Awais Aftab
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awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab
@awaisaftab.bsky.social
7.8K 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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awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 9h
Your brain on stimulants vs your brain on ADHD

There is more to what ADHD is than what stimulants do, and there is more to the clinical use of stimulants than the boundaries of ADHD

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/adhd-beyon...
ADHD Beyond Stimulants, and Stimulants Beyond ADHD
Your brain on stimulants vs your brain on ADHD
www.psychiatrymargins.com

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 4d
I feel like sharing this post again…

Antirealism Will Not Save the DSM From Empirical Inadequacy

What does the DSM say about the unobservable structure of psychopathology?

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/antirealis...
Antirealism Will Not Save the DSM From Empirical Inadequacy
What does the DSM say about the unobservable structure of psychopathology?
www.psychiatrymargins.com

Reposted by Awais Aftab

cmaximino.bsky.social
Caio Maximino @cmaximino.bsky.social · 6d
"Can a Psychiatric Crisis Save Your Life?" Texto interessante e bem equilibrado do @awaisaftab.bsky.social
www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/can-a-psyc...
Can a Psychiatric Crisis Save Your Life? - by Awais Aftab
Madness as breakdown and breakthrough
www.psychiatrymargins.com

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 7d
Reconsidering Lithium as the Gold Standard for Bipolar Disorder: A Personal History

“Lithium is one of our tools but has no special status.”

A guest post by Robert Haim Belmaker

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/reconsider...
Reconsidering Lithium as the Gold Standard for Bipolar Disorder: A Personal History
“Lithium is one of our tools but has no special status.”
www.psychiatrymargins.com

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 11d
The latest in nominative determinism 😃
Atlantic article heading. AMERICA HAS ENTERED LATE-STAGE PROTEIN This has gone too far. By Rachel Sugar JANUARY 10, 2026

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 14d
Can a Psychiatric Crisis Save Your Life?

Madness as breakdown and breakthrough

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/can-a-psyc...
Can a Psychiatric Crisis Save Your Life?
Madness as breakdown and breakthrough
www.psychiatrymargins.com

Reposted by Awais Aftab

aidangcw.bsky.social
Aidan Wright @aidangcw.bsky.social · 18d
Claudenfreude: the feeling you get when someone gets busted for using AI when they shouldn’t

h/t @ssweatt.bsky.social for coining it

Reposted by Awais Aftab

miriforbes.bsky.social
Miri Forbes @miriforbes.bsky.social · 18d
Just learned I've won the APA Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contributions to Psychology in the area of psychopathology, and am feeling pretty delighted!! So grateful to @aidangcw.bsky.social for nominating me, and very proud of the work it's based on.

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 21d
My periodic round-up of interesting stuff I’ve read

(And some personal media favorites from 2025)

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/notable-li...
Notable Links (Substack Edition) - Jan 3, 2026
And some personal media favorites from 2025
www.psychiatrymargins.com

Reposted by Awais Aftab

jakubkuchar.bsky.social
Jakub Kuchař @jakubkuchar.bsky.social · 22d
I když Freud položil základy psychoanalýzy a dodnes je v psychoanalytických kruzích velmi důležitou figurou, současná psychoanalýza není pouze o něm. Akademická psychologie to bohužel nebere moc v potaz. @awaisaftab.bsky.social toto téma rozebírá v přiloženém textu.
An Intro to Freud Is Not an Intro to Contemporary Psychoanalysis
Reviewing Paul Bloom on Freud and the unconscious
www.psychiatrymargins.com

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 25d
😢

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 26d
It just occurred to me that this juxtaposition is almost an illustration of what Dan Oppenheimer had identified as the dynamic between the Scientist and the Survivor is his profile of me, except in this case both the Scientist and the Survivor were able to grow beyond the limitations of their roles.

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 26d
The All of Thine That Cannot Die: Farewell to Two Friends

In memory of Dan J. Stein and Lisa Wallace

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/the-all-of...
The All of Thine That Cannot Die: Farewell to Two Friends
In memory of Dan J. Stein and Lisa Wallace
www.psychiatrymargins.com

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · 29d
How the Citrus Cure for Scurvy Was Lost, and Lessons for the Science of Psychopathology

The copper-lined containers and the contexts that neutralize treatment

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/how-the-ci...
How the Citrus Cure for Scurvy Was Lost, and Lessons for the Science of Psychopathology
The copper-lined containers and the contexts that neutralize treatment
www.psychiatrymargins.com

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · Dec 24
… but that is no excuse to tolerate imperfection, esp at this large scale of implementation, when we can easily do better. (/2)

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · Dec 24
I should note though: if we created a version of PHQ-9 that didn’t have these interpretation issues, it will in all likelihood still correlate very highly with the current PHQ-9. Imperfect measures can still index symptom burden and track change with meaningful utility… (/1)

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · Dec 23
Cool study in JAMA Psychiatry confirms what many have suspected for a while: PHQ (depression questionnaire) instructions are widely misinterpreted by patients. It is unfortunate that a questionnaire as shitty as PHQ-9 has become so ingrained & ubiquitous

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Interpretation Issues With the Patient Health Questionnaire Instructions
This survey study assesses whether responses to the Patient Health Questionnaire reflect symptom frequency and severity.
jamanetwork.com

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · Dec 23
Why I'm Trying Psych Meds Again
and how I've changed my mind about their critics

An excellent post by Jesse Meadows

www.sluggish.xyz/p/why-im-try...
Why I'm Trying Psych Meds Again
and how I've changed my mind about their critics
www.sluggish.xyz

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · Dec 18
Antipsychotic tapering appears to help long-term in a new trial but not for the obvious reason…
And considerable uncertainty remains

My discussion of the HAMLETT study by Sommer et al. (October 2025, JAMA Psychiatry)

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/antipsycho...
Antipsychotic tapering appears to help long-term in a new trial but not for the obvious reason
And considerable uncertainty remains
www.psychiatrymargins.com

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · Dec 15
A review of “Conversations in Critical Psychiatry” by Daniel Cohrs for the AJP Residents’ Journal. “The field’s conceptual terrain is rich, multifaceted, and contentious; the dialogue format allows for its exploration in a way that is both thoughtful & precise”

psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10....
Conversations in Critical Psychiatry | American Journal of Psychiatry Residents' Journal
PsychiatryOnline.org is the platform for all American Psychiatric Association Publishing journals, DSM, and bestselling textbooks, as well as APA Practice Guidelines, and continuing medical education.
psychiatryonline.org

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · Dec 14
If you’re convinced the cure is worse than the disease, it’s awfully tempting to also convince yourself that there was never an illness in the first place. Nowhere is this impulse more evident than in debates about psychopathology.

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · Dec 13
Mixed Bag #25: Kinnon MacKinnon on Trans Identity and Medicine

MacKinnon explores the topic using a book, a concept, a person, an article, and a surprise item

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/mixed-bag-...
Mixed Bag #25: Kinnon MacKinnon on Trans Identity and Medicine
a book, a concept, a person, an article, and a surprise item
www.psychiatrymargins.com

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · Dec 11
What Other Diagnoses Could Learn From Autism’s Diagnostic Appeal

The role of cognitive-perceptual mechanistic explanations

A response by Riva Stoudt to my autism differential diagnosis post

www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/what-other...
What Other Diagnoses Could Learn From Autism’s Diagnostic Appeal
The role of cognitive-perceptual mechanistic explanations
www.psychiatrymargins.com

Reposted by Awais Aftab

matthewbroome.bsky.social
Matthew B @matthewbroome.bsky.social · Dec 10
www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-202... an amazing colleague, too young
In remembrance: Professor Dan Stein
It is with profound sadness that we write to inform you of the passing of our colleague, Professor Dan Stein (63) on Saturday, 6 December 2025 after a short illness.
www.news.uct.ac.za

Reposted by Awais Aftab

ent3c.bsky.social
Eric Turkheimer @ent3c.bsky.social · Dec 9
Blog post: Within family prediction of psychopathology:
Bad prediction is bad prediction. ericturkheimer.substack.com/p/within-fam...
ericturkheimer.substack.com

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · Dec 9
The picture is from Oct 2023 when we presented together at ECNP in Barcelona.

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · Dec 9
Dan J. Stein passed away on Dec 6, 2025, after a reportedly short illness. An unexpected death, we had emailed just 2 weeks ago! He was brilliant and wise, a distinguished psychiatrist, a true intellectual, a good friend. He was really gracious to me, I owe him a lot. Rest in peace. I will miss you.
Dan Stein and I in business attire at a conference

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · Dec 9
I'm glad to hear that, thank you!

Reposted by Awais Aftab

mariandrnh.bsky.social
Maria Niedernhuber @mariandrnh.bsky.social · Dec 9
@awaisaftab.bsky.social your articles always lead to the most interesting discussions! Thank you so much for sharing

awaisaftab.bsky.social
Awais Aftab @awaisaftab.bsky.social · Dec 6
Yes, completely agree that schizotypy can be healthy, non-disordered, non-clinical, and I didn’t make it clear. The schizotypy-ASD overlap is also genuine but conceptually murky, hope to write more about it later. Thank you!