I am sorry you have knowledge of an unfortunate incident - but you are describing a psychiatrist - which is not my argument as I was discussing the work of psychologists who are not medical doctors and do not have license to prescribe medication - unless under the auspices of a licensed MD.
Many cases go awry in both psychiatric and psychology practice - it is the nature of the business - many people are not "fixed or cured" because by the time a person arrives for help (or pushed into it), they have many years of deblitating life experiences which have driven them to seek help, or unfortunately have inherited mental illness which needs immediate attention.
There are bad seeds in every profession Carry - and what I am only trying to accomplish here is: If a loved one suffers from debilitating depression for example, who drops out on schooling at any level, or a good job, or loses the ability to care for family and has no interest in living, tries to self medicate with booze or drugs, or self mutilate, or stops eating, what would you do? We have all witnessed at least one person like this who seems to lack any content with the world and shuts down, finding no joy in life whatsoever. You can....
...hope for the best that loved one will "snap out of it" or at least try being pro-active and getting the right help for him/her. Finding the right professional is the job of the healthy members of the family - word of mouth - research reputation - whatever.
Or the "mental problem" can be ignored as some families do who carry the stigma of mental disease being up there with leprosy, and the victim who is impaired will continue to get worse (or in some cases improve on his or her own - which is possible in some cases within a very loving and astute family)...
We have to weigh our options in our world and sitting back complaining about bad apples doesn't improve anything except sound "worldly" - which it is not - but is merely spreading misinformation and gossip.
You have completely dismissed all those professionals who work huge hours and give much devotion to their goal of bringing the impaired back into the world with hope and energy and enthusiasm for life once again.
What we can do is find the charlatans, give their reputation a good airing in public and run them out, leaving room for the sincere practitioners, from whom we expect professional work and dedication.
Your assessment is not wrong Carry - but it cuts too wide a swath over some very good people who are not as you describe.
It was multiple incidents (at least six).
- but you are describing a psychiatrist - which is not my argument as I was discussing the work of psychologists who are not medical doctors and do not have license to prescribe medication - unless under the auspices of a licensed MD.
Interesting how you latched onto a the one psychiatrist involved as if he was the only problem when I had made it obvious that there were others involved. Your reading suggests serious denial. Best you get help with that.
I know that psychiatrists and psychologists are different, but they are both mental health practitioners and both operate under the same set of economic principles, which in your wordy, gushing post, you never once addressed.
You use a lot of words. Words take time. Time is money.
If a loved one suffers from debilitating depression for example, who drops out on schooling at any level, or a good job, or loses the ability to care for family and has no interest in living, tries to self medicate with booze or drugs, or self mutilate, or stops eating, what would you do?
Prevent it by how I live on an everday basis.
You talk about mental illness as if it is something that just "happens" to a person, not a result of their choices and behavior that they can change. Barring viral attack on the brain, exposure to toxins, etc., I do not accept that. Buying into a "disability" where it is not physical, is certainly not a good start if you want a successful outcome.
The most habitual drunk directs the most complex manipulating instrument in creation (the human body), to open the bottle and drink the contents. To assume that they have no control because of "illness" is to rob them of their power before therapy starts. That such an assumption is rampant in the psychological profession is symptomatic of the economic motives involved.
You have completely dismissed all those professionals who work huge hours and give much devotion to their goal of bringing the impaired back into the world with hope and energy and enthusiasm for life once again.
No, I have pointed out the structural economic motives under which they operate. I have clarified that point for you. You chose to ignore that. I have stated in no uncertain terms that, whether or not there are successful and ethical mental health practitioners, the profession has cultural problems that it ignores because they are profitable. I don't care how hard they work. In fact, working hard at it doesn't assure anything but a fatter paycheck. What matters is if they get results. I not only haven't seen effective results from this profession, what I have seen, repeatedly, is a co-dependency between therapist and "patient" that serves the financial and personal interests of the therapist if nothing else.
"Feeling" like you are helping is not solving problems. How many therapists can guarantee successful treatment for a flat fee?