I once talked to a patient about how he spends his days - specifically how much of his day he devoted to his health (exercise, meds, hygiene, etc.), all in an effort to get him to feel more committed to changing behaviors that were hurting him. I said, “because, in the end, all any of us has to spend is our time. That’s all we have of true value.” His thoughtful reply?  - “well, and your good name, of course.”

Too bad my patient didn’t have a podium at the last APA meeting. While it may seem like a quaint concept, his is a truth that’s easy to lose sight of - the value of your word, or your name, is a form of human capital that shouldn’t be squandered, any more than the days each of us is allotted on this earth. Here’s a nice, succinct article about the pharmaceutical conflicts-of-interest that have festered among psychiatrists and are now threatening to erode reputations of all of us. Such a waste…