“In the world of medicine, inordinate stress is instead accepted as just part of the job. If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen — or see a therapist on your own time and dime. I strongly believe that traditional therapy and p…
Category: Psychiatry
You’re not alone: Clinicians and the need to address grief
Health care workers pride themselves on their ability to be empathetic but professional. Many of us calmly deliver news of adverse outcomes and prognoses to patients and family members every day, then go home to a family or personal life, and try to co…
The confusing policy surrounding the buprenorphine X-waiver
In the waning days of the Trump administration, a surprising announcement came down from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that the barrier required to write buprenorphine prescriptions for opioid use disorder would be lifted via reform…
When the teen with depression and anxiety is yours
Every week, I see a teen with depression and/or anxiety. Sometimes that teen is mine. And while I can certainly opine over the lack of mental health resources for our children and teens — you have to be a certain age, you have to have certain insurance…
Duchess vs. doctor: Why Meghan Markle’s mental health matters to me
Whether you like her or not, Meghan is speaking openly about suicide. For that, I am thankful. In her interview with Oprah, The Duchess of Sussex shared her suicidal thoughts—and how she was obstructed from mental health care, told to “tough it out” an…
Physician suicide: We need safe spaces to talk about it
Three years ago, I met Dr. Boyce Fish*, the ER physician revived after suicide. I also met Rachel Dawson, wife of Dr. Chris Dawson who killed himself and his two children. We all sat in red ballroom chairs in a room with nothing in it, but it felt full…
Addiction medicine during COVID-19 [PODCAST]
“The rapid change-over to telemedicine in March of 2020 brought predictable challenges to health care at large and substance use disorder treatment in particular: patients without the skill set to navigate HIPAA-compliant apps, phones with too li…
We need a mental health infrastructure bill
In her February 11, 2021 press briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated, “The president, vice president, secretary, and senators established the mutual understanding that America needs to build new infrastructure across urban and rural ar…
Using technology for behavioral health integration [PODCAST]
“While behavioral health integration (BHI) has been a long-standing conversation in collaborative care or health’s team-based approach, it hasn’t always been clearly defined and rarely means more than referring a patient in need to a specialist. …
Cannabinoids are medicine, but patients aren’t getting the care they need
It’s Wednesday at 3:27 p.m. I was just in the kitchen cutting potatoes for a belated birthday dinner which, ironically, will be happening very early this evening. I noticed a missed text on my phone and decided to call back, as was requested. It was fr…
