Psychiatry
Stigma and taboo
idea
Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in distress
The ‘chemical imbalance’ trope is appealing but dehumanising, and has heightened stigma towards people with mental illness
by Joseph E Davis
The self
idea
The philosophy of selfhood became real when my mother got dementia
My mother’s dementia shook her sense of self, and mine. We can understand ourselves only through embodied connection to others
by Noga Arikha
Anxiety
idea
After many false starts, this might be the true age of anxiety
If anxiety is more common than ever, it’s also more treatable. But excessive nervousness wasn’t always taken so seriously
by Jason Schnittker
Addiction
idea
Mental illness and substance use: genes show a two-way street
Why are smoking, alcohol and cannabis use linked to mental illness? The answer is complex but valuable for mental health
by Jorien Treur
Personality disorders
idea
To understand borderline personality, imagine having no history
For people with an unfairly stigmatised mental health condition, and the rest of us, it’s vital to connect past with present
by Alexander Kriss
Death and dying
idea
Should assisted death be available for intractable mental illness?
As a psychiatrist I am extremely wary of even the most careful provisions of assisted dying for people with mental illness
by Marie Nicolini