Mental health system?

[Corpsey]

Originally Posted by Alan

I was constantly taken to numerous psychologists and psychiatrist as a child. Not because of any real mental issues, mind you. My parents are overall awesome, but the one thing I can't forgive about my upbringing is I was one of the ritalin kids, forced to take a medicine because if I was hard to handle, it MUST be because I had ADD, not because kids are naturally hyperactive and defiant.

Very similar to my childhood, 'xcept some clever Berk decided I must have Asbergers because I enjoyed birds too much and this idea was forced upon me without end.

I presume you went off the Meds at some point and got more creative/energetic/happier etc?

I didn't have any overly bad experiences, but I do remember being physically examined and being questioned about how excessive my knowledge of Birds were every weekend got to be a nuisance.

MissCheynne, who was this guy that was dreadful to you, so I know whom to avoid in the future?

[MissCheyenne]

^ That would be one Dr. R. Sylvester.

[Mr.Doobie]

Originally Posted by MissCheyenne

Don't get me wrong, I've had some brilliant therapists as well as some awful ones. The real stand out one was one I had called Mike. He was brilliant in every way. Took me seriously, didn't talk down to me, really had time for me (even outside his normal office hours if I really needed him) but unfortunately, I got too old for the services he provided (he worked with teenagers, and as always happens, I became an adult).

That is so weird, my best therapist also happened to be named Mike.

Very similar to my childhood, 'xcept some clever Berk decided I must have Asbergers because I enjoyed birds too much and this idea was forced upon me without end.

I presume you went off the Meds at some point and got more creative/energetic/happier etc?

I was also misdiagnosed with aspergers.

Everyone always says the moment they were taken off the meds they got more creative, more energetic, happier, etc, and, even though I was taking medication I didn't need, I don't think I ever had bad symptoms. Or, at least, I can't find a concrete correlation between my general unhappiness and lack of creativity and my medication. All the negativity began around the time I was taking the meds, yes, but it persisted for years after I just stopped taking them. Like I've said above, 11th grade was about the time I started to become happier. It was also around that time that I started dating the girl who inspired me to become creative again.

[BlacKat]

Oh yeah, you can add me to the overmuch Ritalin club too. The only real problem I had was that I was bored in school and couldn't see the point of doing a bunch of exercises on things I already knew. Ended up on three years of ever-increasing doses of Ritalin that ended when I finally expressed suicidal thoughts (I was 8 at the time).

Beyond that though, I was lucky enough that most of my bad experiences were when I was over 18, and smart enough to tell certain people what they wanted to hear and then go right on dealing with things as I saw fit.

[Ben Lahnger]

I grew up in a time when no one knew what ADHD was. My teachers just kept saying things like, "He's very bright, but he just doesn't apply himself." My parents thought that only weak people got counseling or saw psychiatrists. And I learned that lesson so well that I believed it for many years into my adulthood.

So I've not had any bad experiences with seeing a psychiatrist ... all 4 of the ones I've employed have been pretty good. On the other hand, I've had some pretty lousy experiences with NOT seeing a psychiatrist, if you know what I mean.

[Grausamkeit]

Originally Posted by Ben Lahnger

I grew up in a time when no one knew what ADHD was. My teachers just kept saying things like, "He's very bright, but he just doesn't apply himself." My parents thought that only weak people got counseling or saw psychiatrists. And I learned that lesson so well that I believed it for many years into my adulthood.

So I've not had any bad experiences with seeing a psychiatrist ... all 4 of the ones I've employed have been pretty good. On the other hand, I've had some pretty lousy experiences with NOT seeing a psychiatrist, if you know what I mean.

*HUGZ* Ben

I know exactly what you mean, hun.

[BlacKat]

Originally Posted by Ben Lahnger

I grew up in a time when no one knew what ADHD was. My teachers just kept saying things like, "He's very bright, but he just doesn't apply himself." My parents thought that only weak people got counseling or saw psychiatrists. And I learned that lesson so well that I believed it for many years into my adulthood.

So I've not had any bad experiences with seeing a psychiatrist ... all 4 of the ones I've employed have been pretty good. On the other hand, I've had some pretty lousy experiences with NOT seeing a psychiatrist, if you know what I mean.

I think that's what made my later experiences actually horrible rather than merely irritating - the fact that I legitimately did need to be seeing someone, and kept getting stuck with these morons instead.

[Angelic Dissonance2]

@Grausamkeit: I seem to remember that you listed your favorite band as Type O Negative...?

I've never really seen a therapist. I've talked to school psychologists once or twice, but between my mom's attitude of 'shut up and be glad there's nothing wrong with you' and my 'I'm smart enough to hide anything I know for a fact you(Public Education staff and board members, in cooperation with Government officials)'re going to use to label me as a problem', I managed to avoid any commitment to it.

It's obviously the same as it is with certain teachers and/or professors: "I need to share my opinions and beliefs with as many people as possible--I'll start with the vulnearable". It's just a bit of rebellious attitude that causes them to pick and choose out of the textbooks.

I'm still shocked that they allow teachers to get jobs without training in staright-up logic. Many teachers aren't much brighter than their students, form what I've encountered. Now, that's not all of them--but a few is a few too many.

People need to learn to put their egos aside, when it means the well-being of another is in the balance.

--Now P.S.--

I'm not ranting here, but while I'm at it, WHY AREN'T THEY REQUIRED TO TAKE OATHS, LIKE MEDICAL DOCTORS?????

[Ben Lahnger]

Originally Posted by Angelic Dissonance2

I'm not ranting here, but while I'm at it, WHY AREN'T THEY REQUIRED TO TAKE OATHS, LIKE MEDICAL DOCTORS?????

That's a very fair point, although to be perfectly honest, swearing an oath hasn't kept bad doctors from behaving badly. And I'm not of a mind that there are many out there who think, "Well, what kind of damage can I do to fuck up this patient ... oh, wait! I swore an oath. Well, that kills that then."

[Angelic Dissonance2]

Ha ha, I still have flashbacks to that guy who cauterized the 'UK' logo onto that woman's uterus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUFcnGWuxQw

Unrelated somewhat, I know. But it does illustrate that element of... what do we call it--''creative liberty"(?) in practice.

[Grausamkeit]

Originally Posted by Angelic Dissonance2

@Grausamkeit: I seem to remember that you listed your favorite band as Type O Negative...?

Queen, actually. Above all else is Queen. TON are in the top five of my favorites list, though(RIP Pedah).

[Murder.Of.Crows]

Well there was a rational reason for the uterus burning. It wasn't the same as a doctor performing ill practice.

[Angelic Dissonance2]

That's true^--if it's malpractice you want, doctors tried their damnedest to tie my dad's girlfreind's tubes. She had previously expressed, in a clear manner, that the answer was NO... and yet, when she went under, they attempted it anyway. My dad stopped them.

[BlacKat]

The most dangerous person is the one who is absolutely convinced he is acting in your best interest...