Author Archive

Interventions to Prevent Psychosis

By drwong
October 6, 2019

The New York Times By Jane E. Brody Sept 2, 2019   An impending psychotic break can be identified and prevented if it is recognized early and appropriate steps are taken to head it off.           Tiffany Martinez was a 17-year-old college freshman when she began hearing voices, seeing shadowy figures and...   read more


When Depression Is Like a Cancer

By drwong
October 6, 2019

The New York Times By Jill Halper, M.D. Sept 26, 2019 Like cancer, depression is a chronic disease that may be cured. But for some patients, both diseases may ultimately prove fatal, even with state-of-the-art care and resources.     Depression is not cancer. It’s a completely different disease. Yet when I look back on...   read more


What Lies in Suicide's Wake

By drwong
September 27, 2019

The New York Times By Peggy Wehmeyer Sept 12, 2019   Along with everything else, I wasn’t prepared for the stigma of becoming a widow this way.           When I lost my husband in 2008, I learned that the shocking cause of his death wasn’t as rare as I had thought....   read more


How to Manage Your Mental Illness at Work

By drwong
September 13, 2019

The New York Times By Eric Ravenscraft Aug 29, 2019   If you suffer from depression, anxiety, PTSD or another mental illness, here are some real-world tips to help you stay happy and healthy at work. I dropped my freshly cooked lunch all over the carpet. It wasn’t the reason I broke down just outside...   read more


Tri-City approves agreement for new behavioral health unit

By drwong
September 7, 2019

The San Diego Union Tribune By Paul Sisson Aug 29, 2019         Deal now requires approval from the County Board of Supervisors Tri-City Medical Center directors unanimously approved a preliminary agreement for a new 16-bed psychiatric unit Thursday night, agreeing in principle to participate in a new system of care focused on...   read more


SDPS Member Richard Rappaport, MD Invited to Participate in Documentary

By drwong
September 2, 2019

Richard G. Rappaport, M.D. is a noted forensic psychiatrist in San Diego who was recently invited to Swansea, Wales, Great Britain to participate in the making of a documentary about serial killers. The documentary made by Monster Film.Net, will portray the life and history of 10 of the most notorious serial killers, only two of...   read more


APA Speaks Out Against Administration Effort to Replace Flores Settlement

By drwong
August 29, 2019

American Psychiatric Association August 23, 2019 APA is speaking out against the Trump administration’s attempt to nullify a longstanding legal settlement that limits the time that migrant children can be kept in detention.  The Department of Homeland Security today issued a rule that seeks to replace the Flores Settlement Agreement, the federal consent decree that has...   read more


America's heartbroken physicians demand action on gun violence

By drwong
August 29, 2019

American Medical Association By Andis Robeznieks August 5, 2019 The AMA is calling for meaningful action to address the public health crisis of firearms violence. Two more horrific episodes shook the country last weekend with mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, that left 31 dead and more than 50 wounded. “The devastating...   read more


Time for Action on Firearm Violence Is Now, Says APA

By drwong
August 29, 2019

American Psychiatric Association Thurs Aug 8, 2019 APA on Wednesday joined six other physician and health professional organizations in calling for action to address the public health epidemic of firearm-related injury and death. “Our nation is in the midst of an epidemic of firearm-related injuries and deaths, and we must treat this as a public...   read more


Give Your Child the Tools to Recognize Sexual Abuse

By drwong
August 8, 2019

The New York Times By Shani Zoldan- Verschleiser July 22, 2019 It seems that every day we open our newspapers, go on social media or watch the news, there’s a horrific new story of child exploitation and abuse. In my role as a counselor and educator who focuses on prevention of child sexual abuse, people often...   read more