Awais Aftab

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Karl Jaspers Award is given for the best unpublished paper in the area of philosophy of psychiatry by a trainee in the disciplines of philosophy, psychiatry, or psychology.

Deadline for submission for 2025 Karl Jaspers Award is Sunday, December 7, 2025

aapp.press.jhu.edu/jaspers

In Defense of Disordered Grief No, grief has not been given an expiration date

In Defense of Disordered Grief

No, grief has not been given an expiration date

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/in-defense...

Experiences of transphobia over the past year have made me sometimes regret coming out as nonbinary for the first time. I've long received hatemail and death threats for being a public-ish trans person, but that wasn't so bad and it never made me regret being out. Things are getting so much worse.

In Defense of Disordered Grief No, grief has not been given an expiration date

In Defense of Disordered Grief

No, grief has not been given an expiration date

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/in-defense...

The link in my post should be a gift link as well (at least that’s what I think I posted!)

Autism, A.D.H.D., Anxiety: Can a Diagnosis Make You Better?

Grateful to see this layered and multifaceted discussion in the @nytimes.com by @ellenbarry.bsky.social about recent work by @alanlevinovitz.bsky.social and me on the Rumpelstiltskin effect (the therapeutic relief experienced on receiving a diagnosis)

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/s...

Are We All Just Having 'Understandable Human Reactions'? Sami Timimi's new book paints neurodivergent and trans people as dupes of neoliberalism

Are We All Just Having 'Understandable Human Reactions'? — Jesse Meadows

“Sami Timimi's new book paints neurodivergent and trans people as dupes of neoliberalism”

www.sluggish.xyz/p/are-we-all...

“Boredom proneness overlaps with inattention and impulsivity but does not capture hyperactivity, working memory deficits, or problems with planning and organization.”

Excellent article. An example of this distinction: the higher risk of car accidents is probably not due to boredom proneness alone.

Substack ranking of “Rising” newsletters with Psychiatry at the Margins #1 today

🙏🏻

ADHD, Boredom Proneness, and the Pills That Make Tedium Tolerable Exploring the relationship between ADHD and boredom

ADHD, Boredom Proneness, and the Pills That Make Tedium Tolerable

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/adhd-bored...

Really insightful (once again). Thank you for it. I appreciate your reframe on this topic, embracing neurodiversity while also explaining in a non-dismissive way the rationale behind those that opt for treatment.

ADHD, Boredom Proneness, and the Pills That Make Tedium Tolerable Exploring the relationship between ADHD and boredom

ADHD, Boredom Proneness, and the Pills That Make Tedium Tolerable

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/adhd-bored...

I am very excited about the upcoming seventh edition of the Institute of Applied Psychology Interdisciplinary Series (IAPIS, ips.uj.edu.pl/nauka/iapis/... & @jagiellonskiuni.bsky.social)

To register for the first talk use: forms.gle/GcnHuj3rhamH...

Congrats! ☺️

BlueSky friends, forgive me for not posting much on here. I'm standing for President of the RCPsych in the elections next March. I'm still speaking and listening to friends and colleagues about what is important, but you can learn about what I would do if successful here: www.profrobhoward.com

Just got an email from a scam academic journal asking if I wanted to "explore new advances in White Psychodrama" and it's just got me like: buddy, I can watch the news myself.

Reposting for the Monday crowd 👇🏽

Very insightful as usual from @awaisaftab.bsky.social reviewing Elusive cures.
👇One sentence I wish applied to research in 2025 🇫🇷 where 10s of M€ are still being thrown out in dead-end reductionism in a promise to solve things while following the same path.

Rewriting the Grand Plan of Clinical Neuroscience A Review of “Elusive Cures” by Nicole C. Rust

Rewriting the Grand Plan of Clinical Neuroscience

A Review of “Elusive Cures: Why Neuroscience Hasn’t Solved Brain Disorders—and How We Can Change That” by Nicole C. Rust ( @nicolecrust.bsky.social )

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/rewriting-...

20+ years ago I hypothesized that there would continue to be this back and forth in conceptualization of various human conditions and sufferings. I think we just need to work with each other with humility, like what Rust does.

p.s. I adore Eric Kandel's cute bow-ties.

I'm near speechless. @awaisaftab.bsky.social heard was I was trying to say (and added his own insights). Thank you for engaging with Elusive Cures so thoughtfully, Awais. I'm so appreciative.

Rewriting the Grand Plan of Clinical Neuroscience A Review of “Elusive Cures” by Nicole C. Rust

Rewriting the Grand Plan of Clinical Neuroscience

A Review of “Elusive Cures: Why Neuroscience Hasn’t Solved Brain Disorders—and How We Can Change That” by Nicole C. Rust ( @nicolecrust.bsky.social )

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/rewriting-...

Can Drug Users Be Forced Into Rehab? Trump Says Yes. So Do 34 States.

An excellent overview of laws on involuntary commitment of drug users. As I said, “Passing a law doesn’t create a system. Treatment of addiction is difficult and takes time. It is not something that’s going to be solved in 30 days.” www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/h...

Ousted CDC director testifies on why she was fired Susan Monarez says RFK Jr. told her to commit to decisions in advance, without reviewing evidence and to dismiss vaccine experts.

Susan Monarez says RFK Jr. told her to commit to decisions in advance, without reviewing evidence and to dismiss vaccine experts.

This is a great piece

Britain’s Bathroom Ban The UK has gone from a bathroom ban being unthinkable to a Labour government implementing an extraordinarily authoritarian one—without a vote.

"They’re doing an awful, evil thing based on a self-evidently foolish strategy, one that has repeatedly failed for them. And they’re doing it without even the pretense of values. One day they believed in trans rights, the next day they didn’t." www.liberalcurrents.com/britains-bat...