My medical career has so far encompassed training in multiple specialties (general and orthopedic surgery, neurological surgery, neurology, psychiatry, and psychopharmacology). I have practiced in France, Canada, the United States Army, and more States of the United States than I can name.
I have been sexually assaulted and harassed more times that I could count. “Bullying,” is common in medicine, often viewed as a necessary process of “toughening up” to deal with the all too frequent tragedies lived with by patients. Read more on Me Too…
Filed under abuse, life, Mental Illness, News, Psychiatrists, Psychology, Sexual Misconduct by on Nov 3rd, 2019. Comment. 
Here are both the original article and the review in “Mad in America,” a fairly radical review of opposing viewpoints in psychiatry which, I am often downright embarrassed to have to agree with.
The two German psychologists are right. Their initial assertions are unquestionable, Mental illness is going up indescribably quickly. Psychotropic medication is going up indescribably quickly. Read more on Biological Psychiatry…
Filed under Alternative Medicine, depression, Diagnosis, Disease, Education, medicine, News by on Jul 30th, 2018. Comment.
I recently started seeing a patient whose previous psychiatrist ran him through absolutely every antidepressant drug that his (expensive) genetic testing suggested he would respond to. He had no improvement with any of them.
I will admit to having been an enthusiastic supporter of genetic testing not long ago. The science was sound on paper. Read more on Bipolar Genetics…
Filed under Alternative Medicine, Diagnosis, Doctors, medicine, Mental Illness, News, Psychiatrists by on May 9th, 2018. Comment.
I recently had a patient who walked in to see me wearing a vintage Dior suit. I complimented her, of course, as I think that an ideal way to dress. She presented as powerful, and in control of her life.
She looked me straight in the eye, as if she were delivering me a deep and secret truth. Read more on Useless Phase For Today: “Chemical Imbalance”…
I always considered myself a naive person in many ways.
From my overprotective family, who had serious worries about my crossing the street without someone holding my hand even when pushing forty, I moved, through several exotic domiciles, into a marriage where my husband would never dream of permitting me to cross a street without holding my hand. Read more on You Think YOU Got Stress?…
Filed under Alternative Medicine, depression, Diagnosis, Disease, Dissociative Disorder, Doctors, medicine, Mental Illness, News, prescription drugs, Stress, Stress Relief by on Dec 26th, 2017. Comment.
Many illnesses have support groups and even official organizations that help sufferers and families understand and cope with that illness. You know, like The Arthritis Foundation and the Diabetic Association. Read more on “Accomodating” or “Taking Advantage Of?”…
Filed under Alternative Medicine, Diagnosis, Disease, Dissociative Disorder, Doctors, Education, Family, medicine, Mental Illness, News, Research by on Sep 18th, 2017. Comment.
Filed under Alternative Medicine, Brain, depression, Diagnosis, Disease, Doctors, medicine, Mental Illness, News, Nutrition, Research by on May 7th, 2017. Comment.
Filed under Disease, News by on Feb 25th, 2017. Comment.
I remember, several years ago, going to a national drug development meeting; the first time I had been at such a meeting, with drug company folks from the highest national levels. I remember how excited I was. Maybe someone could develop an antipsychotic that really could escape all those neuromuscular side effects. Maybe they had new things that were more powerful than antibiotics, which I already knew were not working as well as they ought to. I remember, with characteristic naivete, that it felt impossible to find anyone with whom I could discuss the pharmacology that so impassioned me, for the “big” drug guys seemed to be more interested in the business and politics of the thing. Read more on Could Fish Oil Prevent Schizophrenia?…
Filed under Alternative Medicine, FDA, Government, medicine, News, politics by on Sep 26th, 2016. Comment.
It’s not that I don’t like folks who grow grains. I mean, I am related to some wonderful folks who grow wheat for a living, who are on my husband’s side of the family. I’ve been to their church bazaars and eaten their jello molds.
In France, I went to medical school at Amiens in the Somme, the breadbasket of France, and I took care of lots of stalwart folks who grew wheat for a living. Read more on Dump the Breadbasket and Turn That Food Pyramid on its Point…
Filed under Disease, Education, News by on Aug 25th, 2016. Comment.