Forced treatment isn’t the answer

In America, whether it comes to tackling crime, or the most severe mental illness, there’s a popular sentiment that says the best solution is to “lock ‘em up and throw away the keys.” That’s part of the reason this country has a higher incarceration rate than any other. A knee-jerk response to the Newtown massacre is likely to be a push to reduce legal obstacles to involuntary treatment.

Medicated America

By Paul Woodward Adam Lanza couldn’t have killed twenty children without access to lethal weapons. But the rage that led to a massacre might never have been triggered without access to lethal drugs. As the British psychiatrist Dr. David Healy has said: “psychotropic drugs of pretty well any group can trigger violence up to and including homicide.” Alongside the emerging debate on gun control in America, another conversation on mental health is also unfolding. Unfortunately, much of the latter conversation is poorly informed and based on false assumptions, namely that the primary weakness in the mental health system is lack of universal access, and that when mental health care is available, it is effective.

Coconut lemon chicken #foodie friday

This recipe was inspired by a recipe a friend emailed to me. It's right here. The blog it comes from suggests several possible variations. Generally when I get an idea I look up on google and enter the main ingredients of a dish and then I look at 4 or 5 or 6 recipes to... Continue Reading →

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