There is a diary entry of mine (Sparks) from when I learned that the pandemic would last longer than we initially thought. 17 years old at the time, I described my feelings of fear at the thought that I may die. “I don’t know if there’…
Category: Psychiatry
How psychiatry fails trauma survivors
Psychiatry has a duty to be trauma-informed, given that 50 to 60 percent of the general population, and around 90 percent of people with severe mental illness, have a lifetime history of at least one traumatic event. Yet the mental health system often …
Navigating self-judgment with compassion
Earlier this week, I made a stupid mistake, and that mistake cost us our dental and vision insurance for the year 2024. You see, I had my COBRA from my old job that I had planned to keep, as the kids still had braces, and switching midway apparently re…
Overparenting: Finding solace amidst criticism
An excerpt from A Schizoid at Smith: How Overparenting Leads to Underachieving. “Work always lacks effort,” “Just no interest whatsoever,” “Inattention,” “Disturbance,” “Silly conduct,” the te…
Pageantry: an unconventional education for aspiring psychiatrists
With the elegant gowns, stylized hair, carefully applied makeup, and moments in the spotlight, beauty pageants have attracted longstanding criticism for being allegedly superficial competitions that foster narcissism. But beneath the surface lies a wea…
Suspicions of medical child abuse delayed my child’s cancer diagnosis
It was November 2014. I was leaving the parking structure of my local children’s hospital when I realized, “They don’t believe us.” I didn’t know it at the time, but it would take seven more months to find the cause of my …
Integrated coaching in physician residency training [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! We sit down with psychiatrist Lind Grant-Oyeye to explore the transformative power of integrated coaching in physician residency training. We delve into the nuances of int…
The abuser’s playbook: the weaponization of mental health
I almost didn’t write this piece. Almost. I feared it might be seen as provocative like I was asking for trouble. But that is exactly the attitude that has silenced victims of harassment and stalking for too long. The short version of the story i…
Mental health support for teens [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! We delve into the pressing issue of teenage mental health with undergraduate student Ruhi Saldanha. From discussing the need for mental health days in schools to addressin…
A crisis of alcoholism is surging in the United States
The CDC is trying, desperately, it seems, to pound a square peg into a round hole, blaming COVID-19 for a surge in alcohol use and ignoring a glaring problem with the evidence. That’s not something you generally expect from scientists. However, I…
