I FEEL ASHAMED

A beautiful sunset over the mountains with trees in the foreground.

I feel ashamed to be a male in a world that routinely abuses women in so many ways and with out seeming to recognize how wrong this is. There are the more obviously terrible examples of treating women like objects to use anyway males want…like they are not human when in reality it is the…

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IS ADHD REALLY ABOUT ATTENTION AND DOES IT MATTER?

A field of daisies in the middle of a green pasture.

Today I read something written by Awais Aftab about ADHD being really about “sustained engagement” and not attention. He is a “practicing” psychiatrist who is starting a series called Therapeutic Window with this piece that was published in the New York Times on September 29, 2026. Dr. Aftab refers to some of his patients describing…

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RESIST THINKING [WORRYING] ABOUT THE FUTURE

A waterfall with moss and rocks in the foreground.

Not thinking about the future is very important to our happiness and one of the best ways to keep stress lower. So, how does that work? Well, virtually all the time when we think about the future we are worrying about the future and we tend to do this daily. By worrying every day we…

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PRAZOSIN FOR TREATING PTSD

A field with grass and the sun setting in the background.

Prazosin is an alpha-1 adrenergic receptor antagonist. Prazosin crosses the blood-brain barrier [goes from the body into the brain] and is felt to reduce the fear response associated with increased adrenergic activity that is seen when PTSD symptoms are triggered. Prazosin is prescribed for hypertension [high blood pressure] and is then dispensed three times a…

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DOING THE RIGHT THING

A field of daisies in the sunlight.

I read once that there is evidence that we are born knowing right from wrong. I searched for this evidence recently and found a summary of studies with infants by Christian Jarrett. He referred to a 2010 study by researchers at Yale University[I could not find the reference] with babies as young as 3 months…

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WHO ARE OUR NEIGHBORS?

A rainbow over the top of a hill

Virtually all spiritual groups, including all major religions, support the idea that we are all meant to love our neighbors and that everyone is our neighbor. So why is this considered so important for all of us to follow when it also seems impossible to follow, especially when we are told that we are to…

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HOW COMMON IS PTSD?

A view of the mountains from above with trees in the foreground.

Years ago post traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] was only used for combat veterans. However, it is now considered much more common as it is recognized that a number of different experiences may lead to PTSD. What increases the likelihood that PTSD will develop? So, what is the significance of more people developing PTSD? One thing…

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“CONSCIOUSNESS…OUR HUMANITY BEGINS AND ENDS WITH CONSCIOUS LIFE, CONSCIOUSNESS. IT IS THIS THEN THAT OPENS THE DOOR TO ALL THE REST AND IT IS HOW WE USE ALL THE REST THAT SERVES FINAL JUDGEMENT ON WHETHER THAT CONSCIOUSNESS WAS A GIFT OR A TEST THAT WE HAVE FAILED.”

A rainbow over the top of a hill

The above is a quote from the ending of a series of lectures on consciousness by Daniel N. Robinson, Ph.D. presented by the Great Courses. Over 12 lectures Dr. Robinson carefully laid out the fact that we do not know what consciousness is and yet know how critical it is to who we are as…

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 LOW TSH LEVELS AND RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

A lake with trees and mountains in the background

I HAVE TREATED A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD HYPOTHYROID SYMPTOMS THAT PERSIST EVEN WHEN THEIR TSH LEVELS ARE LOW [< 0.4 mIU/L]. UNDERSTANDABLY, THEIR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS OR ENDOCRINOLOGISTS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, SUCH AS ATRIAL FIBRILLATION, AND STROKE OR FRACTURES AS THESE ARE SYMPTOMS OF HYPERTHYROIDISM THAT COULD BE DIAGNOSED BY…

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