Inside the mind of a psychiatrist – Page 136

Are psychiatrists simply highly educated bartenders or hairdressers, where for insurance subsidized fees people can safely pour out their hearts and get sympathetic nods and sage words of advice?

Hang in their Buddy, life’s tough, but you’ll make it.

Yeah, your husband’s a real jerk; you deserve better.

Plus, as an added bonus, the shrink will toss in a dozen tranquilizers or sleeping pills…

The answer is not complicated. It’s NO!

Most people who use the “paid friend” analogy are either ignorant of what psychiatrists do or are very defensive and fearful of what issues are lurking within themselves.

The symptoms of depression, such as sadness, loss of energy, negativity, and sleep disturbances, just to name a few, can be transient, chronic, mild or severe. There are numerous types of depression — Dysthymia, Major Depression, Bipolar Disorders, postpartum depression, cyclothymic disorder, psychotic and non-psychotic types, suicidal, non-suicidal, substance abuse induced depression, depression associated with medical disorders etc. etc. Each type and each individual requires a different form of treatment.

It’s true that Louie the bartender can try and cheer you up with a free drink (although alcohol makes depression worse). Jacques the hairdresser can flatter you with a new look and distract you from the negative feelings that are so haunting that sometimes life feels unbearable. But, it’s often only a psychiatrist or other mental health professional that can make a clear diagnosis and recommend a form of treatment that will address the underlying problem and personalize the treatment depending on each person’s needs.

Imagine the relief of finally knowing what you’re suffering from and getting the appropriate help.

On second thought, I think I’m being a little too rigid. Getting a new haircut is definitely not off the table… Maybe after treatment is successful, you’ll look in the mirror and decide you need to look more positive, or wild, or unique and give Jacques a call. Fine! See Jacques whenever you want. He is very charming, and it feels especially good to get your hair washed and your scalp massaged…

When was the last time you were actually free? You know, filled with passion and wildness, the guy with long hair and a headband and the gal in a tie-dyed dress swaying in unison to the Grateful Dead.

Back “in the day”, there was no dream too big or “mountain too high”. March on Washington to stop the war in Viet Nam. Stop racial bigotry! Burn your bra and announce to the world that women have arrived!

Then BOOM, you’re an adult. Career success means putting in 12 hour days. Child rearing entails devoting hundreds of hours to soccer and carpools, and strategizing about college. It’s understandable. They need you and their dream for the future has become your dream.

But what happened to YOUR personal dream? Did you achieve it? Is there time left for a new one? Is life just paying the bills and fantasizing about retiring and watching your kids live their lives? Maybe they’ll march on Washington to stop the disgrace and abuse of our financial institutions; or stop the importing of Middle East oil; or stop Iran before it puts its nuclear ICBM into action? Maybe we can help?

The “establishment” is rigid and usually uncreative (Look at our government). Because we’re old enough to be in the “establishment”, doesn’t mean we have to play by their rigid rules. Bill Maher broke the rule with the movie Religulous, showing the fallacy of all forms of organized religion. John Stewart breaks the rules every evening on The Daily Show.

What rules can we break and move our world forward? Our brains never have to stop evolving. Being a follower without really understanding what we’re following is stupid and unproductive. Cross whatever line needs crossing and break whatever rule needs breaking. We need to replenish the gap that Steve Jobs left. Who says it can’t be one of us?