By Walter Rush
In the aftermath of the Newtown CT tragedy, we seem to be so busy trying to protect ourselves that we have forgotten about the people who are sick. Rather than trying to understand those among us who suffer from or will develop a mental illness, we are moving swiftly to take away rights.
We will achieve more if we can adopt an empathic and compassionate understanding of people with mental illness in order to help them and, in so doing, to help us all.
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By Erik Roskes
In many cases, waiting is the most appropriate intervention. While patients often view this as “doing nothing,” in fact it is a form of active observation that in many cases is the best initial option. At times, the illness is self-limited; in other cases, such as my relative’s earache, waiting is necessary to make the correct diagnosis.
People, especially those who are suffering, often do not want to wait, to study, to think about what interventions should be implemented based on a full understanding of a problem.
This is my response to the urgency in the wake of Newtown.
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By Liz Ryan
As our national leaders consider their response to the Newtown tragedy, they should focus on five principles: Safe Schools; Mental Health; Prevention; Intervention; and Healing.
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By Erik Roskes
Two recent events have led me down an unusual path in my thinking.
First, I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to read The Stranger, often considered to be Albert Camus’ masterpiece of Absurdism. This brief book—easily read in two or three hours—is viewed as Camus’ explanation of the meaningless of life.
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By Erik Roskes
The Higgs particle is required by the “Standard Model” of physics, as it provides all other particles with their mass. Without it, the Standard Model predicts that there would be no stars, no planets, no people. So confirming its existence was imperative in a fuller scientific understanding of the world. Is there a Higgs of mental health?
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By Erik Roskes
During this holiday season, I thought I would take a break from my usual criticisms to point out how well things can go when people simply refuse to give up and accept the “inevitable.”
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By Erik Roskes
By Erik Roskes
By Mansfield Frazier
