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…

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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…

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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…

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Malingering may occur for many reasons, usually involving self-preservation, but in a forensic context it occurs as an attempt to obtain money, or other reward, by lying. The essential characteristic of malingering is a person’s knowledge that a claim is not true; nevertheless the claim is asserted strongly or with a great deal of attention-getting…

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False memory syndrome may occur in a variety of settings, many of which end up in litigation. The litigation may be either civil or criminal. The false memory itself usually occurs during psychotherapy when the therapist suggests to patient that a particular event might have occurred or must have occurred, based upon the patient’s emotional…

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There are a disproportionate number of litigants who have Borderline Personality Disorders than exist in the overall population, due to the nature of their behavioral traits. Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) commonly have associated personality disorders such as antisocial personality disorders, which make them more likely to come to the attention of the criminal…

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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is sometimes manifested in mental injuries, changes in behavior, changes in mental functioning, impairments in judgment including the ability to change or make a Will or Trust, enter into a contract or practice a profession. It is interesting to note that Board-Certification in Psychiatry is by the American Board of Psychiatry…

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder arising as a result of an emotionally overwhelming experience. In litigation, a forensic psychiatrist is the Expert Witness best trained in making an accurate diagnosis of PTSD, a medical condition. Psychiatrists recognize PTSD in individuals who have suffered a variety of kinds of trauma. The symptom complex…

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