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

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

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

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

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

The Quick Rush To Medicate

I came across a journal article lately that highlights an area of great concern for me and for others in the mental health world. A research paper published in the August edition of the Archives of General Psychiatry (a dense and difficult to read tome), identified a massive increase in the use of antipsychotic mood . . . → Read More: The Quick Rush To Medicate

Living With Bipolar Disorder . . . Picking A Partner–Lessons Learned From My Patients, Part II

I was going to write on another subject today, but was struck by the tone of this letter I received from the UK. I couldn’t help but respond. My original subject will wait a few days . . .

i have recently been diagnosed with bipolar. my fiance has turned really mean, puts me down . . . → Read More: Living With Bipolar Disorder . . . Picking A Partner–Lessons Learned From My Patients, Part II