Knowledge is Necessity

Meaning and Purpose: Part Two

In Part I of Meaning and Purpose, we discussed turning our strengths and virtues into a calling. A number of years ago, I had pause to reflect on this back when I was on the board of a local mental health group and we were deciding on recipients for our...

Published Wed, Feb 27 2019 1:02 AM by Knowledge Is Necessity

Applying Your Thinking Hacks

The following is from a draft of a book on bipolar recovery. Enjoy ... If we look upon philosophy as the root of all critical thinking and natural science as its trunk, now we need to examine its various branches. These would include disciplines such...

Published Tue, Apr 09 2019 2:26 AM by Knowledge Is Necessity

Nora Volkow and Brain Networks

At this year’s International Conference on Bipolar Disorder held in Pittsburgh, a whole session was given over to Nora Volkow (pictured here), head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. As well as overseeing a high-profile agency with a $1 billion...

Published Tue, Jun 14 2011 2:54 PM by Knowledge Is Necessity

Filed under: John McManamy, Nora Volkow, resting state functional connectivity

The Child Bipolar Diagnosis is Under Attack - Yet Again

It’s the silly season again, when people who attack the child bipolar diagnosis come out in force. Trust me, any time a child is labeled with a very serious lifetime psychiatric condition is always cause for concern, but the operative word is “concern...

Published Thu, Jul 28 2011 1:55 AM by Knowledge Is Necessity

Filed under: John McManamy, child bipolar

Columbus Day Reflections

Happy “There Goes the Neighborhood Day.” Before Christopher Columbus crashed the party on this day 519 years ago, the people who really discovered America were doing just fine. This comes out loud and clear in two books: Jack Weatherford’s 1989 “Indian...

Published Wed, Oct 12 2011 5:14 AM by Knowledge Is Necessity

Filed under: John McManamy, Charles Mann, Jack Weatherford, Columbus Day, American Indian

Happiness, Meaning, and Service to Others: Part II

It’s been a very busy week or two for me. We’re putting the final touches together for our annual NAMI San Diego Inspirational Awards Dinner next week, plus I’m preparing for a talk I will be giving the night before. Thankfully my work on the Dinner gave...

Published Fri, Sep 30 2011 4:21 PM by Knowledge Is Necessity

Filed under: John McManamy, meaning, happiness, service

The Ghaemi Conversation: Why We Need to be Asking the Questions

This is my fifth installment in our conversation on Nassir Ghaemi’s “A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness.” My previous post made note of the fact that two myopic scribblers posing as NY Times reviewers trashed...

Published Tue, Aug 30 2011 4:01 AM by Knowledge Is Necessity

Filed under: John McManamy, A First-Rate Madness, Nassir Ghaemi, NY Times

Whitaker, Torrey, and Dopamine Supersensitivity: The Conversation Continues

This is the fifth in our series of pieces dealing with Fuller Torrey’s response to Robert Whitaker’s 2010 “Anatomy of an Epidemic.” I’m sure by now you have all had enough, but bear with me. We are learning - all of us - and there is no better way to...

Published Wed, Jun 06 2012 3:07 PM by Knowledge Is Necessity

Filed under: John McManamy, Robert Whitaker, Anatomy of an Epidemic, Fuller Torrey, dopamine supersensitivity, Philip Seeman

Forget the Whittaker Sideshow: Tom Wootton is the Main Event

I’m taking a brief time-out from not posting any pieces here to briefly comment on something I just read by Tom Wootton on Psychology Today. As many of you know, Tom is the founder of “Bipolar in Order” and the author of “The Bipolar Advantage” and other...

Published Wed, Jul 04 2012 2:06 PM by Knowledge Is Necessity

The RIght Med for the Right Brain - Not There Yet

Yesterday’s piece, Brain Science and Recovery, ran through a list of some of my favorite psychiatric genes, which - quite ironically - may signal the end of psychiatry as we know it. The exercise sent me back to my old notes, from an eye-opening session...

Published Thu, Nov 17 2011 12:57 AM by Knowledge Is Necessity

Filed under: John McManamy, psychiatric diagnostics

The Book of Fort: The Two Wise Old Fools

Book II in the series ... At the watering hole, along the barrens of Fey, on the fork of the road leading to Mem in one direction and Ar in the other, the wise and righteous Fort encountered a weary stranger in threadbare garments. And although Fort would...

Published Wed, Jan 25 2012 10:48 AM by Knowledge Is Necessity

Filed under: John McManamy, Book of Fort

Incompetence in Psychiatry: Readers Weigh In

“What percentage of psychiatrists do you think are incompetent?” I asked in a reader poll that ran some six weeks during December and January. Framing my question negatively carries the strong risk of encouraging rotten tomatoes responses and thus undermining...

Published Wed, Jan 18 2012 6:13 AM by Knowledge Is Necessity

Filed under: John McManamy, psychiatric incompetence

Reality Intervenes: The Case for Meds

Yesterday, in a piece entitled, We Can All Get Along, Can't We?, I wrote: Psychiatry and its over-reliance on medications is experiencing a current self-inflicted lack of respect. This is occurring at the same time as Big Pharma is pulling out of...

Published Fri, Jan 13 2012 8:54 AM by Knowledge Is Necessity

Filed under: John McManamy, bipolar meds, Maricela Estrada, Bipolar Girl

Challenging the Bipolar-Sex Conventional Wisdom

I just added a new article to mcmanweb, The Whole Bipolar Sex Thing, which had its genesis in a series of posts on HealthCentral. Following is an extract ... The conventional wisdom is that (hypo)mania increases our sexual drive - often to the point of...

Published Tue, Jan 24 2012 4:50 AM by Knowledge Is Necessity

Filed under: John McManamy, sex, bipolar disorder

The Year That Was: My 2011 Highlights and Lowlights

This is the time of the year for looking back, a la Time Magazine and CNN. Following is my personal (and highly idiosyncratic) view on how the year unfolded: Person of the Year: The Three Stooges This was a no-brainer. Anytime I was stuck for a pictorial...

Published Wed, Dec 28 2011 5:24 AM by Knowledge Is Necessity

Filed under: John McManamy, year that was

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