Why aremany people anti-psychiatry, it helps us aspies a lot

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Deleted.. I really shouldn't get into this.

Because most phycitrists don't have a clue about Asperger's. If they do, they think all peoplke with AS are alike or the phytriatrists are just plain mean and nasty people. I could go on and one until the cows come home about all the stupid ones I had.

Interesting things Im learning, I didnt really know that a lot of the WP community was anti-psychiatry. And I am learning that some psychiatrists are in it mostly for the money (though that doesnt surprise me because Ive got a student in my class that constantly says that when we all become psychiatrists we gonna be rich. I was thinking to myself - what an idiot.) I am interested in going into psychiatry for research purposes. Learning how the brain works and formulating methods of treatment to attempt at helping people.

Once again, I am very glad that people are responding and giving honest opinions, and I very much respect the opinions given by the respondants.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that "a lot of the WP community is anti-psychiatry" - that wouldn't be accurate. There are some who are anti-psychiatry, yes... and many whose experiences have been negative but still believe in the process, and many who seek the acknowledgment and validation of those in the fields of psychiatry and psychology. There is much to be learned about ourselves, perhaps as much or more than remains in our external world. It is a shame that those, such as your classmate, choose to avail themselves to profit and self-promotion instead of research and assisting their patients. I fall somewhere in that second category; I have had a number of psychologist and psychiatrists who I would not refer someone I detested to; I have found a rare few whose approach seemed to show the respect they had for both the person they were talking to, but their profession as well. I'm skeptical when a doctor first meets a problem with a pill instead of a question, but I think the pursuit of such knowledge and seeking to help others is a valid and admirable endeavor.


M.

I don't think all of WP is anti-psychiatry; most members probably feel ambivalent about it at worst. If anything, I'm marginally supportive of it, since it can provide you with antidepressants and other medications. (I'd love it if they were sold over the counter, but doctors and prescription drug companies need to make money, so oh well.) I'm probably one of the few people who would prefer to go to a pill pusher, as opposed to spending multiple sessions sharing my inner world. It's psychologists I have more of a problem with. Many of them are too focused on feelings, rarely give you practical advice you can work with, and aren't authorized to prescribe. When I was in my early teens, I've had one psychologist send me into a two-week depression. I flat-out refused to go back to her when my parents offered, and instead, self-medicated by sneaking small sips of liquor when they weren't home (I poured water back into bottle to hide the evidence). I didn't drink enough to do damage, and didn't become an alcoholic, but it's pathetic that I had to turn to alcohol after a treatment that was supposed to help.

Considering the severity of the side effects, the possibility of drug interactions, black box warnings, liver/kidney function issues --- absolutely not. These medications should only be given out under the supervision of a doctor.

Do they overcharge? Absolutely. But making these meds otc would be a nightmare.

I'm fascinated with psychology, personally.

The trouble is that psychology is so very new. When we talk about medical procedures that we can't believe we ever did, we mention things that happened hundreds of years ago; the really egregious things, even thousands of years ago. Physical medicine has been a sensible practice for quite a while. Psychology, on the other hand, has only recently entered the modern age; lobotomies were still being performed as late as the 1980s, and the scientific method has only recently entered psychology along with the first methods to measure an active brain (EEGs, CAT scans, fMRIs) and the first effective psychoactive drugs (Thorazine, in the 1950s).

Psychology/psychiatry is undergoing great changes. Many older people working in that field were trained in times when these advances which made scientific psychology/psychiatry possible were still new and untested. The very youngest generation of psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors--for the most part, those in their twenties and early thirties--have the biggest chance of being truly unprejudiced against mental illness. The generation before them seems to be still excited over the fact that some chemical substances can change the brain's function, and like children with a new toy are focused overly much on drug treatment, ignoring the real effect of environment, cognition, and learning. It's difficult to find a good psychiatrist; and half the time, you have to balance the inexperienced youngster against the prejudiced veteran.

I have had, actually, my best experiences with psychology grad students--people who are still learning and actually younger than me. Their biggest asset seems to be their willingness to learn, and to listen to me when I say I would prefer to solve the problems I am facing in every day life, rather than talk incessantly about my mother.

I don't think psychiatrists are in it for the money. If anyone is in it for the money, they should have become a surgeon or an anesthesiologist, they have much higher salaries, see Payscale - Medical Doctor Salary.

Are you going into psychiatry?
Then you need to study medicine and get a Doctor of Medicine degree.
You said you're studying biological psychology, which is not the same as psychiatry.

I'm not anti-psychiatry, but haven't had a really good experience with any of them. I'm currently on medication prescribed by my GP, and am doing really well on it. 40 mg Prozac daily.

I've seen a few psychiatrists, but they don't have the time nor the patience to listen to me, or let me talk until I get what I'm trying to say out of my mouth. If they ask me what problems I'm having, I tend to tell them everything that is a problem that really can't be helped, as well as things they could potentially help with, and I get moved out the door too quickly to actually be able to say anything. This has lead to misdiagnosis 2 times now.

I loved my psychologist, however... I suppose it was nice to have someone just to talk to. Once he got around the idea that I really wasn't into analyzing my emotions as I was everything else, he would just let me go as long as I wanted, and would chit chat... sorta, lol, while asking questions of course, or offering ideas and all. He helped me make my own decisions about things, and that was really nice, as I don't have that now so I don't make many decisions anymore... lol. Occasionally he would ask how I feel about this or that, but was never really pushy about it and would let me analyze my thoughts out loud about it rather than just expecting a situation, and never accused me of avoiding it, just of being indecisive about my emotions, lol, which... well, was obvious so no biggie there.

While this is true, you make the assumption that the doctor is actually paying attention. Most aren't. Generally you get the best care by becoming an expert yourself, and then finding a doctor who will listen to you.
Although sometimes I think I just know too much on the topic. Biopsych is a major special interest of mine, but it's also kinda paradoxical, because I have so much trouble talking to people and talking about myself, that I have all this technical knowledge, but I'm barely able to speak to most people.
I think that trouble communicating verbally combined with alexithymia may be responsible for a large part of many aspies problems with a lot of mental health professionals. Another part is that those things, combined with eye contact problems cause a lot of aspies to appear manipulative. Not to mention that anybody who wasn't diagnosed as a child has generally gone through boatloads of different diagnoses, and until I started to seriously study AS, I had no idea what to tell doctors was wrong with me.. I'd had attention problems and depression problems but there was no clear "this is what's wrong" despite the fact that I've been so obviously disabled by it. Everyone I knew in the past thought that autism was synonymous with mental retardation, so it wasn't something anybody ever considered. Well, I think I thought about it once, but not very in-depth, and I got laughed at for it.
Also the fact that so few doctors know anything about autism. I think my psychiatrist is actually good, and she still doesn't know anything about autism.

So much of psychiatry has been turned over to the drug companies at this point. The doctors may not be in it for the money, but the pharmaceutical companies certainly are, and they're pushing all kinds of things that aren't even approved. Like the whole affair with using antipsychotics for anything and everything. They push Seroquel as a sedative in nonpsychotic patients, despite the nasty side effects. All the while, Seroquel's sedative effect is because it also acts as an antihistamine. So instead of telling someone to take benadryl, they give them Seroquel. Why? Because the drug companies profit. Benadryl may be cheap and safe and have the same sedative effect that Seroquel has, but AstraZeneca doesn't make a profit from Benadryl, so they send reps out to convince doctors to prescribe expensive medications with nasty side effects when safer medications would be just as effective. (Yea, some people complain about being groggy in the morning with Benadryl, but they'll have that problem with the Seroquel too!)

Er. Go back earlier in the thread to where I explained my experiences with meds. My experiences rank way above, 'zomg, i'm sleepy'. I know all about sh***y doctor supervision. When I felt my mind switching into psychotic mode, for a month of my life that I don't remember, I actually was cursed out by my psych over the phone, called an alcoholic, and hung up on.

I don't assume anything, about anyone. The point is, they should not be otc, for any reason, ever.

ETA: And I'm on Welbutrin now. And it's working. First time in my life meds have helped rather than harmed. I think it's possible for anyone. What's not possible for everyone is access to a good psychiatrist, and that's a shame.

At least when you go to a doctor, and get an Rx, that information is available to pharmacists and the computer system at the drug store. While it's also true that pharmacists almost never counsel patients the way they should, if something contraindicated gets prescribed, it will show up in the system.

Scientist was wondering if I want to become a psychiatrist, which yes I do, and was saying that biological psychology and psychiatry are 2 different things. That is very true, however, I would like to inform Scientist that I am taking biological psychology as a pre-requisite to the MD program as a Bachelors Degree is a requirement for the enrollment to a Doctor of Medicine program. I can only hope that my plans turn out well. Also, I said that Some psychiatrists are only for the money, and I dont have as much respect for these people as I do for a psychiatrist that actually wants to make a change.


Nevertheless, I am very glad that I have a balance of both opposition and support for psychiatry, and people have evidence to support their points. The last thing I would want to see is someone basing an opinion on no structural evidence, which has been reputable with the Scientologists. Lets hope theres no Scientologists within this discussion. I am also very glad that people are taking the time to post their opinions and that theres mutual respect between opposition and support. I dont want this convo to become some debate. Thanks for all the comments so far.

It only helps those that need it

I was told I "needed it", but I got severe side effects from it, and it helps now since I've quit using them.

I just meant that in lots and lots of cases, even as prescriptions, medication effects and side effects aren't monitored. I'm not saying that psych meds actually should be OTC, just that I can see why people might feel that way sometimes, because if you want the side effects monitored, you have to do it yourself anyway.

Being told you need it is a bit different then actually needing it