Tag: Psycho-Pharmacology


The “Forumula” for Happiness Might Not Be a Literal “Formula” – But Don’t Tell Neuroscientists

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to the APA Annual Conference in Washington, DC, there will be no post on Friday, August 8, 2014. The New Existentialists will resume its regular posting schedule on Monday, August 11, 2014. Thank you for your understanding. This week in hubristic neuroscience: *  Researchers at the University College, London, say that they… Read more »

Existential Roundup

Welcome to the Existential Roundup, where we bring you links to some articles currently trending that may be of interest to those in the existential-humanistic psychology community. As this weekend is Memorial Day, it seemed appropriate to think about those who have experienced great traumas, and have often been labelled, for better or worse, with… Read more »

Existential Roundup

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Welcome to the Existential Roundup, where we bring you links to some articles currently trending that may be of interest to those in the existential-humanistic psychology community. As we note that it has been almost one year since the DSM 5 has hit the bookshelves in spite of its plethora of flaws, we can also… Read more »

Not drugs, not parents, not rigid rules – evidence shows there’s no substitute for self-knowledge and a sense of purpose

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We call them “helicopter parents,” “tiger moms,” “hoverers,” … we say they’re over-involved.  But for modern parents of means, the impulse to do anything to protect and advance their children is irresistible.  And … come on … who can’t sympathize with that? The result, however, has been a seismic shift in the acceptable handling of… Read more »

Innocent Dangers: Simply Asking the Questions

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Photo Illustration by Eadweard Muybridge. “Has your child been evaluated for ADHD?” Many variations of this seemingly innocent question often serve as the beginning of a dangerous progression. Quite often, teachers, childcare workers, and even physicians untrained in understanding and diagnosing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ask this question to parents. However, frequently this question… Read more »

The –Mental Illness” Paradigm: Itself an –Illness” That Is Out of Control

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For those of you who haven’t read this recent story in The New York Times,  I highly recommend it. It is essentially a woman’s (Linda Logan’s) rich and moving autobiographical account of her struggle with “bipolar disorder.” The main message that I imagine most people will take away from this story is that the current… Read more »

Our Gradually Lowering Standards for Human Interaction

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This is your therapist … without a therapist Computers have never passed the Turing Test, but plucky start-ups say software is ready to replace therapists anyway. That’s according to a recent article in The Atlantic highlighting “The Digital Future of Mental Health” –  which doesn’t sound like an overhyped tech-trends piece by a documentarian pushing… Read more »

Eugenics and Psychiatry: A Brief Overview of the History

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1921 map indicating states with sterilization laws. In my casual observations in conversation with colleagues, I find that very few mental health professionals are aware of the historical link between psychiatry and eugenics. I was not aware of this history until relatively recently, when I read Robert Whitaker’s groundbreaking and brilliant text, Mad in America…. Read more »

Must read: Paula J. Caplan says the DSM has always done more harm than good

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More harm than good Writing in the Washington Post, Paula Caplan recalls the story of a mother who had been labled bi-polar and put on psychiatric medication – when in fact her problems were more mundane. She was a new mother; she was sleep deprived; she was working full-time and caring for her dying grandmother…. Read more »