless just sitting around doing nothing. He's got lungs full of coal dust. He's got knackered joints all over, he struggles to mobilise at all now. He's scalded himself, dropping cups of...
Source: Lake Cocytus - June 22, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Shrink Source Type: blogs
Can You Take Someone to the ER for Mental Health Help?Email this article to a colleague.
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When I came home from work, she was sitting on the back porch steps, crying.
Another friend was sitting next to her, arms draped around her shaking shoulders, trying to understand the words in between her hiccuped sobs.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, even though I knew this wasn’t just a normal bout of tears. Julie (not her real name) had been crying the entire day. When I left for work she had been sobbing in the bathroom, and (I learned later) had turned on the shower to muffle the sound of her emotion from the rest of the house so no one would come and check on her. No one knew how long she had stayed ...
Source: World of Psychology - June 22, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Jessica DiGiacinto Tags: Depression Disorders General Mental Health and Wellness Personal Treatment Adrenaline Back Porch Bathroom Floor Break Cold Hands Dark Thoughts emergency mental health help Emergency Room Emotion Hesitation Hyper Drive Hyp Source Type: blogs
Are We in the Midst of a Psychiatric Drug Backlash?Email this article to a colleague.
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Last week, we wrote about research claiming antidepressants could make you more depressed. Italian professor of clinical psychology Giovannia Fava found antidepressants used over long periods of time can actually increase a patient’s chances of relapse more than if they were to take a placebo.
Mixed messages on antidepressants and other psychopharmaceuticals seem to be increasingly prevalent. More people than ever are prescribed them—and have a vested interest in selling them. For a fascinating primer on how the psychiatric drug culture we know today came to be, check out this New York Review of Books piece by Marci...
Source: Genetics and Health - June 22, 2011 Category: Geneticists and Genetics Commentators Authors: Elizabeth Nolan Brown Tags: antidepressants FEEL books drug funding history of medicine prescription drugs psychiatrists psychiatry psychotropic drugs Source Type: blogs
