Author Archives: Simon Downes, MD, PhD

Medical educator

Talking to a child about their terminal illness

My 7-year-old niece has a terminal illness, leukemia, and things are not looking good, especially with the recent relapse. In such cases, how does a family go about explaining the child’s death to them? I think it is cruel constantly promising she will be fine. What has your experience taught you is the best approach…More

I’m afraid of social settings

I like being around people but after these years of self-reflection, I realized I’m afraid of social settings. It’s ironic because I avoid people on my own but I feel so incredibly lonely. More

Depression & OCD

I have mild depression and the question of finding the meaning of life constantly looms inside my head. I also have some peculiar problems that only occur at night. I feel I have a second “conscious” in my head that would tell me what to do, which could be a sign of OCD as I…More

Am I experiencing PTSD?

I am a police officer and a few weeks ago my partner died in the line of duty. He was shot and killed on my watch. I knew him for over 10 years, and we started at the academy together. When he died, I was asked to take a leave of absence to cope with…More

What can I do about mood swings?

I’ve been having mood swings lately. My girlfriend gets mad at me because one minute I’m being nice and sweet towards her and the next minute I start yelling at her. It’s for no apparent reason, I don’t mean to but it just happens. I’m stressed from work because I’m leading a presentation for possible investors.…More

Does hypnosis really work for weight loss?

I am planning on going to a clinic in my area that specializes as in hypnosis to help me with weight loss. I am struggling with ability to lose weight. I skip out in my personal trainer and sneak junk food when I know I shouldn’t. I know I want to lose weight, but it’s…More

Does my mom have a mental illness?

I think my mom has a mental illness, but I am not sure what. She accuses people of stealing her belongings all the time and ends up finding them herself. She doesn’t apologize about it. She would stay up all night looking for things that aren’t in the house But she is convinced it’s hidden…More

What to do about night terrors?

When I was 8 years old, I started to get night terrors. I used to wake up screaming. Over time the night terrors went away. Now I am 22 years old, and I started to get them again. I wake up startled with my heart racing. It feels like I am suffocating. I dont recall…More

What can I do about my insomnia?

I am exhausted all the time. I experience insomnia pretty much every night. I get only about a few hours of sleep a night. I get frustrated that I can’t fall asleep and that makes it worse. I am taking 60mg of Geodon and 20mg of Celexa at night for my anxiety. A friend told…More