I am a psychiatrist. I came to Roseburg in 2000 to work at Mercy Medical Center and in 2008, when the behavioral health unit was closed, I moved over to the VA Roseburg Healthcare System, where I now work. I was asked to write a monthly column on psychiatry and mental health for The News-Review. I thought it would be an interesting and rewarding thing to do, so I agreed. I have come to realize that there are no simple definitions of either mental health or mental illness. As a psychiatrist, I am probably not supposed to say that. After …




