Psychiatry (anti)

[Paralleluniverse]

Hey Beautiful people,
I would like to keep this straight to the point, here's the thing I whole heartedly despise psychiatrists, they have never added value to me in my life, in fact my life improved exponentially when I got myself off the horrible meds that were prescribed and found a Psychologist who likes me for who I am and has unconditional respect for me. Do you know what the problem is? When it comes to other fields of medicine I feel proud and enlightened that I'm seeing someone who has superior knowledge to myself. And I don't mean to go all tom cruise, but NOTHING psychiatrists say have any biological validity, I can't stand the way they treat us aspergers. They misdiagnosed, they have huge egos and they still try to make people believe the "chemical imbalance" theory I mean do they even know how stupid and ridiculous it sounds? Oh and I've been to the top psychiatrists in the UK... Believe me each one can diagnose according to their special area of interest. That's their wonderful game. I have this insanely deep disrespect for these people, they live off alienating patients and making them feel like they are "sick" according to their pathetic cognitive biases and make a Commission while they through those stupid pills. I am speaking from experience and I would like to say for anyone struggling with no friends and no family Please do not see a psychiatrist, find a Therapist who believes in you who cares for you and who can help you feel great about being yourself.and maybe who can help you make another friend like you.. Psychiatrists could not care less about these things, plus they don't understand our minds unless maybe they have aspergers themselves. Oh and just so everyone knows I did the traumatizing MMPI test and apparently it's not a test that aspergers people should do because we answer everything literally and honestly... OH BUT TOO LATE.. I got the most horrible, nasty things on the results that made these psychiatrists try to abuse their power on me even more. So call me ignorant but they are not a real field of medicine and again there is no blood test to prove these "illnesses" don't get me wrong,
I completely believe in states of Depression, anxiety, mood swings but just because we go through these things does not mean we are sick and my God especially for us aspergers were constantly told that we are Sicker than we are, when is this injustice going to help? Psychiatrists have never been held accountable for misdiagnosed. Anyhow at 31 years old I have a banking job I go to the gym, I read my comics and I have one friend who cares, these things are a huge deal for me and only happened because I stopped seeing any of these horrible psychiatrists who were desperate to medicate my brain into mediocrity, probably so that I am more acceptable to NTs... Or maybe their pathetic existence. Who knows.
I would choose you guys over any of them 100 times and again.
Love you all, stay well and please engage with me in conversation, I need more people like us in my life..
Love,
Tazmanian devil

 

[Pats]

You're my favorite Looney Tune.

I think you have to look at Psychiatrists like 'pain' clinic doctors. They're there to prescribe medications that will help ease uncurable pains. Psychologists and therapists are there to talk, listen and figure out best approaches, like medical doctors and nurses who pay attention to the symptoms and figure out the cause and treat the cause. Meanwhile, on the other hand, those that are trying to figure out and treat the cause may not always be focusing on treating the symptoms that may be unbearable for some. I don't really like Psychiatrists, but I guess they have their place.

I met one that I did like. As always, he said he was going to prescribe an antidepressant but it is also required to see a therapist when they do that. I told him that was fine but that, as always, I would only tell them what I don't care if they know and not what really upsets me. He didn't make me do therapy and he's the only one that when I'd go back would actually take the time to talk to me and give me helpful advice.

 

[GadAbout]

The OP is a gross oversimplification based on limited information and life experience.

In fact, yes, I have met psychiatrists who were as intelligent as myself.

My personal go-to for therapy is a psychologist. But I have met some very capable and intelligent psychiatrists, too. I went to school with some of them, and worked with others.

 

[Fino]

I would say your suggestions are dangerous but I don't think they're convincing enough to be dangerous so I think we're okay.

Irrationality caused by pain.

I'm sorry about the pain.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

Psychiatrists are highly trained medical professionals who play a completely different role in treating mental illness than psychologists and therapists. The medications they prescribe are developed and tested for proven safety and efficacy before being approved by the relevant agency for that country (e.g. the FDA, the EMA). Your statement that "NOTHING psychiatrists say have any biological validity" is blatantly untrue.

I have met several extremely intelligent and capable psychiatrists, both as a patient of theirs, and as a colleague. I have also had a bad experience with a psychiatrist, which does not mean that all psychiatrists are bad. I had a far worse experience with an incompetent psychologist who almost drove me to suicide. I never imagined that meant all psychologists are bad.

 

[Crossbreed]

...insanely deep disrespect for [psychiatrists],...[?]

...

!​

 

[BrokenBoy]

Psychiatry saved me from suicide.

 

[An Arctic fox]

Hey Beautiful people,
I would like to keep this straight to the point, here's the thing I whole heartedly despise psychiatrists, they have never added value to me in my life, in fact my life improved exponentially when I got myself off the horrible meds that were prescribed and found a Psychologist who likes me for who I am and has unconditional respect for me. Do you know what the problem is? When it comes to other fields of medicine I feel proud and enlightened that I'm seeing someone who has superior knowledge to myself. And I don't mean to go all tom cruise, but NOTHING psychiatrists say have any biological validity, I can't stand the way they treat us aspergers. They misdiagnosed, they have huge egos and they still try to make people believe the "chemical imbalance" theory I mean do they even know how stupid and ridiculous it sounds? Oh and I've been to the top psychiatrists in the UK... Believe me each one can diagnose according to their special area of interest. That's their wonderful game. I have this insanely deep disrespect for these people, they live off alienating patients and making them feel like they are "sick" according to their pathetic cognitive biases and make a Commission while they through those stupid pills. I am speaking from experience and I would like to say for anyone struggling with no friends and no family Please do not see a psychiatrist, find a Therapist who believes in you who cares for you and who can help you feel great about being yourself.and maybe who can help you make another friend like you.. Psychiatrists could not care less about these things, plus they don't understand our minds unless maybe they have aspergers themselves. Oh and just so everyone knows I did the traumatizing MMPI test and apparently it's not a test that aspergers people should do because we answer everything literally and honestly... OH BUT TOO LATE.. I got the most horrible, nasty things on the results that made these psychiatrists try to abuse their power on me even more. So call me ignorant but they are not a real field of medicine and again there is no blood test to prove these "illnesses" don't get me wrong,
I completely believe in states of Depression, anxiety, mood swings but just because we go through these things does not mean we are sick and my God especially for us aspergers were constantly told that we are Sicker than we are, when is this injustice going to help? Psychiatrists have never been held accountable for misdiagnosed. Anyhow at 31 years old I have a banking job I go to the gym, I read my comics and I have one friend who cares, these things are a huge deal for me and only happened because I stopped seeing any of these horrible psychiatrists who were desperate to medicate my brain into mediocrity, probably so that I am more acceptable to NTs... Or maybe their pathetic existence. Who knows.
I would choose you guys over any of them 100 times and again.
Love you all, stay well and please engage with me in conversation, I need more people like us in my life..
Love,
Tazmanian devil

Two (kinda 3) points to make
1. This is obviously biased, just look at the survey
2. You are over generalizing based of your experience
3. And like said some of your statement are completely untrue
And this rebuttal of mine is coming from someone with a bad psychiatrist and only experience with bad ones since I only have has this one.

 

[Rectify]

I'm seeing one now who IS intelligent. I've only had the chance to know this because I'm seeing them so regularly. Often with Psychiatrists you're in and out so quick...how would I even tell in that situation?
Having said that, I've met some briefly who did not seem smart.

@Pats made a good point re seeing them as medication prescribers, while psychologists/therapists do the deeper work. However in my case right now (as above) a psychiatrist is the one doing the deeper stuff.

I think you're upset and pissed off...I think I get it. I'm really sorry for your bad experiences and that you feel tricked by that test - I would feel angry about that as well. I was misdiagnosed once too. It set in motion a whole chain of events that was really difficult because of the wrong medications and treatments. But I think this sort of thing can happen in any medical field.

Seems like we all have to be on the ball and take an active role in any medical consults that we have...and it makes me worry for those people who are not able to do that. :/

I'm glad you've found support here.

 

[Running Girl]

I agree mostly. Most of them misdiagnose tons, and they over medicate and overprescribe even more. This, based not only on personal experience but on the experience of patients over the years. It has gotten worse, too. If you say something that is really a normal variant (like saying, for example, you were feeling a little down the other day ) you could eadily wind up with a new diagnosis, and at least 1 or 2 new meds. The plethora of meds that may be prescribed is such a rabbit hole. Then there are the meds to address the side effects from the meds. And yeah, arrogant especially the male drs.
On the other hand, it was a psychiatrist who first suggested many years ago, that i was on the autism spectrum, which i rejected out of hand. She was right, of course. Sometimes they get it right.

 

[Clueless in Canada]

I'm sorry you are suffering but I cannot agree with your statements. There are good, better and best psychiatrists as in all professions and their job is to diagnose and provide medication for psychiatric conditions. As you say, there are no blood tests so diagnosing is a difficult thing and there is likely going to be trial and error involved but other doctors do that too. Where I live psychiatrists generally have little to no knowledge of and training in autism spectrum so they are unhelpful if seeking diagnosis or support for that. Various biases, lack of information and personal opinion can show up in psychologists as well and among those I've seen I have liked or appreciated some more than others. Lack of autism knowledge is different from lack of intelligence so it is silly to claim you have never met any psychiatrists as intelligent as yourself. It could be quite valid to claim that you've never met a psychiatrist who knows enough about autism to be helpful to you or who knows anything about it at all. You could claim that you know more about autism than any psychiatrist you have met and I would likely believe you. At your next visit with a psychologist for therapy you might want to address this issue of anger and arrogance and perhaps also get a better understanding of the differences in the roles filled by psychologists and psychiatrists.

 

[LucyPurrs]

Psychiatrists. Err ok, I grew up with 5 psychiatrists in my immediate and close family: my grandfather ( first prison psychiatrist in the US, contemporary of Freud and Jung and his wife also a psychiatrist, my mother and her brother who were both psychiatrists and my sister who is an expert on delirium and was a founding member of the International Delirium Association as well as the American Delirium Association). I was a mental health social worker for 42 years and had extensive contact with a legion of psychiatrists. Here's the deal- psychiatrists are like any other group of people, some are brilliant, some are dopes and some are good people and some aren't. You have to use critical thinking when evaluating them just like you would with any other doctor. Ditch the lousy ones and keep the good ones. Some for therapists. Oh and P.S. I have survived.

 

[Paralleluniverse]

...

!​

and I stand by it )

 

[Paralleluniverse]

Psychiatrists. Err ok, I grew up with 5 psychiatrists in my immediate and close family: my grandfather ( first prison psychiatrist in the US, contemporary of Freud and Jung and his wife also a psychiatrist, my mother and her brother who were both psychiatrists and my sister who is an expert on delirium and was a founding member of the International Delirium Association as well as the American Delirium Association). I was a mental health social worker for 42 years and had extensive contact with a legion of psychiatrists. Here's the deal- psychiatrists are like any other group of people, some are brilliant, some are dopes and some are good people and some aren't. You have to use critical thinking when evaluating them just like you would with any other doctor. Ditch the lousy ones and keep the good ones. Some for therapists. Oh and P.S. I have survived.

Happy to be proven wrong my dear friend, what psychiatrists were in the past are not like what they are these days, living off commission. Actually I have met a psychiatry that I really like as a person and he himself criticizes the modern wave of psychiatrists... We get into a lot of critical discussions.. He's not defensive about it at all.. He likes to talk to most of his patients anyway he doesn't treat them like pharmacy patients. Anyhow I know I'll be getting a lot of reactions here but I completely stand by my own opinion and there are some who agree and majority who don't but well... Who cares? The message was delivered.....
Taz has no respect for psychiatry but doesn't mean he doesn't know much

 

[Fino]

It's common for someone on one side of any issue to believe the person on the other side is less intelligent than they are, because, after all, if they were as smart then they would agree, wouldn't they?

Just something to watch out for!

And what country are you in that psychiatrists are paid by commission? Or living off commission?

 

[Paralleluniverse]

I'm seeing one now who IS intelligent. I've only had the chance to know this because I'm seeing them so regularly. Often with Psychiatrists you're in and out so quick...how would I even tell in that situation?
Having said that, I've met some briefly who did not seem smart.

@Pats made a good point re seeing them as medication prescribers, while psychologists/therapists do the deeper work. However in my case right now (as above) a psychiatrist is the one doing the deeper stuff.

I think you're upset and pissed off...I think I get it. I'm really sorry for your bad experiences and that you feel tricked by that test - I would feel angry about that as well. I was misdiagnosed once too. It set in motion a whole chain of events that was really difficult because of the wrong medications and treatments. But I think this sort of thing can happen in any medical field.

Seems like we all have to be on the ball and take an active role in any medical consults that we have...and it makes me worry for those people who are not able to do that. :/

I'm glad you've found support here.

Thank you for your message yeah just because others will react and maybe my points are not as coherent as they want them to be doesn't mean there's no truth to it, I'm happy to be proven wrong as I said especially from the aspergers community, but..... I'm waiting for that.
People can say that psychiatry is there just to prescribe but then I'm verysorry.. Why are they in the field of curing the hearts and minds? You guys can all say that they don't have to do the deep work and they don't have to get to know the patient well that to me is an escapist perspective.
Anyhow again from bottom of my heart I'm glad others have benefited from them.

 

[Paralleluniverse]

It's common for someone on one side of any issue to believe the person on the other side is less intelligent than they are, because, after all, if they were as smart then they would agree, wouldn't they?


Just something to watch out for!

And what country are you in that psychiatrists are paid by commission? Or living off commission?

Hey there, I don't need to watch out for anything I'm posting an opinion on the forum, and entitled to any opinion that I like. I mentioned in the post that I saw the top psychiatrisys in the UK, if you need to know more feel free to message me. London, Harley street, and yes the psychiatrists there openly admit that they get commission so nothing wrong with "getting" commission but basing your treatment on that commission is wrong. Hope that clarifies.
I love all other doctors though, especially my primary doctor /GP he's helped me tremendously. So like I said whatever I say here is an opinion, and I'm happy to be proven wrong, especially if aspergers) autism spectrum patients have benefited then I'd be genuinely happy.

 

[Paralleluniverse]

I agree mostly. Most of them misdiagnose tons, and they over medicate and overprescribe even more. This, based not only on personal experience but on the experience of patients over the years. It has gotten worse, too. If you say something that is really a normal variant (like saying, for example, you were feeling a little down the other day ) you could eadily wind up with a new diagnosis, and at least 1 or 2 new meds. The plethora of meds that may be prescribed is such a rabbit hole. Then there are the meds to address the side effects from the meds. And yeah, arrogant especially the male drs.
On the other hand, it was a psychiatrist who first suggested many years ago, that i was on the autism spectrum, which i rejected out of hand. She was right, of course. Sometimes they get it right.

Thanks for your support. Oh absolutely cognitive biases.... The arrogance is the worst isn't it? Especially when ultimately we are the end users of such services... Not the not their mother nor their colleagues.. Us.. And who protects us from the negligence? Well we do and we have to stand strong..
P. S. What distances do you like running? I'm very clumsy but I run reasonably well for someone on the spectrum hahaha.. Kidding.. I like gym the most.. Repetitive movements. Ahh as you can see from my jumping to topics I also have adhd, don't forget the H in the adhd because it's the selling point in psychiatry

 

[Progster]

I have seen 3 psychiatrists in my lifetime so far. Two were highly intelligent, highly trained professional people who I have no complaint against - except the fact that the first one diagnosed me with social phobia (early 90s) and didn't discuss the diagnosis with me. The third.... hmm. He suggested that I do something that is totally against my ethics and I didn't appreciate that. He also thought that adults can't be diagnosed with Asperger's, only children. Not a lack of intelligence, but a product of the society he lives in, and perhaps not keeping up to date with all areas of his profession.

 

[Monachopia]

Psychiatry is a medical field that also needs specialisations, you won't have a GP that can effectively diagnose and completely treat complicated issues with your foot as well as your ear. To expect a psychiatrist to specialise in autism as well as lets say bipolar, is silly, so you'd need to seek out a specific psychiatrist for your issue (just like therapists as well).

I have seen a couple of the Harley Street psychiatrist folk and haven't had an issue. One that was stationed at The Priory that I saw when I was 18, was actually quite sympathetic and while he did prescribe medication to me, he also listened and switched me off it if I said it wasn't working. He was also very open to suggest natural remedies when I voiced that I didn't want to be on medication at all. At the end of the day - psychiatrists only see you once, for an hour or two every few months. They are not therapists. They can only do so much in such a small window of seeing you among other patients. And as any other profession - you will get a really good one who cares, or you might meet an absolute chump who's in it just for the money. It's not the whole profession, it's just how it is in any field and indeed, in life.