Posts by Robert Fischer, MD
Male BPD: Finally, We Are Addressing It
The challenge in life for all of us is to appreciate that happiness is found in imperfection, not perfection. For young adults in our Optimum Performance Institute community, this means learning to appreciate the complexity of life and deal with imperfections in themselves, others and the world. Our participants learn to take their best shot…
Read MoreReflections on Bipolar Disorder and Comorbid Conditions in Young Adults
Comorbidity is a condition when two syndromes occur simultaneously in the same person. The simultaneous treatment of comorbidities in people affected by Bipolar Disorder is “ubiquitous,” as mentioned in an article titled, “Comorbidity in Bipolar Disorder: The Complexity of Diagnosis and Treatment.” “Bipolar Disorder is highly prevalent and heterogeneous. Its increasing complexity is often caused…
Read MoreReflections on “Reviving Plain Old Therapy” – a recent article featured in Psychiatric News
Today, psychotherapy researchers are hard pressed to demonstrate differences in effectiveness among various therapy brands. “We are blessed with a spate of evidence-based therapies for specific psychiatric disorders and cursed with all their acronyms—CBT, DBT, TFP, ERP…to name a few,” says Jon G. Allen, Ph.D., senior staff psychologist at the Menninger Clinic and professor of…
Read MoreAsperger’s and the Power of ‘Joy’: Treating the Whole Person, Not Just the Diagnosis
In my 30-plus years of treating children, Young Adults and their families, they are the ones who have taught me the most. Today, I am lucky enough to recognize just how many times my assumptions were incorrect. This is especially true at the Optimum Performance Institute where we work in a supportive system that affords…
Read MoreKeeping with Traditions from Home While at OPI
Having Roanne and Optimum Performance Institute (OPI) Program participants be comfortable while they are in our programs and away from home is very important to all of us. In keeping with traditions that participants may celebrate at home, here at OPI we celebrated both Passover and Easter this past weekend with participants who wanted to…
Read MoreDBT in a Nutshell
DBT in a Nutshell by Dr. Marsha Linehan, Ph.D Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based proven therapy for disorders of behavior and emotional regulation. Developed by world-renown psychologist Marsha Linehan, Ph.D, it combines practical behavior science with mindfulness and contemplative practices. OPI Intensive treatment center staff have been intensively trained by Behavioral Tech LLC,…
Read MoreYoung Adults with Bipolar Disorder
Psychiatry has gained much knowledge of some of the biochemical mechanisms that account for Bipolar Disorder. Today, many symptoms are treated utilizing a complex mix of psychotropic medications. However, at the Optimum Performance Institute, we believe this is only the beginning. DESCRIBING YOUNG ADULTS WITH B.D. For years, Young Adults with B.D. do their best…
Read MoreOPI Participants Attend Lecture at the Kavli Institute
A few weeks ago some young adults piled into one of our vans to take the 1 ½ hour drive up the California coast to University of California, Santa Barbara, and hear a lecture about how the quantum spin of electrons can be used to convey information and help create the most powerful computers ever…
Read MoreOPI Re-conceptualizes Volunteering Program
Because we recently re-conceptualized our Volunteering Program at OPI, Participants as well as staff have been seen serving food at the Midnight Mission, wrapping presents at the Boys and Girls Club and exchanging goodies as part of our “Do a Good Deed Month”. Volunteering has always been part of OPI. But until recently it was…
Read MoreExperiences of the Unconscious: Joining Art and Physics
The following article was written by Jacob, an OPI Participant, after attending a lecture at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics in Santa Barbara, California. On March 10, three residents of OPI traveled to Santa Barbara to hear a lecture at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) on algorithms in art. I was lucky…
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