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

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

Eye Don’t Know Why Eye Prescribe This Stuff . . . Additional Worries About Topamax (topirimate)

I got another bulletin of alarm in the mail the other day . . . I get these periodically. They come in a white envelope with a BIG red warning on the front that yet another major side effect was found with one of the many medications that are available for my use. This one . . . → Read More: Eye Don’t Know Why Eye Prescribe This Stuff . . . Additional Worries About Topamax (topirimate)

The Great Divide–Bridging The Gap Between Medical and Psychiatric Care

A couple of articles in my local rag caught my attention (The Philadelphia Inquirer . . . and yes, I still read the paper version of it) and has brought me back to the writing table. Thursday’s article about entitled “A global mental health concern” spoke the growing realization that mental health issues are becoming . . . → Read More: The Great Divide–Bridging The Gap Between Medical and Psychiatric Care

Adjusting Medicine Over The Summer Part I–Antidepressants

A common question as we head into the summer months is what to do about medications. Most parents (and some kids) are very reluctant to change medications over the school year since a return of symptoms covered by the medicine can be very, very disruptive. Summertime is the logical time to consider some changes. Antidepressants . . . → Read More: Adjusting Medicine Over The Summer Part I–Antidepressants

Peeling The Onion–More Is Not Always Better

Once again . . . I find I am on the receiving end of another doc’s desperate attempt to control symptoms. The layering of medicine on top of medicine is an inherent problem in Western Medicine. After all, we are spending more and more of our hard earned dollars to go to see someone for . . . → Read More: Peeling The Onion–More Is Not Always Better

Book Report: The Book I Wish I Had Written . . . The Do-It-Yourself Guide To Fighting The Big Motherfuckin’ Sad by Adam Gnade

Once loyal readers may have noticed I have not been posting too much recently. Not to say I haven’t thought about it . . . it just seems like between work and home and everything in between my creative juices were tapped just keeping things going. Life is like that, no? I have been reading, . . . → Read More: Book Report: The Book I Wish I Had Written . . . The Do-It-Yourself Guide To Fighting The Big Motherfuckin’ Sad by Adam Gnade

Tenex–A Tonic To Treat Terrible Tantrums

One of the frequent issues I help parents deal with is a child who is profoundly angry . . . the “too mad too fast over dumb stuff” syndrome. It is a frequent accompaniment to both ADHD-spectrum issues and mood disorders, and is typically more difficult to deal with than the other presenting aspects of . . . → Read More: Tenex–A Tonic To Treat Terrible Tantrums

The Cost Of Ignoring ADHD

I interviewed a young man this past week who had recently had to take a second medical withdrawal from a prestigious (and expensive) university because of debilitating symptoms of depression. It struck him in the spring semester last year (his Freshman year) and then again this fall. Over the summer, he had seemed to get . . . → Read More: The Cost Of Ignoring ADHD

Toxic Effects of Chronic Stress–Bad for Adults, Even Worse For Kids

I came across an article in the September/October 2012 issue of Scientific American MIND concerning the effect that stress can have on children and their capacity to learn. The researcher summarized years of work and ongoing studies showing the effect of stress hormones on the developing neural connections in the prefrontal cortex (the part of . . . → Read More: Toxic Effects of Chronic Stress–Bad for Adults, Even Worse For Kids