Columnists

In 1968, I was writing a huge piece of software — part of an inventory management system — and I got a cold. I was under pressure to get my work done, so I ignored my cough. And, I ignored the fact that I was working in a terrible environment — a highly air-conditioned computer room — and smoking cigarettes.

My cough got worse. I said to myself, “I’ll work through this and then, when my project is complete, I’ll take time off.” My cough deteriorated to the point that I had prolonged hacking episodes. Then I started running a fever.

Finally, I went to the doctor, who determined I had pneumonia and sent me directly to the hospital. As I was being admitted, I passed out. I woke up in a hospital bed under an oxygen tent.

After a few days, I went home and back to work. I learned two things: to stop smoking and to take better care of myself.

From the press reports about Hillary Clinton’s pneumonia, it sounds like she made the same mistake I did: when she experienced the first symptoms of pneumonia , she tried to work through it. Then she had an episode at the 9/11 memorial and was forced to take better care of herself. -more-

Ideally, if someone is afflicted with a psychotic illness, once medicated, she or he will gain insight into their condition--and into how their consciousness was or continues to be fooled by delusions and possibly hallucinations. Having insight into one's illness is the only way I know that someone can achieve a lasting and effective recovery from a psychotic condition. -more-

On September 5, 2016, the Albanian Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, known worldwide as Mother Teresa, joined about 10,000 other saints in the Roman Catholic heaven. -more-