Mental health

[Simon_Peter]

Hello Everyone,

I don't know if anyone here knows about mental health. Such as 'how it feels' or 'what it is', or 'how its treated'. However this is what my psychologist told me about psychiatric treatment, delusion is a fixed and false belief, most delusions are pathological, as a result of an illness. Therefore some delusions can be treated. However many people have delusions so having them is not a factor to warrant hosptilization. The reason why people are treated for a mental health condition, is simply because an illness is makes someone act differently to their culture, sometimes these people can become dangerous. So the reason why people are treated, because they are classed in 'danger'. They may not have committed a crime, they may not of been acting dangerously but if they pose a risk to either other people or themselves. Such as irrationally spending all their money, or at risk of suicide, or dangerous behavior, such as walking on train tracks. This warrants being treated by professional people.

However, this person might not, have been acting strangely, they may not, have suicidal thoughts. But if they are deemed at 'risk', then they are hosptilized. There are characteristic signs that a person will commit crime, suicide or have tendencies toward dangerous behavior. These signs are called symptoms. Such as poor concentration. Feeling unusually “high” and optimistic OR extremely irritable. Unrealistic, grandiose beliefs about one’s abilities or powers. Sleeping very little, but feeling extremely energetic, Talking so rapidly that others can’t keep up. Racing thoughts, jumping quickly from one idea to the next. Highly distractible, unable to concentrate. Impaired judgment and impulsiveness. Acting recklessly.

Here is my question:

I am not educated in psychiatry. However i have experienced the treatment, and i did not like it. I was medicated with powerful sleeping tablets, I lost control of my facial muscles. Therefore i said i did not want to take any more. After a few weeks they began injecting me, because i refused to take any tablets. I was also on anti-psychotropic medication, which slowed my brain function down. I felt trapped inside my body, and couldn't escape as i was to tired. After six months of this, they reduced my medication. And the amount of medication i am taking now is perfect for me.

However is this right to take away someones freedom, but also is it right not to be allowed to say i don't want this treatment ?

As i say, i showed signs of these symptoms, therefore i was deemed at risk. But i didn't actually do anything wrong. Other than crying out loud for Jesus to save me. And the doctors thought i was delusion and obviously i was displaying symptoms.

Regards
Simon

[Goat]

Hello Everyone,

I don't know if anyone here knows about mental health. Such as 'how it feels' or 'what it is', or 'how its treated'. However this is what my psychologist told me about psychiatric treatment, delusion is a fixed and false belief, most delusions are pathological, as a result of an illness. Therefore some delusions can be treated. However many people have delusions so having them is not a factor to warrant hosptilization. The reason why people are treated for a mental health condition, is simply because an illness is makes someone act differently to their culture, sometimes these people can become dangerous. So the reason why people are treated, because they are classed in 'danger'. They may not have committed a crime, they may not of been acting dangerously but if they pose a risk to either other people or themselves. Such as irrationally spending all their money, or at risk of suicide, or dangerous behavior, such as walking on train tracks. This warrants being treated by professional people.

However, this person might not, have been acting strangely, they may not, have suicidal thoughts. But if they are deemed at 'risk', then they are hosptilized. There are characteristic signs that a person will commit crime, suicide or have tendencies toward dangerous behavior. These signs are called symptoms. Such as poor concentration. Feeling unusually “high” and optimistic OR extremely irritable. Unrealistic, grandiose beliefs about one’s abilities or powers. Sleeping very little, but feeling extremely energetic, Talking so rapidly that others can’t keep up. Racing thoughts, jumping quickly from one idea to the next. Highly distractible, unable to concentrate. Impaired judgment and impulsiveness. Acting recklessly.

Here is my question:

I am not educated in psychiatry. However i have experienced the treatment, and i did not like it. I was medicated with powerful sleeping tablets, I lost control of my facial muscles. Therefore i said i did not want to take any more. After a few weeks they began injecting me, because i refused to take any tablets. I was also on anti-psychotropic medication, which slowed my brain function down. I felt trapped inside my body, and couldn't escape as i was to tired. After six months of this, they reduced my medication. And the amount of medication i am taking now is perfect for me.

However is this right to take away someones freedom, but also is it right not to be allowed to say i don't want this treatment ?

As i say, i showed signs of these symptoms, therefore i was deemed at risk. But i didn't actually do anything wrong. Other than crying out loud for Jesus to save me. And the doctors thought i was delusion and obviously i was displaying symptoms.

Regards
Simon

That is a tough one. Many people who show those symptoms can be functional in society, but there are enough ones that can and do cause damage to themselves and others that it can be of concern. Should Andrea Yates have been on medication?? You betcha.

Several people have confessed to me that they hear voices. This prompted me to look things up. From what I have read, out of the people who have audio hallucinations on a regular basis, maybe 1/3 need treatment and drugs. Sometimes, the drugs make the situation worse. For example, one lady took the drugs, and it silenced the voices that gave positive reinforcement, but kept the voices that gave negative reinforcement.

My personal gut feeling is that there are enough people who have these symptoms that are a danger to themselves and others that at least an initial evaluation should be done. Well, out of the ones that I know that confessed to hear voices, I think two are reasonable functional, and the other one has other problems above and beyond the hearing of the voices. All of them manged to learn to discount the voices when it comes to their activities. Two have them have decided not to have children , since they don't want to pass this on.

[ceegunz]

(To be nitpicky for a moment, if I may: positive reinforcement does not mean reinforcing the good, and negative reinforcement does not being reinforcing the bad. Positive reinforcement is reinforcement by providing something, like a cookie, for being good. Negative reinforcement is taking something away, like grounding someone, for being bad. Both can be beneficial and both can be harmful, depending upon the behaviors they reinforce.)

Simon, particularly which symptoms/troubles were you having?

Psychology is a field where the efficacy of treatments, regrettably, lags behind that in other medical fields. Further, psychology is a field quack science has had much more of an impact. For instance, a large number of certified psychologists employ completely unverified techniques--I doubt you could say the same about heart surgeons. But this seems to be the nature of psychology. Merely look to the recent meta-studies suggesting that antidepressants are largely ineffective, despite their exceptionally widespread use.

I'm glad your treatment has improved. I know many people who have been or remain highly unsatisfied with their treatment regimens. I do fear that many people are so distrusting of psychiatry that they are unwilling to seek real help. I would submit that psychologists and psychiatrists are aware of the shortcomings of their field more than anyone. Further, professionals in this field also tend to be open-minded and progressive when it comes to treatment: case in point, I suffered from pretty bad facial ticks, and my psychologist (a respected, conservative psychologist at a University) recommended Yoga, which worked marvelously. From this and other experiences, I have utmost respect for most psychologists, as long as they don't place too much faith in quasi-science like Freudian Psychodynamics and the like.