May 6, 2023 On Cinco de Mayo, Mississippi hosted the daily mass shooting event. While the body count was low (1 dead, 6 injured), it still was terrifying for the people just trying to enjoy a local restaurant. Earlier in the week, Georgia had hosting duties with 1 dead and 4 injured in an Atlanta medical center waiting room. Today’s mass casualty event was (of course) in Texas at an outlet mall in Allen. There are at least 9 people dead, including children. I imagine the United States is the only country that must specify a “mass shooting event” (4 …
Collin County Politics: Protest is American
May 10, 2021 Commissioner’s Court: The public comments continue to be gold. The first speaker commented on the double standard of police behavior. During a recent protest for justice for Marvin Scott III, a huge white man named David Godber (you’d be excused for thinking he should be called Goober) threatened and assaulted some of the protesters. He was aggressive with a police officer, swatted a phone out of one woman’s hand, and swatted at another. He cocked his fist like he was going to hit someone and, to top it all off, was concealed carrying (of course he was). …
The Reprehensible Murder of Marvin Scott
The Sheriff’s Department in Collin County, Texas is going through some things. The murder of Marvin D. Scott, III while in the care of law enforcement continues to showcase how truly problematic the sheriff’s department is. In mid-March, police officers from the city of Allen arrested Mr. Scott for possession of less than two ounces of marijuana (really?) and because he was murmuring to himself. Mr. Scott suffered from schizophrenia and, given what happened, I’ll let you figure out his race. Instead of providing Mr. Scott with the help he needed, Allen PD took him to the Collin County Detention …
Covid19 is Gonna Make Us Pay Big
For the longest time, the status of Covid19 cases – how afraid we should be – was measured in the number of ICU beds available. “We have plenty of beds,” our Governor kept assuring us. I live in Texas, so everyone knows how that’s turned out. The measurement point of beds available always confused me. Sure, we have beds. Big deal. We can always get more beds. We can buy a bunch from other countries that’ve been smart enough to deal competently with the virus. But what’s not easily gotten, what’s not a renewable resource, is medical professionals. Why is …
When Dealing with a Plague, Try Radical Acceptance
Did you ever think you’d be living through a plague? That’s the question I’ve been asking all my patients lately. It may sound basic but there’s a method to my madness. Not only does the question acknowledge our shared experience of weirdness, it also puts Covid-19 into perspective. “Pandemic” sounds a bit too clinical but “plague” provides the proper impact. Plague feels more like a blow to the head which kind of sums up where we are. That may sound silly, like I’m parsing words when we all know what’s going on, but it’s important for us to understand where …
Healthcare, Illness & Love: Oh My!
Not a lot of movies impress me these days. Hollywood seems way more interested in special effects, remakes, superheroes and horror than relationships and character growth. So I don’t watch too many movies, especially not ones with stupid titles. But one day I was on a plane and bored when I begrudgingly watched the movie Love & Other Drugs. I was blown away. It’s kind of a weird movie. At first it seems like a typical romantic drama where two dysfunctional people (Maggie and Jamie) figure out how to be in a relationship. Although it starts out like that, mid-way …
The Shrink Next Door is a Cautionary Tale
Mental healthcare is still a profession shrouded in mystery. As a psychologist, two questions I get asked a lot are: “Don’t you just listen to people all day?” and “Isn’t therapy only for people who don’t have friends?” For the record: no and no. I do a lot more than listen and I’m not a paid friend (which sounds creepy). But I get it. People don’t understand how counseling works. I don’t blame them because, quite frankly, it’s a complicated process. There’s no one right way to counsel which means that there are many disagreements about the best practices. However, …
We Shouldn’t Dismiss Our #MeToo Experiences
Most women have had #MeToo moments but many of us dismiss the severity of them. That’s been a good coping strategy but maybe it’s time for us to stop ignoring our pain.
Donald Trump and Narcissism: A Closer Look
If Donald Trump does suffer from Narcissistic Personality Disorder, then here are certain behaviors we should expect from him.
Phyllis Schlafly: A Case Study in Oppression
Many are saying the legacy of Phyllis Schlafly is one of leadership and determination but her true relevance is in how she dealt with being oppressed.