Funny stuff here: Dear NSA, …If you have any pull with the American Psychiatric Association, could you please recommend to them that the psychological state formerly known as “paranoia” should be no longer defined as a mental illness? Asylums all … Continue reading →
When I was very young I was fascinated by the book The Three Faces of Eve, one of the first accounts of multiple personality. Let’s put aside for a moment whether some skepticism about the disorder is sometimes warranted (it … Continue reading →
Barack Obama has often been called an empty suit, but last night Clint Eastwood visualized him as an empty chair. A lot of people (including me) thought Eastwood would be giving a more conventional speech. But instead he came up … Continue reading →
James Holmes’ psychiatrist Dr. Lynne Fenton warned the university’s threat assessment team that he might be dangerous, and, tragically, nothing was done to stop him—at least, nothing effective: Sources have told KMGH-TV that the threat assessment team never had a … Continue reading →
The definition of autism is about to be narrowed, which may cut the number of people designated as having autism or espcially Asperger’s, and will be likely to reduce the number who will be able to receive benefits because of … Continue reading →
I’ve been asked to comment on Obama’s depression—no, not the economic kind; the psychological kind. Speculation is that the NY Times is about to do a story on the president’s growing gloom and listlessness. So here it is: I haven’t … Continue reading →
Sometimes when murders happen, the neighbors and people in the community who knew the perpetrator beforehand say he’d just been a quiet, nondescript person who’d always minded his own business. Not so Jared Loughner. He was telegraphing signs of distress, … Continue reading →
One of Obama’s most enduring characteristics (one he shares with many on the left) has been his belief in the power of words [emphasis mine]: When the Right, in trying to figure Obama out, says “watch what he does, not … Continue reading →
We’re now hearing about “secondary trauma” as a reason—even a sort of partial excuse—for Hasan’s killing spree at Fort Hood. Here’s the definition: In medical parlance it is known as “secondary trauma”, and it can afflict the families of soldiers … Continue reading →
Last year I wrote about the HBO show “In Treatment”, featuring fictional therapist Dr. Paul Weston, his sessions with patients, his private life, and the hours he spends talking to a supervisor/therapist of his own. It’s not for everyone, that’s … Continue reading →
Long-term psychotherapy, especially of the Freudian type, has gone out of style. Perhaps that’s because we’ve become more impatient these days. Or perhaps it’s due to the fact that psychotherapy seems more an art than a science, and an expensive … Continue reading →
It’s that time again—time for revision of the DSM, the diagnostic bible of therapy. This will be the fifth edition, and although it won’t be out for three more years, the controversies and jockeying for position are intense. For those … Continue reading →