Is There Hope for Psych Treatment?
If you’ve followed my blog, you know about my history with psychiatric treatment, that I was on drug cocktails for years, in and out of psych units, that a psychiatrist stopped many of my meds at once without taper, that I’ve endured detention on psych units where I felt at best ignored and at worst abused, that I’m able to figure out my own psyche and handle my moods better off psych meds, and that I need to talk about all of that. But do I condemn all psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health social workers, finding them intolerable and beyond redemption? No. As I try pointing out the very bad parts of treatment I experienced, many mental health professionals quickly jump in to write me off as a psych patient with hysterical views, poor past choices, and a desire to incite fear that turns others away from seeking help. This happens on social media, but also in the brief encounters I’ve had with mental health professionals in person. That’s the distressing part, the part whe...