"Professional help" is useless

[The Unanswered Q]

Been to at least a dozen different "mental health professionals" over the last decade or so and have gotten literally nothing out of it. All but one said they didn't know how to help me, the one that did keep seeing me just talked about politics and other completely irrelevant things. Have selective mutism, so except for a few rare instances I was completely mute the whole time, then you might say it's my fault it didn't work because I wouldn't talk to them, but social anxiety was the main reason I was there. None of them even tried to help with the social anxiety, just talked about things that have nothing to do with the reason I was there, and then said there was nothing they could do to help me. What am I supposed to do? Can't spend the rest of my life being basically mute, but all the "help" has been totally useless.

 

[Daenerys Targaryen]

Most just say stupid things to justify what we have when they don't have a fucking clue. They're just trying to guess at something they don't understand. They take our money, and instead of helping us, they leave us worse off. The last time I went, the therapist told me I thought I was Aphrodite and that's where what I have came from. And I was like, "Excuse me?" And I was like, "I used to be very divine, and yes, I was Aphrodite before I got sick. Should I show you my aphrodisiac pussy?" Haha. And he never spoke to me again, and I never went back.

 

[alivefornow]

Agreed, I felt scammed every time I tried therapy or psychiatry. Pockets lighter and still in the very same pain. Even after being put on 5 different psychiatric meds, the pain is always so bad.

All I can hope is for a quick end, as soon as possible. There's no recovery. I tried.

 

[Daenerys Targaryen]

Agreed, I felt scammed every time I tried therapy or psychiatry. Pockets lighter and still in the very same pain. Even after being put on 5 different psychiatric meds, the pain is always so bad.

All I can hope is for a quick end, as soon as possible. There's no recovery. I tried.

It's beyond their understanding. Since everything is mental and they're "experts," they believe everything can be cured.

 

[Holu]

Your clinician talked about…politics… what the actual fuck lmao.

Can I ask what help you specifically received? It sounds like you have been receiving psychotherapy(talk therapy), which isn't really useful for someone with lower verbal functioning. That might actually be why they aren't able to "help" you, but if they didn't recommend any alternatives idk what the fuck they are doing.

Some things you can maybe look into are speech therapy, augmentative and alternative communication treatment (AAC), occupational therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or even music therapy. I'm going off your tag which says autistic and the fact you said you are selectively mute, and assuming you have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but if you don't please correct me.

All that said I'm very sorry for the improper and frankly inappropriate treatment you have received thus far. The success of professional mental health does vary person to person, but from what it sounds like this doesn't seem like the assistance you have been receiving was even remotely done properly lol. If you indeed did do multiple different sessions with multiple different professional of just talk therapy, and weren't provided the typical recommendations for non verbal and ASD therapy treatments, then those people have failed you in every way possible.

 

[alivefornow]

It's beyond their understanding. Since everything is mental and they're "experts," they believe everything can be cured.

They have to push this idea so that people keep seeking their ineffective treatments. They will call you insane and commit you to a ward before respecting your wish to die in a humane way. They don't understand that, even in my best, I'm still pretty horrible. And that's all day, every day. For decades. Without relief, without hope for a cure. Only people who suffer from this painful kind of depression can understand that death can be a gift.

 

[Holu]

It's beyond their understanding. Since everything is mental and they're "experts," they believe everything can be cured.

Not to be that person, but no rational clinician is in the field thinking they can "cure" people. The expectation is to help manage and treat. This is because most disorders are too multi faceted for a one shoe fits all cure. What is practiced by any competent clinician is to apply evidence based practices, monitor for improvement, then if that fails try something else.

The only practitioners who think they can "cure" illness are the idiots who follow the psychodynamic theories and methods and some of the people who follow the humanistic theories and methods. These people usually aren't the brightest bunch though since these aren't really evidence based practices, and in the case of psychodynamics, it's built off the broken framework the Freud started.

Ultimately, as the field develops and research garners more insight, treatment will improve, but for now we are what seems like a long way off. For now, the best you can do is try to get a read on your clinicians competence, and jump ship if they seem incompetent.

 

[KirbyLover]

Most just say stupid things to justify what we have when they don't have a fucking clue. They're just trying to guess at something they don't understand. They take our money, and instead of helping us, they leave us worse off. The last time I went, the therapist told me I thought I was Aphrodite and that's where what I have came from. And I was like, "Excuse me?" And I was like, "I used to be very divine, and yes, I was Aphrodite before I got sick. Should I show you my aphrodisiac pussy?" Haha. And he never spoke to me again, and I never went back.

that's awesome

 

[Holu]

They have to push this idea so that people keep seeking their ineffective treatments. They will call you insane and commit you to a ward before respecting your wish to die in a humane way. They don't understand that, even in my best, I'm still pretty horrible. And that's all day, every day. For decades. Without relief, without hope for a cure. Only people who suffer from this painful kind of depression can understand that death can be a gift.

The issue is actually on a systemic level funny enough. Even clinicians who do believe death can be a form of harm reduction, can't actually practice it because they will lose their license.

Clinicians are taught and required by oath to act if someone expresses an intent to harm themselves or others and has suicidal ideation, a suicide plan, and intent to commit suicide. Even if they wanted to help, they risk losing their jobs, license, and all the years of schooling they did. If a clinician was even found helping, ignoring, or supporting someone who met these 4 criterion, they could and have been sued for everything by grieving family members.

Even more sad, if enough evidence was brought up to prove death or more specific physician assisted suicide(PAS) is a valid form of harm reduction, it would never be implemented because society and the government would frown on it. In the U.S., we couldn't even get abortion federally, and that includes life saving abortion, because our society seems to think the fetus' life matters more than anything else.

I'm still hopeful that with time it gets better. I personally have had the fortune of having a proper psychiatrist, who managed to spare me from a 5150 my therapist tried to put on me, by convincing her to change it to two weeks of IOP(still not great but definitely better). In this, she very much risked her career just to keep me from going to a ward because of an attempt. We need more clinicians who are properly trained and capable of empathizing with their patients beyond the robotic training they were given.

 

[Daenerys Targaryen]

Not to be that person, but no rational clinician is in the field thinking they can "cure" people. The expectation is to help manage and treat. This is because most disorders are too multi faceted for a one shoe fits all cure. What is practiced by any competent clinician is to apply evidence based practices, monitor for improvement, then if that fails try something else.

The only practitioners who think they can "cure" illness are the idiots who follow the psychodynamic theories and methods and some of the people who follow the humanistic theories and methods. These people usually aren't the brightest bunch though since these aren't really evidence based practices, and in the case of psychodynamics, it's built off the broken framework the Freud started.

Ultimately, as the field develops and research garners more insight, treatment will improve, but for now we are what seems like a long way off. For now, the best you can do is try to get a read on your clinicians competence, and jump ship if they seem incompetent.

That's why I'm not waiting for a cure; I'm waiting for CTB and getting out of here as soon as possible. The world of mental health is way behind, and even more so. In fact, lobotomies have been replaced by antipsychotics, which are more of the same and were still used until recently. The best thing is for them to give us all these pills and drugs like candy. If it helps, great, if not, it'll screw up your brain a little more. And prescribing antipsychotics on the first try seems very cruel.

 

[alivefornow]

The issue is actually on a systemic level funny enough. Even clinicians who do believe death can be a form of harm reduction, can't actually practice it because they will lose their license.

Clinicians are taught and required by oath to act if someone expresses an intent to harm themselves or others and has suicidal ideation, a suicide plan, and intent to commit suicide. Even if they wanted to help, they risk losing their jobs, license, and all the years of schooling they did. If a clinician was even found helping, ignoring, or supporting someone who met these 4 criterion, they could and have been sued for everything by grieving family members.

Even more sad, if enough evidence was brought up to prove death or more specific physician assisted suicide(PAS) is a valid form of harm reduction, it would never be implemented because society and the government would frown on it. In the U.S., we couldn't even get abortion federally, and that includes life saving abortion, because our society seems to think the fetus' life matters more than anything else.

I'm still hopeful that with time it gets better. I personally have had the fortune of having a proper psychiatrist, who managed to spare me from a 5150 my therapist tried to put on me, by convincing her to change it to two weeks of IOP(still not great but definitely better). In this, she very much risked her career just to keep me from going to a ward because of an attempt. We need more clinicians who are properly trained and capable of empathizing with their patients beyond the robotic training they were given.

I hate that the voices of suicidal people are very rarely taken into consideration when debating MAID in all its forms. We are nothing but crazies to them. They seem to believe we are not rational in this state and therefore unable to make such a choice and be granted euthanasia. I know I am rational. My only option is to die by destroying myself in some way, because my "peers" would rather have me endure a lifetime of this than accept my wish.

 

[Holu]

That's why I'm not waiting for a cure; I'm waiting for CTB and getting out of here as soon as possible. The world of mental health is way behind, and even more so. In fact, lobotomies have been replaced by antipsychotics, which are more of the same and were still used until recently. The best thing is for them to give us all these pills and drugs like candy. If it helps, great, if not, it'll screw up your brain a little more. And prescribing antipsychotics on the first try seems very cruel.

Lobotomies are a dark stain on the mental health treatment. While it's not a real defense, their implementation came more or less from the fact that wards were overfilled and people were looking for a desperate form of relief. They were inexcusably evil tho lmao and had current standards been implemented back then, they never would have been allowed.

Mental health is behind, but mainly because it's still one of the newer forms of healthcare. The big lie is that mental health is at the same level advancement as general healthcare, and this is the fault of idiotic psychodynamic practitioners and researchers insisted stupid things like psychoanalysis, hypnosis, or dream interpretation. Moreover, there are many people who still don't believe mental illness exists at all, and assume it's just a weak willed person. Mental health is still heavily stigmatized across the globe, and there is always pushback from groups regarding mental health research progression.

As for the bit on antipsychotics, you only are ever given antipsychotics as your first medication if you have met sufficient criteria for a psychotic disorder or they give you a really low dosage of an antipsychotic. The low dosage thing, while not common, is still common enough and is horrible given that no antipsychotic regardless of dosage is considered first line medication.

Ctb is defininetly a reasonable method for harm reduction IMO. I don't expect people to suffer because research and treatment are behind. You are an autonomous human who had no say in being born or suffering. Its your decision, and I firmly believe we need to respect that right you have to make the choice.

 

[divinemistress36]

The brain is so complex and a mystery and nobody really knows how to treat it so you are a guniea pig and thrown random meds and weird therapys

 

[Holu]

I hate that the voices of suicidal people are very rarely taken into consideration when debating MAID in all its forms. We are nothing but crazies to them. They seem to believe we are not rational in this state and therefore unable to make such a choice and be granted euthanasia. I know I am rational. My only option is to die by destroying myself in some way, because my "peers" would rather have me endure a lifetime of this than accept my wish.

The reason why is the assumption that someone who is mentally ill is not capable of full autonomy and therefore isn't able to consent to MAID, PAS, voluntary euthanasia, or even suicide. It's framed in a way where people assumes that nobody can rationally come to the conclusion that death is a mercy, aside from maybe terminal cancer patients. This also has not been helped by a lot of the right wing and religious propaganda. The pro life stance and movement has basically halted, attacked, and thoroughly destroyed the lives on any clinician who actually tried to assist suicidal people with dying.

It's a hard world for people like us atm, and it's even harder to be optimistic for improvement.

At the end, regardless of illness and my own studies teachings, I firmly believe we know ourselves best. If you truly believe death to be your best course of action and you are sober, of age, and clearly not in a state of psychosis, then I believe you have every right to your own death.

 

[CarrotEater]

I think it can work, it requires a lot of willingless and work from the patient. I can see a path for myself, but nothing can convince me it is worth traversing. I'd rather indulge in hedonism, which isn't even pleasant - more like a distraction, and eventually die.

 

[The Unanswered Q]

Some things you can maybe look into are speech therapy, augmentative and alternative communication treatment (AAC), occupational therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or even music therapy. I'm going off your tag which says autistic and the fact you said you are selectively mute, and assuming you have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but if you don't please correct me.

Most of them were occupational therapists. Went to a speech therapist, she just did some tests then said she couldn't help me. Am autistic, went to two psychologists who specialised in autism, and neither helped.

 

[Holu]

Most of them were occupational therapists. Went to a speech therapist, she just did some tests then said she couldn't help me. Am autistic, went to two psychologists who specialised in autism, and neither helped.

The fuck she mean she couldn't help you lmao. That's utter bullshit lol. I'm assuming it's either due to lack of training or more likely some insurance or admin barrier in which their clinic chooses not to meddle with non speech interventions.

Still that's frustrating, but it's even more frustrating if two ASD specialists couldn't help either. I'm so deeply sorry, because that isn't your fault but the system failing you.

Out of curiosity, have you found any holistic or non clinical methods that do help you? Stuff that you might ritually practice in your day to day that you find soothes or assists you in any ways?

 

[The Unanswered Q]

The fuck she mean she couldn't help you lmao. That's utter bullshit lol. I'm assuming it's either due to lack of training or more likely some insurance or admin barrier in which their clinic chooses not to meddle with non speech interventions.

Still that's frustrating, but it's even more frustrating if two ASD specialists couldn't help either. I'm so deeply sorry, because that isn't your fault but the system failing you.

Out of curiosity, have you found any holistic or non clinical methods that do help you? Stuff that you might ritually practice in your day to day that you find soothes or assists you in any ways?

There are things that soothe me. What do you mean by "assist" though?

 

[Holu]

There are things that soothe me. What do you mean by "assist" though?

Assist as in helps you. Such as calms you down, makes you feel happy, or even makes you able to talk easier. I'm not referring to drugs or alc (although I suppose if it works it works lol), but instead just general rituals.

We all have coping mechanism that we practice, I was moreso just curious about yours

 

[The Unanswered Q]

Assist as in helps you. Such as calms you down, makes you feel happy, or even makes you able to talk easier. I'm not referring to drugs or alc (although I suppose if it works it works lol), but instead just general rituals.

We all have coping mechanism that we practice, I was moreso just curious about yours

Really nothing makes me happy, just feel nothing most the time with occasional bouts of anxiety or anger.