Did you know…that In the United States, and elsewhere in the English speaking world, less than 20% of people with a serious mental disorder get properly diagnosed and effectively treated?
The question for you and for families with a member who has a mental illness or addiction becomes how not to be part of the greater than 80% of individuals who don’t receive the treatments and services proven to work? Ask Dr. Lloyd will give you answers. My bio (click on ‘About the Doctor’) tells you why I can provide these answers.
I will help you understand mental illnesses and addictions, what treatments and services have been proven scientifically effective, how to manage yourself or help your loved one, and how to beat a mental health system known to be ‘broken’ and apt to defeat you.
I will answer your questions clearly and simply – and in a way that gives you direction. I will provide accounts of individuals and families, stories from my experience, and important information you can access on other websites, in the media, in scientific publications, and in books, magazines, movies and television.
My mission is to enable you to receive 21st century care – not waiting for miracles but gaining mastery of mental illness and addiction and the services that so often are a nightmare to navigate.
To ask Dr. Lloyd a question, just click on the “Ask a Question” tab up above and send me an email. Check to see if your question is answered on the “Your Questions Answered” tab. I will be posting responses several times a week and will select from the range of your questions those that seem to cover a variety of concerns.
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The views, opinions and statements contained in this website are those of Dr. Sederer and do not represent the views, opinions or positions of the New York State Office of Mental Health or Columbia University. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
15 comments
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December 24, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Fernando Rodriguez-VIlla
Dear Lloyd,
Very much enjoyed and appreciated your article regarding The Kings Speech. Saw it with the whole family, on my birthday, at the Kendall. We are all major fans of Firth- played A Single Man the night before.
Agreed, many lessons for us all. A wonderful illustration of how an alliance develops, and the critical role of trust.
Greetings from us all!
Fernando y familia
February 13, 2011 at 2:44 am
Barbara Fontana, PhD
I read your recent blog on the Huffington Post (2/8/11). As a psychologist in private practice for 30+ years, I applaud Dr. Sederer’s efforts to educate people about the benefits of walking to treat depression. Walking has helped many of my patients. I also think it’s important for people to know that psychotherapy works. Research by Dr. Jonathan Shedler has shown that psychodynamic psychotherapy works BETTER than medication to alleviate depression. Too often people receive medication WITHOUT any psychotherapy. My advice: by all means, walk and see if it helps your depression and if your antidepressant isn’t working, see a psychologist for psychotherapy.
March 16, 2011 at 3:29 am
LSwanson
A reader writes:
Dr Lloyd, where have you been hiding? Ran across your article from a Facebook post about the 4 points of advice for loved ones of someone with a mental illness. It was excellent. I am a person with 4 first and 2nd degree relatives with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders and I wish we could have been getting advice like yours 30 yrs ago. I will be checking your blogs and sites frequently. I also co lead one of the NAMI Family to Family classes and I will be sharing your info with families!
March 31, 2011 at 12:01 pm
Bob Waldinger
Lloyd,
Your piece in the Huffington Post on psychoanalysis is superb. I will use it in my teaching
Warm regards,
Bob Waldinger
June 16, 2011 at 9:15 pm
Tyhisha Dukes
I currently work on an ACT team and I love the work I do, but honestly it is very difficult to provide services to all clients. Logistically I am one person and can’t meet everyones needs at the same time. I know that money is an issue but,more services could be provide if there were more nursing staff on a team. I just wanted to share my thoughts.
June 20, 2011 at 7:11 pm
Nancy P. Hanrahan
I am a nurse and a researcher. Your comments in the Huffington Post are music to my ears. I am aware of many amazing discoveries in the treatment of mental illness, but few get to the public. I sure hope you keep writing such a clear and compelling message. My concern is that people who seek treatment, cannot find one. I wish there were more opportunities to rank or rate providers so that consumers could make better decisions.
June 20, 2011 at 9:52 pm
Margaret
Thank you for the informative article in the The Huffington Post about the “Future of Psychiatry”. I am a highly functioning single mother of two college kids. I personally stopped seeing psychiatrists because of the very reasons you mentioned. I saw too many professionals being bought by drug companies, company bottom-lines, or did not listen to the patient as part of the team. I stick with my psychologist whose loving and professional care kept me from suicide for 8 years. Last year, I chose to take control of my psychological life by becoming more assertive and doing what works FOR ME. This includes NO medication (I am drug resistant) at all for my bi-polar/borderline, PTSD, DID, and ad nauseum diagnoses and NO hospitalizations. I have been wrongly diagnosed as Schizophrenic at the age of sixteen, Munchausen in my twenties, experienced severe post-partum depression/psychoses in my 30′s and severe thyroid issues early 50′s, etc. Since I was a teen, I have been hospitalized 11+ times, each experience as bad as the last. Last year I struggled through a very difficult depression but after taking charge I learned how to beat it and live. I am blessed with strategies that work for me. I fought to be heard and still do. I am at 56 finally in control of my life and not controlled by my illnesses. I have recently been diagnosed with a brain tumor that is robbing me of my sight, but I have been able to deal with the stress without severe depression. After getting my Master’s in Teaching and teaching for many years…I even became a Qualified Mental Health Professional and certified Peer Specialist to learn how to help myself and others. I am now on disability for physical issues and am re-starting my career as a writer, part-time advocate, and activist. I found the worst stigma came from professionals and family members. Stigma, not having a political voice, access to appropriate and up-to-date evidence-based practices, and unwillingness from others to be flexible were the biggest hurdles I faced. Thank you for fighting for advocating for people like me.
August 26, 2011 at 8:21 pm
Kim
Thank you for your insightful post on rapid cycling bipolar disorder at the Huffington Post. It’s is the most spot one description of that type of boplolar disorder I’ve ever read. I have and my life quality has dwindled to almost nothing since I was diagnosed. Having taken all sorts of pills and talked to many therapists, I still only have small periods of time where I feel better and feel hopeful. The influence of external factors cannot be stressed enough!!! Thank you again.
September 12, 2011 at 2:24 pm
K.Sherman
Hello, Dr. Sederer: I read your Huffington Post article about Pharmaceutical advertising, and I have a comment about your encouraging consumers to seek unbiased information. I agree that reputable websites are a good source of unbiased evidence-based information. However, I would have stopped there and NOT gone on to advise googling the topic. There are all kinds of information and opinions on the internet, often NOT evidence-based and often sponsored by big pharma. Of all areas of inquiry, I have found that for medical information, careful evaluation of your sources is the MOST critical to getting trustworthy information. I would never just say “google it.” Respectfully,
September 13, 2011 at 6:17 pm
Kristen Joyce
I just read your opinion of Suboxone versus methadone. And while everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, I would like to correct some blatant misconceptions you are perpetuating. You say that a client of a methadone clinic must go EVERY day, no exceptions. That is not true. If you stay clean and comply with all the stipulations, you can earn up to 6 take homes. You said that areas around the methadone clinic become high crime areas “as drugs and stolen goods are bartered in the blocks that surround the site”. I dose in Weymouth Mass, and the mobile van comes to the parking lot next to the police station, and it has for years. There are NO problems. I don’t recommend methadone for someone their first time trying to get clean. Or the second. But I’m nine years in and I’ve tried everything. I should be dead, lucky I’m not, and very grateful I tried methadone. I have been clean for almost 5 months, and I’m getting things back in my life that I didn’t think I would. So as a doctor I expect more of you…don’t discourage someone away froma treatment that could possibly save their life. And talking poorly about methadone clinics in general is mean…you should just be encouraging people to get clean anyway that works for them!
December 4, 2011 at 5:24 pm
judith eckman-jadow
Dr., I greatly enjoyed your review of “A Dangerous Method” and concur completely with your interpretation of the shortcomings of the film. Thank you for writing it!
December 6, 2011 at 7:24 pm
shelley
i just came across your “Children as Caregivers: Saving the Saviors”
article. i am so happy that children have help these days. i was 7 years old, an only child, living with my single mother, uncle & grandmother, when my grandmother had a stroke. That day ended my childhood – I became her caretaker. By the time she passed away (I was 15), that’s all I knew how to do & all I thought I was good for, be the ‘caretaker”. It’s taken me 52 years to understand why I’m the way I am. Hopefully, with the help available these days, kids will have healthier childhoods & adulthoods.
December 14, 2011 at 4:11 pm
Z.
Hello Dr. Lloyd, this comment has to do with your article about sleepwalking in the Huffington Post. I too have suffered from insomnia for many years and tried everything that you mentioned in your article. I had to take Ambien for many years to get to sleep, sometimes quite a significant amount. However, I did not want to take this drug anymore for a variety of obvious reasons. A friend of mine persuaded me to try meditation. I was extremely reluctant as I despise religion of all kinds. However, I did go to the sitting group out of a very real necessity. It was a secular group. That night, I fell asleep without any drugs. Since then, I have been going to sitting groups and have found that in particular Jon Kabat-Zinn’s MBSR program really works. With this program, I’ve been able to stop taking the Ambien and am sleeping much better now. Something for you to try, I highly recommend it. Best of luck.
December 20, 2011 at 9:08 pm
Isabel Alder
Regarding the article on Sleepwalking and your experience with medication (was it Ambien?) I just wanted to thank you (very much) for sharing that and helping others prevent more unwanted and unnecessary health issues! Thank you also to the previous commentator as I will try to make time to try meditation and see if something better can work!
May 3, 2012 at 10:32 pm
Eric
I generally enjoyed your review of “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” on the Huffington Post and your perceptive and sensitive approach. However, one correction needs to be made, John Madden is a bit more accomplished as a film director than you give him credit for. He directed “Shakespeare in Love” and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director. The film won 7 academy awards including “Best Picture” as well as many other awards.