My name is Jeff Clark, and this is my mental health blog.
Now to be clear, this blog is not about my own mental health. My struggles with depression and anxiety are terribly boring, and thankfully, I’m doing pretty well. (That’s the truth, Mom, thank you for always asking!) My recovery isn’t built on perfect practice, so I’d hate to speak from my very narrow personal experience.
I’m writing as a student of mental health. I have professional qualifications as a board-certified general adult and addiction psychiatrist, but I think of my training as a broad foundation rather than a symbol of expertise. (For those who don’t know: a psychiatrist is a physician with an MD or DO, while a psychologist typically has a PhD or PsyD. More simply: as a psychiatrist I can prescribe medications, although that tends to be only a small part of my job.)
This blog won’t always be correct, and you should obviously never consider it personal medical advice. I’m also not speaking for my employer or any other third party.
If the title isn’t clear, I’m writing to an adult audience about themes that are often considered adult. The adolescents you know are navigating these same topics, and the education they receive is poor. (Teenagers: I’m not requiring a birthdate to access this content, but I encourage you to connect with a compassionate, non-judgmental adult on your journey.)
So why this title? Sex, drugs, and suicide are among my major clinical interests. I think about these three topics frequently, and almost all of my patients are heavily impacted by problems with at least one of these subjects. I’ll explore mental health from many other angles, but these themes are the overarching focus.
I’m not planning on publishing articles at any particular pace or in any specific order. I’ve found that I do my best work when I’m initially driven by passion. (Like any other writer, I’m painfully aware that finishing a piece is drudgery, so I will be keeping my own internal deadlines.) I’ve tried weekly blogging and found that it’s hard to publish something with true substance every week. In lieu of consistency, I plan to offer something with a little more meaning. Perhaps you’ll find it useful, and perhaps you won’t. But I hope that you consider subscribing.
-Jeff
