TocDoc

09/16/2022

https://www.tocdoc.life/blog-post

The best su***de safety plan is to not think of su***de as an option but unfortunately some of amongst us are not able to avoid thoughts of su***de. When one is struck with darkness of severe depression, hopelessness creeps in, the emotional pain becomes intolerable and su***de seems like a way out

09/21/2021

Mental Health and The Law

American Healthcare can be very confusing, frustrating and overwhelming to navigate for most people. To that you add the whole spectrum of additional difficulties faced by people who struggle with mental illness, especially severe mental illness that leads to recurrent psychiatric hospitalizations.

03/17/2020

Dear Friends,
I hope all of you are healthy and safe as our world faces extra-ordinary circumstances that have fundamentally altered our way of life (hopefully temporarily).
SOCIAL DISTANCING, a concept so un-therapeutic to my existence as a mental health practitioner, is being prescribed by the Public health experts (and rightfully so) as an absolute necessity to halt the progress of this pandemic. There is a flood of information about the mechanics of this intervention but not so much about the psychology behind it.
The following survey is my humble attempt to understand this phenomenon and provide insights into how we can make it work.
Hence, I am soliciting your help to fill out the following anonymous survey: https://forms.gle/rqJfhLMU1KLafP236.

Thank you and Take care.
Nitin Bhosale, MD

Social distancing is a practice recommended by public health officials to stop or slow down the spread of contagious diseases. It requires the creation of physical space between individuals who may spread certain infectious diseases. This survey is trying to gauge the effects of social distancing on...

03/17/2020

The Antidepressant Diet- Can Diet Cure Depression?

Yes, says Dr. Felice Jacka. She is a Professor at Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Director, Food and Mood Centre. Founder and President, International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research ( http://www.isnpr.org ). As per Dr. Jacka, studies have shown the beneficial effects

05/24/2019

There is quite a buzz in the medical community about "Personalized Medicine" that promises the sorting of effective treatments based on a person's specific genetic makeup. It is now well known that certain genes and their variants can dictate how a particular drug is metabolized by one's b

02/27/2019

WHAT'S IN YOUR POT?

There is a lot of buzz around the benefits and risks of using Cannabis (commonly known as Ma*****na or Pot) for medical treatment. Several states have passed laws allowing the use of Medical Ma*****na for a specified list of debilitating illnesses (http://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/prevention-wellness/medical-cannabis/debilitating-conditions). This can be a double-edged sword in my opinion, since it can promote the legitimate use of ma*****na products for much-needed relief (or at least hope of it) from ailments that have not responded to traditional treatments. But it can mislead patients into equating legalization of ma*****na to approval by the FDA, which indeed is not the case at the current time. It also raises the concern that patients might forgo FDA-approved proven traditional treatments in favor of these treatments. Fortunately, there is enough research being conducted to help the medical community understand the consequences of using cannabis products. Some good news points towards beneficial effects of CBD oil (just one of the 100 cannabinoids present in Ma*****na) for social anxiety and psychosis while there is strong evidence that THC (another cannabinoid) is just bad news (unless you want to get "high" and psychotic). Besides, even CBD oil can lead to changes in the metabolism of other drugs.

Unfortunately, due to lack of manufacturing controls of over-the-counter CBD oil products, there is no guarantee that you are buying authentic stuff. The FDA keeps a running tally of unacceptable products at www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm484109.htm.

According to Consumer Labs, the best-priced oils are available at elixinol.com and bluebirdbotanicals.com.

So here's the advice from TOCDOC:

1) Do your research into non-traditional treatments. Don't believe the hype.

2) Do not forgo traditional FDA-approved therapy in favor of non-traditional treatments.

3) Research the manufacturer of your supplements and choose carefully. Trust thy FDA. I do.

5) Beware of the effects of these supplements on your medications.

Qualifying patients must be diagnosed with a debilitating condition, as defined in the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act, to be eligible for a medical cannabis registry identification card in Illinois. Agitation of Alzheimer’s disease HIV/AIDS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (A...

02/16/2019

How to be resilient when life gets hard

Setbacks- personal and professional, disappointments, failures are as much part of a “normal” life as achievements, happiness, and success. But it seems to so natural for us to react to adverse events more strongly compared to once that make us feel good. Perhaps it's our survival instinct continually monitoring for the negativity in our environment, or maybe it's the inherent transientness of ability of our brains to feel pleasure. Here is an article that discusses how best to cope with difficult times. Thanks, Eric Barker.

So when life is daunting, and we need resilience, keep in mind:

1. Perceive And Believe

2. Manage Your Emotions

3. Be A Quitter

4. Be Delusional

5. Prepare… Even If It’s Too Late For Preparation

6. Stay Busy, Busy, Busy

7. Make It A Game

8. Get Help And Give Help

Check out the original article at

Resilient people acknowledge difficult situations, keep calm and evaluate things rationally so they can make a plan and act.

01/22/2019

The CMS (Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services) administration, passed the final rule that requires all the Hospitals in the country to make their prices (for all services and procedures) available to general public via their websites. And since it’s a law, most hospitals have to abide by it. U...