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The Imax Approach Part 2
I believe people are always doing the best they can at any moment in time. I call this your Imax, your current maximum potential. I propose that no one chooses to do worse than their Imax. You are always doing the best you can. This does not mean that your current Imax is the best […]
The Imax Approach Part 1
Is addiction a disease? Do the kids I work with at CASTLE have a pathological response to drugs and alcohol? The disease model of addiction is compelling, and has served its purpose in bringing needed attention of healthcare professions and legislators. My concern about the model is that it continues to stigmatize my patients, and […]
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 […]
Medical Marijuana Misleads Kids Into Thinking It’s Safe
I was at a meeting for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Canadian Academy of child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Toronto today, and went to the open meeting of the Committee on Substance Abuse and Addiction. A lively discussion ensued about “Medical Marijuana”. While there are many people who feel MJ […]
Paris
The vast majority of the time I get to report the amazing successes of our kids. Heroic, valiant, they struggle with their addictions, determined to survive. This young woman was no different. Her peers at CASTLE say she was one of the most determined to be sober. She would chide the kids less committed to […]
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 […]
Socialize Much?
Manage Your Stress (from Psychology Today)
- No Way Did I Want to Die May 22, 2015
- Is Addiction a Disease? Part 2 February 2, 2015
- Is Addiction a Disease? January 23, 2015
- Kids and Bullying: 5 Things to Talk About January 20, 2015
- Not Just an Addict January 5, 2015
RECENT FROM THE BLOG
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The I-M Story
Let me flash-back to 1982. I had graduated from Sarah Lawrence College two years earlier in 1980 with a BA in Liberal Arts. But in 1982, I decided I wanted to be a physician, and enrolled in the Columbia School of General Studies while continuing...
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Are Impulsive Kids Actually Trusting Kids?
I read an intriguing article today by Kurth and Haussmann, two researchers of ADHD out of Colorado. They are interested in isolating specific risk factors that may account for the dramatic increase in ADHD over the last several decades. The...
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In the context of pruning and the "use it or lose it" model, addiction is like a pathway. It may start out as a mere amble through the woods, a poorly defined trail, but can end up like a super highway with few exits. Drugs are the vehicles that drive that road, and every new...
Dr. Joe Shrand