Psychiatry.. thoughts?

I really despise psychiatry. It's bullshit. They just read out of book which pill to prescribe. And the whole idea of forcing people to take medication is totally unfair and fucked up. I wanna kick every psychiatrist in the balls.
 
^I think that's a massive exaggeration. I'm currently seeing a psychiatrist who's helped me a gigantic amount and hasn't prescribed me anything even though I've been seeing him for three months. Of course some psychiatrists are dicks because well some people are dicks. You have people like that in all professions.
Psychiatrist is pretty much my dream job even though my studies are going in a completely different direction, but really wish I could've done it. Some psychiatrists can make a gigantic difference in people's lives. Much like therapists except they deal with mental illnesses and are doctors.
They're not all copies of characters off One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
 
I'd be careful attacking psychiatry, it's often used by raging anti semites. Listen to this charming description

“Psychiatry” is a jew fraud. The whole scam is about the jews taking control of the non-jews brain. First the jew shrink tells you you must tell everything, every last detail of you dirtiest secret. Now the jews know how to blackmail you. On top of that you payed the jew. This jew scam the jews have had many laughs on the stupid goy (non-jew sing. Goyim plur. -im in hebrew is plur).
Not accusing Bluelighters of anti-semitism but an attack on psychiatry has some nasty connotations. Remember these guys are doctors, although there is an old adage, failed doctors become psychiatrists, failed pyschiatrists become addiction specialists. A certain shrink wasn't amused when I mentioned that.
 
^^I agree. Great post, Pagey. While the field of psychiatry as a whole is going horribly into the pocket of big pharma, there are still very caring people out there who are trying to take it in the opposite direction and are interested in true healing. These doctors are capable of seeing through the label/drugging mania. For a very good read, Libby, check out Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whittaker. Where I live the head psychiatrist for the county mental health uses the information from this book as a starting point for change. The mental health field in general is in flux right now which is a good thing.

Whoa, captaincaveman, that is scary! Where is that from??
 
It was written by a pseudo historian in the mould of David Irving (but not him). It was in response to an essay called 'Political abuse of pyschiatry in the Soviet Union' and contains that lovely gem. The idea of the 'Jewish scam' of pyschiatry has been prevalent for years, often its biggest proponents are in need of the 'scamsters' services! Even prominent academics like David Starkey has been accused of racism recently. Historians have to be very careful
 
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^I think that's a massive exaggeration. I'm currently seeing a psychiatrist who's helped me a gigantic amount and hasn't prescribed me anything even though I've been seeing him for three months. Of course some psychiatrists are dicks because well some people are dicks. You have people like that in all professions.
Psychiatrist is pretty much my dream job even though my studies are going in a completely different direction, but really wish I could've done it. Some psychiatrists can make a gigantic difference in people's lives. Much like therapists except they deal with mental illnesses and are doctors.
They're not all copies of characters off One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
How long have you been seeing psychiatrists?

I guess I just feel pissed off because I've had bad experiences with several psychiatrists.
 
I've had bad and good psychiatrists. My problem isn't really with them anymore than other kinds of therapists. The bad ones are lazy, probably ended up in the wrong profession, can't seem to separate their personal values from their objective analysis, or they believe a lot more strongly in the medication side than they do the psychotherapy side. The worst one I had clearly hated his job.

I utterly despise those who continue to assert that mental illness doesn't exist. They are usually privileged folk who have never had to deal with a crippling mental condition before. I understand that framing it as "illness" can be contentious for some. Maybe it's not illness at all but just a bad association that needs to be broken. But things like schizophrenia? Bipolar? Borderline personality disorder? ADD? Those are pretty real. Even if over-diagnosed, they are still real conditions and lot of people actually have them.

I've been in depressive crisis two times in my life. The only thing that saved me from going off and killing myself was pharmaceutical intervention. No talk therapy would've worked. One of the biggest social obstacles to my recovery was a society at large who basically likes to downplay what I'm going through by telling me I should man up and stop being a wimp. What's worse is people who tell you that all you have to do is think positive and then you can change your life. No matter how hard you try to educate these people on the realities they continue to be wilfully ignorant. When someone is spiralling or having an acute episode, don't tell me that mental illness isn't real. Ignorant fucks.
 
But things like schizophrenia? Bipolar? Borderline personality disorder? ADD? Those are pretty real. Even if over-diagnosed, they are still real conditions and lot of people actually have them.
I think they're real. But they're not understood well at this point in my opinion. People with these "illnesses" are treated like they're broken or something and I just don't agree with it. I don't like psychiatry, but I don't think it shouldn't exist. I just think it should be changed a lot. The main thing is the power they have to force people into taking drugs, and into hospital. That part of it's retarded.
 
i cant stand psychiatrists who follow the script and seem to determine every answer from their fucking learning tools. you know the ones, that think they can weigh you up, assess the situation, 'diagnose' from just a little bit of info
 
Mental illness is real and very serious no doubt, but the field of psychiatry is infected and irrevocably corrupted. Disband the entire field and let neurologists and psychologists handle the field of mental health. Or even start a new discipline to replace psychiatry. But the history of psychiatry, the status quo of the field as it exists today, is corrupt and dangerous.
 
How long have you been seeing psychiatrists?

I guess I just feel pissed off because I've had bad experiences with several psychiatrists.

I've been seeing psychiatrists for 5 years. Some were bad, some were good, just like the various psychologists I've seen. They're only human, it's perfectly normal that you wouldn't connect with all of them. Maybe if you're having trouble with psychiatrists, try to see a psychologist instead. They have different methods of approach for sure.

I think they're real. But they're not understood well at this point in my opinion. People with these "illnesses" are treated like they're broken or something and I just don't agree with it. I don't like psychiatry, but I don't think it shouldn't exist. I just think it should be changed a lot. The main thing is the power they have to force people into taking drugs, and into hospital. That part of it's retarded.

I don't agree with that either, I just think you're over-simplifying it (sorry). As I said I've met some wonderful psychiatrists who treated me like a perfectly normal human being. I'm also currently seeing a psychologist who I'm pretty sure looks down on me because of my drug issues, so they can be just as bad. Psychiatry has actually been making tremendous improvements. If you think it's a bad field now, just look at how it was some thirty years ago when people were interned immediately and had no therapy whatsoever, just meds. It's improving extremely quickly.
It's also perfectly normal for them to be able to prescribe drugs as they are doctors after all and treat legitimate mental illnesses. Many of their patients need medical drugs to 'function' properly.

Mental illness is real and very serious no doubt, but the field of psychiatry is infected and irrevocably corrupted. Disband the entire field and let neurologists and psychologists handle the field of mental health. Or even start a new discipline to replace psychiatry. But the history of psychiatry, the status quo of the field as it exists today, is corrupt and dangerous.

Neurologists have no experience or training whatsoever in counselling. They work on physical problems; psychiatrists address those when there are some (as no physical cause has yet been found for many mental illnesses) but address the non-physical ones as well. And I mean yes the main difference is neurologists aren't counselors, quite frankly that'd be almost the same as sending someone to an oncologist for schizophrenia or something...
And psychologists are 1. not doctors so can't prescribe anything and 2. don't deal with illnesses as such. The way it's happened for me is I would see a therapist when I was feeling 'sad', 'down' etc and then when I started having chronic depression and a couple suicide attempts I was referred over to a psychiatrist. I was also referred to psychiatrists twice over the past few years due to PTSD. Psychiatrists will deal with illnesses such as schizophrenia/autism/depression etc. - psychologists are more just for when you're feelign down.
Psychiatry is basically the mixture of neurology and psychology so the 'new discipline to replace psychiatry' you're suggesting would literally become the exact same thing.

Sorry for being so vehement but psychiatry is really a field I hold close to my heart and I think it's a shame that it would be so grossly over-simplified.
 
It's also perfectly normal for them to be able to prescribe drugs as they are doctors after all and treat legitimate mental illnesses. Many of their patients need medical drugs to 'function' properly.
I didn't say it's unfair that they can prescribe drugs, I said it's unfair that they can FORCE people to take drugs. Which they can and do. Me being one of the people.

... Sorry I didn't mean for that to sound so bitchy. It's a useful field. I really hope that one day it becomes a valued part of society, which I'm sure it already is to a lot of people. There are parts about it that just truly suck. Even if the rules don't change, as long as we have truly kind-hearted, FAIR people working in these jobs, who respect a persons right to choose alternate options for dealing with their issues if they so desire then that will be great.
 
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the most important thing is for there to be a compatibility between the patient and psychiatrist, it may be unfair in some cases that they can "force" people to take meds, or section someone, but if they are a good psychiatrist, then those measures are usually justified, to prevent a person from being a danger to themselves or others.
 
Just my two cents... I think when it comes to psychiatry the patient has to make decision on their own, without the psychiatrists input. When I first saw a psychiatrist I had been suffering from severe depression and psychosis for over five years. He almost immediately put me on quetiapine and, although I found the next few months hell due to the side effects, I eventually found relief from most of my symptoms. Eventually I got myself discharged by lying to the psychiatrist that all my symptoms had gone - which they hadn't. I still had mild symptoms, but I could handle them - I was happy how I was. I never returned because I was, to some extent, afraid that they would change my medication and that I'd have to go through all the side effects all over again. So i never went back, and I'm still here today - happier then ever. I'm not quite 'normal' - I 'suffer' from symptoms normal people do not have, but it doesn't bother me.

But I did eventually tell my GP and she asked me one question that'll I'll never forget: "Does it distress you?". I said "No".

She proceeded to say that although I should see a psychiatrist it wouldn't be necessary. She explained that psychological problems only need to be treated if they cause the patient distress. Suddenly I realised that there's a difference between psychological 'disturbances' and mental illness. I, under most classifications, am still 'ill'. But in reality I'm not, because I'm not 'suffering', nor am am I distressed. I think it this which many psychiatrists ignore - they think that any disturbances mean they patient is mentally ill, which is often not the case. Regardless, I still have great affection for psychiatry, because they do help a lot of people who would otherwise lead miserable lives.
 
I really despise psychiatry. It's bullshit. They just read out of book which pill to prescribe. And the whole idea of forcing people to take medication is totally unfair and fucked up. I wanna kick every psychiatrist in the balls.

why were you forced to take whatever drugs? there must have been a valid reason.
 
the most important thing is for there to be a compatibility between the patient and psychiatrist, it may be unfair in some cases that they can "force" people to take meds, or section someone, but if they are a good psychiatrist, then those measures are usually justified, to prevent a person from being a danger to themselves or others.
Good point.

Some people may be a danger to themselves. Although rarely, if at all, a danger to others.

So hospitalizing people might be justified. Why is forcing drugs onto people fair though?
 
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