Category: World events, a psychological view

VIRTUAL FITTING ROOMS AND DEPRESSION! HUH? by Art Smukler, author & psychiatrist

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

With new technology a person can enter a scanner, like one in an airport, and emerge with a number of definitive recommendations for which clothes will help them steal Brad from Angelina. Keep in mind, the winner gets to watch all the kids every other weekend.

So we have a plan to buy the perfect jeans, but we’re still somewhere in the sixties when we search for the perfect treatment for depression. Not a paltry challenge when you consider that almost 10% of the population suffers from sadness extreme enough to cause them insomnia, decreased concentration, inability to function or even suicidal thoughts. 21 million people in the US alone complain of being depressed.

So can buying the perfectly sized jeans reduce depression? Sometimes. Sometimes just looking better not only reduces depression, but can improve self-esteem and that can improve our personality which can make us more interesting which can then cause people to be more attracted to us which can then lead to more happiness… Ok, you get it.

BUT, what if the new perfectly molded jeans, that make your not so perfectly molded butt look terrific, just don’t reduce your depression?

That’s where all the self-help books that recommend searching within, going for it, and Even Good People Suffer, kick in. If they don’t work, don’t be afraid of seeing a therapist. Most of us are trained to help you figure out what’s really going on.

Gotta stop now, I’m off to the scanner to find the perfect see-through T to show off my six-pack, just like Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte have. OMG, I forgot! I don’t have a six-pack.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Inside the Mind of a Psychiatrist. Do it before Brad and Angelina. It’ll make you feel better.

A BLACK PRESIDENT, A CHINESE FEMALE ASTRONAUT, AND A FEW WHITE GUYS IN THE NBA, by Art Smukler, author & psychiatrist

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

Back in the stone age of the sixties, congress mandated that to get US government subsidies medical schools had to fill 10% of their entering classes with women. That was exactly what my class had, 11 women and 99 men.
Now, the average is about 50% women to men.

Today, China launched its 1st manned space vehicle with 2 men and 1 woman. The world is slowly, like a country governed by a democracy, heading towards a brighter future. Liu Yang , a 33-year-old pilot, is the the star of the mission.

A Chinese spokeswoman said, “Generally speaking, female astronauts have better durability, psychological stability and the ability to deal with loneliness.”

As intelligence and psychological strength take the place of muscle mass and the gonads to kill a wild beast with a club, we all have a much better chance to improve our planet. Who would have thought that we’d have a black president, a woman Secretary of State and even a few white guys in the NBA?

Forget race, nationality and sex. Go for quality! Go crazy, think for yourself and break down the mind-numbing social rules that keep us all captive. It’s even happening in the Middle East!

That’s how psychotherapy works. Among other things, it’s an examination of how the past continues to torture us in the present. Why not apply the concept now? Think about why you do what you do. If it doesn’t make sense, think about it again, and decide what does make sense. Don’t just do something because you were told to do it. Change is scary. It usually entails taking a risk. Blast off and take that risk. Start a new line of thinking. It might spread to your family, your friends and maybe even the world.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Inside the Mind of a Psychiatrist.