David Didden, Author at The Observer

Unnatural Selection: How Selfish Capitalism Promotes Our Extinction

May 12, 2019

We’re toast. Stick a fork in us, because we’re done. Let’s face it folks, we are on the fast-track to fossil-hood and the pace is beyond what even the most pessimistic models predicted. Last month, Well Being T...

Would You Recommend Medical Cannabis to an Adult Patient with Chronic Pain?

David Didden

September 9, 2017

Health & Wellness

Answer: Yes. In fact, I’ve already done it. Let me tell you a story about a patient named Brad (actually “Brad” is a composite of several patients’ stories). A native West Virginian, Brad has lived on the mo...

Don’t I Need Some Labs Done—You Know, For a Baseline?

David Didden

May 8, 2017

Health & Wellness

— I have my annual physical next week. Don’t I need some labs done—you know, for a baseline? This one comes up a lot, and it makes sense … until you pool thousands of patients’ data to test for a benefit of ...

Are You a Lyme Literate Doctor?

David Didden

December 14, 2016

Health & Wellness

ASK THE DOC Are you a Lyme literate doctor? Answer: Yes, No, Maybe? I could defend a description of Lyme disease that sounds as obtuse as any quote from Lao Tzu: “It is an infection. It is not an infec...

Managing Modern Stress—Why am I so stressed out?

David Didden

November 8, 2016

Health & Wellness

ASK THE DOC: We are in the midst of major societal shifts. More and more people seem to be experiencing fear, anger, depression, and general dismay—and the life expectancy of rural, middle-aged white males i...

Ask the Doc: Should I Take Antibiotics?

David Didden

August 25, 2016

Health & Wellness

I think I’m getting a sinus infection. Should I take an antibiotic? Answer: No. Take a hike! I just got back from performing some “trail magic.” As I was heading to Shepherdstown on the downhill side of S...

My daughter’s addicted to heroin. What can I do?

David Didden

May 12, 2016

Drugs & Addiction, Health & Wellness, Society

This is a tough one. We are struggling as a community and as a health system to deal with a public health crisis. Deaths from drug overdoses were 31 percent higher than deaths from motor vehicle crashes in 2013...

Ask the Doc: Community Health Threats

David Didden

March 31, 2016

Health & Wellness, Life, News

For this first installment in the “Ask the Doc” series, I am going to respond to a question that was put to me at my first Board of Health meeting: What are the greatest health threats to our community? My a...

Author David Didden