Mental illness carries a humiliation, as we all know.
Seeing a psychiatrist adds to that. Why? Because we tend to view psychiatry as the resort of the very ill; and we have cultural views of the practice as one performed in Dickensian hospitals with bars on the windows and peeling green paint, by men bearing large syringes. Think about One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.
But this view is wrong. There are many times when the advice of a psychiatrist should be sought.
A psychiatrist has medical training, unlike other therapeutic practitioners. She or he will have earned an undergrad degree, a degree in medicine, and then a specialty in psychiatry.
To become a psychiatrist is to have made a big personal and spiritual investment. Remember this always. This profession is a love and a dedication. Never doubt that.
It is vital to understand that when you walk into a psychiatrist’s office you will be meeting a person who is, by nature and practice, multi-disciplinary. Your psych will not assume she/he has all the answers to questions you may bring.
Mental illness is a complex issue. There are deep personal causes, medical reasons for your ill-health, and proximate — daily — influences as well. Your psychiatrist will ask structured and direct questions to find out where the root of your discomfort lies. Then, the two of you will speak more deeply and personally.
Now, it may happen that you will be advised to undertake a course of medicine. For your own reasons, you may feel uneasy. This is natural. But be assured that your doctor — for that is what she/he is — knows and understands the role of medicine in the treatment of mental illness.
If you are very unwell, your psych may recommend that you spend a few nights in the hospital. This may come as a shock. “Me? On the psych unit?”
The reasons for your admission will, typically, be many. You are living with a difficult and uneasy mind; your physical health may be poor; and you may reveal to your psych that you could be a threat to yourself or to others.
Again — and I can’t stress this enough — the decisions and options your psych presents to you are informed choices. If you appear under-nourished and terribly anxious, then a few nights in the gentle care of the folks at St. Mary’s will be time best spent.
I may have given you the impression that psychiatry is all about medicine. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The true art — for that is what it is — of psychiatry is in the talk: the asking of deep questions and the frequently troubling walk down dark emotional alleys.
Woody Allen said once that his favourite place in the whole world was on his analyst’s couch. He was only half joking. The great minds, the enormous empathy, the clinical precision: these are the hallmarks of a truly great psychiatrist.
It has been my great fortune in life’s journey to acquaint myself with a couple of local psychiatrists, for my own reasons. I happen to appreciate the science and wisdom of modern psychiatry.
Next month, we’ll talk about psychology.
