Tag: self help

As I mentioned Once Before one of the Many things I find Fascinating is Sociology. It’s true I am Not what You would Call a People Person by any shot of the Imagination, BUT that Aside I find People fucking Fascinating to No End. When I was in Collage at one Point I considered getting a Degree in Sociology (and Hell No I wasn’t about to be a fucking Social Worker. That Job Pays DICK, and will Burn You Out Completely as it Kills whatever Faith You have left in Humanity), Yet Life had a Different Course for Me to take.

I still find Interacting with People to be a Necessary Evil I am utterly Intrigued as to What Makes People Tick. One of the Social Shifts We have seen is How Society as a Whole Feels, Acts, and Thinks about Mental Health.

Not too Long Ago NO ONE Mentioned or Talked about Mental Health Issues Unless it was At Home Behind Closed Doors where Positively No One Else could Find Out. Fast Forward to Today and it’s a MUCH Different Story. People Nowadays Conversate at Ease about being in Therapy, Talk Openly about Their Psychological Issues (ie I’m Bipolar), Embrace the Help of the Psychiatric Community, and  There Mental Health Prescription Drug Ads on TV, the Internet, YouTube, and Plastered All Over Magazines. The Stigma that if You Sought Psychiatric Assistance You were Flawed and Literally Insane, BUT Those Days are all but Gone.

Still there are a Small Group of The American Public that haven’t gotten on The Band Wagon, and still Believe the Outdated and False Claims about Psychiatry, Medications (ie Prozac), Therapy, and Patients. This Post Is Dedicated to Them. LISTEN UP ASSHOLES HERES A CHANCE TO EDUCATE YOURSELF AND BREAK FREE FROM INANE IGNORANCE. SO LISTEN UP.

The Following are the Top 10 Myths and Misconceptions pertaining to Mental Health:

1. Mental Health Problems are Uncommon or Rare.

In Fact, nearly 1 out of Every 5 Americans WILL HAVE a DIAGNOSED Mental Disorder in Their Lifetime, According to the National Institute of Mental Health.

2. Mental Health Problems Are Caused By The Person Suffering From Them.

While People DO NEED to take RESPONSIBILITY for Their Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors associated with Disorders, They are NOT TO BLAME FOR THEM. There is an Important Difference between taking Responsibility and Accepting Blame, BUT Unfortunately, MANY People CONFUSE these 2 Things

3. Mental Health Problems Are Purely Biological Or Genetic In Nature.

Some Professionals and Mental Health Advocacy Organizations feel that Mistruths like this one will Better Forward Their Professional BIASES or POLITICAL AGENDAS, Yet this remains FALSE. Mental Health Problems are NOT solely caused by Bad Genes  or a Biological Chemical Imbalance, according to the Research We have to Date. ANY Health Care Professional, or Mental Health Avocate who CLAIMS Otherwise is Telling You a HALF-TRUTH to Forward THEIR OWN, UNSPOKEN AGENDAS.

4. Mental Halth Disorders Are Often Life-Long And Difficult To Treat.

Many Times, Individuals with a Newly Diagnosed Disorder such as Depression or Anxiety are told They have to take Medication(s) for it. Yet, when They Question Their Physician about How LongThey must Remain on the Medication(s), They Receive a Muddled, Non-Answer, such as, “As long as You need to.” Most Medications (with Few Notable Exceptions, such as those Prescribed for Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia ) Prescribed for Mental Disorders should be taken for Short Term (Less than a Year) Symptoms Relief. Some Medications have Withdrawal Effects that are often Worse than the Original Problem. QUIZ YOUR DOCTOR about these Issues (such as Length of Time on the Medication(s), Palm for Weening You Off the Medications, Etc.) BEFORE You are placed on ANY MEDICATION for a Mental Disorder.

       

5. Psychotherapy Takes Forever And Delves into Your Childhood Issues.

This is FALSE and Holdover from the Older Days of Psychotherapy. MODERN Psychotherapy, however, can be Stort-Term and Solution Oriented. Most short-term Psychotherapy approaches use a Cognitive-Behavioral Model, which Emphasizes Irrational Thought which lead to Dysfunctional Behaviors and Feelings. This Type of Therapy Emphasizes Learning what Those Thoughts are and How to Easily change Many of Them, often in a matter of only a FEW WEEKS. Most common Mental Health Disorders can Now be Treated in a matter of MONTHS instead of YEARS. Insurance and Managed Care Plans usually cover much of this sort of Treatment.

6. I Can Handle My Own Mental Health Problems, And If I Can’t Thats Because I Am Weak.

The 1st Part of this Statement May NOT be so much of a Myth, as Most People who have a Mental Health Problem DO NOT SEEK TREATMENT for it. Instead, They Rely on Their Traditional Coping Mechanisms (Like Excessive Eating, Drinking, Drugs, Working Longer, Working Harder, Exercising more, Hanging Out with Friends/Family Etc.) to take care of the Problem. Many Problems which may be Diagnosable may also Be Mild enough for this type of Care to be Sufficient.  Talking with Friends, Reading a Self-Help Book, or Visiting an Online Self-Help Group may Not be Enough to Help get You through Your Problem(s).

       

When Your Problem(s) become OVERWHELMING despite Your Best Efforts to Cope, that is a SURE SIGN You need Addition (aka Professional) Help. This DOES NOT mean Your Weak/Weak Minded/Weak Willed or anything remotely like that, It Means You REALIZE and ACCEPT Your Human with Natural Limitations. Seek Appropriate Care/Treatment when Your Coping Skills go Beyond being Able to HELP You Deal with Your Problem(s).

7. If I Admit I Have Problems, Everyone Will Think I’m Crazy and I’ll Need To Be Admitted To A Mental Hospital/Facility For A Very Long Time.

“Crazy” is a GENERIC TERM which is MEANINGLESS in this Context. Everyone is a Little Bit Crazy some of the Time. Having a Mental Disorder Really DOESN’T mean You’re Crazy. It just means You have a Problem, similar to a Medical Disease, which needs Treatment. Would ANYONE think less of You for seeking Treatment if You had Caner?! Then Why would ANYONE think any less of You because You have Anxiety or Depression?! And if They Do, THEY ARE THE ONES WHO NEED EDUCATION AND TO BE MORE OPENMINDED.

       

Most People who have a Diagnosable Disorder DO NOT NEED Hospitalization (Referred to as Inpatient Treatment as its called Now a Days) . Hospitalization is ONLY USED in ETREME CASES, when the Problem puts You in Imminent Risk/Danger or Dying or If You are a Threat To Your Own Safety (ie. Suicidal) or a Threat To Others Safety (ie. Homicidal). Even in the Case You are Hospitalized for Your Problem, it DOESN’T mean that You will be there for Days, Weeks, or Longer. Just like with an Emergency Room You will be Assessed, Treated, and Released as soon as Your Feeling Better.

8. Being Suicidal Means I’m Insane.

Suicidal Feelings are most often Symptoms of Depression or Related Mood Disorder. Feeling Suicidal DOES NOT make You any More or Less Insane than Anyone Else. Suicidal Feelings go away once You begin to Receive Adequate Care for Your Depression or Other Mood Disorder. That’s Why it is So Tragic when a Person actually succeeds in Their Suicide Attempt, Had the Person in Question had been Receiving Adequate Treatment, They could be Alive and Feeling much less Depressed and Suicidal.

       

9. Mental Health Problems Are Best Treated By My Primary Care Physician Or A General Practitioner.

NO MATTER what Their field, nearly EVERY Mental Health Professional AGREES that Diagnosable Mental Disorders are Best Treated by a Trained Specialist (a Mental Health Professional). Weather that Professional is a Psychiatrist, Psychologist, or Other Clinician Trained to Diagnose and Treat Mental Health Problems, You will ALWAYS receive the Highest Quality Care and Treatment when seen by Mental Health Professional as Opposed to a General Practitioner. Mental Disorders should be taken as Seriously as ANY Potential Chronic and Disabling Medical Condition. You go to an Oncologist for Cancer, a Dermatologist for Skin Problems Etc. You should NEVER expect or Demand ANY LESS in the Quality of the Care You receive when dealing with Mental Health Problems.  it is Difficult for General Practitioners to Keep Up with the Latest Researching the Field and Often They Prescribe ONLY a Psychopharmacological Treatment Approach, YET that is the LEAST EFFECTIVE Treatment approach Available.

          

10. Mental Health Professionals (Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Social Workers, Psychiatric Nurses (My Wife is a Psychiatric RN), and Family Counselors etc) Make A Ton OF Money Off Of People Suffering From Mental Health Problems/Disorders.

At One Time in the Not-Too-Distant Past, this was True. BUT NO LONGER. In Fact due to the Vast Expansion of Managed Care in the Mental Health Field over the Past 6-7 Years, Mental Health Care is Often the LOWEST PAYING Healthcare Profession. The Majority of Behavioral Healthcare and Related Professionals work in this Area because the Want To, NOT BECAUSE OF THE PAY. It is a WELL DOCUMENTED FACT that Psychiatrists are Often the LOWEST PAID Physician Specialty Field.

       

I hope You found this Post Informative, Though Provoking, and Helpful.

Thank for Reading,

  By Les Sober