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Articles by Stephen McWilliams
Terror probe suspect called police before being arrested near UK air base
ONE OF THE five men arrested over a suspected terror plot near an airbase in England used by the US called the police before they were arrested. It is understood that the suspect called the police around an hour before a farmer said she called 999 at 1.36am on Sunday after discovering three vans blocking a road near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. The five British nationals, all in their mid-20s, were subsequently arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and terrorism.
Is coffee good for you? Yes, but don't drink too much or have it too hot
IN IRELAND, WE drink a lot of coffee. In an Amárach survey of 1,000 Irish adults, commissioned by Java Republic, 76% identified as coffee drinkers (79% of men and 73% of women). Almost half (47%) reported drinking more coffee now than they did 10 years ago, with 68% drinking 1–2 cups per day and a further 25% drinking 3–4 cups per day.
Taxi trips to and from the airport just got easier thanks to technological innovations
THE POPULAR TAXI app Freenow by Lyft, has announced the launch of a set of new technological features designed to make trips easier, more frequent and more efficient for passengers and drivers alike. Whether waiting for a lift home from the airport or wanting to add more stops to your journey, Freenow’s new advancements will make it easier and quicker for you to get where you want to go.
Irish Open golf, the Manchester derby, and the NFL's return
DOONBEG PLAYS HOST to the Irish Open golf tournament this weekend, with all the action from the business end on Sky Sports Plus from Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The Solheim Cup also takes place on the weekend mornings, live on Sky Sports Golf. In cycling, the Vuelta a España reaches its climax live on TNT Sports 3, while in the Premier League, Manchester United host Manchester City on Sunday afternoon/evening, live on Sky Sports PL.
Supporting patients in distress Doctors can’t predict suicide, but we can try to prevent it
TODAY IS WORLD Suicide Prevention Day. What does that actually mean? Well, it was established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), and it is a day to raise awareness about warning signs and risk factors, to promote healthy and compassionate discussion that reduces stigma, and to promote mental health generally, which helps to prevent suicide.
Postpartum psychosis What expectant parents and families should know
THERE HAS BEEN a lot of media coverage in recent weeks about postpartum psychosis, on the back of the Lindsay Clancy murder trial in the US. It is a difficult topic to discuss because it plays into fears people may have about its potential consequences – even those which are newsworthy partly because they are so rare. The months around childbirth are already a time of significant biological and psychological change.
Belfast waterfront
Taken during the blue hour this is the Belfast waterfront with the famous Harland and wolf crane in the background.
Seven ways to de-stress Our ancient human survival system is being overrun by modern life
IN TIMES LONG long past, a threat would produce a “fight or flight” response. A large wild animal arrives in your village, or your nearest rivals decide to attack with spears, and your adrenal glands produce a surge of adrenaline. You become instantly more vigilant, your heart rate and breathing quicken, blood is diverted to your arms and legs, your gastrointestinal tract tries to empty, you perspire to cool down, and so forth.
The hidden wounds of war How PTSD and trauma from conflict can present and be treated
AFTER MORE THAN two years of relentless bombing in Gaza, the conflict in the Middle East has widened again. Recent US and Israeli air strikes on Iran mark a dangerous escalation, extending the cycle of violence to countries such as Lebanon, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Shellshocked communities across the region are under constant threat, while many expatriates have been trapped by the cancellation of flights.
Psychiatry - Update Journal - Medical Independent
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Struggle with sleeping? Here are seven tips to help you nod off
SLEEP, LIKE THE weather, is one of those easy topics of conversation. People like to compare and contrast. It is estimated that around one in three people regularly experience insomnia, with the elderly particularly at risk. Insomnia can vary in how it presents; some find it hard to fall asleep, while some experience a broken pattern of constantly waking up. Others wake up early in the morning and are unable to get back to sleep.
Psychiatry | Clinical Management News | Medical Independent
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How do schizophrenia and psychosis present, and how can we best treat them?
IMAGINE A YOUNG man, if you will. Let’s call him Mike. He is a 22-year-old apprentice electrician who lives with his parents. Mike normally enjoys soccer and has a few pints with friends at the weekends. He smokes cannabis at least weekly and has used cocaine a handful of times since his teenage years. In recent months, his supervisor has noticed him becoming increasingly unreliable. He sometimes fails to turn up for work; at other times, he doesn’t finish jobs.
What's this personality disorder and how can you manage one in your life?
SO, THERE’S SOMEONE in your life who, superficially at least, has an unusually high regard for themselves. We all know someone like this – perhaps a parent, a spouse, a friend, or a work colleague. You might have liked them at first; they might have oozed charisma, charm and energy. But their makeup flakes as time goes by, revealing them to be self-centred, arrogant and entitled. They lack empathy in situations that call for it. They tend to blame or gaslight.
'The system turns its back on some patients'
PEOPLE WITH MENTAL illness often feel marginalised in society. This is hardly a scoop, except that sometimes the reasons are surprising. For example, it’s not unusual for my own patients to tell me that their underlying psychiatric diagnoses make it a challenge to have their physical illnesses taken seriously in general medical settings, outpatient clinics, emergency departments and so forth.
Functional neurological disorder and its complex comorbidities - Medical Independent
Functional neurological disorder (FND), classified under the somatic symptoms and related disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM5) , is characterised by involuntary neurological symptoms which are not explained by a known neurological or other medical condition, or by another mental health disorder. Previously in DSM4, FND was a diagnosis of exclusion, but the description changed in DSM5, which specifies FND as a ‘rule-in’ diagnosis.
Soul healing in psychiatry
John, a young entrepreneur who struggled with alcohol dependence, presented for treatment. He admitted to working too often, and despite having earned substantially, he had lost his work-life balance. He said he was suicidal. The attending physician diagnosed him with a depressive disorder and he was commenced on an antidepressant medication. As his symptoms settled down, relaxation exercises were introduced.
The diagnosis and treatment of bipolar affective disorder
Kevin is a 27-year-old solicitor, who is assessed urgently in a psychiatry outpatient clinic having been referred by his GP. His girlfriend is worried that, over the past 10 days, his mood has appeared elated and he has seemed more energetic than usual. He says he only sleeps three hours at night and yet he does not feel tired.
The globetrotter’s guide to psychiatric culture-bound syndromes
A fascinating journey through lesser known psychiatric conditions usually only seen in specific local cultures Culture is everything in psychiatry. In a world where our outpatient clinics are becoming ever more diverse, we need to be attuned to the subtleties of varied personal experiences and perspectives.
Opinion: James Bond has many faces - is he a psychopath?
AFTER AN 18-MONTH delay due to Covid-19, next week will see the much-anticipated release of No Time To Die. This is Daniel Craig’s fifth (and most likely last) outing as James Bond and stars Rami Malek as Safin, the villain in this latest instalment. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the film also stars Ralph Fiennes as M, Ben Whishaw as Q and Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny, while we see the return of Léa Seydoux as Dr Madeleine Swann, Bond’s love interest who also happens to be a psychiatrist.
Opinion: The mental health impacts of this pandemic are yet to be understood
HERE ARE FINALLY signs of improvement in the battle against Covid-19, at least in Ireland. We have seen 18 months of restriction (and sometimes chaos), over 360,000 diagnoses and some 5,155 deaths. Across the world, over 220 million people have been diagnosed and almost 4.6 million have died. But equally, we have witnessed a triumph of the human spirit not seen since World War II.
Diagnosis and treatment of bipolar affective disorder
Treatment of bipolar affective disorder follows a typical biopsychosocial approach Bipolar affective disorder is a common psychiatric illness which holds a lifetime risk of around 1 per cent, affecting both men and women equally. The first episode most commonly occurs between the ages of 15 to 30 years, but may occur at any age.
A recap on schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is characterised by a fundamental distortion in several mental modalities including perception, thought, belief, self-experience, cognition, affect and volition. It carries a lifetime risk of around 1 per cent and presents most commonly in late adolescence to early adulthood. The incidence in males and females tends to be equal, but onset tends to be earlier in males.
Opinion: One year on, we're seeing the mental health impacts of this pandemic
AS WE CONTINUE to plough through the latest wave of Covid-19 and into our first anniversary as an Ireland with Covid, it is fair to say we have all been feeling rather fed up. Gone are the rounds of applause for frontline workers that we saw in March 2020, replaced by an enduring sense of grief, fatigue and worry.
Why Sherlock Holmes is not a psychopath
In an extract from his new book, Dr Stephen McWilliams argues that despite his reputation for arrogance and coldness, Baker Street’s famous fictional resident often displays empathy and warmth Sherlock Holmes is a firm favourite among aficionados of detective yarns. The obsessional sleuth with a penchant for cocaine and opiates was first introduced to readers in A Study in Scarlet (1887).
How different is professional rugby to the good old days of amateurism?
THERE HAS BEEN much discussion in recent times about regulating mixed martial arts in Ireland as it becomes more popular. The Irish Mixed Martial Arts Association (IMMAA) was set up last March. The body does not have any legal powers, but the majority of active MMA clubs have signed up. IMMAA President John Kavanagh, coach to Conor McGregor, told TheJournal.ie the current situation means “anybody can run an MMA event on a Saturday night and they could run it to whatever standard they see fit�.
Pharmacological guidelines for schizophrenia: a systematic review and comparison of recommendations for the first episode
Evidence-based recommendations are drawn up following an evaluation of available research and ranked according to the strength of the supporting evidence. Consensus-based recommendations are derived from the practical experience of the guideline developers. This methodology allows for the development of recommendations for clinical scenarios where the published evidence is weak or the evidence does not reflect the patient characteristics of everyday clinical practice.
Portugal’s anti-austerity alliance is about to form a government
ANTONIO COSTA, THE leader of Portugal’s Socialist Party, has been named prime minister and tasked with forming a government after weeks of political instability caused by an inconclusive election last month. The appointment comes after Costa’s anti-austerity alliance with Communists, Greens and the Left Bloc toppled the 11-day-old conservative minority government in a dramatic parliamentary vote earlier this month.
The case of the doctor’s book
Ask any author and they will probably tell you the second book is the hardest. A debut greeted equally with critical acclaim and commercial success will only serve to heighten public expectation when it comes to putting pen to paper for the second time. When Maurice Guéret published his compendium of work under the title What the Doctor Saw, it received rave reviews to say the least. It went on to sell thousands of copies, becoming one of Ireland’s best-selling books of the past year.
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