Category: Psychiatry

How can there be joy in medicine if there is no joy in Mudville?

The following article is part satire and part imagination. The classic poem “Casey at the Bat” delves into the dashed dreams of 5,000 frenzied fans who gathered to watch the “Mudville Nine” play baseball, pinning their hopes on …

Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

As I leave a conference organized for a group of physician entrepreneurs, I have so many thoughts running through my head. Some of these thoughts revolve around making my small, fledgling medical practice run more smoothly, reaching more people (and se…

Is the rise in mental illness due to greater awareness or a true increase in incidence?

Someone asked me recently if there is a significant increase in the prevalence of mental illness since it seems everyone is in treatment somewhere. It was a good question and got me thinking. The prevalence of mental illness has been increasing in rece…

Integrating mental health services into primary care for children and adolescents [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join us on this episode as we speak with Hilary M. Bowers, a pediatrician who shares with us the importance of integrating behavioral and mental health care within primary care practices. W…

Restoring our connection to the cosmos: a vital step for healing our minds, bodies, spirits, and planet

How do we balance the desire to stay connected with the cosmos with the demands of modern life? Our internal life is often mirrored by our external world. It is no surprise that the health of our bodies and our planet is under fire. Mental health illne…

The 4 stages of suicidal ideation: a physician’s experience with burnout and self-compassion

I am a physician, a urologist, and a survivor of multiple suicide attempts related to physician burnout. In dealing with my psychopathology, I experienced a devolution in my mental status, culminating in suicidal behavior. I can remember the exact mome…

Stop saying you “are OCD” if you don’t have OCD

When people (especially women) are highly organized, hyper-focused, and efficient they often label themselves (or are labeled by others) as OCD. In essence, “being OCD” is a superpower that leaves us with clean houses, well-manicured appear…

Inside the psychiatric unit: a PhD’s god-like status, ECT, and the harsh reality of mental illness treatment

PhD, the big man on the psych unit’s eighth floor, puffed on his pipe while listening to the dialogue of the broken, misfits, psychotics, schizophrenics, and bipolar patients. Many were beaten at birth, both physically and emotionally. In this la…

Powerful strategies to overcome burnout and reignite passion in your medical career

Medical professionals have consistently demonstrated high levels of burnout and job dissatisfaction in recent times. This has become a significant concern for the health care sector and the general population since it affects the quality of health care…

Breaking the silence: the truth about mental health challenges among medical students and why medical schools must take action

Medical school can be a challenging and demanding experience, and it’s no secret that many medical students struggle with mental health challenges as a result. In fact, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA, the pre…