Welcome to the first of many entries to my blog. As some of you might know, the title “Psych It to Me” is a play on words of one of the signature lines from the late-60s television hit Laugh-In.  Those of you who remember the show, as I do, recall the various cast members and guest stars who uttered the phrase “Sock it to me” at various points during the show’s run (Richard Nixon, Barbara Feldon). Those four words became a part of the day’s culture as did various other expressions from that show. I have learned in my psychiatric practice that words indeed matter whether they are spoken, written, or simply thought.

Some of you might asking, “What’s Laugh-In?” In that case, Wikipedia might be a good place to start, but please don’t be fooled by the title of the blog. This is not for adults only. I have dedicated much of my career in psychiatry to treating children and adolescents, and my hope is that these entries can serve as one of many resources available to help both kids and parents. Please remember, this blog is meant to inform, educate and perhaps entertain. If you need specific medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, please consult your doctor.

In this blog, I look forward to sharing with you my thoughts and experiences about a variety of psychiatric topics that come to mind including ADHD, depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder among others.  Sometimes I might look at diagnosis; other times I might discuss treatment avenues like psychotherapy and medication.

One of the beauties of having a blog is that there is also room to take a glance at events that are going on locally, nationally, and around the globe and explore how those events can impact on our emotional well-being. For example, in the last several months I have heard more about anxiety people are experiencing on a consistent basis more than at any time in my 24 years of practice and that includes the aftermath from 9/11. These are unusual and anxiety-provoking times, and we have all been affected in some way.  It’s not unusual that we could be feeling anxious given the current economic times.

Please don’t be surprised if, at times, I try to take a humorous look at life as well.  When I am not practicing psychiatry, I work as a statistician for announcers at various NFL, college football, college basketball, and hockey games. So, I may bring in sports topics from time-to-time to share some of my personal experiences as well as tie in sports to psychiatric and other daily topics.

Your feedback is always welcome.  After all, psychiatrists are used to giving feedback, but we do so in response to what we hear or sense from our patients. I look forward to your comments and, in the words of Laugh-In‘s Arte Johnson, I hope you find the blog “Verrry interesting.”

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