The game changer for 2017 in psychiatry was not ketamine, psychedelics, or rTMS–although these were excited developments, too–it was a new diagnosis, forwarded strongly by the US (the San Diego group to be exact): MIXED DEPRESSION. The net effect was to remarkably expand the Mood Spectrum, tease out another mimic of depression, and expertly guide […]
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I have long been interested in alternatives to drugs for depression. Psychotherapy is an obvious choice but cost and availability are such a barrier for many of my clients. No doubt, they seek something beyond my prescription; I just wish there were more choices. When I followed this link, discovered in a reputable journal’s eTOC–Medscape […]
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I was in a roundtable discussion with some fellow psychiatrists debating the connection between cannabis and schizophrenia. There are as many opinions on the subject as there are shades of grey. As with most scientific endeavors, the investigation into the putative link between cannabis and psychosis is one of slow progress, setbacks, and breakthroughs. This […]
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I thought it quite important to share this email. It really makes the opiate epidemic take on a new shape: depression, unrecognized, is being treated with opiates in the majority of cases of chronic opiate use. That’s how I read it. How about you? Joris NB. I am allowed to forward this email […]
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I wanted to quickly update the readers about Bounce Back, an eight year old program put on by the Province attempting to extend mental health care in BC. They recognized the gap in services, listened to the growing evidence for effective CBT online (equal outcomes to in-person), and grew their website and phone-based delivery service. […]
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It hit me today: current psychiatry diagnostics is “brain-less” and empirical. An analogy between diseases of the heart and diseases of the mind will forward my argument: Cardiac chest pain is not a disease of the heart, nor is depression a disease of the mind; both are just symptoms. [def. Disease: a disorder of structure […]
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I have been thinking about an article I read and blogged on a month ago: 21st Century Psychiatry needs to embrace technology. Fine. I’d like to proceed. Let’s start with apps. Apps on smartphones are personal advisors; I can think of no better opportunity to embed psychotherapy into the daily lives of my clients. Vetting apps, […]
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This year a diet book was published that finally making sense. Dr. David Ludwig takes a middle-of-the-road, scientifically sound, nuts and bolts approach to the obesity epidemic in our world: It’s all about the fat cell. An endocrinologist (hormone doctor) by trade, he sees “calories in-calories out” as an outmoded 19th Century idea; he prefers […]
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I am compiling some recognized, reputable, free or affordable, evidence-based Internet-based programs that individuals can use to get treatment for mental health without seeking out a therapist, which may be a scarce resource in their local community–or, may be an unaffordable option. These sites are worth visiting, and by the way, I have no personal, […]
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I found this brief article quite reassuring that the psychiatric community is slowly beginning to embrace nutraceutical approaches to the treatment of depression. I was astonished to read that a trial of Magnesium was equal to Imipramine (although at a low dose). In this new world of client-directed medicine, wise use of lifestyle modifications can […]
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Dr. Joris Wiggers