Im Italian so I talk fast and loud

I'm Italian too. I can totally relate. I think we Italians have a different approach towards life, seriously. My non Italian friends call me "eccentric". I'm not eccentric. I am talkative and I talk loud. Hand gestures are essential to my communication. Japanese people are naturally more reserved, that doesn't mean they're shy or depressed. Psychiatrists that do not recognize cultural characteristics shouldn't even have a medical license in my opinion.[/quote]


I have to agree, culture is something psychiatrists disregard. Some go as far as indirectly coming across that your culture is inferior and theirs as superior. Psychiatrists seems to label everything that they don't understand as mental, so a culture difference will definitely be labelled as such.


A pattern that I have seen is kids being labelled Anti-social, socially challenged and "doesn't understand social cues" all because they were taught different ways of social interactions at home by the parents. An example is that is some cultures it is seen as rude to turn your back to someone, even if you don't want to talk to them. A child brought up in such a home will not understand when another child turns their back and even be taken back calling it inappropriate. And in the culture the child comes from such is normal. To the psychiatrist having a poverty of enlightenment, would see this as an inability to comprehend "normal" social cues. The child calling out the other child would be labelled as a frustrations arising from the child's inability to be understood, perhaps a "defense" mechanism to cope with going daily without knowing half the language in any social interaction.

Some psychiatric books don't help either in that many disregard culture all together, some claiming we are all born with the same social cues and understanding. Thus all children should show about the same type and level of functioning, and where an abnormality is seen, psychiatrists are encouraged to correct that.


And with that, I could turn any culture difference into an entire diagnostic report that entirely flushes the patients sanity down the drain.

As I tell everyone: Psychiatrists only know enough to get someone hurt.

Its good you bought up Japanese culture. you know they have a high voluntary celibacy rate? Look at the drug abilify its known to raise sex drive and it was made in Japan.

Also watch the movie analyse this, ignore the mafia stuff its irrelevant but you see a calm Jewish psychiatrist whos trying to tame an Italian or should I say Sicilian, it also highlights the culture Italians have of not seeing psychiatrists. If anyone is wondering why we have that culture its for a couple of reasons:

1) Italian family doctors expect crazy behaviour(Cluster A and B behaviour) from Italians so they dont interpret a risk.
2) Sometimes there are usually more personality disordered people in a family than not, personality disorders as they are finding out is highly genetic. Most people also meet a DSM criteria so when most of a family is crazy its usually seen as the norm or that normal people are merely hiding their insanity. Theres a lot of psychological projection in my family, rather than the normal ":o arnt you ashamed I think you need help" response its "your crazy" but its said about everyone.

Watch scarface and see the scene where Tony Montana says "you are just good at hiding". Its a good moral lesson, hes histrionic and most the other people are the narcissists.

SBBro wrote:And my psychiatrist and previous psychologist interpret that as histrionia and mania.

Do you live on Italy?

Nope Australia, strong British culture of proper behaviour that contrasts with how Italians naturally are, I tried my best to fit in but it only caused me anxiety. Now that I am on zoloft I have snapped out of things and act more naturally rather than trying to fit in. I am not anti psych at all but this subforum has some interesting conversations.