I've been diagnosed as bi-polar, along with panic attacks and agoraphobia. What if I'm not the one who is mad, but those who made the diagnosis are mad? Who decided these rules? I've had psychiatrists who are crazier than I am--one who blew his brains out. I've had therapists who even look crazier than I do. So who decides who is crazy and who isn't?
2007-03-02 16:14:09 · 10 answers · asked by honest_funny_charlie 3 in Health ➔ Mental Health
It is pretty much a given that most Psychiatrists are as crazy or nuttier than their patients.
You rant is a symptom of your problems, however, a crazy person never thinks they are crazy but everyone else is to them.
2007-03-02 16:22:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Those diagnoses do NOT in ANY way mean you are crazy. They are chemical conditions and are not a sign of mental deficiencies. Anyone who think you're crazy isn't very smart. There are wonderful and effective treatments for these conditions now and many things you can do to help. Watching what you eat is important too as there are some foods and additives it's best to avoid. There are also some programs that help you deal wih agoraphobia/panic attacks - it CAN be overcome. My Mom and sister had them so I know firsthand. It can be related to hormone levels too. Do some research on it. You'll be able to confirm the diagnosis yourself if you're unsure.
2007-03-03 00:26:39 · answer #2 · answered by MissWong 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The criteria for mental illness are determined by the American Psychiatric Association, if you live in the USA, and main resource book is called Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) , which has been around since about 1954, and is upated about every ten years, the current edition is DSM-IV.
I have worked in mental health for 20 years, I've been around some wonderful psychiatrists and some really goofy ones. My cousin was a psychiatrist who killed himself. It's just my opinion, but I tend to think the goofiest ones are the psychologists and therapists, or at least that has been my experience. They don't have to study as hard or as long to get their degrees as psychiatrists do. Psychiatrists can prescribe drugs and admit people to hospitals, psychologists and therapists don't have that authority. If somebody is really seriously mentally, he or she has less chance of making it in medical school; but it does happen sometimes if they are able to control the symptoms well enough.
I have heard that a lot of people get interested in studying mental health careers because of their own issues or issues with someone in their families. It seems to be true with a lot of people I know. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing; if the doctor or therapist has actually experienced mental illness; they will have a better understanding of the a patient's experience.
2007-03-03 00:55:46 · answer #3 · answered by majnun99 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bullshit - I am crazy, and I know I'm crazy (so wrong to the other person who responded). yes, the people that created the DSM-IV which is where the criteria comes from to diagnose you,. were most likely crazy. Hey, it happens. I am a practicing psych and look at me - this is episodic but it happens. I have bipolar, OCD, self injury, ADD -- just about all of them have been thrown at me. I studied them to find out what was wrong with me. Now I run labeling the rest of the world so that I can feel better - woohoo!! Oh yeah, have another drink, but please don't drink or smoke (it's bad for you)....
2007-03-03 00:32:40 · answer #4 · answered by jennainhiding 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
honestly this quesiton that u asked makes me think u have some paranoia issues ask your doctor about schizoaffective disorder....i work with psychiatric patients and let me tell you is u go inside a doctors office talking like that they will immediately think you paranoid because thas how you sound. bipolar disorder is very hard to deal with alot of people don't take it seriously i think you should reflect on our illness and try to stop thinking so much about other people and how they are....and fyi: there's kind of like a checklist that therapist go by and if you demonstrate certain characteristics then they have to put u on some type of medication so you can live a normal life without having racing thoughts or even thoughts of paranoia...good luck
2007-03-03 00:37:54 · answer #5 · answered by miss t 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You decide. As long as you can function within the laws of society and pay the rent, who gives a damn what people think and what labels they give you?
To add to your point, I've talked to shrinks a couple of times, too. One of them insulted my fiancee and pretty much read everything off a notepad. The other one was twitching and wearing mismatched socks. I was sitting there looking at that guy, thinking 'WTF is going on here? Is this some kind of a test?'
So yeah, therapists are just people. Unless you're dangerous, their opinions have as much weight as you choose to give them.
2007-03-03 00:30:39 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
What do you do when the ilness your patients have prevent them from accepting that illness and start saying that they are the ones with the problems. What you have to do is talk to other people out there who are not doctors and have not been dianosed with a mental illness and see if you are like them or if you are closer to People who have bee diagnosed similarly to you.
2007-03-03 00:28:27 · answer #7 · answered by Bluebird 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're not mad. You've been "bamboozled" for lack of a better word. You need to stop talking to the people you trust, and start trusting you instincts. It's not easy, you will have many set backs. But don't give up. Believe in yourself.
2007-03-03 00:35:49 · answer #8 · answered by Remedy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The crazy ones decide what is normal There is no truth out there.
2007-03-03 00:47:32 · answer #9 · answered by Dweet 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its a 50-50 gamble if you buy into there story, Thats why I like to see to docs to see if there on the same page!
2007-03-03 00:41:43 · answer #10 · answered by michael m 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋