Author: Charles Hodges

Chemical Imbalances: True or False?

Chemical Imbalances: True or False?

Posted by | Sep 12, 2022 | |

In the past two months, a really interesting study has been published by a group of researchers in the United Kingdom, including Joanna Moncrieff of the Division of Psychiatry at the University College London.[1] The article was the product of research that examined a large number of studies dealing with the chemical imbalance theory of depression. Specifically, the article discussed whether or not a lack of serotonin can be demonstrated to be the cause of depression. Continue Reading →

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Deaths of Despair

Deaths of Despair

Posted by | Mar 30, 2022 | |

It has been a difficult two years for most of us as we have dealt with “two weeks to flatten the curve” of Covid illness, hospitalization, and death. And, I suspect we all have been hoping that with the coming of spring, the decline in cases and hospitalizations, the pandemic will soon be behind us. For some of our population, the improvement was not enough. This past week an article appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association discussing research into “deaths of despair.” Continue Reading →

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year: Avoiding Post Holiday Blues

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year: Avoiding Post Holiday Blues

Posted by | Dec 27, 2021 | |

By the time this blog is published, we should be two days past Christmas, and another aspect of the season will be with us. Despite the reason for celebration, some of us do not view these days with joyful anticipation. Instead, for many reasons, Christmas can be a source of sadness. As a physician for over 40 years now, I have noticed a general uptick in visits for depression in the weeks following December the 25th. Continue Reading →

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Four Important Things to Know About Depression, Medicine, and Counseling

Four Important Things to Know About Depression, Medicine, and Counseling

Posted by | Sep 10, 2021 | |

One of the hardest things to learn in medicine, counseling, and life is the value of humility. When Benjamin Franklin was challenged about its absence in his original list of virtues, he added it. Later in life, he said of humility, that he could not boast of much success being humble but had a good deal of success with looking like it. Scripture commends humility to us. As James tells us, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble…Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” So, as we consider a few important aspects of helping individuals who struggle with sadness and depression, it will be beneficial to bring humility along. Continue Reading →

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Four Lessons from the Pandemic

Four Lessons from the Pandemic

Posted by | Jun 4, 2021 | |

I graduated from medical school in 1975. I am just finishing my 46th year practicing medicine, and what a year it has been. Sometimes patients hesitate to tell me their story because they think I will have never heard a situation as unusual or distressing as theirs. I assure them that there isn’t much in medicine that I haven’t seen, heard, or smelled twice. And, that has been pretty much true—until this year. So, what new tricks has this old dog been forced to learn? What four things impressed me most? Continue Reading →

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