“I don’t know if I can keep doing this” “I can’t see a way out.” “I feel stuck – trapped.” What is it like? That feeling of being exhausted, stuck, not feeling like there is a way out. I think of it as running a marathon where you can’t stop. Y…
Category: Psychiatry
A new paradigm for psychiatric emergencies [PODCAST]
“Imagine this scenario: a busy mom struggles to balance work and parenting during the pandemic when suddenly her teenage son begins to anger. He gets out of control, screams threats, and kicks a hole in the wall. Neighbors call the police, who re…
Medicine’s culture of betrayal
An excerpt from Physician Betrayal: How Our Heroes Become Villains. A mass casualty event begins with one act of betrayal. By one person. A person with power. In medicine the assault weapon—doctor’s orders. One act of betrayal by one doctor may lead to…
Debunking common virtual therapy myths and tips for new patients [PODCAST]
“While the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and normalized the need for increased mental and behavioral health services over the last year and a half, addressing mental health issues as a regular form of their wellness will persist beyond the pandemic. …
How shame tried to hijack my medical training [PODCAST]
“I’m smart enough to be a physician. As if being the smartest person in the room makes you the best physician in the room. Hint, it doesn’t. Being a good physician is a culmination of knowledge, skills, and strengths that you, as an individual ph…
Behavioral health opportunities during the pandemic [PODCAST]
“The dramatic uptick in mental distress, trauma, and substance use since last year has driven a corresponding rise in the use of virtual mental health therapy and psychiatric care, helping us, as a society, more effectively grapple with the fallo…
I do not want to be resilient
I went to replace four hanging plants at a nursery this past weekend because they all died once the Texas heat made its appearance, despite being watered, placed in the shade, and talked to by my daughter and me. While I was looking for plants that wil…
If Simone Biles were a doctor she would be vilified, not praised [PODCAST]
“Just as Simone Biles has her detractors, there will always be physicians unable to empathize with their mentally ill colleagues, believing psychological struggles are a constant state of being human. But if taking care of oneself means temporari…
How one word may have harmed my patient [PODCAST]
“With this single word, mom had now completely altered her willingness to see the deep suffering of her child. This single word watered all of this child’s five years of depression, crippling anxiety, history full of ACEs, and very significant st…
Debunking common virtual therapy myths and 4 tips for new patients
The COVID-19 pandemic spurred an avalanche of mental health issues that have continued to plague the general public over the last 18 months – with the full impact from lingering quarantines, prolonged social distancing, and now the fear over the unknow…
