Discussion Experience with mental health services

[appalachian moon]

I would like to hear other's experience from so-called "professional" mental health facilities. My bad experiences stand out to me and have shaped the way I view the psychology/psychiatry industry which I think is mostly full of money-grabbing, toxic individuals who are lazy so they just slap the blanket term of depression on you and give you SSRIs, and you're good to go!
I have a whole list but I'll describe a few:

• After my first suicide attempt when I was younger, I was referred to a psychologist who I discussed my problems with and in the end, she basically told me I wasn't "depressed" enough to qualify for medication. Thanks for invalidating my depression and making me feel as if I were faking it.
• Said psychologist also read out a handbook on ways to distract yourself when you're distressed like a story book. Some of the strategies included were: blowing bubbles, running your fingers through sand, basically being one with nature and all. Sorry but I don't think I'd get around to blowing bubbles when I'm on the verge of having a mental breakdown.
• Kept calling my psychologist at that time to pass the message onto my psychiatrist to refill my prescription. She promised to do it but never got around to it. I ended up going cold turkey for a week or so. They didn't apologise.

 

[WinterIsComing]

At first my psychiatrist said I had distimia ( minimize and he was giving meds).
He slept in the middle of sessions.
You have to want for 1 to 3 months for a session.
Psychologists just say there and don't ask important questions, say something usefull or empathetic.
If you get upset they would call emergency like they were calling the police.

....
And if you miss one session you have to make a line with others one day at 5:00-700:am for a chance for getting a new session.

 

[Darkmornings]

The last time I went to see a lcsw she fell asleep during our session. I was talking and the next thing I know she was sleeping. (I'm not joking or making shit up) I sat there for at least a minute just staring at her. She then woke up and asked me a question, acting like she never went to sleep. I started talking again and she nodded back off. A couple of days later I tried to commit suicide for the first time.

I need to see some type of counselor but I just don't trust them. I'm afraid they'll push me over the edge. I had a friend who was a lcsw and she would tell me some of the horrible things her coworkers said about patients. She was pissed because she felt like they didn't care and basically it was just a job to them.

I wish I would have reported that woman. At the time I thought I was losing my mind. I would get dizzy when confronted with issues that were hard to handle. I remember leaving her office confused. I couldn't even tell if I was real or if the situation was real. It was so farfetched. It was real and she probably did it again. I'm really mad at myself for not complaining.

 

[WinterIsComing]

The last time I went to see a lcsw she fell asleep during our session. I was talking and the next thing I know she was sleeping. (I'm not joking or making shit up) I sat there for at least a minute just staring at her. She then woke up and asked me a question, acting like she never went to sleep. I started talking again and she nodded back off. A couple of days later I tried to commit suicide for the first time.

I need to see some type of counselor but I just don't trust them. I'm afraid they'll push me over the edge. I had a friend who was a lcsw and she tell me some of the horrible things her coworkers said about patients. She was pissed because she felt like they didn't care and basically it was just a job to them.

I wish I would have reported that woman. At the time I thought I was losing my mind. I would get dizzy when confronted with issues that were hard to handle. I remember leaving her office confused. I couldn't even tell if I was real or if the situation was real. It was so farfetched. It was real and she probably didn't it again. I'm really mad at myself for not complaining.

I tried to make a complaint once but they give me a book with complaints and thats it nothing happened.

I worked in a place with that book and people working there were saying that it was useless though lol.

What things your friend told you about what they talked?

 

[Darkmornings]

At first my psychiatrist said I had distimia ( minimizan and he was giving meds).
He slept in the middle of sessions.
You have to want for 1 to 3 months for a session.
Psychologists just say there and don't ask important questions, say something usefull or empathetic.
If you get upset they would call emergency like they were calling the police.

....
And if you miss one session you have to make a line with others one day at 5:00-700:am for a chance for getting a new session.

OMG, this why I love this site. I thought I was the only person this ever happened to. I wonder how often these people fall asleep during session. It was very traumatic for me. I will probably never seek help because of it.

 

[LogicalConclusion]

I could write several books and a movie displaying all of the many ways that the mental health system has failed me. Same with the police, CPS, the school administration, and the whole fucking state of Michigan.
Oh, one fun memory just came back to me. Before I came out as trans, there was a time I decided to have a shaved patch on the side of my head, like people do, that is an actual thing. So I was going to my (old) psychiatrist's office where they just have you see whoever the fuck they feel like that day. I was wearing makeup and all of my piercings were visible (the ear ones probably more so due to the shaved patch). I don't even think I had seen this lady before, maybe I had seen her once. But I had to talk her out of sending me to the hospital by police escort. Apparently, she thought that I just showed up one day with 8 brand new piercings (and some are bigger sizes), 7 new tattoos, make up and a shaved patch. Now, if somebody did that, I could understand...and props for figuring out how to get all that ink and piercing done that fast. But no, this was just some idiot who want to send me to the hospital over my normal appearance.

 

[appalachian moon]

How these people are qualified for their jobs, I have no idea. I'm so sorry you had to go through these shitty experiences with people who are supposed to "help you."
I feel like if I even utter the word 'suicide' with my therapist she'll go into panic mode and consider hospitalising me against my will.

 

[LogicalConclusion]

How these people are qualified for their jobs, I have no idea. I'm so sorry you had to go through these shitty experiences with people who are supposed to "help you."
I feel like if I even utter the word 'suicide' with my therapist she'll go into panic mode and consider hospitalising me against my will.

Unfortunately, you are probably correct. There are ways to get around it, though. You can talk about how you feel in vague terms (eg. "I dunno, things just feel pretty pointless"). If someone starts to suspect, at this point I would blatantly deny any questions about "are you suicidal?" And if I somehow were hospitalized, I'd just pretend I was fine until they let me go so I can go do my thing. But I'm very used to it, my trauma has ingrained some survival tricks for hospitals. I learned as a pre-teen that if I wasn't being treated well or was being abused/neglected by a doctor, they weren't helping me and wouldn't send me somewhere else or something like that, that they will let you go if you can manage pretending to be okay for 72hrs. Anything beyond a 72hr hold requires court order. That's when you would be sectioned. But if that happens and you don't panic, just accept, be quiet, go to groups, take your meds, pretend you're fine until they let you go. I am saying this for purely information purposes and as my personal experience. If someone thinks a hospital will help them, then good, I truly help it will.

 

[appalachian moon]

I learned as a pre-teen that if I wasn't being treated well or was being abused/neglected by a doctor, they weren't helping me and wouldn't send me somewhere else or something like that, that they will let you go if you can manage pretending to be okay for 72hrs.

It's surprising how gullible these people can be. I escaped getting admitted many times when I was younger by putting up a facade and acting like suicide was atrocious, when in reality I just wanted the doctors to get out of my head.
One time when I was put in a psychiatric hospital my stay was supposed to be around a month, but with fake smiles, lying about being happy and complying with orders I managed to get out within a week. It just goes to show how bad mental health services treat you if people like me are willing to expend their energy in developing a false version of themselves to escape the eyes of authority, to continue doing their own thing.

 

[LogicalConclusion]

It's surprising how gullible these people can be. I escaped getting admitted many times when I was younger by putting up a facade and acting like suicide was atrocious, when in reality I just wanted the doctors to get out of my head.
One time when I was put in a psychiatric hospital my stay was supposed to be around a month, but with fake smiles, lying about being happy and complying with orders I managed to get out within a week. It just goes to show how bad mental health services treat you if people like me are willing to expend their energy in developing a false version of themselves to escape the eyes of authority, to continue doing their own thing.

Yeah, it helps knowing what to say, too. And to understand what they are /actually/ asking. Like I get pissed at doctors when I hear certain lines of questioning that I know from experience and study are used to do things like try diagnosis borderline PD to write you off. Been there, done that, not tolerating the "you just want attention" bullshit.

Jeez, you stirred something in my memory banks...when I was 16, I was sent to a Christian residential treatment facility. Many people stay there for a year if not longer. I managed to get out in three months. And it was hell. They also reinforced my eating disorder because one lady called us all fat after our doctor examinations, so I got panic attacks sometimes when given food. I was very picky about eating. I exercised in my room with my headphones. By the next time the doctor examinations were done, I had lost the most weight and the lady that called us all fat was praising me in front of everyone else. How fucked, huh?

Btw, if you ever wanna message me, I got allll the stories xP

 

[Shamana]

I can't say that I have been overall impressed with mental health workers. I feel, I have taken more damage from medications than I have benefitted and overall I have found the whole experience of "therapy" incredibly underwhelming. I won't discourage anyone to seek help though. I think it's better to reach out than settle on suicide, but overall my expectations have really not been met at all.

 

[On the edge]

I was seeing a therapist, paying out of pocket and so far things were good. One day I was feeling extremely suicidal and texted him asking for help and what I should do. He basically didn't know how to handle the situation and just said "check yourself into an inpatient facility" and that's it. I've heard horror stories about those places and there was no way in hell I was going to go voluntarily.

Long story short he basically ignored me, and I then attempted to commit suicide later that night. Great "help"

 

[BridgeJumper]

Oh man I could go on
My diagnosis is not actually depression. Its paranoid schizophrenia or schizoaffective (a mix of bipolar and schizophrenia). Im currently in the process of ruling out one or the other.
So, you know how the first line of 'treatment' for this is antipsychotics, not ssris? Right. One time they sectioned me because I was full blown psychotic to the point they made me piss in a cup cause they thought Im methed up. The kind 'doctors' procceeded to stun me with a triple dose of haloperidol. It was lovely. I mean everybody loves waking up with a feeling of inner restlessness and anxiety bordering on panic, and pacing for the whole day on a single 1 meter square of the floor, from my bed and back, till I almost colapsed from exhaustion. And getting crippling obssessive thoughts (imagine telling yourself in your head that the wall is green for 3 hours straight and being unable to stop it. The wall. Is green. Its green. Green. Horror). And it didnt end there. Next day after taking my dose I awoke to awful muscles spasms. They were like writhing snakes do when they gang up on their prey. Slow and painful. My body bended into an arch, when I stood up I was tilted sideways. It hurt so much. Guess what the docs said???
They told me Im faking it. Oh well.
After 3 days I couldnt even eat because my muscles constricted so much only water could pass through. I just sat down in the corridor sobbing hysterically, saying that Ill hang myself on a charger cable. It hurt so much. I wanted to die more than anytime in my life before that. They were merciful enough to inject me with anti dyskinesia medication and benzo, but not without tying me down to the bed for 24 hours beforehand.
That was the worst but there are many more, like telling me Im just selfish and devoid of empathy because I want to kill myself and that my diagnosis was made up to draw money from the government (and yes, that was said by a licensed professional). But Ill get to that later

 

[not_a_robot]

I would like to hear other's experience from so-called "professional" mental health facilities. My bad experiences stand out to me and have shaped the way I view the psychology/psychiatry industry which I think is mostly full of money-grabbing, toxic individuals who are lazy so they just slap the blanket term of depression on you and give you SSRIs, and you're good to go!
I have a whole list but I'll describe a few:

• After my first suicide attempt when I was younger, I was referred to a psychologist who I discussed my problems with and in the end, she basically told me I wasn't "depressed" enough to qualify for medication. Thanks for invalidating my depression and making me feel as if I were faking it.
• Said psychologist also read out a handbook on ways to distract yourself when you're distressed like a story book. Some of the strategies included were: blowing bubbles, running your fingers through sand, basically being one with nature and all. Sorry but I don't think I'd get around to blowing bubbles when I'm on the verge of having a mental breakdown.
• Kept calling my psychologist at that time to pass the message onto my psychiatrist to refill my prescription. She promised to do it but never got around to it. I ended up going cold turkey for a week or so. They didn't apologise.

I post A LOT about mine so I won't bore anybody by repeating myself, but I have yet to meet anyone in the mental health field who didn't eventually reveal themself to be a total shitbag, and I've met dozens, on a personal level and as a patient. I despise the entire mental health field and they are a HUGE factor in driving me to ctb.

The last time I went to see a lcsw she fell asleep during our session. I was talking and the next thing I know she was sleeping. (I'm not joking or making shit up) I sat there for at least a minute just staring at her. She then woke up and asked me a question, acting like she never went to sleep. I started talking again and she nodded back off. A couple of days later I tried to commit suicide for the first time.

I need to see some type of counselor but I just don't trust them. I'm afraid they'll push me over the edge. I had a friend who was a lcsw and she would tell me some of the horrible things her coworkers said about patients. She was pissed because she felt like they didn't care and basically it was just a job to them.

I wish I would have reported that woman. At the time I thought I was losing my mind. I would get dizzy when confronted with issues that were hard to handle. I remember leaving her office confused. I couldn't even tell if I was real or if the situation was real. It was so farfetched. It was real and she probably did it again. I'm really mad at myself for not complaining.

Social workers cover their ass by calling you psychotic/delusional in case you ever report the fucked up shit they do, you won't be believed.
They are nasty cunts from hell.

 

[Oblivion Lover]

I luckily didn't have any extremely negative experiences with mental health professionals yet, but despite trying to do so they weren't really helpful for me. My psychiatrist diagnosed me with depression and anxiety and prescribed meds, while my psychologist wanted me to go to cognitive behavioral therapy. I went for therapy for three weeks and then stopped because I hate all that "be positive" and "you can do anything" crap that they keeping telling us, and then I stopped taking my meds because I don't think that I'm depressed. I only went to the psychiatrist because I wanted to be tested for ADD and BIF (borderline intellectual functioning) and start taking ritalin, and she flat out refused to do it because I was "too quiet" to have Attention Deficit disorder. I then attempted to CTB using the meds she prescribed me, and when I failed she started regulating my access to the medications, so I stopped bothering to go to our appointments.

 

[inconsequential]

A string of therapists between the ages of 5-11.
Involuntarily hospitalized at age 14, and 15, and 16. Each time, I never saw the psychiatrist more than once a week, for 5 minutes. I was diagnosed with depression and given Risperdal & Cymbalta.

My first adult psychiatrist diagnosed me as bipolar. I was on a cocktail of Seroquel, Trazodone, and Klonopin. Aka, I was a mess.

My second psychiatrist, who knew the first, kept me on Seroquel, removed the Trazodone, and put me on a very high dose of Klonopin. He doesn't have a license anymore.

My third psychiatrist, many years later, said I wasn't bipolar. Said I had PTSD, depression, anxiety, autism, and severe ADHD. Had me on a low dose of Klonopin, a long-acting stimulant, and Effexor. (Side Effexor) She belittled my problems & told me to go to a homeless shelter to view people with real problems. I angrily told her that I had lived at a homeless shelter for quite a while, and she seemed taken aback. At that moment, I realized that none of them listened to me, and none of them cared.

My current mental health system is weed & my cat. It works better. Meow.

 

[TAW122]

It's mostly a bunk sham and a joke. They don't really help me with my problems and instead they just give me the whole run around. I have been to no less than 10 psychologists, therapists, counselors, social workers, and one psychiatrist in my life, so I believe I have enough credibility to voice my two cents on my experiences. At best, talk therapy and what not only helped me vent on some times, but no concrete solutions or working towards a solution. Instead it was just hollow affirmations, sometimes platitudes, some gaslighting and distortion, and generally a waste of time and money. While I didn't have to pay for the counselors and therapists I saw when I was in university (as it was included in my tuition bill, university fees, while I was a student), it was still a waste of time and I left feeling like I wasted my time and energy getting nowhere, frustrated and more defeated than before I came in. I figured that I am my best cure, my best resource into tackling my own problems (often peculiar methods that are unique to me and me only), then the Internet as a secondary source.

For example, if I had went to a therapist/counselor about some of my issues with people, I'd get no more than hollow affirmations and gaslighting about my view of the situation. Sometimes, he/she may even try to get me to see the situation in a less negative light, which still doesn't solve the root cause or address the actual issue at hand... I don't need someone to tell me how I see the situation wrong or how I have no credibility, that's invalidating. It's quite ironic how common people who don't know how to help, suggest seeing a therapist or counselor. It is infuriating and insulting because it not only 1) Assumes that the person doesn't know that counseling services exist (which most of them already do), and 2) It serves as a way to dismiss someone's situation, claim, or asking for advice/help by deferring to counseling (just a lazy way to appear to be 'help' even if they aren't.).

TBF, not everyone's experiences are bad and there are people who have benefited from psychiatry. I am not one of them. In fact, my own life experiences and the self-coping methods I use (sometimes at the expense of other things in life) have been FAR MORE effective than seeing someone. Also, religion is pretty much useless to me but that's another story for another time..

 

[charlottewilts]

i was involuntarily hospitalised and would still be in hospital if it weren't for my social worker. inpatient is basically just sitting around all day and being forced to take medication, you only get to talk to a psychiatrist before you're getting discharged and then you want to portray yourself in the best light possible. my experience with shrinks is roughly "I'm putting you on these antidepressants" and "have you tried journaling?" I'm sure there are good ones out there but I have had no such luck.

 

[Thorn]

We exist so they could have a job. Not all doctors in this field are apathetic, but they all give you what they are instructed to. Those who do not comply, end up losing their license. They are some of the most laconic and cautious doctors out there, for a reason.

 

[Letmego. Please]

Ok, well i sadly have 27yrs of exposure to them so the experiences will differ wildly.

Back in 1992 i was sectioned for being suicidal, it was one of those now non existent (sold off for posh housing) asylums full of some people that had been there for 50 odd yrs, anyway so they lock me up aged 21, i was also an alcoholic, & didn't like being restrained so i escaped multiple times, would get drunk, take an Od, hope to die, end up back on the ward, repeatedly till the day i escaped & jumped of the local car park, that then kind scuppered my escaping as did the 6mths on 1 to 1 obs (though i did still try lol)
For the whole of that time, turned out to be 2yrs, & despite my behaviour they treated me with nothing but care & companion, my main go to nurse was an amazing person who helped me understand who i was & encouraged me to accept the good parts of me. I was that much of a nightmare to manage that said nurse was given a psychologist purely to talk about dealing with me.

10 years further down the line i had moved to a different area, my then husband was cheating on me & had left, shit spirited outta control & before i knew what was going on i was being stretchered out my house & transported to my new local loony bin. That place is a hellhole, understaffed, underfunded & with naff all interest in the punter, the staff mostly don't give a toss, its more about the power they have over your life & they didn't much like my habit of escaping & would get very bitchy about it.
It has been 12yrs now since i first entered this crappy place & thanks to even more budget cuts i now no longer need to worry that anyone will section me, regardless of what i do or say, as they don't treat people 'like me' anymore.

I could go on, properly spent the best part of 5/6 yrs of my life locked up. But to sum up, the first place treated me brilliantly even if i didn't behave how they might have hoped. The second place just took away any hope that there was help out there.

Oh man I could go on
My diagnosis is not actually depression. Its paranoid schizophrenia or schizoaffective (a mix of bipolar and schizophrenia). Im currently in the process of ruling out one or the other.
So, you know how the first line of 'treatment' for this is antipsychotics, not ssris? Right. One time they sectioned me because I was full blown psychotic to the point they made me piss in a cup cause they thought Im methed up. The kind 'doctors' procceeded to stun me with a triple dose of haloperidol. It was lovely. I mean everybody loves waking up with a feeling of inner restlessness and anxiety bordering on panic, and pacing for the whole day on a single 1 meter square of the floor, from my bed and back, till I almost colapsed from exhaustion. And getting crippling obssessive thoughts (imagine telling yourself in your head that the wall is green for 3 hours straight and being unable to stop it. The wall. Is green. Its green. Green. Horror). And it didnt end there. Next day after taking my dose I awoke to awful muscles spasms. They were like writhing snakes do when they gang up on their prey. Slow and painful. My body bended into an arch, when I stood up I was tilted sideways. It hurt so much. Guess what the docs said???
They told me Im faking it. Oh well.
After 3 days I couldnt even eat because my muscles constricted so much only water could pass through. I just sat down in the corridor sobbing hysterically, saying that Ill hang myself on a charger cable. It hurt so much. I wanted to die more than anytime in my life before that. They were merciful enough to inject me with anti dyskinesia medication and benzo, but not without tying me down to the bed for 24 hours beforehand.
That was the worst but there are many more, like telling me Im just selfish and devoid of empathy because I want to kill myself and that my diagnosis was made up to draw money from the government (and yes, that was said by a licensed professional). But Ill get to that later

I too have been jumped on many times with the Haipadol bum shot, the bastards never told me about the side effects, i remember vividly everything you describe, god i think my brain had tried to wash over that bit. i would end up in some weird contorted position scared shitless as i didn't know it had anything to do with the injections, like you thinking i was going even crazier. Thanks & sorry you went through the same (((Hugs)))

 

[not_a_robot]

I luckily didn't have any extremely negative experiences with mental health professionals yet, but despite trying to do so they weren't really helpful for me. My psychiatrist diagnosed me with depression and anxiety and prescribed meds, while my psychologist wanted me to go to cognitive behavioral therapy. I went for therapy for three weeks and then stopped because I hate all that "be positive" and "you can do anything" crap that they keeping telling us, and then I stopped taking my meds because I don't think that I'm depressed. I only went to the psychiatrist because I wanted to be tested for ADD and BIF (borderline intellectual functioning) and start taking ritalin, and she flat out refused to do it because I was "too quiet" to have Attention Deficit disorder. I then attempted to CTB using the meds she prescribed me, and when I failed she started regulating my access to the medications, so I stopped bothering to go to our appointments.

And you don't find all that extremely negative?

We exist so they could have a job. Not all doctors in this field are apathetic, but they all give you what they are instructed to. Those who do not comply, end up losing their license. They are some of the most laconic and cautious doctors out there, for a reason.

And when they lose their license they get hired by the VA the very next day, where there is zero accountability and they can abuse patients and contribute to the veterans' suicide rate.
God bless America.

It's mostly a bunk sham and a joke. They don't really help me with my problems and instead they just give me the whole run around. I have been to no less than 10 psychologists, therapists, counselors, social workers, and one psychiatrist in my life, so I believe I have enough credibility to voice my two cents on my experiences. At best, talk therapy and what not only helped me vent on some times, but no concrete solutions or working towards a solution. Instead it was just hollow affirmations, sometimes platitudes, some gaslighting and distortion, and generally a waste of time and money. While I didn't have to pay for the counselors and therapists I saw when I was in university (as it was included in my tuition bill, university fees, while I was a student), it was still a waste of time and I left feeling like I wasted my time and energy getting nowhere, frustrated and more defeated than before I came in. I figured that I am my best cure, my best resource into tackling my own problems (often peculiar methods that are unique to me and me only), then the Internet as a secondary source.

For example, if I had went to a therapist/counselor about some of my issues with people, I'd get no more than hollow affirmations and gaslighting about my view of the situation. Sometimes, he/she may even try to get me to see the situation in a less negative light, which still doesn't solve the root cause or address the actual issue at hand... I don't need someone to tell me how I see the situation wrong or how I have no credibility, that's invalidating. It's quite ironic how common people who don't know how to help, suggest seeing a therapist or counselor. It is infuriating and insulting because it not only 1) Assumes that the person doesn't know that counseling services exist (which most of them already do), and 2) It serves as a way to dismiss someone's situation, claim, or asking for advice/help by deferring to counseling (just a lazy way to appear to be 'help' even if they aren't.).

TBF, not everyone's experiences are bad and there are people who have benefited from psychiatry. I am not one of them. In fact, my own life experiences and the self-coping methods I use (sometimes at the expense of other things in life) have been FAR MORE effective than seeing someone. Also, religion is pretty much useless to me but that's another story for another time..

Mental healthcare is like hypnosis. It works great on people who are highly suggestible.

OMG, this why I love this site. I thought I was the only person this ever happened to. I wonder how often these people fall asleep during session. It was very traumatic for me. I will probably never seek help because of it.

A string of therapists between the ages of 5-11.
Involuntarily hospitalized at age 14, and 15, and 16. Each time, I never saw the psychiatrist more than once a week, for 5 minutes. I was diagnosed with depression and given Risperdal & Cymbalta.

My first adult psychiatrist diagnosed me as bipolar. I was on a cocktail of Seroquel, Trazodone, and Klonopin. Aka, I was a mess.

My second psychiatrist, who knew the first, kept me on Seroquel, removed the Trazodone, and put me on a very high dose of Klonopin. He doesn't have a license anymore.

My third psychiatrist, many years later, said I wasn't bipolar. Said I had PTSD, depression, anxiety, autism, and severe ADHD. Had me on a low dose of Klonopin, a long-acting stimulant, and Effexor. (Side Effexor) She belittled my problems & told me to go to a homeless shelter to view people with real problems. I angrily told her that I had lived at a homeless shelter for quite a while, and she seemed taken aback. At that moment, I realized that none of them listened to me, and none of them cared.

My current mental health system is weed & my cat. It works better. Meow.

I am surprised she diagnosed adult autism in a female, two factors that usually make it impossible to even get evaluated for it. I have been telling them I'm just HFA for twenty years and they all think nobody except 5 year old boys can be autistic.
Every shrink I've ever seen has bullshitted and lied to me about diagnostic criteria, they are so stupid they can't even figure out that I can read the same books they do, so I know when they're flat-out fucking lying to me.

 

[Partial-Elf]

I've had six therapists over five years, with roughly five weeks between visits. Of the six therapists, four were grad students and two were fully fledged professionals. Of all six: I've deeply connected with one, been incredibly annoyed by one, and can hardly remember the rest.

The best ones go through what you're feeling with you, validate those feelings, and help you determine concrete steps you can take on your own terms to make your life more tolerable before the next visit. The worst are constantly trying to diagnose you, put you in a box, and gaslight you–claiming that all of your concerns are illegitimate and products of mental illness.

I've never talked to any of them about my suicidal thoughts and plans as there's never a time in my life where I felt I could risk getting sectioned and it's hard to know where that line is. I can't risk my family members or employer finding out about my suicidality–that would change the way they all look at me and would just make my situation so much more bleak and uncomfortable.

I've never been on anti depressants or other meds, though my primary care doc offers them whenever I report feelings of sadness. He defers all other questions and comments in that vein to my therapist.

I'm not sure how helpful therapy's been overall, but I'm happy to not have experienced some of the horror stories others have shared here. What bothers me is that the more open and honest you are with them, the more likely you are to experience horrific and inhuman treatment. However, by not being completely open and honest with them, you're defeating the point of therapy and severely limiting its effectiveness. It's a lose lose situation.

 

[not_a_robot]

I've had six therapists over five years, with roughly five weeks between visits. Of the six therapists, four were grad students and two were fully fledged professionals. Of all six: I've deeply connected with one, been incredibly annoyed by one, and can hardly remember the rest.

The best ones go through what you're feeling with you, validate those feelings, and help you determine concrete steps you can take on your own terms to make your life more tolerable before the next visit. The worst are constantly trying to diagnose you, put you in a box, and gaslight you–claiming that all of your concerns are illegitimate and products of mental illness.

I've never talked to any of them about my suicidal thoughts and plans as there's never a time in my life where I felt I could risk getting sectioned and it's hard to know where that line is. I can't risk my family members or employer find out–that would change the way they all look at me and would just make my situation so much more bleak and uncomfortable.

I've never been on anti depressants or other meds, though my primary care doc offers them whenever I report feelings of sadness. He defers all other questions and comments in that vein to my therapist.

I'm not sure how helpful it's all been overall, but I'm happy to not have experienced some of the horror stories others have shared here. What bothers me is that the more open and honest you are with them, the more likely you are to experience horrific and inhuman treatment. However, by not being completely open and honest with them, you're defeating the point of therapy and severely limiting its effectiveness.

Therapists hate hearing a patient's problems, they find it "draining" and "exhausting" and "challenging" (their words). They think the only purpose of therapy is for the patient to please the therapist. Spoilt lazy brats, in my experience.

 

[Partial-Elf]

Therapists hate hearing a patient's problems, they find it "draining" and "exhausting" and "challenging" (their words). They think the only purpose of therapy is for the patient to please the therapist. Spoilt lazy brats, in my experience.

I've had a few that genuinely wanted to help but the norms and laws of the profession got in the way. It's so frustrating that even with a therapist I have to tip toe around the truth and present a polished and socially acceptable version of how I feel. I wish I had a third party I could truly express myself to with no holds barred and no concern about repercussions or judgment.

One other thought: I hate all the talk about how "change comes from within" and "this is ultimately up to you." I think it promotes a false and harmful narrative that the issues I or anyone else with a mood disorder struggle with can be permanently overcome if we're just brave enough and willing to put in the work. That is clearly not the case and is a way of blaming a person for mental issues that are often very far outside of their control and shifting the burden of their illness onto them. Why would you want mentally ill or suicidal people to blame themselves for their problems when you know they already have a tendency towards feelings of guilt and self hatred? Why would you want to give them false hope of a "normal" life without mental illness when you know that most likely they will continue to struggle with it their whole lives?

 

[inconsequential]

Therapists hate hearing a patient's problems, they find it "draining" and "exhausting" and "challenging" (their words). They think the only purpose of therapy is for the patient to please the therapist. Spoilt lazy brats, in my experience.

I got tired of hearing, "You're very complex," & "I think we need to end our season early today".

 

[Xaphous]

Totally useless and the few that feel it's helped are probably on a cocktail of meds too numb, zombified to remember the original problem. Finding a good reliable therapist is a task in itself. Western mainstream MH services in general, It's not designed to cure, all a big hoax with a lot of money to be made. Try homeopathy, alternative natural medicine instead if you have access to that.

 

[been_there]

The problem with mental health services is the same as most professions. People and capitalism. If therapists care too much, they're likely to burn out. If they're any good, they'll be oversubscribed and expensive. Once they're experienced, they become jaded and indifferent. Moral panics and politics create unhelpful laws that restrict their work. Big pharma has far too much influence.

I've encountered people in mental health that are caring, professional, helpful, effective, optimistic. And others who are sadistic, greedy, corrupt, religious, indifferent, controlling, bigoted. A few who are far more fucked up and dangerous than the people they're meant to be treating.

Its a lottery. Much like meds. Great if they help, but don't expect too much of them.

 

[deathenvoy]

I was in 6 mental wards during last two years. The worst experience was when I was living in Switzerland. They drugged me beyond believe - I was on 5 different medications a day: sertraline, lithium, quetiapine, abilify, zopiclone (even I never has been diagnosed with bipolar, just depression). They let me go after 1.5 month with suicidal intents. Week later I had suicide attempt.
I have been also on 6 month stationary group therapy designed for personality disorders. They destroyed my sense of worth there and left me in worse state that I was before therapy.
Psychiatric care is useless at best and harmful at worst.

 

[omoidarui]

the Shatto family got a letter from the mental health team a few weeks after her suicide to say Shawn's appointment had been delayed

sums up mental health care and not a bad meme either

 

[sophiestarfish]

I have had absolute disastrous experiences with mental health professionals. I saw a woman in high school, and I thought it was ok, but then she abruptly told me one session that I wouldn't be able to see her anymore because "other people were having a worse time than you and need more support". I was struggling with horrible depression and anxiety. I was young and didn't understand why someone who was supposed to be there for me was suddenly abandoning me. I was not suicidal at that point but I will never forget how awful I felt at that time.

A while after that I was selected to represent my school at an overseas leadership camp. I was worried about my anxiety but the tour company said that they had no problem worrying with people with mood disorders and they just asked to speak with my therapist. I wasn't seeing her anymore, but I still asked her if she would mind making the phone call to them. My therapist said that I could make the call, but that she could be there - fine, whatever. We agreed on a time and a place. The day came, I showed up at her office, and waited, and waited, and waited. The phone call came to my phone and I was in tears in the waiting room. Half an hour after the time we agreed on, she pokes her head out of her office, and invites me in. I having a terrible anxiety, and did not understand why she wasn't there when she said she would be. She explained that she had another client and then had to do some paperwork and blah blah blah. She just kinda sneered and said 'and what's the worst that would have happened if I was not there?", and I was furious. I did not at that time and still do not understand why I come second to literally everything else. I trusted her and she broke that trust - what an awful person.