Carl Fisher, M.D, psychiatrist at Columbia University, argues that ‘disease’ is the wrong concept as he outlines the urge leading to addictive behaviors, that it oversimplifies, what is the place of free will, the three broad reasons fostering addictions, various social mitigators, long term outcomes, and his own recovery from alcoholism. Posted also with the Palm Beach Medical Society Opiate Task Force.

Might Addiction Not Be A Disease?

Listen to 15-20 minute long interviews of experts on various topics related to mental and general health. The topics will be continuously expanded. The interviews are designed for both professionals and non-professionals. Topics range from climate change issues and the basis of new medication research, COVID-19 issues, the effect of media on girls's self-images, discussions of violence, same-sex marriages, pollution, bullying, divorce, OCD, addictions, borderline personality disorders, mental health issues in the deaf, hallucinations, obesity, addiction in physicians, TMS, depressions, anxiety and stress, hypnosis, bullying, emotional and sexual abuse, MAOI, domestic violence, IBS, self-cutting, medication and children, eating disorders, medication metabolism, pharmacogenomics, forensic issues, dementia, suicide psychiatric treatment, love, care-giving youth, teenage LGBT issues, stuttering, play, PTSD, medication side effects, the effect of war violence on children, and so on.  Please note that any opinion or position expressed in these interviews is not necessarily that of the host or of the Florida Psychiatric Society. Any individual treatment decision must be the product of a proper doctor-patient interaction. Likewise, new or additional information on each topic may have developed since the time the interviews occurred. Consult your physician for such possible changes. Additional production funding support comes from the Wellington Retreat,  Florida. Knowledge has the power to understand and improve ourselves.

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Fitness & Nutrition

In 1937, NBC aired this episode of the radio series ‘The World Is Yours.’ It is a theatrical style reporting of the history of several medicines. Interesting, educational, and an easy review of medical discovery and treatment. A lighter listening episode than our usual variety. Posted here February 2024.

Drugs and Medicine -  An Interesting 1937 Broadcast.

Chris Pizzute is a music therapist at the Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy Center at the NY City Beth Israel and Mt. Sinai Hospitals. He explains the history and then the powerful roles, styles, and designs of music therapy. Entertainment and music psychotherapy both use music but in different contexts, of cultural inputs, how to help navigate through events and emotions, the ‘song of kin’ function (music we grew up and connect with), video game music, asking about one’s link to music, etc. Music takes us to places deeper than our conscious memory. Music is transcending yet weighty.

When Music Is Used As Therapy.

Connie Siskowski, R.N., Ph.D., and a  CNN Hero award recipient, works to help the millions of children who go home to be essential caregivers, and who therefore have special caring needs, miss a lot of normal adolescence, and so absolutely require help and acknowledgement. She started the American Association of  Caregiving Youth to face this task. The efforts include integration with local schools, of social workers that go into the homes, getting  laws to address the funding needs, that some states can remove and place the caregiving children into foster care, etc. But in particular is the focus to help these children not to feel alone, frustrated, etc. This is too quiet a reality for many children.

Too Many Children Are Unseen Caregivers.

Ivan Cichowitz, M.D., explains the FDA approved VNS science to treat depression. He outlines the history, process, and theory, that it is used very often with medications, its increasing insurance coverage, how to know when and if it should become a treatment option, etc. VNS is a strong additional utensil in the treatment of resistant depressions. Learn and ask about this very promising mechanism.

A New Tool -- Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS) For Depression.

Todd Sack, M.D., without hesitancy, speaks to the needed but daunting challenge of changing individual CO2 footprints, age and generational differences, real and specific ideas on what to do that do require self-discipline and commitment, that ‘green’ can save money, the critical ‘ballot box climate change’, that positive undertakings and adjustments are occurring but perhaps not fast enough, to make it a non-partisan opportunity because we all live on the planet, of resiliency, etc.

Might Addiction Not Be A Disease?

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