Name-calling.
Let me start by saying that it actually doesn’t happen that often. The yelling and screaming usually comes from men who aren’t under my care. It often happens when I’m talking with my patients or when...
View ArticleBorder Crossing.
When we crossed back into the US yesterday, this is how the conversation went with the border officer: Husband hands officer three US passports. US BORDER OFFICER: So there’s three of you, huh?...
View ArticleRecent Readings.
Things I have recently read (with commentary on only one piece): The Stranger Beside Me I have a longstanding interest in serial killers because I have no understanding why they murder people. My hope...
View ArticleTeaching Moment.
The Chief of Service ushered me into the room, but said nothing. His staff of fifteen looked at the Chief with expectation and, upon realizing that he was looking at me and probably wasn’t go to say...
View ArticlePay It Forward.
Prior to starting medical school, I had no desire to work as a psychiatrist. I had a plan: I’d become an infectious disease physician1 or an oncologist. During my psychiatry rotation as a medical...
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Full Moons and Lunacy.
Now that the supermoon has passed, here’s a reminder that there is scant evidence that full moons are associated with erratic, violent, or unusual behavior. Dr. Chudler offers a brief summary of...
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Jail Costs versus Hospital Costs.
We received the State of Washington Voters’ Pamphlet in the mail today. One of the initiatives, I-1401, concerns “trafficking of animal species threatened with extinction”. Have no fear: This post is...
View ArticleReflections on Psychiatry.
A medical student named Anthony sent me an e-mail and asked: Are [the items listed below] things that have nagged at you during your training or as a psychiatrist now? How do you deal with the...
View Article10,000 Windows.
“I think I can see 10,000 windows,” my dad said as we looked out of his apartment. On the other side of the glass was a view of downtown Seattle. “10,000?” I did not mask the incredulity in my voice....
View ArticleInteresting Internet Items Over the Past Week.
I try to read more books instead of stuff on the internet.1 I recently finished (and recommend with enthusiasm) One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch, which is both depressing and amusing. I put it...
View ArticleFoundations.
I never did follow up here on the talk I gave to attorneys about “Psychiatry 101″. Teaching the foundations of any subject is both challenging and rewarding. It is also an excellent way to remind...
View ArticleThe Value of Psychiatrists.
While slogging through a crappy first draft of a document about the value of psychiatrists in mental health and substance use disorder services, I did a literature search for supporting evidence. I...
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Thanksgiving.
As my father and I came out of the clearing and saw the shore, he exclaimed, “Wow—it’s so pretty!” We started walking more slowly. The air was cold on our faces, but the sun warmed our backs. He...
View ArticleWhat is the Question?
I can think of only two times in my life where I received formal instruction on how to ask questions.1 The first instance was when my parents taught me how to order food in a restaurant. They told me...
View ArticleMore About Questions.
Last week I riffed on the importance of “what is the question”. This week I will riff on a related topic: “How will the answer affect what you do next?” If the answer to your question won’t change what...
View ArticleRepost: Control.
I wrote the post below over ten years ago during my last year of medical school. I was on an elective hospice rotation. This came to mind this weekend after I visited a mentor who is dying from cancer....
View ArticleYear in (partial) Review.
One of my goals in 2015 was to post something here at least once a week, for a total of 52 entries. Including this one, I posted 48 entries this year. (I did not have a similar goal in 2014 and, as a...
View ArticleGuns, Mental Illness, and Background Checks.
To my knowledge, I’ve only had one “long-term” patient attempt suicide with a gun. 1 This Person Who Attempted Suicide with a Gun did not show up for an appointment one day. For reasons I could not...
View ArticleContent for Consumption.
My father, a man approaching 70 years of age, told me about his recent explorations in pop music. This included an extended analysis of Macklemore’s Can’t Hold Us and commentary about why youth in...
View ArticleRacial Slurs and Hurt Feelings.
You could feel the air rushing out of her lungs and into your face if she was screaming at you. “STOP CALLING ME A WHORE! I AM NOT A WHORE, YOU DIRTY N-GGER!” No one, in fact, was calling her a whore....
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