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Awais Aftab

@awaisaftab.bsky.social

7.7K followers 5K following 1.2K posts

Psychiatrist with philosophical interests | Conversations in Critical Psychiatry (Oxford University Press, 2024) | Psychiatry at the Margins www.psychiatrymargins.com

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Psychology 39%

Philosophy 32%

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Reposted by Awais Aftab

Joe Pierre, MD @psychunseen.bsky.social · 1d

"dictatorships collapse when multitudes march and organize against it, destroying the illusion that everyone accepts tyranny."

#NOKINGS #OCT18 #NOKINGS #OCT18

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...

Opinion | Where Trump Is Vulnerable and How to Act on It

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Awais Aftab

Chris Aiken, MD @chrisaikenmd.bsky.social · 1d

JAMA editorial says GLP-1's are ready for mainstream in psychiatry for weight gain on meds and metabolic dysregulation in psychiatric patients:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40991279/

Learn how to use them:
www.thecarlatreport.com/articles/535...

#psychiatry #pmhnp #medicine

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Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 2d

Outcome heritability: "a statistical remnant in developmental systems that lack specific genes that cause specific outcomes... it does not entail a representation of a complex outcome down in the genes somewhere." @ent3c.bsky.social

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/the-unbear...

The Unbearable Incoherence of Heritability: Interview with Eric Turkheimer

Eric Turkheimer is Hugh Scott Hamilton Professor of Psychology at University of Virginia.

www.psychiatrymargins.com

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Reposted by Simon J. Greenhill, Kostas Kampourakis, Rebecca Sear , and 2 more Simon J. Greenhill, Kostas Kampourakis, Rebecca Sear, Awais Aftab, Will M. Gervais

Eric Turkheimer @ent3c.bsky.social · 2d

In 2018, Charles Murray challenged me to a bet: "We will understand IQ genetically—I think most of the picture will have been filled in by 2025—there will still be blanks—but we’ll know basically what’s going on." It's now 2025, and I claim a win. I write about it in The Atlantic.

Your Genes Are Simply Not Enough to Explain How Smart You Are

Seven years ago, I took a bet with Charles Murray about whether we’d basically understand the genetics of intelligence by now.

www.theatlantic.com

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Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 3d

Rejection of Hijab as a Psychiatric Problem in Iran

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/rejection-...

Rejection of Hijab as a Psychiatric Problem in Iran

An illustration of political weaponization of healthcare

www.psychiatrymargins.com

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Reposted by Awais Aftab, Jill A. Jacobson

Aidan Wright @aidangcw.bsky.social · 3d

A new take on the limitations of "psychometric networks" now out in Nature Human Behavior. You don't want to put too much confidence in individual edges. Something we cautioned against in 2017.

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www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Statistical evidence in psychological networks - Nature Human Behaviour

Psychometric network models have become increasingly popular in psychology and the social sciences. Huth et al. show that a large proportion of reported network findings are based on weak or inconclusive evidence inviting caution when interpreting results.

www.nature.com

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Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 3d

“Shut Up and Treat” -- a clinical parallel to the “shut up and calculate” attitude in quantum physics

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/shut-up-an...

“Shut Up and Treat”

The cost of hermeneutic silence in the clinic

www.psychiatrymargins.com

Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 4d

On autism debates

Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 4d

It is not ludicrous for mildly and severely impaired to have the same diagnosis

Classificatory solutions for social problems

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/it-is-not-...

It is not ludicrous for mildly and severely impaired to have the same diagnosis

Classificatory solutions for social problems

www.psychiatrymargins.com

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Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 4d

It is not ludicrous for mildly and severely impaired to have the same diagnosis

Classificatory solutions for social problems

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/it-is-not-...

It is not ludicrous for mildly and severely impaired to have the same diagnosis

Classificatory solutions for social problems

www.psychiatrymargins.com

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Reposted by Awais Aftab, Veli‐Matti Karhulahti

Eric Turkheimer @ent3c.bsky.social · 7d

Haven't posted much lately-- busy. One of my Substack projects is republishing my chapters from the Kendler and Parnas series on the philosophy of psychiatry. The books are expensive and hard to find. This is, "The Hard Question in Psychiatric Nosology." /1 @awaisaftab.bsky.social

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Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 8d

Karl Jaspers Award is given for the best unpublished paper in the area of philosophy of psychiatry by a trainee in the disciplines of philosophy, psychiatry, or psychology.

Deadline for submission for 2025 Karl Jaspers Award is Sunday, December 7, 2025

aapp.press.jhu.edu/jaspers

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Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 10d

In Defense of Disordered Grief

No, grief has not been given an expiration date

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/in-defense...

In Defense of Disordered Grief

No, grief has not been given an expiration date

www.psychiatrymargins.com

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Reposted by Awais Aftab

Robert Chapman @drrobertchapman.bsky.social · 10d

Experiences of transphobia over the past year have made me sometimes regret coming out as nonbinary for the first time. I've long received hatemail and death threats for being a public-ish trans person, but that wasn't so bad and it never made me regret being out. Things are getting so much worse.

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Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 12d

The link in my post should be a gift link as well (at least that’s what I think I posted!)

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Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 12d

Grateful to see this layered and multifaceted discussion in the @nytimes.com by @ellenbarry.bsky.social about recent work by @alanlevinovitz.bsky.social and me on the Rumpelstiltskin effect (the therapeutic relief experienced on receiving a diagnosis)

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/s...

Autism, A.D.H.D., Anxiety: Can a Diagnosis Make You Better?

www.nytimes.com

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Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 13d

Are We All Just Having 'Understandable Human Reactions'? — Jesse Meadows

“Sami Timimi's new book paints neurodivergent and trans people as dupes of neoliberalism”

www.sluggish.xyz/p/are-we-all...

Are We All Just Having 'Understandable Human Reactions'?

Sami Timimi's new book paints neurodivergent and trans people as dupes of neoliberalism

www.sluggish.xyz

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Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 17d

🙏🏻

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Reposted by Awais Aftab

Nicole Rust @nicolecrust.bsky.social · 18d

Really insightful (once again). Thank you for it. I appreciate your reframe on this topic, embracing neurodiversity while also explaining in a non-dismissive way the rationale behind those that opt for treatment.

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Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 18d

ADHD, Boredom Proneness, and the Pills That Make Tedium Tolerable

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/adhd-bored...

ADHD, Boredom Proneness, and the Pills That Make Tedium Tolerable

Exploring the relationship between ADHD and boredom

www.psychiatrymargins.com

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Reposted by Lisa Bortolotti, Awais Aftab, Anya Plutynski

Konrad Banicki @castalia1981.bsky.social · 21d

I am very excited about the upcoming seventh edition of the Institute of Applied Psychology Interdisciplinary Series (IAPIS, ips.uj.edu.pl/nauka/iapis/... & @jagiellonskiuni.bsky.social)

To register for the first talk use: forms.gle/GcnHuj3rhamH...

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Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 22d

Congrats! ☺️

Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 23d

Reposting for the Monday crowd 👇🏽

Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 25d

Rewriting the Grand Plan of Clinical Neuroscience

A Review of “Elusive Cures: Why Neuroscience Hasn’t Solved Brain Disorders—and How We Can Change That” by Nicole C. Rust ( @nicolecrust.bsky.social )

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/rewriting-...

Rewriting the Grand Plan of Clinical Neuroscience

A Review of “Elusive Cures” by Nicole C. Rust

www.psychiatrymargins.com

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Reposted by Robert W. Wallace, Awais Aftab, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

lastpositivist.bsky.social @lastpositivist.bsky.social · 23d

Just got an email from a scam academic journal asking if I wanted to "explore new advances in White Psychodrama" and it's just got me like: buddy, I can watch the news myself.

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Reposted by Awais Aftab

Robert Howard @profrobhoward.bsky.social · 24d

BlueSky friends, forgive me for not posting much on here. I'm standing for President of the RCPsych in the elections next March. I'm still speaking and listening to friends and colleagues about what is important, but you can learn about what I would do if successful here: www.profrobhoward.com

ProfRobHoward

www.profrobhoward.com

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Reposted by Erich Fromm

Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 25d

Rewriting the Grand Plan of Clinical Neuroscience

A Review of “Elusive Cures” by Nicole C. Rust

www.psychiatrymargins.com

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Reposted by Awais Aftab

Paul S. Appelbaum, MD @appelbap.bsky.social · 27d

An excellent overview of laws on involuntary commitment of drug users. As I said, “Passing a law doesn’t create a system. Treatment of addiction is difficult and takes time. It is not something that’s going to be solved in 30 days.” www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/h...

Can Drug Users Be Forced Into Rehab? Trump Says Yes. So Do 34 States.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Joshua S. Weitz, Awais Aftab, Robert C. Richards

NPR @npr.org · 28d

Susan Monarez says RFK Jr. told her to commit to decisions in advance, without reviewing evidence and to dismiss vaccine experts.

Ousted CDC director testifies on why she was fired

Susan Monarez says RFK Jr. told her to commit to decisions in advance, without reviewing evidence and to dismiss vaccine experts.

n.pr

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Reposted by Elizabeth Stokoe, Catherine Baker, Awais Aftab , and 2 more Elizabeth Stokoe, Catherine Baker, Awais Aftab, Stuart White, Farah Mendlesohn

Liberal Currents @liberalcurrents.com · 28d

"They’re doing an awful, evil thing based on a self-evidently foolish strategy, one that has repeatedly failed for them. And they’re doing it without even the pretense of values. One day they believed in trans rights, the next day they didn’t." www.liberalcurrents.com/britains-bat...

Britain’s Bathroom Ban

The UK has gone from a bathroom ban being unthinkable to a Labour government implementing an extraordinarily authoritarian one—without a vote.

www.liberalcurrents.com

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Reposted by Awais Aftab

Aidan Wright @aidangcw.bsky.social · 29d

The perennial challenge for scientists: being honest with yourself about the limitations of your work but also remaining excited about it.

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Reposted by Awais Aftab

Dr. Jonathan N. Stea @jonathanstea.bsky.social · Sep 15

I feel so honored that my book, Mind the Science, has won the 2024 Science Writers and Communicators of Canada Book Award.

And I’m grateful to those in the science communication community who, like me, are fighting the same mission against pseudoscience. 😊✌️

sciencewriters.ca/bookawards2024

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