Illustration: Jon Han Many psychiatric treatments are iatrogenic, meaning the treatment itself creates new disordered symptoms. Unfortunately, not all physicians are familiar with all side effects of these drugs. This is partially because pharmaceutical companies don't expose all side effects, ... [Continue Reading]
A Theological Interpretation of the Language of Madness
I presented the following paper at the 20th international congress of International Society For Psychological And Social Approaches to Psychosis, in Liverpool , UK, on Sept. 2nd, 2017. Good morning everyone! My name is Elahe Hessamfar. In the paper I am presenting to you today, I ... [Continue Reading]
What Should We Make of Hearing Voices?
I was reading a recently published article in the New Yorker, by Jerome Groopman, about those who hear voices. The article questions why some people hear voices, and when such voices might become a problem. I found the article interesting. The article builds upon the concept of self-talk and the ... [Continue Reading]
Care for Severe Mental Illness— What We Can Learn from Geel
The care of the insane has presented major challenges to Western civilization in the past sixty years. With the advancement of psychopharmacology, the insane have been sent back into communities hoping for an “ordinary” life. But the ordinary life has been challenging and mostly out of their ... [Continue Reading]
It Could Have Been My Daughter
On Monday March 9th, 2015, Robert Olsen, a white police officer in metro Atlanta, shot and killed Anthony Hill, a twenty-seven-year-old unarmed and completely naked black man. It could have been my daughter. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution[1] reports that Officer Olsen responded to reports of ... [Continue Reading]
God is With You Even When You Feel Completely Crushed: Reflections on Psalm 38
I use my time on the cardio exercise machine to read Psalms and Proverbs. It’s a good time to let those eternal, wise, and healing words to penetrate my soul. This morning I found myself reading and re-reading Psalm 38, a Psalm of David, a “Prayer of a suffering Penitent.” I could not move on! I ... [Continue Reading]