If you’re getting mental healthcare, I beg you: don’t stop your appointments

It’s for your own good, especially if medication is part of your care. I see this too often, and it’s heartbreaking and a bad idea. And stopping because you’re doing great reveals a common misconception about how mental healthcare works.

What detective stories taught me about medicine — and life

Or, Sherlock Holmes…medical doctor? I loved detective stories when I was growing up. From the Famous Five, Secret Seven and Nancy Drew as a child, to Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes in my teens, I was fascinated by these brilliant boys and girls, men and women, enough that I fancied growing up to …

There’s a gap between doctors and patients

(where words apparently go to die) In my last post, I explained why anyone goes to see a doctor… When a health condition gets too much in the way of our ability to live our life as we want. My point there was that people don’t go to doctors for their symptoms, but so they can get …

The REAL reason you’ll go to a doctor

Of course, it won’t be because you’re sick. Does that surprise you? Because it shouldn’t. Except you’re vastly different from most people, you have almost never gone to see a doctor because you were sick. You might think that’s why you go, but it’s not. Hello! And how are we doing today? I’ll cut to the chase …

Why Nigeria needs more average (instead of star) doctors

Or, Thoughts on pre-med degrees as a bad idea There was a bit of a scare in March when an official of the National Universities Commission here in Nigeria was believed to have announced a proposed increase in medical school duration from the current six years to eleven. After an uproar against this alleged proposal within …

Public psychiatric hospitals and services in Nigeria

A lot of people ask me about where they can get psychiatric services in Nigeria, and I’ve been meaning to make a list for a long time. And now, here it is.But first, a few things. First, allow me to give you a brief history of psychiatric services in Nigeria, as this helps explain the way I categorise the …

Police to do “mental test” but I’m worried. Here’s why.

So the other day I came across this headline in the national dailies announcing a new “initiative” from our dearly beloved police: AIG orders mental tests on Lagos policemen. (I actually was late to the party as it had been announced since mid-August and I only happened on it by the end of the month.) But you know when you see something …

Doctor 2.0: The 8 Unspoken Roles Today’s Doctors Play

Are you ready to live up to the unspoken expectations? One of my favourite things to do is engaging medical students and new doctors. It’s partly because I remember myself like that, from over a decade ago. I was months from completing medical school and struggling to articulate a feeling that was completely new to …

World Mental Health Day 2015: Dignity in Mental Health

“You’ve started again, abi? Your madness has started again.” Sade stared at her father. “Yes, daddy. I’ve started again. Shey I’m your mad daughter? I’ve started o, you hear? I’ve started!”  And she turned around and stormed out, tears streaming down her face. How dare they try to take away her right to be upset? …

What plane crashes can teach us about violence in mental illness

Yes o — I’m still on this mental illness and violence matter! Honestly, I thought I’d just do a post on it, but each post so far has produced responses that necessitate another. (This will be the last for now, although I’m sure I’ll have to come back to it.) This post started as the answer to a …

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