No more pontificating, sermonizing, or self-referencing – I promise… The way I figure it, we have to take the word of these authors at face value. They seemed to have looked critically into the history of the DSM III: The DSM-III’s creation was not the result of a carefully orchestrated conspiracy, but neither was it […]
Somewhere along the way in medical training, I realized that I was being taught a coherent system that had evolved over centuries, and was awed by its clarity. When I saw a patient, I was to use a time honored algorithm to approach the problem of their complaints. I was to gather a complete narrative […]
It’s odd to be around at a time of great change. One often doesn’t know where it’s heading or, sometimes, that it’s even happening. That’s the way 1980 was for me. That was the year that the DSM III came out with its radically changed classification of Mental Disorders. I knew next to nothing about […]
Who would want to argue with the concept of evidence-based medicine? What would one be arguing for? non-evidence based medicine? And if the concept were only a way to remind we physicians of our bond with science and the scientific method as opposed to unproven and unprovable treatments found in other "healing arts" there would […]
I recently revealed my shameful secret – that I don’t own a DSM-IV Manual and am only vaguely aware of what’s in it. Now I’ll extend my unsolicited self revelation. Although I’d heard the term and had some notion of its meaning, until yesterday I didn’t know what SCID [Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders] […]
I realize as I’ve read through the Psychopharmacology literature recently and looked over the Clinical Trials scene that I am developing an unsettling view of people. Drawing it out on paper [above], it looks kind of simplistic. I probably could’ve added Lithium [Li] and anticonvulsants [DPK] to the input; put in a dial for trial […]
The war of words over POGO’s letter to Dr. Francis Collins concerning "ghostwriting" continues [a “quintessential resource”…, roaches…, when charlie met sally…]. Dr. Schatzberg’s lawyer continues to pick at POGO, asking them to withdraw the allegation that Drs. Nemeroff and Schatzberg published a book, Recognition and Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: A Psychopharmacology Handbook for Primary […]
Mandarins dispute Blair’s assertion on Iraq intentions The Independent By Michael Savage 26 January 2011 Tony Blair’s claim that his Cabinet colleagues were fully aware of his determination to deal with Saddam Hussein has been bluntly called into question by devastating testimony from two of his most senior officials. Lord Wilson and Lord Turnbull, who […]
Michele Bachmann’s alternate universeWashington PostBy Dana MilbankJanuary 25, 2011 The president was lofty. "We will move forward together, or not at all – for the challenges we face are bigger than party, and bigger than politics," he said in his State of the Union address. The official Republican response, too, aimed high. "Americans are skeptical […]
This time last year, we were just back from Egypt. Riding around Cairo right before Christmas, we passed something interesting. A group of people standing along the road with placards, heavily contained by riot police. Our guide explained that they were protesting something – I think it had to do with rent control, electric bills, […]