How many times have you heard a psychiatric diagnosis questioned based on the possibility that the behaviors are JUST something else. You know the drill: “C’mon doc, are you sure this ADHD thing isn’t a fancy label for kids who are JUST (insert lazy, bad, spoiled, etc.)?” Another common one is “Can’t a kid JUST be […]
Bath Salts and Designer Drugs an Increasing Problem
Despite recent efforts to clamp down on “bath salts” and other designer drugs, their use (both legal and illegal) continues with many individuals winding up needing emergency treatment. A previous law last December making many of the designer drugs illegal in Vermont was strengthened this month by new federal and state legislation. By slightly changing […]
Tags: bath salts, designer drugs
Physical Punishment Linked to Increased Long-Term Mental Health Disorders
by David Harari (Editor Note – I am very pleased to have one of our UVM medical students, David Harari, contribute this well written piece on an important topic. For those interested in learning more about corporal punishment, however, I suggest not doing an internet search on “spanking.” You were warned – DCR) While it […]
Tags: child abuse, child maltreatment, corporal punishment, spanking
What about Intermittent Explosive Disorder?
Primary care clinicians are becoming increasingly comfortable with diagnoses such as ADHD, OCD, and even depression but what about Intermittent explosive disorder (IED, not to be confused with improvised explosive device)? IED refers to individuals who experience recurrent episodes of aggression that is disproportionate to the precipitating trigger and that the person finds unable to […]
Tags: anger attack, child psychiatry, Intermittent Explosive Disorder
Helping Parents with Preschool Choices – Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Waldorf
Parents have a number of options when it comes to daycare and preschool and can wind up anxious and confused trying to find the “right” one. Primary care clinicians may be asked to weigh in on this important decision but themselves can be unfamiliar with the different approaches now available. To help, here is a […]
Tags: montessori, parenting, reggio emilia, waldorf