Psychiatric Treatment is a Sham

Medication and certainly hospitalization and confinement should be absolutely last resorts that are rarely used.

What are called disorders are usually symptoms of larger societal problems rather than actual diseases. But acknowledging that is bad for business.

well, i have my own gripes with the system. i have fallen through the cracks and only found the reasons to my problematic behavious once i'd truly lost all that i valued in life.

i have little positive to say about psychiatric 'experts' (or other health specialists) and the way they fail to nip things in the bud.
over a nine year period of an eating disorder/depression, i submitted myself into a specialist unit at a point of a maddening crisis. i was told i was not 'severe' enough to gain anything but outpatient status, i wanted inpatient status for a short time, until i could regain self-control. (this was a private hospital too). by the nature of my personality (disorder as it eventually turned out), i decided that since they weren't willing to give me what i desperately felt i needed at the time, i would simply carry on alone, so i went away after just a single interview with an eating disorder specialist. once again, it was me, myself and i. the nature of personality disorders is by definition in ability to see the wood from the trees, and yet i was never even told i might possibly have a condition beyond the single eating disorder which was nothing more than a manifestation of something deeper which i needed to be made aware of.

two hours in the interview chair and all i got was, 'yes, you have an eating disorder.' thanks sherlock. like i said, mental illness means there is a huge blind spot, which the specialist didn't even begin to clear away for me.
i went away no different to how i'd arrived.

I can't tell you how many times i went to the general practitioners with complaints and ailments over the years, no one pointed me to any reality beyond that which i already knew. my first visit was to a nutritionist eight months into me first developing my eating disorder. that was nine years ago. again, useless in identifying an underlying destructive personality pattern.

three years from that visit to the last specialist and my life went down the drain, irredeemably. i started researching on the internet, learnt about cluster b's. BPD and HPD and knew i'd hit the nail on the head, no thanks to any so-called expert. too little too late. i am now suicidal for the first time in my life. i never used to be. yes, falling through the cracks indeed.

I agree with the original poster. I too have faked being better just to stay out of the hospital. I don't take my meds, if my psych dr. knew that, he'd lock me up for sure. But I can't. They make me a ZOMBIE. I can't wake up, and if I can't wake up I can't function. I have college and work. I have to be able to function, so I quit the meds after a few months. I agree, where is the testing to determine brain chemical levels? Who says these drugs aren't doing more harm that good? And who knows how many people are faking being okay?

As I said before, I'm not entirely AGAINST psychiatry, I just think it desperately needs some work.

oh_that_guy wrote:In every system set up, there will always be a lesser percentage of those who fall through the cracks. I've witnessed forced medicating, and the "encouraged" medicating was to be locked in a padded room until you decided to submit, not be discharged instead. There's always pros and cons, and yes they have a reason for everything they do, but the ends do not always justify the means.

And when the only drugs they have for your "condition" is poisonous, it's very easy to say "not fair" when it's injected against your will, or you are forced to submit to it. But you would know that if you were given them. I also don't see how taking meds for the rest of your life is a cure either.

Yes, as long as you make sure not to end up in there, you will not have to be exposed to any of it. I highly doubt the system will change anytime soon, just ensure you don't have your hand in it. Advocating? Lobbying? Yea, right.

Yup, yup and yup! If you went in against your will, either you took your meds or you were "not in compliance" and God forbid you try to speak your peace they would just up the dosage till you were in zombie land and if you refused they would lock you in the rubber room till you did submit. I finally yelled so loud and told them to quit treating me like i was crazy and listen to me, and a few other finely chosen words. lmfao It twas fun. . .but in the end they actually took the time to somewhat "listen" to the patients realizing my actual website, "they thought I was making up in my head" was real. I know they felt kind of stupid by the time I left, especially after beating them in court for all of their false allegations that got me there in the first place. (I think psychiatrists need to take a step back and learn how to listen again) cause they are doing more damage than not in a lot of instances.

I wonder how the other patience who had to listen to such outburst feel. People are in those places because their nerves had reach a critical state. The last thing they need is some person having a Temper tantrum.
Way to go, you got your own way.
One

onebravegirl wrote:I wonder how the other patience who had to listen to such outburst feel. People are in those places because their nerves had reach a critical state. The last thing they need is some person having a Temper tantrum.
Way to go, you got your own way.
One

Actually everyone was shut up everytime they tried to talk, so everyone got their way. . .listening is a gift that many don't have anymore and being thrown a pill because you want to talk is NOT PRODUCTIVE TO HELPING THE REAL ISSUES, and yeah I am proud of myself, cause the doctors ended up listening rather than shutting everyone up so they could play online games. Oh but that's right, you probably don't want to be heard or acknowledged huh?

4gotten, If you were some sort of hero for the Psych ward good for you. But if you are someone who creates drama to get attention, then you garner no respect from me. A hospital is for containment of people who are not in control of themselves. Calm down and act reasonably and then you get treated like an adult. You seem to want to focus on your Pride and not that the Staff did in fact listen to you. They can only work with what you are willing to offer.
One

It's not about being a hero or pride, it's about changing the way psychiatry treats and views the patients. We are each individuals and when you get in those settings you lose your individuality. . .and that's usually what gets us thrown into the place(counterproductive). . .and legal drugs vs street drugs is another form of control. I thought that's what this particular post was about. . .kicking booty on the way things are done and the help vs damage that is given.

Don't mind me, I-- like everyone-- likes to be heard, but at the same time i am the last one that wants people to cling or look up to me. . .so the pride thing is not at all the deal.

4gotten, you are right. Everyone wants to be heard, understood and accepted. This thread is touchy at times. Some treatments and Hospitals are very successful and some are Not. I get concerned when we have story after story that say how horrible the hospitals are. If someone reads them and doesn't go because of what happened to others, it may not be the same case for them .They may be missing out on real help but are too afraid to go.
I guess what really should happen is a Thread about success stories in Hospitals. That way people could hear both spectrum's.
I now understand where you are coming from. I hate that there are places like you described. I am so sorry that you went through what you did. But you did make it out. I hope you see that as a sign that you are stronger than you might have thought. Forgive me if that sounds hokey, I always try and look on the bright side.
I admire your tenacity.
With Hope,
One

bravegirl, you are very lucky an you no it, you had a good doc who watched over your treatment in the mental hospital an had the best treatment because of her input. I faked to get out as my unit was $#%^ to be honest, some posters have every right to be mad at the way there treatment or lack of it, when some dont. But you carnt argue about being medicated , jesus you carnt go in hospital an not be on medication or it would be like , people flipping out all over the place, they often get the meds wrong but most is trial an error anyway. The only way to see what works is to try it.Lots think there going in to be sedated an have a loverly rest an 2 weeks later walk out cured. They get a culture shock straight away, there not the coolist of place to be , but you can, an do if you want make good friends,the best people in the mental ward are the patients.If your really ill, you may not no it yourself thats why your sectioned , its the only place you can be unless you want to go to prison ,so you try an make the best of it , some times its a kick up the arse people need.