Blog Posts

Publish Date: August 29, 2026 Author: James McKnight Source: Shrink Speak substack GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy can ease binge eating but may destabilize restrictive eating disorders—the case for psychiatric screening before prescribing. Weight loss is a widespread struggle in American society. For some, the desire to lose weight is purely aesthetic—they look in...Continue reading→

Publish Date: July 29, 2026 Author: Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman Source: Shrink Speak substack Research Must Set the Speed Federal policy and pharmaceutical capital are pushing psychedelic medicine forward faster than the evidence can support. "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad." - Aldous Huxley In the span of three...Continue reading→

Publish Date: July 15, 2026 Author: Dr. James McKnight Source: Shrink Speak substack A Psychiatrist Explains Why Careful Science – Not Enthusiasm – Must Guide the Future of Psychedelic Medicine Here at Shrink Speak, we have been talking recently about the need for rigorous research before psychedelic drugs become widely available. That isn’t an abstract...Continue reading→

Publish Date: May 12, 2026 Author: Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman Source: Shrink Speak substack Untreated Severe Mental Illness Represents the Civil Rights Failure of Our Time Mental Health Awareness Month arrives every May with familiar appeals: reduce stigma, raise awareness, speak openly, show compassion. But awareness is not treatment. And compassion means little when people...Continue reading→

Publish Date: April 17, 2026 Author: Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman Source: Shrink Speak substack Personal Deviant Violence: Why Mass Shootings and Family Killings Are Preventable For most of human history, deadly violence was a common and accepted part of life. Wars, tribal conflict, political murder, organized crime, gang battles, theft, and crimes of passion were...Continue reading→

Publish Date: March 17, 2026 Author: Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman Source: Shrink Speak substack The FDA puts the brakes on psychedelics as treatments for mental illness. Key Points: Slowing the approval of psychedelics for treatment of mental illness ensures stronger safety standards A more deliberate process helps avert harms from rushed quick-fix drugs Giving a...Continue reading→

Publish Date: January 15, 2026 Author: Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman Source: Shrink Speak substack We have reached an inflection point in the arc of history and schizophrenia is no longer the frightening mystery it once was. The Reiner family tragedy continues to unfold. A few weeks ago, we learned that Nick Reiner, who was indicted...Continue reading→

Publish Date: January 7, 2026 Author: Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman Source: Shrink Speak substack The Profession That Everyone Needs But Nobody Wants Mental illness is widespread in society; so is reluctance to seek care. When I meet people at social events, the conversation frequently takes a predictable turn: “So, Jeff, what do you do for...Continue reading→

Publish Date: December 18, 2025 Author: Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman Source: Shrink Speak substack Balancing Regulatory Policy and Public Health on the Status of Recreational Intoxicants Humanity has always had a complicated, often contradictory relationship with psychoactive substances. Across cultures and centuries, people have turned to intoxicants for healing, ritual, socialization, recreation, and escape –...Continue reading→

Publish Date: November 19, 2025 Author: Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman Source: Shrink Speak substack Few human deeds carry the shock, sorrow, and mystery of suicide. It is the most final expression of the tragic culmination of mental illness, emotional pain, and anger or frustration at circumstances that have become unbearable to the decedent. While it...Continue reading→