[__ Prayer __] the downward trajectory of "mental patients"

[Christ_empowered]

I used to post a lot on a board for people with various mental problems, ranging from ADD/ADHD all the way up to "treatment resistant schizophrenia." Now that I've gotten saved...

...I'm kind of scared. Not just of the board, but of the fact that this is just a sample of people, with a variety of issues, all of whom are labeled and put on at least 1 medication, and...it seems to go more or less nowhere, fast. Actually...scratch that...for a lot of people, psychiatry, in particular, seems to lead to a downward spiral, or at least facilitate a downward trajectory. Not that secular talking mental health (counseling, therapy, etc.) is much better, but...you know...psychiatrists can label you, drug you, hospitalize you, in some cases (like mine, lol), shock you, and...that's it, basically. Welcome to your life as a mental patient.

The story isn't as simple as evil doc and innocent patient. I certainly wasn't sinless when I wandered into a shrink's office, just naive and troubled. I've since gotten saved and grown up a lot, so I'm disillusioned and much, much less troubled. I do see a shrink myself, actually. I'm blessed that its community/public mental health and that my now upper class people are behind me. It costs $$$ to hospitalize people and keep them on forced outpatient treatment, and I have an attorney now, anyway, so they pretty much leave me alone. They have more rules in public health about what can and cannot be prescribed, but...they create their fair share of zombies and victims, too. I've seen them in the waiting room.

I dunno. I don't get along with psychiatrists. Its strange...we operate on different "wave lengths," now that I'm a Christian. I mean, I take my meds, that's cool, but I don't want to see my shrink very often and I get the sense that he doesn't much care to see me any more often than necessary.

I'm not really "anti-psychiatry." I'm...I dunno...post-psychiatry? LOL. I see the damage done and how psychiatry really only helps when it stops trying to make mental distress into a medical issue, which is to say...when psychiatrists stop acting like psychiatrists, basically. Of course, counselor and therapists can just as easily lead people into godless behavior and such. They're too worldly, most of them, and a lot of them who claim Christ believe in a watered down Jesus...Jesus+(insert trendy psychobabble here).

Blah blah blah. I'm rambling. Its just like...these mental health pros, the people who are supposed to be helping and all that, really seem more interested in labeling and making dire prognoses. Its almost like they put a hex on you, especially if you're ever hospitalized. Makes sense...the whole idea of mental health rests on the assumption that only pros can handle "serious problems." Disempowering both people they deal with--patients--and people in general from tackling life problems gives them more power and lines their pockets. Truth is...

...counselors and therapists make a a good bit of money, relatively speaking...for talking. And some of their ideas and talk are quite destructive, trust me. Shrinks don't do stuff other docs do--they don't do their own labs, weigh you, do blood pressure, etc.--and they treat "diseases" that exist in the DSM but don't show up on brain scans or blood work (no brain scan for bipolar, no blood test for schizophrenia). They tend to prescribe the latest and greatest meds for...anything, everything. Unless you're poor. Then they want you on Thorazine for...everything, anything.

Blah blah blah. I'm still rambling. Just...pray for all the "mental patients" out there, and those professionals who "treat" them/us.

 

[AirDancer]

Prayers continue for all who are in need, as well as the professionals who provide care.

There's so much that isn't known when it comes to the realm of mental health. Back in the 70s, it was estimated that 10 percent of the adult population suffered from one form or another of mental health issues. Isn't it estimated now at 25 percent of the entire population?

Unfortunately, enough research isn't done prior to 'labeling' someone as having a mental health issue. For example, many children who are deemed ADHD/ADD actually have food allergies. When my youngest was in elementary school, one of the teachers was working with some of the parents whose kids were ADHD/ADD .... the parents altered their diets to eliminate certain foods; their children's ADHD/ADD slowly faded. At the end of that first year of trying, many of those children were no longer on meds, nor did their doctors notate in the records that the children had any learning disabilities.

I wonder how much allergies - food or otherwise - play a role in the mental health issues?

 

[Angel]

"They're too worldly, most of them, and a lot of them who claim Christ believe in a watered down Jesus...Jesus+(insert trendy psychobabble here).

I agree that Counselors are too secular. They're into New Age stuff.

."pray for all the "mental patients" out there, and those professionals who "treat" them/us. "

I will.