If you don’t at least occasionally check out my Facebook page, you might enjoy my latest update. Just a hint!
Filed under Uncategorized by on Nov 22nd, 2014. Comment. 
“Bureaucracy” is a word that comes from the French, which I suppose means that moi has a greater understanding of it than most folks who have never lived in France. Literally, “bureau” means “desk.” So “bureaucracy” is “rule by desk” in the same way that “democracy” is supposed to be “rule by the people” since “demos” in Greek is “people.” Problems already. There is considerable debate possible about how much representative government can even be a democracy. I mean, do so-called “Public Servants” vote for what their constituencies want, or for what they really believe? Desks have no soul. Here, we are on a little firmer ground, for bureacracies have not much in the way of souls, either. The word “bureau” itself originally meant the cheap green cloth used to cover the tops of desks. More like the felt of blotters, the coarsely woven green dyed stuff is used to cover gaming tables and such.
The Brits use the word for this sort of cloth as a metaphor for “snooker” (the billiard table game with all of those confusing balls and rules). Read more on Bureaucracy, What It Is And Why I hate It…
Filed under Government, News by on Nov 22nd, 2014.
I started researching workplace stress more feverishly and with fewer records of sources than usual for me, as the patient was — and still is — me.
I have practiced in every setting I can imagine a psychiatrist being in — public and private, government (from federal to county) solo and institutional, whatever.
But now I have more physical and emotional fatigue. More struggle getting my work done in the timely manner I expect from myself. More need for (albeit, sounder) sleep. And more “Sunday Night-it is” — for who has not complained about job stress? Read more on Sunday Night-itis — AKA Job Stress…
Filed under News, Psychiatrists, Stress, Stress Relief by on Nov 10th, 2014. Comment.
Maybe if it’s “all in your head,” it’s in your brain chemistry
We women have spent so long and worked so hard for equality in rights, in education, and at work, that it may actually be hard to talk about how we are different.
The World Health Organization has been working on this, and knows a lot about what is going on. Illnesses of the mind, problems with thinking and feeling and living, are only identified by doctors less than half the time. Three out of five people who have this kind of problem wait less than a year before seeing a doctor. This is true of both sexes. Read more on Mental Health In Women…
Filed under Brain, Mental Illness, News by on Nov 7th, 2014. Comment.
Only 16% of all murder victims are members of the defendant’s family?
That’s according to the PDF file that pops open (or opens in your browser) when you click this link – and you must have the free Adobe Acrobat reader to see it. (Fortunately, it is included with most computers nowadays).
Actually, I am surprised to see the number is so small.
I am a little bit heartened to learn that only 20% are strangers.
This leaves 64 % that are friends and acquaintances. Read more on Your Family Really Can Kill You…
Filed under Family, medicine, News by on Nov 7th, 2014. Comment.
For most of my life I have been more or less overweight. I figured my body was just something I used to carry my brain around.
Tentatives at presentation (clothes, makeup) were just not as serious as with my women-friends. I mean, it was just not as important to my identity as “smart” was.
Back then — only a few years ago — I actually had a mental health worker (therapist) who allegedly had a particular interest in eating disorders ask me how I got through life without being ashamed to go places because I was fat.
I shrugged my shoulders and told her I lived in a world where it simply did not matter. The only place it kept me from going was mixers — and as I had determined men were a waste of time and I actually believed I would never marry, what did it matter anyway? Read more on Act Like Wonder Woman And Become Wonder Woman…
Filed under Brain, Psychology, weight by on Nov 5th, 2014. Comment.
The fastest, easiest test of the memory that I know is the one where you have to remember three objects five minutes after you’ve been told what they are.
This is part of a standardized test of cognition (typically testing for dementia) known as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Actually there has been more debate of the “what is this test and what objects should be used?” variety than anyone can possibly imagine. It is usually not too tough to engage someone in talking about something else for five minutes, to keep them from repeating it in their head. Read more on MEMORY TESTS…
Filed under Brain, News, Psychiatrists by on Oct 24th, 2014. Comment.
If you think I bare my soul in this blog, then you would be surprised at how much further I can take – “to the next level” as they like to say – in my private, opt-in newsletter.
I don’t just reprint blog posts in the newsletter – or vice versa. I jump right in to the deep end.
I haven’t produced a newsletter recently – although in some promotional things on my various web page I have called it “weekly” (that’s stretching it). But I have a new one coming out tomorrow. Read more on What Changed When I Wasn’t Looking…
Filed under Uncategorized by on Oct 16th, 2014. Comment.
I was in the 9th grade at 13 when I was looking at the ceremony for my Bas Mitzvah, literally “Daughter of the Covenant,” when I would chant the portion of scriptural commentary to the five books of Moses consistent with my birthday, and speak all the Rabbi would let me, and collect some gifts.
My prowess with Hebrew was well known.
I pretty much knew the whole liturgy already and sang along and drowned out the officiants and choir as much as I could. Some older men sang pretty loud, but I generally drowned them out, too.
So there was a record attendance in February for a Friday night service when I was the “star.” Yes, star. Everybody wanted to be at this one, because I was already known as a “ham.” Read more on Hills and Mountains…
Filed under News by on Oct 8th, 2014. Comment.
I have seen them.
Men, who sit in my office and tell me they are addicts to internet pornography.
They describe symptoms that have long been regarded as markers of addiction.
Dependence — They start feeling poorly, maybe even depressed, if they don’t get their regular quota of exposure.
This is easy enough to get on the internet, so everybody who feels they want this (or “need” this) is able to get it. Read more on Internet Pornography IS Addiction…
Filed under Brain, News by on Oct 2nd, 2014. Comment.