Categories: Health

10 Most Common Anti-Psychiatry Myths and The Truth

Perhaps, your previous experience with a psychiatrist was not a good one, and now you have come to the conclusion that they are not any good for someone like you, or you’ve even become anti-psychiatrist. This article from BetterHelp has great information on how being anti-psychiatrist may actually do more harm than good. Although you may have had some painful experiences in the past, it is harmful to avoid a psychiatrist altogether. You must understand that you are not doing yourself much help by ignoring issues you may have. Here are some of the reasons why you need to rethink psychiatry and psychiatrists.

1 Only crazy people visit psychiatrists

People who receive treatments from psychiatrists aren’t necessarily crazy. Instead, they have a mental disorder, and that is what prompts a visit to the psychiatrist. Several chemical imbalances inside their brain are what is responsible for this state of mind.

It is not that they have gone insane. Funny enough, you can still see a psychiatrist without waiting until you have a mental disorder first. There are a couple of things you stand to benefit from seeing them. Talking to someone about how you feel can go a long way in healing your heart.

2 Psychiatrists are disciples of pills

Psychiatrists do not just wake up and prescribe drugs for you. They only do that when they realize the drug is going to be of help to you. Interestingly, psychiatric treatments do not involve any pills in most cases. You can start feeling a lot better just by speaking with your psychiatrist. Anyways, you don’t have to bother yourself about this if you are seeing a reliable psychiatrist. They are not pilling pushers as many people often think. Real psychiatrists like to focus on how they can have you talked to, not how to give you medicines unnecessarily.

3 My doctor is up to the task

No one is saying your regular doctor is not good enough, but they are not skilled or equipped to manage mental health problems. You must know the difference. They are not trained to handle such situations. So even if they want to, it is not permitted because they lack the training. Whenever doctors suspect someone having mental disorders, they are expected to refer the person to a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are the ones with the expertise and experience to handle such cases. These professionals help you see your thoughts and feelings and guide you in that aspect. A regular doctor is just concerned about your wellbeing.

4 A session is nothing but laying down and talking

Although this misinformation is one that is widespread among people, you deserve to be told the truth. When discussing with a psychiatrist, they like you to stay in any position you feel most comfortable. And for the record, they are not only concerned about your childhood stories. The discussion will be more than your childhood; it will comprise every aspect of your life, as that will help them ascertain how you are generally faring. They might ask you about your childhood. But don’t think of it as if that is the only thing they do.

5 They may label me as being weak when I visit a psychiatrist

Everyone is always entitled to their opinion. When people visit a psychiatrist, they do so because they want certain things in their lives to be taken care of in the most professional manner. It would help if you were not afraid of what people are going to say or not say. Remember, you don’t have to decide your life on the opinion of others. With expert psychiatric help, you will understand your feelings, emotions, and thoughts better.

6 Brave people don’t ask for help

You are not weak when you ask for help. Many people had cut their lives short because they heeded the wrong advice of others not to seek help when they needed it. You should see yourself as being healthy and wiser when you seek help. It’s about getting better and living your everyday life again. This lifestyle change is not going to be an easy one. It takes people who are focused and committed to seeing such changes.

7 Psychiatric meds will change me

If there is going to be any need for you to take the psychiatric med, the goal is to make you better. But in most cases, you won’t even need those. The objective of giving those meds, if necessary, is to make you become normal. Most people don’t engage in any meds all through their therapy. You should also bear in mind that psychiatric meds are meant to make you respond to situations the right way, ultimately making you into the person of your dreams.

8 There is nothing to talk about for 60mins

If you visit a psychiatrist, there will be plenty of talking points because they want to help you solve that problem. They would like to hear you talk about different parts of your life, particularly those things that are giving you trouble. You would have a lot of things to share that you would not realize time passing by. It’s an open platform where you could tell your host just about anything. And you are going to find the sessions interesting too.

9 I had a great childhood

You had a great childhood may not necessarily translate to not having any mental disorder. Many things can be responsible for mental disorders. Some of them can be before you were given birth to, while others can happen much later in your life. It would be best if you didn’t have a mental disorder before you can speak with a psychiatrist. You stand to gain a lot when you open up and tell someone about how you feel. Conversations like that help to get rid of anything that may be bothering you. It is a simple secret that has worked for psychiatrists every time they used it, so yours will not be different.

10 I’m avoiding being seen in the office of a psychiatrist

It’s okay to have that feeling. That is why the offices of most psychiatrists are not in open places. But if you are still not comfortable with that, you can see them online. That way, no one would ever see you. These sessions are not different from when you are seeing the psychiatrist physically. This would happen in the comfort of your home. A very similar approach to what BetterHelp is offering their clients.