“I realized that training in psychiatry would give me the opportunity to understand suicide far better, and hopefully allow me to make a difference at an earlier stage. My exposure to psychiatry in medical school was clearly not enough. I was ill…
Category: Psychiatry
Trying to bury trauma does not work
Rationale: Sometimes it helps to talk about trauma; sometimes it helps to just listen. Having a safe, supportive, confidential, affirming environment to do both or either is important. Background: I have been offering workshops on “managing stress and …
How do we push forward into this new normal?
Days morphed into weeks, into months. It’s now been over a year, and the world is still living in the shadow of COVID. The world has changed; I have changed. There is a sense of vulnerability now, more so than any time in recent years. Well, mayb…
The practice of medicine is a marathon
We physicians often feel as though we are running up Heartbreak Hill. For many of us, the spring in our step just ain’t what it used to be. Pictured above is Ethiopian runner Worknesh Negefa, the fourth-fastest female marathoner in history and the winn…
Solving major substance use disorder treatment gaps during COVID-19 [PODCAST]
“As if COVID-19 weren’t bad enough during the pandemic, another public health crisis – substance use disorder (SUD) – has gone from bad to worse, while access to behavioral health services is shrinking. As of September, more than half (52%) of co…
A daughter’s addiction. A mother’s love.
An excerpt from About Natalie: A Daughter’s Addiction. A Mother’s Love. Finding Their Way Back to Each Other. I look around at the pale walls of the emergency room. Yes, we are back here. Not for an overdose, but this time for an abscess so…
Ahimsa means do no harm, including doing no harm to ourselves
To be the best healers possible for others, we have to show compassion for and take care of ourselves. I wrote a previous article published in KevinMD titled, “Self-care is not selfish: It’s imperative to save the practice of medicine.̶…
Cannabis stigma continues to impede patient care
“My grandchildren are appalled.” So said the elderly patient I saw yesterday. This lovely woman came to our practice for the treatment of extreme pain. At 99-years of age, she has survived multiple cancers and their associated treatments. S…
Doctors’ mental health: Don’t wait until it’s too late
One of our most talented residents committed suicide during my psychiatric training. I remember relaxing with him in a VA hospital call room several months before his death, laughing together at some of the idiosyncrasies of our unit attending. He open…
Tenacity in children and the 7 instincts
An excerpt from Tenacity in Children: Nurturing the Seven Instincts for Lifetime Success. Did you ever wonder why babies quickly develop a social smile and look you in the eyes? Is it surprising to learn that the muscles in your ears are set within the…
