Remembering Dr. Mark Goulston
By Harold “Hackie” Reitman, M.D.
I am sad to share that frequent Different Brains guest, and my friend and former classmate Dr. Mark Goulston passed away Saturday, December 30th, 2023.
Mark is one of my heroes because he turned his own negative suffering into a positive force to help so many others.
Over his 40+ year career Mark helped so many people it’s hard to fathom. From patients struggling with suicidal thoughts to parents fearing for the mental well-being of their children to businesspeople struggling to find balance in their lives, Mark was the life preserver that prevented people from going under. He did all this because he himself knew what it was like to struggle keeping your head above water, and he was never shy about sharing what he dealt with.
As he discussed on previous appearances on Exploring Different Brains, Mark nearly got kicked out of medical school because of then-unknown and untreated challenges with mental health. But with the advice of a caring professor, Dr. Bill McNary, and his own perseverance, Mark not only graduated but learned what it meant to be empathetic and truly provide help. He knew that every tool he used or discovered, every method of dealing with what life throws at you, could also help someone else. So, he made sure to share it as far and wide as possible. From books to videos to podcasts to webinars and live presentations, Mark seemed tireless in his desire to share what he knew.
That didn’t change when Mark got his cancer diagnosis. As he processed and came to terms with it, he shared every insight, and publicly explored each emotional nuance. He even started a series, I’m Dying To Tell You, and recorded what proved to be the final episode days before his passing.
While Mark left the world with so many tools and insights, this openness of his may be the aspect of him we can learn the most from. Whether regarding mental health challenges or a potentially terminal illness, Mark shared his journeys and turned everything into a learning experience for not just himself, but for anyone that would listen. And, I think this is part of why, as he expressed in my final interview with him, he found peace and calm in his final months. So many of us ignore our problems, push them away to deal with at some other time. Some of us embrace denial and pretend everything is fine. But Mark faced cancer head-on, and in doing so moved forward in spite of the fear. He seized what time he had, used it to help people, and found tranquility.
If you want to learn more about Mark’s work, there is so much out there for you. You can go to his website, check out his books, and of course revisit his appearances on DifferentBrains.org.
I am leaving you with my favorite excerpt, this positive, inspirational 99 second video clip of Mark from his final interview with Exploring Different Brains as he looked death in the eye:
Different Brains® Inc. founder Harold “Hackie” Reitman, M.D. is an author, filmmaker, retired orthopedic surgeon, former professional heavyweight boxer, the past chairman and president (and current board member) of The Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County, and a neurodiversity advocate. However, it was his role as a father that led to the creation of the DifferentBrains.org website.
Hackie’s daughter Rebecca grew up with epilepsy, 23 vascular brains tumors, and underwent 2 brain surgeries before the age of 5. Her struggles and recovery put him on the road to, through 26 professional heavyweight boxing matches, raising money for children’s charities (to which he donated every fight purse).
Rebecca eventually went on to graduate from Georgia Tech with a degree in Discrete Mathematics, and Dr. Reitman wrote and produced a film based on her experiences there (The Square Root of 2, starring Darby Stanchfield of ABC’s Scandal). After graduation, Rebecca received a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome. Hackie, shocked at his own ignorance of the topic despite being an M.D., embarked on years of research that culminated with his book Aspertools: The Practical Guide for Understanding and Embracing Asperger’s, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Neurodiversity (released by HCI books, publishers of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series).
This experience revealed to Hackie the interconnectedness of the conditions that fall under the neurodiversity umbrella, while alerting him to the in-fighting and fractured relations that often plague the organizations tasked with serving the community. Convinced that overcoming these schisms could help all of society, Hackie forged the Different Brains philosophy of inclusive advocacy: “Supporting Neurodiversity – From Autism to Alzheimer’s and All Brains In Between”.
In the company’s initial years of operation, Hackie self-financed all of the content on DifferentBrains.org, all of which offered free to view to the public. Currently he is the host of our weekly interview show Exploring Different Brains, writes blogs for the site, and tours the country speaking at conferences, conventions and private functions, all with the goal of improving the lives of neurodiverse individuals and their families, and maximizing the potential of those with different brains. Separate from Different Brains, Hackie is the founder and CEO of PCE Media, a media production company focusing on reality based content. He recently co-executive produced the documentary “Foreman”, the definitive feature documentary on legendary boxer and pitchman George Foreman.
