Psychiatry

Until recently, I was skeptical of how effective AA was as a treatment for alcohol abstinence. The reason for my skepticism was not anecdotal or based on preconceived beliefs; it was the evidence we had and what I knew from the available studies. The consensus was if it worked for you and you could stick […]

I lost my dad a couple of years ago to bladder cancer at age 86, but the truth is, he had already been quietly slipping away from us for several years into the twilight of Alzheimer’s Disease. More recently, I have watched my friend Sheri struggle with the challenges of being a full-time caregiver for […]

I just heard. A colleague, a man of integrity and warmth, a hard-working physician with ideals, ethics and many valued contributions, has taken his own life. His perspectives may have differed from mine at times, but every interaction was infused with respect. He was a good man. Much has been written about the rate of […]

I am angry. Perhaps, you are too. As a physician, it is heart-wrenching to watch people unnecessarily die from gun violence. As a mom, it strikes fear in my heart to know that our nation’s children are not safe in our schools. I vividly remember being a resident on call in the ICU when I […]

by Dr. Atashi Mandal MD He sat on the gurney, with averted eyes and contorted posture, as to avoid my encroaching examination. The usual jargon populated my assessment: psychomotor retardation, flat affect, poor vocalization… I glanced at his intake form and noted that he had been admitted to the emergency treatment unit for suicidal ideation, […]

by Anna Arroyo Plasencia, MD, SFHM You have probably already seen SHM’s Action Alert, Crisis in the Mental Health System.  I would have missed this item if a colleague hadn’t mentioned it, though, this could not have come at a better time. America’s mental health system is broken! As hospitalists, we are constantly asked to […]