Discussion Experiences with psychiatry

[Threads]

What are your experiences with psychiatry? Were they positive? Negative? How do you feel about the school of psychiatry?

I feel that psychiatry is a proto-science. Due to our lack of understanding of the human mind and brain, we're not capable of understanding how mental illnesses work, nor create medication that can adequately address and treat mental illness.

I believe in about 30 - 40 years, we will have the necessary knowledge and advancements in technology to treat and cure many mental illnesses, and we will look back in horror when we look back and review the school of psychiatry in the 20th and early 21st century.

I have also been harmed by psychiatry.

 

[MAIO]

What are your experiences with psychiatry? Were they positive? Negative? How do you feel about the school of psychiatry?

I feel that psychiatry is a proto-science. Due to our lack of understanding of the human mind and brain, we're not capable of understanding how mental illnesses work, nor create medication that can adequately address and treat mental illness.

I believe in about 30 - 40 years, we will have the necessary knowledge and advancements in technology to treat and cure many mental illnesses, and we will look back in horror when we look back and review the school of psychiatry in the 20th and early 21st century.

I have also been harmed by psychiatry.

There are so many problems with psychiatry. Such as psychiatry being bought by big Pharma, lying or believing things that are not true etc. For instance MD and psychiatrist told patients oxy was not addictive less than ten years ago, cigs were good for you, and now depression is caused by a lack of x to sell more pills. (Some Antidepressants raise x and some lower x so depression clearly isn't caused by a lack of x) Antidepressants are commonly prescribed even though their effectiveness rivals waking three times a week in treating most forms of depression, and other conditions and have side effects like sexual dysfunction. Psychiatry does not even bother to define what normal is, go off of subjective statements of how the indidvidual perceived etc I could go on about this stuff all day.

 

[Angst Filled Fuck Up]

It's very hit or miss. There are lots of brilliant and well-meaning people in the industry. There are also overwhelming numbers of snide, inexperienced, malicious and openly harmful individuals.

There are lots of medications that work quite well for a lot of different people. Side effects, trial and error, and withdrawal symptoms put a damper on them as a whole though. A lot of people will never find the right medication, or the correct combination or dosages. It's a real science, and a delicate thing all in all. There are those who give up because they are disheartened, and those who are treatment resistant. Others still can't afford treatment and are made to feel irresponsible or stupid because they can't do what is best for them, for whatever reason.

I think many of the standard protocols such as forced holds are far more damaging than helpful. They make people afraid to seek help, and to open up about how low they're feeling.

Big pharma is of course a problem, and there are many silly "tools" such as mindfulness, meditation or coloring that may help some but I feel are largely whimsical.

Too much of this industry is geared towards making money and treatments that are ineffective or unsuitable, or are recommended but out of reach for many. The threshold for adequate help needs to be lower.

Red tape, insurance, and lack of adequate follow up/aftercare are issues. Then of course there are some patients who abuse medications or are abusive and difficult towards caregivers which makes life harder for everyone.

In a better world, we could potentially have some workable systems in place, but overall I feel psychiatry is too messy, exploitive and harmful as it stands.

 

[Smilla]

Severely harmed by a sadistic shrink who used pychoanalytic techniques on me without informed consent and with wild abandon—for his own pleasure and ego.

I consider Jeffrey Masson of prior Freud fame to be the anti-hero of psychiatry, along with Dorothy Rowe, Mackler, and others too numerous to list.

 

[TAW122]

My experiences have been at best, moot. That isn't to say that there aren't others who have been severely harmed by psychiatry itself. Personally, I would rather not be involved in the system and like what @MAIO said about the field of psychiatry and big pharma, it's a big nightmare. @Angst Filled Fuck Up also summarizes up my sentiments pretty well.

 

[Severen]

Well just for not wanting to exist on this planet anymore and expressing this to a social worker, the cops were called on me and I was forced into a psych ward or whatever you call it these days... The only reason, I was able to get out is because family members kept on pressuring them to release me. So I guess I was harmed by a combination of idiots and psychiatry. My time was wasted and I had to go through a very demeaning experience. Being treated like a retarded child and a criminal at the same time.