Ruminations during studying for tomorrow's Psychiatry exam

[mick_hale]

Since I'm feeling guilty about neglecting my LJ lately, I've decided to post my various thoughts during studying here in one collective post, as opposed to short 420-characters-max updates on Facebook. This way I'm not limited by the 420-character limit, and I get more thought processing (read: steam-blowing) done

Comments

[zevabe]

12:35- 1) this is why psych & med students go around diagnosing their friends. 2) This is why inability to function in the general population is part of the definition.

1:44- Totally counterintuitive, but allegedly it works. So only a problem in misdiagnoses, where the kid is just hyper, then yes, giving them speed is not going to help matters.

4;13- Doesn't the law most places allow for forcible hospitalization of those who are a danger to others and are never going to stop being such a danger?

[mick_hale]

12:35 - 1) It's a terrible habit that I've picked up, I know. I recall one episode of Scrubs where it ends with J.D. saying how he started to think of the people he loves and how the will die. Can't find the clip, since I haven't got a clue which episode it was. 2) I know that. But that doesn't mean that it can't get distorted. The problem with subjective diagnostic criteria is that you can have a consensus of 100 of the world's best psychiatrists and it still won't mean a thing until you can actually prove it. It's a problem with psychiatry in general

[zevabe]

I think my wife mentioned the Scrubs episode. It is slightly diff from diagnosing them with personality disorders

[arib]

Lamictal has the same side effect as Risperidone, IIRC. I worked at McLean for a year, and this poor 15 year-old girl on Lamictal had to get nursing pads. Ridiculous delusions aside, that's tough on a kid that age.

She had PANDAS. Not the cuddly bear, but this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PANDAS

[mick_hale]

The lactation thing is normally more of an anti-psychotic thing. I've never heard of that problem with any anti-convulsant, but I suppose it's possible as Lamictal can cause some hormone disruption in women.

My biggest complain with Risperidone is that I gained 50 lbs in one summer while on it, and my knees have been completely wrecked ever since. That's also tough on a kid at 16. Tachlis, the side effects of so many psychiatric drugs are devastating on the individual, and yet it's still better than the same individual jumping off a building.

(Completely unrelated: browsing through Rena's Picasa album instead of studying. She looks good on you guys.)