In my search for ever-obscure rock music from my generation – not the greatest generation but the flower generation – I came across a CD collection of rare songs titled “Brown Acid: The Seventeenth Trip,” appropriately subtitled: “Hea…
Category: Psychiatry
Exploring changing definitions of addiction [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join L. Joseph Parker, a research physician, as we delve into the evolving definitions of addiction, particularly in the context of chronic pain management. Explore the historical shifts in…
Can ketamine and SSRIs offer a complete depression treatment?
We have a problem with current recommendations for depression treatment. Thirty-five percent of patients will not go into remission or get any relief at all from SSRIs and SNRIs. And even when it does work, it takes about six weeks to start having an e…
Overcoming depression: a medical resident’s journey
How did I get here? Heading to the highest place I can find, in contemplation of jumping and falling to my death. I had always feared death before this point, but now it seemed the only logical solution. I seemed to have it all going my way. So why wou…
It’s time for burnout to become a quality metric
I completed a fellowship in quality improvement, making quality metrics an integral part of my career for the past 15 years. At times, these metrics can be frustrating, especially when reimbursement is tied to constantly shifting targets. Yet, health s…
Are health care workers being gaslit about burnout?
When an animal is shot and bleeds to death, does it “suffer from a bleed out”? No, the hunter shot and killed it – that’s the truth, and that’s the main narrative. “Bleeding out” was a natural consequence. Yet …
Coupling behavioral health prescriptions with measurement-based care
It can be difficult for patients with substance use disorders, depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder to seek care and commit to a regular schedule of behavioral health care visits. However, telehealth and telepsychiatry have vastly enab…
Surgeon suicides: Unveiling a silent crisis
When I read The Guardian article, “US surgeons are killing themselves at an alarming rate. One decided to speak out,” I felt like throwing up. I’m sickened so many surgeons are dying. I’m grateful Dr. Cunningham is speaking out….
Reflections on human suffering
I was in my upstairs office when I heard the doorbell ring. I ran downstairs to open the door, unable to see through the opaque window who was on the other side. I opened the door, and there stood an elderly Black man and woman, well dressed, with leaf…
Nature’s role in relieving physician burnout
In today’s corporate health care world, physicians are exposed to high levels of stress in the course of carrying out the duties of their profession, making them susceptible to experiencing burnout. Burnout has far-reaching implications not only …
