A review of David Foster Wallace's 'The Pale King', examining its themes, the author's style and personal struggles, and the reviewer's evolving perspective on Wallace's work and legacy. Longer summary

This book review discusses David Foster Wallace's unfinished novel 'The Pale King', focusing on its themes, Wallace's writing style, and his personal struggles. The review explores Wallace's attempt to transcend postmodernism, his critique of consumer culture, and his vision for a more sincere and morally engaged society. It also delves into Wallace's mental health issues, his suicide, and the posthumous controversy surrounding his personal life. The reviewer reflects on their own journey with Wallace's work, from initial admiration to eventual disillusionment, while still acknowledging the value and limitations of his literary contributions. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines melatonin's effects, proper dosage, and uses for sleep disorders and circadian rhythm issues, emphasizing its dual role as a hypnotic and chronobiotic. Longer summary

Scott Alexander provides an in-depth analysis of melatonin, its effects, and proper usage. He explains that melatonin functions as both a hypnotic (inducing sleep) and a chronobiotic (shifting circadian rhythms). The post covers optimal dosing (0.3 mg, much lower than commonly available doses), use in treating circadian rhythm disorders, jet lag, and potential connections to other psychiatric conditions like seasonal affective disorder and depression. Scott also discusses personal experiences with melatonin, including its tendency to cause early waking and vivid dreams in some people. Shorter summary

The post explores a new model for understanding mental disorders as networks of interconnected symptoms rather than discrete diseases with underlying causes. Longer summary

This post discusses a new way of understanding mental disorders proposed by Nuijten, Deserno, Cramer, and Borsboom (NDCB). Instead of viewing psychiatric conditions as discrete diseases with underlying causes, they suggest viewing them as networks of interconnected symptoms. The author explains how this model can account for various aspects of mental illness that are difficult to explain with traditional models, such as comorbidity, the effects of life stressors, and the polygenic nature of mental illnesses. The post also considers some limitations of this approach, particularly in explaining conditions like bipolar disorder and the rapid effects of treatments like ketamine. Despite these issues, the author finds the network model compelling as a way to understand the complexity of psychiatric disorders. Shorter summary

Scott analyzes various criticisms of antidepressants, concluding they have modest but real benefits over placebo, with important considerations about side effects and efficacy. Longer summary

This post examines various criticisms of SSRIs and antidepressants, addressing claims about their efficacy, side effects, and comparisons to placebo and psychotherapy. Scott analyzes studies on antidepressant effectiveness, discussing issues like publication bias, effect sizes, and the meaning of 'clinical significance'. He explores side effects, particularly sexual dysfunction, weight gain, and emotional blunting. The post concludes that while antidepressants are not miracle drugs, they do have a modest but statistically significant benefit over placebo and can be a reasonable option for many people with depression, especially if they understand and prepare for potential side effects. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander defends psychiatric treatment for suicide attempts, arguing that most are impulsive decisions by people with treatable mental disorders rather than rational choices. Longer summary

Scott Alexander argues in favor of psychiatric treatment for attempted suicide, emphasizing that while there may be rare cases of rational suicide, most attempts are impulsive decisions made by people with mental disorders. He presents evidence that the majority of suicide attempters later regret their actions and that psychiatric treatment can significantly reduce suicide rates. The post discusses statistics on mental disorders among suicide attempters, the temporary nature of many suicidal crises, and the effectiveness of psychiatric interventions. Scott also addresses common misconceptions about psychiatric hospitalization and argues that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks for most patients. Shorter summary