Good news, everyone!

[The exploding boy]

:-/ not detailed enough. but if you're gonna be a prude about it...

[yo soy el mejor]

yeah, i'm a total prude.

[Elijah Moon]

My current doctor has been brilliant, I have to admit. There's no way I would've improved enough to get out without him starting there. The psychiatrist before him was an unfeeling, condescending dick. He wouldn't change my meds even while I was totally suicidal for well over a year. I remember telling him, "I keep just talking to someone in my head about everything that's wrong..." and he said, sarcastically, "So what is the little man in your head telling you, Elijah?" Totally patronizing and he didn't even get what I was saying, or didn't care.

One of the first times I saw my current consultant he said, "You're in agony, aren't you?" That made me feel he was taking my pain seriously. He put me on some good medication that has helped a lot and he's been very insightful. My Occupational Therapist was great, too, but that was more complicated because I was very, very attracted to her. I didn't need that confusion.

[reprise85]

Originally Posted by glitterlips

interesting how one can try to give another therapy when they need therapy done and on meds.


I've wondered about that sort of thing. I suppose in a way you could relate to those who need what you prescribe since you would be able to tell them how well it's working for you while being paid.

First of all, I'm not a therapist yet, and I may never be. I would not do therapy with someone until and unless my issues were largely in my past.

However, many therapist are in therapy themselves, as a way to process what people bring them in therapy. There is such a thing as vicarious trauma, and listening to terrible things every day is a sure way to induce it.

Medication is fixing a brain issue. My therapist is fantastic and I know she takes an anti-depressant. Just because someone has a chemical problem with their brain does not mean they are not fit to do therapy.

You would also have no idea I am on psych medicine if you met me. There are a lot of myths about antidepressants and antipsychotics that are not true for the majority of people who take them and are on stable doses. My medication doses have only gone down in the past 2-3 years, and will continue to do so.

And yes, the fact that I have been through the system and am on the other side is an invaluable asset to helping those who have been as far down as I was and are written off by most to be un-helpable and destined to go into long term care for the rest of their lives.

[reprise85]

Therapists also do not prescribe medicine, and I wouldn't want to. That is for medical doctors - psychiatrists. Some psychiatrists do therapy but generally it is short and focused on how the client feels about taking medications and how they are working or not working for them. For example, I see my psychiatrist for 30 minutes every other month.

I have considered going into psychiatry, but I do not want that kind of responsibility. Knowing about medication reactions and such, and the inevitability of prescribing a medicine that causes terrible side effects or possible death to a person. This is true not just in psychiatry, but to all doctors who prescribe medicine. Allergic reactions etc

[reprise85]

Originally Posted by Elijah Moon

My current doctor has been brilliant, I have to admit. There's no way I would've improved enough to get out without him starting there. The psychiatrist before him was an unfeeling, condescending dick. He wouldn't change my meds even while I was totally suicidal for well over a year. I remember telling him, "I keep just talking to someone in my head about everything that's wrong..." and he said, sarcastically, "So what is the little man in your head telling you, Elijah?" Totally patronizing and he didn't even get what I was saying, or didn't care.

One of the first times I saw my current consultant he said, "You're in agony, aren't you?" That made me feel he was taking my pain seriously. He put me on some good medication that has helped a lot and he's been very insightful. My Occupational Therapist was great, too, but that was more complicated because I was very, very attracted to her. I didn't need that confusion.

I am glad you got good help. I've had a few terrible ones as well, mainly inpatient, who I felt were making fun of me and asking patronizing questions they had no right to ask when they saw me for literally five minutes per day and were trying to get me out as fast as possible.

I had a therapist I saw for about three years before my current one who just didn't really care, and that sucked too.

[MyOneAndOnly]

My therapist is cool but I'm at the point where I'm starting to direct our sessions towards easy shit. I think I could go off my meds and it would take a long time for her to figure it out.

Basically I'd like to relapse for a while so I can slim down and I figure that as long as I'm in therapy its like I have a safety net to stop me from going too far.

[Trotskilicious]

Gutsy question. Youre a shark. Sharks are winners and they dont look because they dont have necks. Necks are for sheep.

[reprise85]

Originally Posted by scottytheoneand

My therapist is cool but I'm at the point where I'm starting to direct our sessions towards easy shit. I think I could go off my meds and it would take a long time for her to figure it out.

Basically I'd like to relapse for a while so I can slim down and I figure that as long as I'm in therapy its like I have a safety net to stop me from going too far.

I hear you here... hopefully you can find a way to bring this all up before you act on it. You don't need to slim down

My therapist is really good at pacing and won't let me not really work on anything for any length of time, although sometimes I feel stuck and she tells me she doesn't think I am and that we are still making progress.