How to protect yourself from harm from “therapists”
“While nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer, nothing is more difficult than to understand him.” — Dostoevsky
A therapist or, more appropriately, a psychotherapist, in this case, is a word we never associate with evil. The word evil is reserved for use in the religious realm as is the concept of the Devil (see Elaine Pagels’ “The Origin of Satin” or Bart Ehrman’s “God’s Problem”).
With the popularization of therapy, possibly related to its extolling by the wealthy and famous and availability of health insurance, change has come. Psychiatrists even considered whether or not if “evil” exists…
Why there is such urgency to get kids back in school and the pushback this is receiving from families
The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next. — Abraham Lincoln
The COVID-19 virus is flourishing at breakneck speed into the small towns and states where they thought they were immune. It was a “big city” problem and they were protected until they weren’t.
And with the virus came the danger to work and education as companies sent workers home and schools closed. Then came the unending din of a call to open the schools.
We heard that children would be fine, teachers would be safe, and kids didn’t get…
Will a VO weeks before an election make a difference?
Brad Pitt is an actor whose name causes ears to shoot up whenever he’s mentioned anywhere in the world. He is among the pantheon of film stars who can ensure box office dynamite when his name is above the title and, as a result, he can influence many fans.
The guy with the cowboy hat and the made-for-movies bod (remember “Thelma and Louise?”), Pitt has been involved in many humanitarian causes, but he’s always kept it quiet. When Hurricane Katrina devastated housing in New Orleans, Pitt assembled a planning and construction crew.
His environmentally friendly Make It Right Foundation…
An app may be opening doors to the high-powered film execs who can reveal talent where it would have languished.
I don’t care who you are. When you sit down to write the first page of your screenplay, in your head, you’re also writing your Oscar acceptance speech. — Nora Ephron
Writing a screenplay and you want to get noticed, get a meeting with someone who really matters in this industry? Your prayers may have been answered to some extent, and it’s not how you think.
Anyone who writes, even the most famous writers who went on to incredible fame, has a trunk full of scripts that may never see the light of day. Why? …
You think you’re having a COVID-19 nose swab, but they see billions in profit potential.
There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed. — Mahatma Gandhi
The COVID-19 virus is overtaking the world (a third surge is evident in the US now) and causing death and economic ruin wherever it is found, but not for all. Whenever there’s a disaster, therein lies the seeds for greed for those who see incredible opportunity in the wake of helplessness.
Who among us doesn’t feel helpless in the face of this virus that can kill so quickly despite the age or the social position of the patient?
Medications that heal and keep us healthy also can have psychiatric effects, and therein lies a problem.
Medicine is not only a science; it is also an art. It does not consist of compounding pills and plasters; it deals with the very processes of life, which must be understood before they may be guided. — Paracelsus
Humans are prone to illness and disease; there is no doubt, but how these illnesses are treated is often misunderstood. Patients are thankful that there are medications today that were once mere far-fetched dreams in the minds of scientists. We not only have medicines, but we have medical procedures that save lives. Even here, there is no infallibility.
Teachers struggle to educate our children, yet we not only expect them to teach, too many communities expect them to buy materials for their students. When will this end?
Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students. — Solomon Ortiz
Valuation appears to be everything from the home you live in to the car you buy or the computer you use, or even the watch you wear. What is it worth, and why is it worth that much in the first place? Is it because it’s desirable and lots of other people want the baubles of life that you currently hold fast in your hardworking hands?
Does its cost say you are a worthwhile person? Did you…
The history of shock therapy is shrouded, but the information comes to the fore occasionally when a professional provides an overview. Once again coming into favor, it is time to review the information in current research.
I think, when it comes to psychiatry, that a lot of people are overmedicated. I think when it comes to ECT a lot of people go through too much. I think there’s a lot of guesswork in psychiatry. — Andy Behrman
Ernest Hemingway, the world-famous writer, in 1961, after a long series of mental health treatments, including ECT, either put a shotgun to his head or accidentally killed himself. A similar situation occurred in the death of the musician Kurt Cobain. Cobain had already had mental health issues and possible suicide attempts.
Suicide ran in Hemingway’s family, making one consider…
Not all patients honor the unwritten rule disallowing sex or sexual advances between a healthcare provider and a patient. Handling them is another matter.
Most bad behavior comes from insecurity. — Debra Winger
The consultation room, the examining room, or a private office can all be occasions of unexpected sexual advances by patients. Any healthcare worker who has not given that sufficient thought may be in for a rude awakening as attested to by professionals.
The #MeToo movement isn’t circumscribed solely to women in non-medical employment. Female and male physicians have had to come to terms with unruly patients in this regard. And revealing the encounters to a fellow employee or supervisor doesn’t always work out as planned.
Lawsuits are one of the inevitable…
Girls are not the only ones sexually abused by predators in our midst. The sexual abuse of boys and young men has been hidden for far too long. Victim shame has kept the predators safe. Now it’s time to shine a light on this crime.
All my boyhood, all I ever wanted was to be loved. — Norman Wisdom
A boy, a male infant, or a young man is being sexually abused somewhere in the United States or the world as you sit and read this article. Forget about Emporer Tiberius and his Isle of Capri dalliances with young males. I’m talking about boys sexually abused by men in positions of trust, or power, or even revered by those boys’ families.
According to a 2003 National Institute of Justice report, 3 out of 4 adolescents who have been sexually assaulted were victimized by someone they…
Dr. Patricia Farrell
Dr. Farrell is a psychologist, WebMD consultant, SAG/AFTRA member, author, interested in film, writing & health. Website: http://t.co/VT8mvcAvRz
