Ken Robbins, M.D.

Caring.com Expert

About

Kenneth Robbins, M.D. is board certified in psychiatry and internal medicine, and has a master's in public health from the University of Michigan. He is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has had a wide variety of clinical positions, including those which require an understanding of the interface between psychiatry and other medical specialties. His current clinical practice focuses primarily on geriatrics. He also provides forensic consultation, and has extensive experience in working for defense attorneys, judges and prosecutors in criminal matters; and on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants in civil matters. He is active in both the American and Wisconsin Psychiatric Associations. He has written and contributed to many articles and is frequently invited to speak on psychiatric topics, such as psychiatry and the law; depression; anxiety; dementia; and suicide risk and prevention.

Links

Recently Published on Caring.com

  1. Saturday November 21, 2009

    1. Should I consider placing Mom in an Alzheimer's care unit to preserve my own health?

      Answer - I certainly understand your struggle, and you clearly meant what you said when you promised your mom to never place her in a nursing home. However, what you were really promising is that you would be there for your mom and only do what you believed would be in her best interest. In the end, that is the best thing we can do for our parents...

  2. Wednesday November 04, 2009

    1. How do I tell Mom I had to sell her home?

      Answer - It sounds like you have done your best to be a responsible daughter. I presume you decided what you thought would be in your mother's best interest, and you then acted accordingly. The question now is should you tell your mother what you have done...

    2. How do I deal with grief and want to keep going?

      Answer - I am very sorry to hear about all you have been through. It sounds like you are now feeling terribly alone and life is overwhelmingly empty. I would suggest several things for you to do right away. The first is to be sure you are working with a good psychiatrist and be sure your mood disorder is being properly treated...

  3. Friday October 23, 2009

    1. How can I help Mom with her depression?

      Answer - Grieving is a complex process that should be expected to include much sadness. However, when someone's sadness after losing a loved one prevents them from being able to function, and this goes on for more than a month or two, they have likely moved from grieving to a clinical depression. This happens to about 20% of people who go through grieving...

  4. Thursday October 22, 2009

    1. What could be causing the sudden onset of my father's anxiety and depression?

      Answer - This sounds incredibly frustrating. Your dad must be extremely uncomfortable and no one seems to know how to help him. The symptoms you describe, can be caused by a number of medical illnesses, but I am presuming with all the care he has had, the workups did not find any such illnesses...

    2. Is a lot of sleeping normal for Alzheimer's?

      Answer - It is not unusual that people with Alzheimer's Disease develop a markedly variable sleep schedule. This is a disease that causes a loss of brain cells and interferes with communication between many of the remaining cells. The control center for sleep is located in the middle of the brain, and Alzheimer...

  5. Monday October 12, 2009

    1. What do we do during a panic attack?

      Answer - These sound like panic attacks, which are very common and very treatable. Before assuming that is the cause of her symptoms, however, she should see her physician and be sure there is not some other medical explanation. One of the medical explanations to consider if she experiences the hallucinations...

  6. Thursday October 08, 2009

    1. How do I deal with the pain and anger of my Father's death?

      Answer - I am so sorry to hear about what you have been through. You now must deal with anger and grief all mixed together, which is very challenging. To top it all off, you had to make the decision to end life supports, so it would also be expected you would be left with some guilt, even though you no doubt made the best decision for your father...

  7. Sunday September 27, 2009

    1. How do we deal with an angry FIL?

      Answer - I only have part of the story, so I am going to have to make a couple of assumptions. The first is that his concerns are not accurate; your husband is not doing any of the things your father in law is suggesting. If that is the case, your father in law is struggling with delusions, a form of psychosis in which someone has fixed, false beliefs...

  8. Sunday September 13, 2009

    1. My husband won't try and I'm tired!

      Answer - It sounds like you are walking uphill with a lot of additional weight, and it is understandably fatiguing. It is not clear to me, however, why your husband “won’t do much.” If he still has pain or instability in his hip, he should be carefully evaluated to determine what needs to be done to improve his functioning...

  9. Wednesday September 02, 2009

    1. How can I help my son accept the fact that Hospice care is needed?

      Answer - First, you have much reason to be proud. You have done a wonderful job raising a fine person. Your son is kind and loyal; it is a wonderful combination of traits. It sounds like he has the maturity to make his own decision about what role he should play in caring for his grandmother. To make such a decision, however, he needs information...

  10. Monday August 31, 2009

    1. Is refusing cancer treatment a selfish act?

      Answer - A decision about whether to accept treatment for cancer is a personal matter, and there is no right or wrong. One must start by carefully weighing the potential risks of the treatment and the potential benefits of the treatment. The person with cancer must ultimately decide which choice is in their overall best interest...

  11. Wednesday August 26, 2009

    1. How do you help someone accept assisted living?

      Answer - Adjusting to assisted living is almost always a process that takes time. As a family member or close friend, your response to questions about that process, depends on the circumstances. If your loved one has been moved to assisted living because they have dementia and they are too confused or dangerous to be living at home, the response takes finesse...

  12. Friday August 21, 2009

    1. Is there anything else that can help with 'sundowning'?

      Answer - As dementias progress, whether caused by Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Disease, Lewy Body Disease, or some other cause, it is common that people become agitated, like your dad. Agitation is particularly common in the evenings, as you have seen, and when that happens, many people refer to it as “sundowning...

    2. What will help Mom with her depression?

      Answer - It is wonderful you are concerned about your mom, and looking for help. It sounds like your dad died very young, and that makes things particularly hard on everyone, especially your mom. I would be happy to give you some thoughts about the treatment of her depression, but I am afraid I don’t...

  13. Monday August 17, 2009

    1. Is it OK to wish that my father would just hurry up and die?

      Answer - There is nothing “wrong” with having such feelings. It is very difficult to control feelings, and the feelings themselves hurt no one, but perhaps you. It sounds like you have plenty of reason to be angry with your father, and based on the depth of your frustration; I suspect the problems with him date back many years...

  14. Thursday August 13, 2009

    1. What can we do if my aunt is about to be kicked out of her nursing home due to anger issues?

      Answer - I am very sorry you are having to deal with this very difficult problem. Unfortunately, it is very common that as dementia progresses, people become frightened and confused and this leads to aggressive behaviors. In your aunt's case, her long history of anxiety may be further exacerbating the problem...

  15. Monday August 03, 2009

    1. What are antipsychotic drugs?

      Answer - Antipsychotic medications are a group of medications designed to treat psychotic symptoms. Psychotic symptoms in the elderly generally consist of hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations are false sensory perceptions and can involve any of the senses. One can see things, hear things, touch things, smell things or taste things that are not real...

    2. Are there safe sleep aids for seniors?

      Answer - In the treatment of sleep problems, it is always best to first try non-pharmacologic options so there is no danger of side effects. The first step is to adopt standard sleep hygiene techniques that have been shown to be effective. These include, first, maintaining a regular sleep wake cycle, so that...

    3. I retired almost a year ago and my mother immediately moved...

      Answer - First, your mother must have done many things right to have raised as wonderful a person as you have been. You have been incredibly loyal, caring and responsible. Though you have bent over backwards to be helpful to her, you have gently suggested limits for your mom, which would allow you to have some life of your own and replenish your energy...

  16. Thursday July 30, 2009

    1. Can stress cause Alzheimer's?

      Answer - There is no evidence to suggest that psychological trauma or other psychological difficulties cause Alzheimer's Disease or any other dementia. On the other hand, psychological difficulties, most commonly depression or anxiety, can impair memory. These memory effects are fortunately reversible with proper treatment...

  17. Wednesday July 22, 2009

    1. What's the difference between schizophrenia and Alzheimer's?

      Answer - Schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s Disease are both diseases of the brain that can cause dramatic symptoms. They are different in many ways, but there are some similarities. Both can be associated with psychotic symptoms. That is, they can include hallucinations or delusions...

  18. Monday July 20, 2009

    1. Can Ritalin be used in Alzheimer's patients?

      Answer - Ritalin is a stimulant that is used as treatment for two illnesses, narcolepsy and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. For most people, it is stimulating. That means it boosts energy and it makes it more difficult to sleep. Because it is stimulating, it often increases anxiety and can be stimulating to the extent that it can lead to hallucinations...

    2. How can I convince Dad to see a doctor?

      Answer - From what you say, it sounds like he does not want you to be aware of his difficulties. This could be because he wants to protect you, it could be part of him refusing to acknowledge even to himself that there may be something wrong with his health, or he may be making a choice that he doesn't want to know what is causing his stomach problems...

  19. Thursday June 25, 2009

    1. How do we deal with Dad's dementia delusions?

      Answer - Your father has developed paranoid delusions, and knowing how to respond to him is partly a matter of understanding what causes them. Delusions -- false, fixed beliefs -- are a common complication of dementia, particularly in the later stages...

  20. Monday June 22, 2009

    1. What do I say when Mom says "I want to die"?

      Answer - The right way to respond involves more than what to say to her. We're fortunate that we live during a time when pharmacologic advances are such that no one should have to live with severe pain. Therefore it's critical that a physician with expertise in the treatment of pain evaluate the medication she...

  21. Monday June 15, 2009

    1. Can depression cause panic attacks?

      Answer - Panic attacks are are the sudden onset of severe anxiety associated with a number of physical symptoms. The most common associated symptoms are sweating, shortness of breath, heart pounding, dizziness and chest pain. They are very frightening, and, if you are experiencing panic attacks, you may end...