As a forensic psychiatrist who has evaluated approximately 200 defendants vis-à-vis insanity, it is my experience that it is difficult to explain a psychotic state to a jury. At a recent conference about psychiatry in the digital age, I realized video gamers live in an altered reality while playing video games, analogous to a psychotic…
A common feature is a lack of empathy with victims. Most serial killers (with few exceptions) understand they are committing a crime because they take care not to be caught. Antisocial Personality Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder commonly are present. Sadomasochism is also a common feature. Depending on the shared characteristics of the victims, the serial…
Once liability is established for any tortious act such as those in the caption as well as Wrongful Termination, the issue of damages arises. The damages may be expressed in a number of ways but they generally constitute “emotional distress.” Emotional distress may be measured by the need for psychological treatment or the impact on…
I taught in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine for 15 years as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Orthopedics in my specialty of Psychiatry. My interest and focus of teaching was the emotional impact of chronic pain on patients. At the Back Clinic, I worked with…
Catastrophic Injuries—Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) Post-Traumatic StressDisorders, and similar events—are a significant aspect of my practice. A catastrophic head injury usually involves an element of brain injury. Diverse questions therefore are raised regarding the injured person’s competence to manage funds as well as the need for caregivers, the prognosis, emotional impact/distress (on the individual as…
The mind affects the way the body functions just as the body affects the way the mind functions. Psychosomatic Medicine is the study of this interrelationship. Certain aspects of this field are commonly accepted, such as the role of chronic anxiety on blood pressure; other aspects of it are in dispute or are areas of…
