Mad in America

MARCH 30, 2024

I knew in October of 2018 that Matt was in trouble during a phone call, when he told me in a cheerful voice that he had been to the ER for “mental health reasons” but was “fine.” In October 2019, during Matt’s move to a new apartment, I observed that Matt was emotionally paralyzed, unable to pack from lack of sleep.

Sleep and mental health 120

Sleep and mental health Bipolar disorder Trauma and the brain Aging and mental health 120

Mad in America

JULY 19, 2024

It’s about learning to self-regulate, so that, if and when mental storms pass through, they no longer require such harsh societal intervention. I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1998. That lengthiest hospitalization occurred just prior to the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004, which killed 230,000 people.

Hospitality 120

Hospitality Self-awareness Sleep and mental health Bipolar disorder 120

Mad in America

JANUARY 9, 2024

T here is a core concept shaping the ‘market’ in health, the concept of an assay, that few doctors or patients understand. This idea went nowhere, until a birth defect crisis triggered by thalidomide, a sleeping pill, struck. Drugs like mirtazapine improve appetite and sleep; this is a tonic effect. Just the opposite.

Sleep and mental health 136

Sleep and mental health Legal Healthcare Pharmaceuticals 136

Mad in America

JANUARY 4, 2025

As such, the scandal now serves as a historical verdict on the ethics of American psychiatry, and by extension, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). This ongoing failure can be traced back to the publication of DSM-III in 1980, when American psychiatry adopted a disease model for categorizing and treating mental disorders.

Pharmaceuticals 145

Pharmaceuticals Neurotransmitters and mental health Sleep and mental health Aging and mental health 145