Psychiatry Comes to the Small Screen
When TV was in its infancy, it was referred to as "the small screen" as opposed to films which were shown on "the big screen" also know as your local movie house. Everything changes and now the small screen might be an apt term for your computer monitor, if it weren't for the fact that these are now so big they rival TV screens. So much for that.
The lack of adequate mental health resources in many parts of the country and, indeed, in vast areas of the world, has finally been partially resolved through the use of computers. While the kids are having great fun with their YouTube or MySpace, the rest of us can now see another important potential of computers in healthcare. The need is now being met by telemedicine and people in the mental health field are beginning to take notice.
I remember having a graduate student who was concerned that people in her area only had one mental health professional who could offer services - her. She lived in a very rural area of the country and the nearest psychiatrist was 50 miles away. At times, she felt overwhelmed, but she was a good, caring woman who gave more to her patients than I've seen in major cities. We are fortunate to have professionals like her in the field.
I've had many people on the anxiety message board at WebMD who required specialized care and yet were unable to find a doctor in their area. Driving hundreds of miles or taking a plane wasn't an option for them and so they tried to make do the best they could.
But it's something that we should be addressing. People in need are people in need whether it's for cancer care or mental health care. Each is serious, can have life-threatening consequences and often requires sophisticated treatment.
Video hook-ups will begin to sprout around the United States and the world as the reality and the benefit of this type of mental health services becomes more widely accepted. True, not everyone is comfortable sitting in front of a camera and talking to someone on a screen, but it sure beats sitting in your home and wondering who will help you. If they can do surgery with computerized robots via video, there's no reason this can't work. The problems will inevitably come up and all of us will have to provide input, but it's worth the effort.
Related Topics: Finding a Doctor Who Will Be a Partner, Depression: Finding a Doctor or Therapist
Technorati Tags: video psychiatry, find a doctor, long-distance medicine, telemedicine
The lack of adequate mental health resources in many parts of the country and, indeed, in vast areas of the world, has finally been partially resolved through the use of computers. While the kids are having great fun with their YouTube or MySpace, the rest of us can now see another important potential of computers in healthcare. The need is now being met by telemedicine and people in the mental health field are beginning to take notice.
I remember having a graduate student who was concerned that people in her area only had one mental health professional who could offer services - her. She lived in a very rural area of the country and the nearest psychiatrist was 50 miles away. At times, she felt overwhelmed, but she was a good, caring woman who gave more to her patients than I've seen in major cities. We are fortunate to have professionals like her in the field.
I've had many people on the anxiety message board at WebMD who required specialized care and yet were unable to find a doctor in their area. Driving hundreds of miles or taking a plane wasn't an option for them and so they tried to make do the best they could.
But it's something that we should be addressing. People in need are people in need whether it's for cancer care or mental health care. Each is serious, can have life-threatening consequences and often requires sophisticated treatment.
Video hook-ups will begin to sprout around the United States and the world as the reality and the benefit of this type of mental health services becomes more widely accepted. True, not everyone is comfortable sitting in front of a camera and talking to someone on a screen, but it sure beats sitting in your home and wondering who will help you. If they can do surgery with computerized robots via video, there's no reason this can't work. The problems will inevitably come up and all of us will have to provide input, but it's worth the effort.
Related Topics: Finding a Doctor Who Will Be a Partner, Depression: Finding a Doctor or Therapist
Technorati Tags: video psychiatry, find a doctor, long-distance medicine, telemedicine
6 Comments:
From MidW - Have a 7-year old son who was diagnosed with ADHD earlier this year. Tried a few drugs with no luck (Metadate; Adderall; Strattera). Medication brings out his sensitivity regarding everything. He gets very emotional, crying, hurt feelings. Medicine helps with attention in school but after school he's unbearable. Any advice?
Hi MidW,
Try posting your question to our ADHD Medications & Treatments board with Dr. Sogn. He'll have some suggestions to help.
Take care,
WebMD Blog Administrator
Good idea. He needs pediatric care with an MD so the referral to Dr. Sogn's board is a good one.
Hope it works out for both of you.
Hi.....I don't know where to begin. I'm a 25 year old female. single mom of 2 kids.I've had this "issue" for a long time where I always feel like I'm dying. That i'm just going to fall over dead or have a stroke or heart attack. For instance right now I have a stiff neck and automatically I think " oh I probably have meningitis" If I get a simple headache then I have a blood clot. I always feel panicky and think the craziest things.I don't even like to take OTC's because I'm afraid of having a reaction! I have all the signs of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, but what about all this CRAZY thinking that I'm going to die? Can that be part of it or could I have something else? This is getting worse and worse and I'm driving me and my family nuts.Sometimes I don't even like to fall asleep because I'm afraid I'm never going to wake up. This is embarrassing as well as scary. I don't even like to eat out because I'm afraid I'm going to have an allergic reaction to the food! What is really going on??????
Help me.
hi, i am a 42 yr old, my daughter is 16 yr old. she suffers from a bi-polar disorder, and has borderline personality disorder. she also has been diognosed with eplilepsey. they do not know the cause of this. she recently has been charged with thieft and b&e. she doesn't remember how she got outside or break into them. this has happened alot. she will start a conversation and then in the middle of it ,stop get up and go to somewhere else and not come back. or she would ask the question and then foget she even asked it. this has affected her schooling, homelife and friendship. she has been into the mental health hospital twice, and now she is back in one again. she tried to cut herself, and take an overdose of her meds. i am very stressed and wanted to know if there was anyone with a simular teen out there and if someone knows if this condition has a name . ????
[Quote]hi, i am a 42 yr old, my daughter is 16 yr old. she suffers from a bi-polar disorder, and has borderline personality disorder. she also has been diognosed with eplilepsey. they do not know the cause of this. she recently has been charged with thieft and b&e. she doesn't remember how she got outside or break into them. this has happened alot. she will start a conversation and then in the middle of it ,stop get up and go to somewhere else and not come back. or she would ask the question and then foget she even asked it. this has affected her schooling, homelife and friendship. she has been into the mental health hospital twice, and now she is back in one again. she tried to cut herself, and take an overdose of her meds. i am very stressed and wanted to know if there was anyone with a simular teen out there and if someone knows if this condition has a name . ???? [End Quote]
Ok first i don't think she has eplilepsey. I am a 26 year old male with PTSD, PNES, FMS, and ADHD. also it is thought that i might have Borderline personality disorder in replace of ADHD, but here is what i know.
I also have depression, anxiety, which comes from PTSD. but PNES is a mental condition that has no trace of physical problems but are seizures or at least mimic seizures. look it up here on web MD or google it and you will find that it may exsplain alot about what is going on with her, but i would also say that the condition you asked about sounds like ADHD.
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