A fair amount of psychiatric illnesses have a genetic component.
Being formally “diagnosed” by a doctor does not make them official.
It is hard to tell when a woman says “my mother was probably depressed and anxious” what was going on. There may be a genetic component. Read more on Family Histories…
Filed under depression, Diagnosis, Disease, Doctors, Family, life, Psychiatrists by on Mar 15th, 2020. Comment. 
Sometimes a good psychosis or delusion, is less harmful than medication — especially in a person who has previously been compromised by illness.
The first I saw was a veteran many years ago. Curiously enough, he was the kind of “old salt” you see plenty in San Diego street clinics but I saw him back at the Wichita V.A.
Then as now I enjoy the older veterans, The kind of folks who, although they were members of a nameless hoard of uniformed youth, have assimilated the serviceman’s identity into their own. Read more on When A Doctor Decides Not To Treat The Hallucinations…
Filed under depression, Diagnosis, Doctors, Education, life, medicine, News, Psychology by on Jan 17th, 2020. Comment.
These intrepid Aussies blew me away with a thoroughly researched article that really tells it like it is.
Everybody is depressed and anxious. I have seen enough figures saying that mostly all — 60 to 70% — psych meds are given for anxiety and depression. Some say 1/5 to 1/4 of the American/World/choose your country population is growing in anxiety and depression.
Depression can be a pretty darn serious illness that can bring a person’s productivity to a screeching halt.
I have survived numerous theories as to what actually causes depression. Earlier in my training I heard about families in Iowa (where presumably nobody ever moves) where generations of antisocial personality-disordered males had depressed wives,
I think that was supposed to prove the genetic nature of depression, but I always figured, if I were married to an antisocial male I would be depressed too.
I have heard depression blamed on all manners of pollution and industrial waste. Pesticides? Manufacture of plastics?
Just when people start finding all sorts of aches and pains and bodily problems concurrent with depression. Just when I start sending A LOT of my depressed patients to my clever P.A. to beef up their immune systems.
My P.A., (Physicians’ Assistant) Dr. Craig Jace, is a doctor of oriental medicine, a naturopath and homeopath and acupuncturist and probably a lot of stuff I forgot.
I can’t do everything by myself — but with people like Dr. Jace helping me, we are making progress!
Filed under depression, Diagnosis by on Sep 1st, 2019. Comment.
This report really rang true. I have a disproportionate amount of university graduate students in my practice who are anxious and depressed.
The first thing that came to mind here was a saying I first heard when I was in college.
“A university education is a prolongation of infancy.” Read more on The Psychological Needs Of Graduate Students…
Filed under depression, Education, Family, life, Mental Illness, News, Panic Attacks, Stress by on Jul 21st, 2018. Comment.
When push comes to shove, any psychiatrist can prescribe anything they damned well please.
Oh, there are a few particularities. Like needing to have a “triplicate’ pad if you are going to prescribe speed, or a “tamper proof” pad if you are going to prescribe something wildly addictive. But any licensed MD can just phone those in legally if you give your “magic numbers” like your DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) number — even if not a psychiatrist. Read more on Antipsychotic Medication For Children With Autism…
Filed under Doctors, medicine, prescription drugs, Psychiatrists by on Apr 27th, 2018. Comment.
One of the hardest things to do as a psychiatrist is to get patients to tell the truth. The absolute hardest thing to do is to get patients to ask the questions that they really find on their mind but are scared of asking.
Me, I do everything I can to break down the communication barriers that exist between me and my patients.
For one thing, I do not even own a doctor’s white coat. Read more on FAQ: Antidepressants…
Filed under medicine, News, prescription drugs by on Jan 22nd, 2018. Comment.
Primary care doctors as well as psychiatrists give out antidepressants more than other kinds of medicine.
At the time I started training in psychiatry, we memorized the antidepressant side effects for early chemical classes derived from antituberculosis drugs and became overjoyed when the SSRIs came out. Actually something safe and effective and pretty “clean” of risks and side effects and interactions! First Prozac, which was FDA approved a day I was getting off call and grabbing a few hours of shuteye to be awakened by the morning news proclaiming that the new “safe” antidepressant would be a “wonderful advancement for psychiatry.” Read more on …
Filed under Alternative Medicine, depression, Diagnosis, FDA, medicine by on Jan 18th, 2018. Comment.
This one tickles me a bunch.
I remember, back when I was in training, reading an article that truly shocked me. Read more on Why Are You Depressed?…
Filed under depression, News by on Jan 9th, 2018. Comment.
“I just am not good enough to come up with a pill that works if you don’t take it.” Read more on Are You Taking Your Pills?…
Filed under Doctors, Family, medicine, prescription drugs by on Dec 5th, 2017. Comment.