Author: artsmuklermd

Art Smukler, MD was born and raised in Philadelphia, went to college and medical school in Pennsylvania, and completed his psychiatric training at UCLA. He is a board-certified psychiatrist, specializing in the treatment of adults with a subspecialty in adolescents. As a member of the UCLA faculty, he ran an award-winning psychotherapy conference for psychiatric residents and received the coveted “Golden Ear” award. He has published in psychiatric journals, and won the award for excellence in creative writing at The Santa Barbara Writers Conference. Now a full-time author, he applies his deep understanding of the human psyche to the motivations of his fictional characters.

THE DONALD STERLING, NBA CIRCUS, A CHANCE FOR FANTASIES TO RUN WILD, by Art Smukler, author & psychiatrist

by artsmuklermd, posted in Psychiatry, Self Examination, World events, a psychological view

I can’t help but give my two psychiatric cents regarding the drama between Donald Sterling and the NBA.

Donald Sterling made private racist comments to his friend V. Stiviano that became public. The NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, heard the racist comments and started the process to fine Sterling 2 1/2 million dollars, ban him from the NBA for life and force the sale of the Clippers. Sterling’s wife Shelly, played point guard, in conducting the sale. The suitors, all very, very rich gave their pitches and the winner was Steve Ballmer, former Microsoft CEO who offered 2 Billion dollars. Just to put that 2000 million dollars in perspective — the total amount wagered when California Chrome ran in the Belmont Stakes was a mere 97 million.

So it’s all set, right? Steve Ballmer rewards the Sterlings with 2 Billion dollars (1500 million more than the highest price ever paid for an NBA team).

Wrong! Donald Sterling changes his mind. He feels his constitutional rights have been violated and he is now suing the NBA for a billion dollars and refusing to sell the team.

So why should a psychiatrist care one way or the other about all this drama?

I agree with Mark Cuban, a billionaire NBA owner and entrepreneur. He didn’t much like or agree with Donald Sterling’s racist comments, but felt that invading private thoughts and feelings and punishing them is wrong. If given the right to vote, he would have voted against taking the team away from Donald Sterling.

In psychotherapy, the basis of treatment is the ability to say and experience all sorts of feelings. No editing allowed! Anger. Hate. Love. Venom. Lust. All feelings are allowed. Acting on the feelings is not allowed! Without a safe harbor the process of psychotherapy can’t work.

Donald Sterling wasn’t in therapy, at least not with me, but he did make his racist comments in private.

Here’s my fantasy of the ultimate payoff.

Steve Ballmer immediately withdraws his offer. Players refuse to play for the Clippers. Fans refuse to pay one cent to fill the Sterlings pockets and the seats at Staples go empty on game day, and the Sterlings lose hundreds of millions of dollars in a protracted lawsuit with the NBA.

Donald Sterling can have all the private thoughts he wants. We just shouldn’t give him our money or our respect.

If he wants to make amends, let him donate a billion dollars to the LA school district.

Art Smukler is the award-winning writer of Chasing Backwards, a psychological murder mystery, Skin Dance, a mystery, and The Man with a Microphone in his Ear. All are available as paperbacks and eBooks.

“LOOKIN’ COOL, BUT A FOOL…” THE MYSTERY OF MENTAL ILLNESS, by Art Smukler, author & psychiatrist

by artsmuklermd, posted in Psychiatry, Self Examination, World events, a psychological view, Writing

I looked in the mirror and nodded. Yeah, I really liked my jacket and wool cap. It was chilly this morning, but with the new additions to my wardrobe, I’d be warm and look good.

Minutes later, I was browsing the window of Barnes & Noble when a homeless man, pushing his cart filled with all his possessions shoved into plastic bags, announced loudly, “Lookin’ cool, but a fool”.

Shocked, I stepped away from the window and watched as the man shuffled past. “Jesus”, he was talking about me! I glanced at my reflection in the store window and shuddered. How did he know? I was feeling so full of myself this morning, and the old guy picked right up on it. It was brilliant.

It’s uncanny how some untreated schizophrenics have the intuitive skill to read our minds. Like a psychiatrist uses his “third ear” to pick up hidden nuances in psychotherapy, the schizophrenic can be even more acutely in tune to another’s inner workings.

To me it is absolutely amazing and mysterious. Sadly or happily or whatever one’s perspective, when treatment is successful, the magic fades — as do the voices and paranoid ideas.

Before they’re treated, how do psychotic people do it?

Probably being paranoid, with all senses on alert, allows the primitive, reptilian part of the brain to pick up and decipher the hidden thoughts of all potential attackers. The biochemicals in the brain align just so and magic happens.

I loved my first year of psychiatric residency when I was surrounded by untreated schizophrenics. I loved the mystery and the magic. I loved all aspects of how the mind works.

I still do…

Like mysteries and magic? Check out Chasing Backwards, a psychological mystery, Skin Dance, a mystery, and The Man with a Microphone in his Ear.

Dr. Smukler has won the prestigious Golden Ear Award for excellence in teaching at Harbor-UCLA Medical center and excellence in writing fiction at The Santa Barbara Writers Conference.

All books are available as ebooks and paperbacks. You can find them at amazon.com/author/arthursmukler or https://artsmuklermd.com/