[choros12]

I'm not sure if too many people nowadays take Psychiatry and Psychology seriously. Most problems they label as illnesses are legitimate issues people have that need resolution not pills.

I had severe allergic reaction to shrimp. Ended up at the ER where I was treated with Epinephrine, Prednisone and Diphenhydramine (Benadryl administered directly to bloodstream though).

Guess what, I had serious panick attacks for another2 days. When the following day I showed up at the ER, I was told by a Doctor who originally treated me day before that I clearly have mental issues because this reaction shouldn't last so long. Psychiatrist didn't even ask questions and prescribed me anti-depressants. Obciously, anxiety diminished on its own next day. FDA.GOV confirms that all 3 medications I was given may cause anxiety (severe) and panick attacks. Including benadryl that does cause anxiety in me. This was widely studied and is believed to be caused by liver enzymes. So, all in all I had never had mentall issues before, never had issues after. But had 3 days of panick attacks and severe anxeity causeb clearly by medication. Hey, but I'm considered depressive, anxious now. It is in my medical records. Just amazing how fast they are to label you and how difficult it is to clear the record. All result of ignorance, but what can I do? Recently I went through cholestycomy procedure outside my insurance, just because I didn't want to be treated by medical stuff with suspicion.

I don't believe psychiatrists now at all. I mean this is some type of witchcraft, not science for sure.

[disgruntledphd2]

Please note that Psychiatry and Psychology are very different fields, despite the common associations between them. In most countries, psychologists may not prescribe drugs, while psychiatrists, as medical doctors are allowed to do so.

Incidentally, I highly recommend reading the DSM (diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders) and figuring out which disorder you show the most signs of. Myself, I meet all the criteria for ADHD, and if I had been born some years later or in a different place, could easily have been diagnosed with it.

[MortenK]

Self-diagnosing psychological disorders is a VERY bad idea.

[disgruntledphd2]

I'm not really suggesting that people self diagnose, I just thought it might be interesting for non-professionals to read the diagnostic criteria to get a sense of how easy it is to be diagnosed on these bases. Unfortunately, due to the way the american insurance system works, I can't see DSM ever being rolled back to a semblance of sanity (with pun intended)

[choros12]

Just about anybody with their self-esteem low enough can get diagnosed by those sociopaths.

[JonnieCache]

Surely you recognise the irony of that statement?

Just in case someone doesn't, there are two diagnostic assertions in choro12's statement: low self-esteem, and sociopathy. This just goes to show that we as a society are dependent on psychiatric labels, even if we profess to hate them. We need them because they help us understand human behaviour. I'm not saying that this is good, and we should not try and develop an understanding of ourselves which goes beyond simple taxonomy, but that we should not be so hasty to disparage those who formalise and act on these categories, because we all do it, and we have always done so.

[choros12]

Good point, I agree.

Anti-psychiatry (wiki explains their position in good detail) says that basically the very moment we stopped believing in magic, witches and wizards, psychology/psychatry surfaced as 'sciences' with exactly the same role - to root out people who are too non-compliant with the system from the society.

USSR and communistic states (I used to live in one of them) are great example. All dissidents were automatically labeled 'insane' because anybody doubting communism had to be crazy in communist view of the world.

[einhverfr]

Some people process drugs very slowly. I am one btw (I usually cut down medications to 25% of less of the recommended dosages, except for antibiotics where that's a really bad idea). I haven't tried protodrugs like vicodin but I would assume they probably wouldn't have much effect on me.

But hey, they call that a "Cytochrome P-450 defect." All because my body doesn't work the way the pharma companies would like.....

[bwarp]

Psychs (both types) who are funded by medical insurance are the issue. They're being effectively paid commission from the insurer to find anything that could be wrong with you so they can eat. The moment you get sick in the US, you are a landgrab for cash. It's just wrong.

Here in the UK, the free ones on the NHS are pretty good! If you don't want treatment, noone is going to lose any money (in fact they're saving cash) so you're fine.

[jbondeson]

EDIT: Missed the bit about the psychiatrist not asking questions, sounds like an encounter with a bad psychiatrist.

You were prescribed anti-depressants by a medical doctor (most likely without even the most rudimentary training in mental health), and you blame psychiatrists? How does that make any sense?

You may as well blame mechanics for the bad advice you got on fixing your car from the guy at the bicycle shop.

[wisty]

If you complain about psychological things to a medical doctor, on of the first questions they should ask is "have you been on any medication, or used any other kind of drug?". Psychiatrists should be asking the same thing.

[choros12]

I know this. The reality is once you behave crazy as I did (because of the meds), they just assume things and put their assumptions before the process.

Then I did complain to the Doctor that I think the meds are causing this, but she refused telling me that she administers them frequently to the patients and never has seen reaction like this. According to fda.gov about 1% population has paradoxical reaction to Benadryl (i.e. people get anxious like I did instead of calming down). The paradoxical reaction is cause by liver enzymes working differently in my body. She just didn't know. When I said this she looked at me even more suspiciously.

Once they set their mind on you being crazy, that's it. The more you tell, even being right and correct, will seem more crazy talk making them more convinced of your mental issues.

I thought with psychiatrist will be better, but he was even worse. Treated me like child & crazy person right from the door step.

I'm so glad the anxiety stopped on its own day later and that my suspicion of medications causing it turned out true.

I mean they were able to convince me that I'm crazy. I'd believe them... that's how bad the system is.

[nknight]

> You were prescribed anti-depressants by a medical doctor (most likely without even the most rudimentary training in mental health), and you blame psychiatrists?

Psychiatrists are medical doctors. Many of them work in hospitals. Why are you assuming he was prescribed antidepressants by a medical doctor who isn't a psychiatrist?

EDIT: He even says it was a psychiatrist: "Psychiatrist didn't even ask questions and prescribed me anti-depressants."

[jbondeson]

Yes, I missed the qualifier about the psychiatrist. Sadly there are many MDs that will prescribe psychotropics when they have no training in doing so.

[DanBC]

You had a bad experience (and it was a bad experience) with one doctor, and you're writing off two professions?

A simpler course of action would have been to write a gentle complaint letter. In England you'd start by getting advice from Patient Advice and Liaison (PALs) who help you through the process.

[anti-atheist]

makes you wonder how many insane people are just victims of bad chemistry. and question the nature of consciousness