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Last Weekend I Went to New York City
Last weekend I went to New York City. I always stay across from the World Trade Towers, and always feel a little sad and bewildered at the gravity of what occurred. There, amidst the life and movement rests the two large ever-flowing pools that memorialize the people lost, even as the two new buildings grow ...
The influence of and on epigenetics
On a daily basis I am astonished by the resilience of the kids at CASTLE. One remarkable story follows another. Some kids are ready for sobriety, others are in a pre-contemplative state. One boy overdosed on heroin and needed Narcan to live. But in his current state of denial he has tried to convince himself ...
What’s a safe age to let kids drink?
I was recently asked at what age is it safe for a parent to offer their teenager alcohol? The question was innocent enough, from a parent who believed that if they were the one to introduce their kid to drinking, at least it could be in a controlled setting. My answer: there is no safe ...
Battlestar Galactica and Stress
I started watching the old series Battlestar Galactica. After creating a population of robotic workers, those same machines rose up and attacked their makers. A brutal war ensued, but eventually the robots left the planet, only to return in a surprise attack 40 years later. The last bastion of human kind is left to fight ...
Signs of a Substance Abuser: A to Z
Treating drug and alcohol abuse cannot be done by one person alone. At CASTLE I am joined by nurses and social workers, recovery specialists, people with different degrees of training, but all with the shared vision of helping our kids find ways to stay clean and sober. But if a kid does not progress to ...
Four way stop signs
Everyday on my way to work I arrive at a four way stop sign. No traffic light, just an intersection at a busy road with four stop signs. I am always amazed at the unspoken rules that fluidly come into play. All cars stop, and the one perceived to have arrived first gets to go. ...
Squirrel and Stress
As I was fueling myself for the day I saw out my window a squirrel already hard at work. The rapid movement caught my attention, and I noticed the squirrel was deftly bouncing from branch to branch vertically up a pine tree. In its mouth were held what appeared to be a random bunch of ...
Love
Unrequited love does hurt, as we all know from experience. It has generated some of the most creative pieces of art and literature, or can devastate ones entire life, resulting in deep and ruminative anger. With drugs and alcohol in particular, an insidious trap can occur. Many people use substances to avoid feelings, getting an ...
I Never Stopped Loving You
As a psychiatrist I am always interested in how my adolescent and teen patients say goodbye to their parents after being admitted into our residential programs. Subsequent to their arrival, we will schedule a speakerphone conversation with their parent(s). Some kids readily say I love you as they say their goodbyes. Others do not. The same ...
Much Appreciated
Mr. B. believed he had made billions of dollars creating an entertainment park in Saudi Arabia. With the money he had bought the hospital where he now resided on the inpatient psychiatric unit. He was very distressed that we had dismantled his stem-cell research lab in the hospital cafeteria, and routinely reported to me how ...
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Last Weekend I Went to New York City
Last weekend I went to New York City. I always stay across from the World Trade Towers, and always feel a little sad and bewildered at the gravity of what occurred. There, amidst the life and movement rests the two large ever-flowing pools...
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The influence of and on epigenetics
On a daily basis I am astonished by the resilience of the kids at CASTLE. One remarkable story follows another. Some kids are ready for sobriety, others are in a pre-contemplative state. One boy overdosed on heroin and needed Narcan to live. But in...
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What's a safe age to let kids drink?
I was recently asked at what age is it safe for a parent to offer their teenager alcohol? The question was innocent enough, from a parent who believed that if they were the one to introduce their kid to drinking, at least it could be in...
Dr. Joe Shrand