Category: Psychiatry

The surprising science of gratitude: How it boosts your well-being

I have never been a very touchy-feely person. I was trained as a biologist and chemist, then went to medical school where more science on top of science was aimed at me like a gushing firehose. I learned to put science and evidence first and to try in …

Why patients ghost their therapists [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join Holly MacKenna, an integrative psychiatrist, as we explore the challenges and nuances of acknowledging goodbyes in the world of mental health treatment and professional relationships. …

Thriving under pressure: How medical residents can excel with distress tolerance [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join Frances Mei Hardin, an otolaryngologist, as we delve into the world of distress tolerance in medical residency training. Discover practical techniques, real-life anecdotes, and evidenc…

Words of caution when considering the use of “terminal anorexia”: perspective from lived experience

After reading the article “Terminal anorexia nervosa: three cases and proposed clinical characteristics,” I was grateful to have not had access to the article a year earlier – when I would have personally met criteria. I was holding o…

Addressing the enormous scale of work-related burnout and mental injury in doctors

When a 24-year-old laborer’s apprentice used a chainsaw without training, they sustained a jagged laceration through their left quadriceps. When I saw them 12 months later in my general practice, their laceration was well healed. However, they re…

The DEA’s war on addiction doctors

Tennessee Dr. Ralph Thomas Reach is a vastly experienced addiction medicine physician. Continued application of his knowledge and pioneering experience could improve the opioid drug overdose death rate in his state. Unfortunately, the state government …

How to thrive in medicine during festive seasons

We all do it at one time or another. Maybe the office or clinic is closed, but you’re on call, waiting for the phone to ring and take your attention away from family, friends, and festivities. Is it a source of stress, or have you learned to go w…

Matthew Perry’s enduring impact: Advocating for substance use disorder awareness and treatment

The sitcom Friends was a cultural phenomenon that produced waves of nostalgia in those of us who came of age in the late 90s and early 2000s. The decade it was on spanned the era of transition from landlines to cell phones and the advent of the interne…

Physician burnout’s little voice [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join Dike Drummond, a family practice physician, as he brings his rich experience and deep understanding of the medical profession to discuss a critical issue that touches many in the healt…

Unlocking the healing power: Bridging medicine and psychotherapy

I’ve been conceptualizing this for several years now – ideas about what I would like to do with perspectives from my long-time practice as a physician and those always developing as a psychotherapist. I love both; each brings a unique skill…