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Research Update On ADHD Drug Treatments

by Dr. Jeffrey Rubin

In earlier posts, I have reviewed the research on ADHD drug treatments. The findings have led me to the conclusion that medicalizing the behavior pattern that medical doctors refer to as symptoms of ADHD causes far more harm than good. New readers can check out my earlier posts on this subject HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE. Briefly, the main side effects of the commonly…

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On Trump Taunting Rally Interrupters

by Dr. Jeffrey Rubin

By now most of you have seen numerous examples of Donald Trump taunting rally interrupters. If you haven’t, there is a collection of them put together by the New York Times that you can see HERE. Early on we see Mr. Trump stating, “I certainly don’t incite violence.” But then there is a video clip showing security going through the process of removing an interrupter…

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The Ethics of Psychiatric Diagnoses

by Dr. Jeffrey Rubin

This blog seeks to empower its readers, many of whom are directly involved in the mental health arena or will become so in the future. Others are, or will become, involved indirectly because of someone they care about. Thus, it makes sense to spend some time learning how to effectively engage with mental health service providers. One way to achieve this is to be aware…

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The Mental Illness Construct: Does it Reduce Shame and Guilt?

by Jeffrey Rubin, PhD

Some people find that their actions are violating certain societal norms and feel guilty and ashamed about this. When they try to stop doing these actions, they may find they can’t just stop, and thus they end up feeling even more guilty and ashamed. Some parents, when they see their offspring act in ways that violate certain societal norms, find that they feel guilty and…

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Resolve Conflicts In Private Whenever Possible

One day I was presenting to a high school class a lesson on mature ways to resolve conflicts when a student we will call Tony raised his hand. When I called on him, he said, “Dr. Rubin, how would you resolve this? This here Tina (he points to her) and I were dating, and now I decided to end it. I’m seeing another girl. But…

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Bob Dylan On Laughter

by Jeffrey Rubin, PhD

Regular visitors to “From Insults to Respect” know that from time to time I like to select one of Bob Dylan’s “Theme Time Radio Hour” shows to help enrich our understanding of an important topic. Bob’s shows have so far helped us to take an insightful look at why people might seek to insult us by calling us certain types of names, and at how…

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Depression As Illness: A Case Study

by Jeffrey Rubin, PhD

In a past post I asked the question, “Is Depression an Illness?” Many expressed strong feelings on this subject. Some argued that it is indeed an illness; others made the case that it was an experience that most of us go through, some more than others for sure, but classifying it as an illness leads one down a path toward taking unhealthy drugs that in…

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Dealing With ISIS: A Developmental Psychologist’s Perspective

by Jeffrey Rubin, PhD

Welcome to From Insults to Respect. Toward the latter part of President Obama’s presidency, he laid out his approach for dealing with the ISIS situation. Although our new president has not said so, it looks like his approach is no different in any discernible manner that I can detect. There was, early in the Trump presidency, a chemical weapons attack by the Syrian military on its…

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Preventing Youth Crime and Mental Health Concerns

The Innovative One-On-One Program

Today, concerns about youth criminal behavior and mental health tend to be addressed in a variety of ways. Placing law breaking juveniles in correctional facilities get them off the streets for awhile, but their interactions in these facilities with other offenders can make serious problems worse. Psychiatric drugs are popular, though their effectiveness and safety are debatable. Counseling and psychotherapy are often helpful but at times…

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Cool Steve Faces a Bully

by Jeffrey Rubin, PhD

What is the best way to deal with a bully? In my Cool Steve Trilogy, the main character, Steve Marino, struggles with this problem. It initially comes up in the first of the three novels, A Hero Grows In Brooklyn, which is available for free as an ebook by clicking HERE. There, Steve, who is at this point in the trilogy, a mere 13 years old, has move to…

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