David A. Joseph, MD – 50th Reunion Essay

David A. Joseph, MD

3050 Braewood Court

Leland, NC 28451

da.joseph64@gmail.com

910-520-8316

Spouse(s): Pam (1969-1998); (Lynn 2001-2012)

Child(ren): Daniel (1973, Jordana (1976), Gabriel (1979), Benjamin (1982)

Grandchild(ren): Stella, Henry, Isaac, Lila, Aviva

Education: Chicago Medical School 1973, Residency Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Institute 1976

Career: General Psychiatry 40+ years Evanston, Illinois, Seattle, WA and Wilmington, NC

Avocations: Psychiatry in the community, Homelessness, Chronic Mental Illness

College: Jonathan Edwards

Yale was, and is, more that the academics. It is the people I met that changed my life. Some of them not even teachers or fellow students. The best example is Mrs. Schmidt, the secretary on the office to facilitate entrance into medical schools.

I had a severe depression my first two years at Yale and did not do well with my grades. When I went in to talk to the advisor, he told me not to apply to medical school. I would never get in with my grades. I was devastated. All my hopes and dreams dashed.

As I exited his office, Mrs. Schmidt saw how crestfallen I was. She sat me down and told me that she was the one who did all of the work for getting the records together so applications could go out to the medical schools. She said she would take care of things in that office for me. I cannot remember the advisor’s name, but I still remember Mrs. Schmidt.

I got into two medical schools. I went on to a residency program in psychiatry and have been in practice for over 40 years.

I got married right out of college. Pam and I were married for 26 years and we had four children Daniel, Jordana, Gabriel and Benjamin. We now have five grandchildren.

I did my medical school and residency program in Chicago. I practiced there for 15 years. While in Evanston, Illinois, my wife and daughter took a lot of medication for migraine headaches. I asked when did they feel better? Both said after it rained. We decided to move to Seattle, Washington. The moved helped both feel better, but the relationship between Pam and I did not work out and we divorced in 1998.

I remarried in 2001 and moved to North Carolina in 2006.

After I turned 70 I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis and I am dealing with the consequences of the muscle weakness, especially in the right eyelids. Still searching for the right combination of medications.

Professionally I have worked in various areas of psychiatry: adolescent, adult, geriatric… cared for people with schizophrenia, bipolar illness, multiple personality disorders, dissociative disorders, anxiety, depression, dementias, drug and alcohol problems, eating disorders, etc.

I also have been medical director of various programs in Seattle and in North Carolina.

I learned the power of being a witness; the power of listening, breaking the isolation and the secrets that are closely held and are unspeakable.

I plan to keep working, setting up clinics in rural North Carolina and working on a psychiatric hospital for southeastern North Carolina (Southeastern Regional Psychiatric Outpatient Clinics and Southeastern Psychiatric Associates, LLC). I still feel I have a lot to contribute. I am waivered to treat 275 people with opiate addiction with Suboxone. I want to address the mental heath and opiate crises facing our country today.