In 1937, NBC aired this episode of the radio series ‘The World Is Yours.’ It is a theatrical style reporting of the history of several medicines. Interesting, educational, and an easy review of medical discovery and treatment. A lighter listening episode than our usual variety. Posted here February 2024.

Chris Pizzute is a music therapist at the Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy Center at the NY City Beth Israel and Mt. Sinai Hospitals. He explains the history and then the powerful roles, styles, and designs of music therapy. Entertainment and music psychotherapy both use music but in different contexts, of cultural inputs, how to help navigate through events and emotions, the ‘song of kin’ function (music we grew up and connect with), video game music, asking about one’s link to...

Connie Siskowski, R.N., Ph.D., and a CNN Hero award recipient, works to help the millions of children who go home to be essential caregivers, and who therefore have special caring needs, miss a lot of normal adolescence, and so absolutely require help and acknowledgement. She started the American Association of Caregiving Youth to face this task. The efforts include integration with local schools, of social workers that go into the homes, getting laws to address the funding needs, that...

Ivan Cichowitz, M.D., explains the FDA approved VNS science to treat depression. He outlines the history, process, and theory, that it is used very often with medications, its increasing insurance coverage, how to know when and if it should become a treatment option, etc. VNS is a strong additional utensil in the treatment of resistant depressions. Learn and ask about this very promising mechanism.

Todd Sack, M.D., without hesitancy, speaks to the needed but daunting challenge of changing individual CO2 footprints, age and generational differences, real and specific ideas on what to do that do require self-discipline and commitment, that ‘green’ can save money, the critical ‘ballot box climate change’, that positive undertakings and adjustments are occurring but perhaps not fast enough, to make it a non-partisan opportunity because we all live on the planet, of resiliency, etc.

Jay Kuchera, M.D., pain management, speaks to barriers to proper pain management, the ethical, clinical, political and regulatory domains, medication and treatment costs, CDC and other guidelines, the need for proper clinical management, how cultural acceptances of suffering differ and set expectations, that improper treatment evokes the disease of desperation, differences in pain management now versus 25 years ago, that better patient quality of life is possible, etc. A very...

Tommy McGee, psychotherapist, addiction counselor, clergy, and black, takes us on a revealing tour of life in the black communities, how many black patients view the medical system, the barriers this produces in even approaching the system for prevention and treatment, insurance barricades, the role of the churches with this and other mental health problems, the need to ‘translate’ their culture, and to morph their tangible needs into real action and policy, etc. Honest and unrestrained...

Fish biologist Dave Cannon candidly discusses his personal fears and emotions plus his professional responses to climate change, his preceptive ‘bush Alaska’ perspective, challenging our species to cooperately make real changes, solastalgia (loss of our homes), the need to commit with examples of personal changes to reduce our CO2 footprints, etc. Thought provoking, genuine, helpful.

Aldo Morales, M.D., psychiatrist and addictionologist, provides from experience a no-nonsense and balanced overview of cannabis use, issues with quality control of dispensary products, understanding addiction levels, the need for research and the topics being explored, worries if used in a still developing brain, the cannabis abuse disorder, etc. August 2023

Linda Reihs is an educator, author, and substance abuse counselor. She promotes non-drug use with ‘knowing’ and not just ‘saying no’, teaching resilience, parents’ and siblings’ roles, not getting help to needy students especially when they move into middle school, keeping kids on a good track, the experiential preventive mode, literature to create ego-building strengths, framing designs for each day, of ‘no failures-just delayed successes,’ etc. This is a valuable perspective from many...

Two different systems for psilocybin use. Wired Magazine posted an excellent podcast, presented here. Many clinical and political concerns. Worth a careful listen and discussion. June 2023

Jeff Singer, M.D., senior fellow at the Cato Institute, who gave Congressional testimony, speaks to the fascinating Iron Law of Prohibition issue, the need to overcome old mythologies, nuances, and stigmas about the problem, etc. A very lively, pithy, yet necessary historical and contemporary offering of hard reduction and other key insights and thoughts. In conjunction with the Palm Beach County Medical Society.

John Dyben, Ph.D., with a primarily psychosocial approach to addiction, but also of appropriate medication use, discusses that kids grow up and mature too quickly; of essential family and system treatments; that addiction is a chronic illness; of social-cultural message influences; to make ‘healthy’ the new norm; to connect to the whole person; the power of fellowship and conjoint family activities, etc. A reflective listen. In conjunction with the Palm Beach County Medical Society. May 2023

Daryl Shorter, M.D., offers functional and pragmatic contexts of addiction, of what leads to successful remission, the key essentials of biological versus psychological origins, that all substance use is not always abuse, etc. April 2023

Sarah Kawasaki, M.D,, details mixing buprenorphine and fentanyl. The mere number of fentanyl overdoses, be it knowing or not knowing fentanyl was consumed, requires preparing for possible clinical dangers of too rapidly using buprenorphine. Definite protocols are used and are being studied. Important information.

Kimberly Aquaviva, Ph.D., M.S.W., begins with her family experiences and why they refused hospice care for her partner. She then gives a overview of current discriminations, inadequate training, and other challenges when hospice and LGBTQ+ patients should function together. She is also pleased some of the problems are slowly resolving.

Heather Howard., PhD, MSW,speaks to her study of how to address stigma, from those who express it to those who receive it. She talks to how this can impede a readiness to ask for help Leaves insights and thoughtful drives to action. Much of her work as been with shame, past traumas and /or substance abuse in women during pregnancy. Easy to understand yet scholarly.

This old medication is finding a place in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. This is an overview of it's history and current use, especially now as an antidepressant.

Benjamin Bowser, Ph.D., sociologist, gives the legacy’s history, that it still remains a very potent contributor to racism, of the cultural based post-traumatic slave syndrome, of what slavery did to the psychology of the slaves and how much of that still lives to this date, and of the origin and legacy of whiteness, Jim Crow, etc. Intriguing, captivating, perhaps painful, but so necessary to study and discuss. February 2023

Stefan Pasternak, M.D., on how the therapist-patient relationship is the cornerstone of psychotherapy, and about the challenges of developing a goal for the therapy, the physiologic and medication aspects of therapy, of coming to an accurate diagnosis, cognitive versus psychodynamic techniques, psychological mindedness, when a change of therapist may be needed, etc. January 2023

These Wires Carry Words! - Broadcast on July 1, 1946, by Advances in Research, this 15 minute radio piece is an excellent, fluid and valuable historical review of our developing communication tools, with stories about, and credits to, the scientists and thinkers who started the process that brought us to our ever-expanding dependence on electronic communications. It has a delightful 1940’s flare. From the public domain.

From the February 1937 Liberty Magazine interview, as told to George Viereck, the distinctive inventor accurately predicts much of our current world, on war, the changing of women’s roles, energy, environmental and social shifts, computers, the internet, etc. He was incorrect on some items, but perhaps only as of yet. 11 Minutes. Observant & thoughtworthy. Adapted from YouTube and Magellan Streaming. October 2022.

A 14 minute audio from the National Association of Manufacturer’s 1950’s educational and advocacy piece of the then appreciations and concerns with useable and sustainable water, including draughts and floods, in our community lives and our biosphere. Imagine what the producers would say now, over 65 years later

Rakesh Jain, M.D., gives its history, how it works, why it is so different and its enticing future, the roles of glutamate and GABA, nasal versus intravenous forms, the value of concurrent psychotherapy, etc. Succinct and thorough. November 2022