Sometimes A Path Less Taken Is The Right Path For You

At the mid-year mark for 12th graders, a common question is . . . “what are you going to do next year”. Here in modestly affluent suburbia . . . the unspoken expectation is college. So that question might as well be “what college do you want to go to?” Which is a fine question . . . → Read More: Sometimes A Path Less Taken Is The Right Path For You

Into Every Life A Little Rain Must Fall–Some Thoughts On Being Prepared

One of the expectations that I have for patients I work is that they are connected with a therapist. My role has been to evaluate for the need for medicine and to periodically assess how well that medicine is working. Medicine is rarely THE answer to behavioral health needs, especially when a patient first arrives . . . → Read More: Into Every Life A Little Rain Must Fall–Some Thoughts On Being Prepared

In Memory . . . With Resolve To Do What I Can To Prevent This From Happening Again

In memory of those who died and the broken hearts left behind, we must all do what we can to prevent future tragedies:

 

Please copy and past onto your browser and watch.

https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/pointofview

A Bad Day For Understanding Mental Health Care–The Kanye-Trump Show

My take on the recent visit of Kanye West to the Oval Office may be different than yours. In a 10 minute rambling monologue that left even President Trump speechless, Kanye touched on a wide range of topics, from replacing Air Force One to abolishing the 13th amendment. I am bothered by how the spectacle . . . → Read More: A Bad Day For Understanding Mental Health Care–The Kanye-Trump Show

Add To The List Of School Supplies–Hyfin Vents In Case I Get Shot

I start every morning with the morning paper. I have graduated from actual paper to a tablet, but still read it as a ‘replica’, meaning that I still get that “turn the page” sort of feel. Guess I am a bit old fashioned that way. I periodically think of this habit as a waste of . . . → Read More: Add To The List Of School Supplies–Hyfin Vents In Case I Get Shot

Folate part 2: MTHFR and genetic testing

The last post about folate deficiency got me thinking. Absolute absence of folic acid is a risk for non-response to antidepressants, but suppose you have adequate intake of folic acid. Is that good enough? In most cases, yes. In some cases, no. Lets look at some chemistry so you have a better understanding of why . . . → Read More: Folate part 2: MTHFR and genetic testing

Is Vitamin B Deficiency A Risk In A Gluten Free Diet?

Awareness of the impact on Celiac disease and gluten intolerance has grown in recent years. In these patients, ingestion of gluten (a protein prevelant in wheat products, but in other grains as well) causes damage to the lining of the intestine as the body treats it like any other allergen. For those of you who . . . → Read More: Is Vitamin B Deficiency A Risk In A Gluten Free Diet?

Fine Tuning The Antenna–Small Adjustments In ADHD Medicine Can Bring A Clear Picture

As we head into the last stretches of the school year, some kids are clearly having more difficulty with focus/concentration and impulse control. Work habits are degrading and homework completion is increasingly difficult. Teachers are having to reconnect some kids to the task at hand more frequently. Others are having more impulsive behaviors toward peers . . . → Read More: Fine Tuning The Antenna–Small Adjustments In ADHD Medicine Can Bring A Clear Picture

Getting Better: Choosing a Greater Happiness

The last few mornings I have been reading and meditating on the following passage from a book entitled The Still Point Dhammapada:

“By giving up a lesser happiness one may gain a much greater one. Let the wise give up the lesser to attain the greater.”

As I sat, repeating that passage to myself . . . . → Read More: Getting Better: Choosing a Greater Happiness

As If The Name Wasn’t Cumbersome Enough–Confusion between Brintellix and Brilinta

I recently got notified about the potential for confusion between two medications. Brintellix, a relatively new antidepressant with a novel mechanism of action, and Brilinta, a medication used by cardiology to help prevent blood clots that could result in a heart attack. Obviously, the names are quite similar, but the conditions they treat could not . . . → Read More: As If The Name Wasn’t Cumbersome Enough–Confusion between Brintellix and Brilinta