One in five Americans will receive a psychiatric diagnosis this year. Why isn't mental health care a bigger priority? “’Normal’ people don’t need mental health care.” That’s what we, as a culture, tell ourselves. Mental health care, after all, is for “those people." The homeless guy we drive past on our daily commute, for example, might be someone who needs mental health care--or someone with an addiction, or maybe a dangerous criminal we hear about on the news. When we h

If you're avoiding mental health treatment for fear of losing your job, take heart. You may have more options than you think. Vanessa drifted into my office and folded herself onto the couch. Her tired eyes were fixed firmly on the carpet. "They're going to fire me. I can't sleep. I can't keep up," she muttered. Vanessa said she'd experienced mood issues for years, but had always felt good about her work as a nurse, so she'd never sought treatment. In recent months, her depr

The Texas legislature votes that existing state laws don’t go far enough to protect patients’ access to mental health care. It’s no accident that the Texas capitol building stands about fifteen feet taller than its domed federal counterpart in Washington, DC. In both their buildings and their attitudes, Texans like to stand a little taller, symbolizing their characteristic independence. Texas' rugged individualism has even, at times, led state lawmakers to threaten secession

I know you’re all very busy: I’ll try to be brief. I'm writing to you today about your employees’ health insurance. First, in general, I want to say that you’re doing a great job. Running a successful organization isn't easy, nor is figuring out what’s working, or not, with your employee benefits. All I’m asking is that you hear me out about something important that is overlooked by many leaders. You see, I work in a psychiatry practice. Believe it or not, for the past