Embryonic Personhood?-What Is Going On in the USA?
September 4th 2012Abortion is not a pretty subject. An embryo or fetus, while not a fully developed person, has the potential to become one. No one is “pro-abortion.” At the same time, there are circumstances under which a girl or woman feels strongly that her pregnancy is untenable-that she is too young, too poor, too burdened, too ill to properly mother a child. Women have abortions because they take motherhood seriously.
Fighting the Wrong War on Drugs
August 30th 2012Seventy percent of antidepressants are prescribed by primary care doctors with little training in their proper use, under intense pressure from Big Pharma, drug salespeople, and misled patients, after rushed 7-minute appointments and subject to no systematic auditing. The cash-strapped FDA is beholden to industry for funding. And it gets worse.
Eliciting the Phenomenon of Schizophrenia From an Autobiographical Narrative
August 28th 2012In spite of a chronic mental illness (schizophrenia)and a psyche that increasingly blurred the boundaries between fantasy and reality, this lawyer and professor graduated from Vanderbilt with a perfect academic record.
Effects of New Antipsychotics and Adjunctive Therapy for Schizophrenia (Video: 4:05 minutes)
August 21st 2012What effect has the new antipsychotic Latuda had in patients with psychosis? Is a mood stabilizer as an adjunctive therapy necessary for schizophrenia or is the use of an antipsychotic alone sufficient?
Internet Addiction-The Next New Fad Diagnosis
August 15th 2012"Internet Addiction" may soon spread like wildfire. All the elements favoring fad generation are in place . . . the profusion of alarming books; the breathless articles in magazines and newspapers; extensive TV exposure; ubiquitous blogs; the springing up of unproven treatment programs; the availability of millions of potential patients; and an exuberant trumpeting by newly minted "thought leading" researchers and clinicians. So far, DSM-5 has provided the only restraint.
Psychiatric Considerations in Colorado Shooting
August 6th 2012The shooting in Colorado is obviously a tragedy for the victims and their families which will never be forgotten by those close to anyone touched by this event. It will cause painful grieving among the families and friends of those who lost their lives.
Effective Personalized Strategies for Treating Bipolar Disorder
August 2nd 2012Effective personalized treatment recognizes bipolar disorder as a biopsychosocial disorder, but mood-stabilizing medications are the backbone of treatment. These medications fall into 3 categories: lithium, antikindling/antiepileptic agents, and second-generation antipsychotics.