The Experts Speak - An Educational Service of the Florida Psychiatric Society

Jerry Williamson MD outlines the causes, stages and dangers of physician burnout. He also speaks to the critical need to intervene, the psychological makeup of many physicians, and ideas about treatment.

Stephan Quentzel, MD, explains the logic and advantage about the new delivery formulation of an MAOI antidepressant. This old class of medications can now be used in a safer manner. He also talks about the history of MAOI, how it works, etc.

Virgina Buki MD, a psychiatrist, outlines the role and need for good communication skills in conflict resolution and therapy. She discusses how to turn complaints into requests, the use of feelings to undo power struggles, how to use a communication model to reduce conflict., etc These are very important and very key social and communication skills.

Phil Heller, PsyD, explains the reasons why people bully. He speaks of the fears generated in those who are bullied, cyberstalking, the internet’s role in bullying, that those who bully seek power, the new diagnosis of callous conduct disorder, of why crowds will watch but not intervene with bullying, etc.

Tom Quinn PhD, describes how chronic or uncontrolled anxiety can become a depression, that anxiety has been known to cause suicide, and of ways to avoid and treat an anxiety that may become a depression.

Robert Heller, EdD, practices clinical hypnosis. He speaks to the nature and use of hypnosis for a wide range of clinical conditions, including chronic pain.

Maxie Gordon, MD, runs an in-patient psychiatric unit at the University of Mississippi Medical School. He explains the admission, work-up and treatment and discharge process, how civil rights are protected, the role of stigma, and the real goal of psychiatric hospitalization.

Phil Heller, PsyD, outlines the nature, styles, motivations, power, and danger of bullying for those who bully and those who are bullied. He also speaks to how bullying can have a more nasty impact now because of the speed and size of the internet. This is part one of a two part interview.

Joy Lee Johnson, PhD, and Kayle Czape, MS, both from the Hussman Institute of Human Genomics in Miami, explain the rapid and intriguing knowledge base about human genetics, its relationship to some diseases, the importance of family genetic history and proper ways to benefit from it, the Genetic Awareness Project, etc.

David Gross MD, a psychiatrist, outlines interesting data that reveals how the teenagers neurologically incomplete brain development explains many behaviors. The brain is not fully developed until the mid or late 20's.

Psychologist Robert Heller explains the nature and forms of RET -- Rational Emotive Therapy, also referred to as Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. He explains the techniques, time course, on what aspects of the problem that gets attention, etc.

Stefan Pasternack MD talks of the unique and often difficult process of the bereavement process following a loss through homicide. Included are discussions of the media, inner city experiences, guilt, denial, and repression and anger.

Christina Pearson, founder of the Trichotillomania Learning Center, offers a through review and explanation of this condition, some of the conceptual ideas behind it, it's frequency, and how it can be treated.

Donald Cavanaugh, with this second interview, further explores the realities of coming out for both teenagers and their families. He looks at the struggles many meet, their reactions, their depression, suicide rates, other emotional and social problems, bullying, etc.

Jimmy Hara MD, from UCLA, explains the nature of radiation, how it spreads and even gets into the food and water chains, potassium iodide, radiation induced cancer, sieverts. and other ill effects it has on life after prolonged or excessive exposure. His comments reflect the public health concerns following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear incident.

Donald Cavanaugh coordinates mental health, anti-bullying, and other interventions for LGBT teens and pre-teens. He speaks to the unique challenges these youngsters commonly face, including their unusually high suicide rate.

Christopher Ticknor MD, outlines the evolving science behind what depression does to the brain. He also explains the why and how-long a person might be asked to take an antidepressant.

William Glazer MD gives an overview of the condition, and talks of the risk factors, how to manage TD when it presents, and some of the research findings that are further characterizing the syndrome.

Andrew Cutler MD explains the process of testing for new psychiatric medications, including the use of scales to follow clinical changes, placebo, and other essential parts to make sure the medication is useful and safe. This is Part 2 of our discussions on clinical research.

Arlene Lakin, Esq., President of Florida's Voice on Developmental Disabilities, and the mother of a severely disabled son, explains the problems facing this group, for both the patients and their families, the changing demographics, the need for proper support and treatment programs and funding, and how a family should approach the challenges of caring for a disabled family member.

Kim House, from the National Deaf Academy in Florida, notes the barriers to the treatment of mental health issues in the deaf, such as the lack of professionals who can communicate with them. She speaks of programs that address these problems, of the nature of sign language, the deaf culture, etc., for this minority within a minority.

Pierre Blier, MD, Director of the Mood Disorders Research Unit at the University of Ottawa, explains the nature of the generic medication and how much they are allowed to differ from the branded medications.

Eugenio Rothe MD. psychiatry professor at Florida International University, outlines the special needs and pressures that can lead to mental health problems in an immigrant child. Many defining terms are explained, as are descriptions of systems that can prevent mental health issues in his group.

James Jacobson MD, a psychiatrist, explains the goals of response and remission in the treatment of depression. He discusses the notions of how long treatment must continue, when medications might need to be changed, the Black Box warning, the importance of proper diagnosis, etc. December 2010

Andrew Cutler MD, a psychiatrist and clinical trial researcher, explains how new medications are found, the four clinical trial phases, how the process is monitored, the difference in placebo requirements, etc. In part 2 he will explain the various testing devices used, in particular for psychiatric studies. December 2010