P
psychiatry_sho
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2010
- Messages
- 221
Hi there..
I'm a first year SHO in psychiatry. I did a psychology degree halfway through my medical degree too (mainly neuro/cognitive stuff),and got interested that way. I'm joining this forum to try and learn more from the patients' side and hopefull implement ideas into my practice.
I have actually got my doubts about psychiatry, and wonder what the hell I'm doing sometimes, because mental illness is not very well understood. Although I think terms like "chemical cosh" or "chemical straitjacket" are sensationalised and miss the point, I do understand that the medications used for alleviating psychosis ("antipsychotics") are essentially tranquillisers.
I don't necessarily have a problem with doing that if they help the patient gain perspective and stability to the extent that they can engage psychologically with therapy , their community, and function better, moving towards a happier life. I do have a problem with the fact that they often cause TD and other side effects (diabetes etc) and blunt emotions. I am hopeful future research will produce less debilitating drugs.
That's just psychosis though of course. In my short time in psych I've also seen severely depressed people improve with the help of anti depressants, bipolar people get their lives back, and seen older people with alzheimers perk up on rivastigmine and donepezil. Social and psychological input are invaluable however - I think the medications at the moment are a good initial holding measure which allow people to regroup psychologically, ideally speaking.
I hope you don't all hate psychiatrists, we're not all greedy bastards, some of us have the best intentions.
We're not all monkeys conditioned to believe that we're treating primarily biological illnesses either. I read quite a lot of critical/anti-psychiatry stuff (bentall, moncrieff) etc - which is interesting. I was thinking of jacking in psych this year and retraining in obs and gynae or paediatrics etc, because I thought at least those are "real" or 'hard' sciences, with solid evidence bases. If I'm honest though , I do find mental illness more interesting. And also remember one thing - EVERYTHING is organic in a sense, thoughts, emotions, beliefs/delusions/ideas are all neurochemical in basis until there is any evidence or strong reason to believe in a soul,spirit etc.
So in that sense, there is a rational biological element to some aspects of mental illness, which is often triggered or unmasked by the traumas and trials of life which might be considered "precipitating" factors...psychological trauma will cause brain changes, which will then affect future brain function, and it's a vicious circle. Shrinks, psychologists, neurologists and patients/clients have to all work together to figure out the best interventions to reduce harmful patterns, in each individual. Psychiatry's not like the rest of medicine, where antibiotic X is effective against organism Y. Each person needs a bespoke care package in my opinion, it's a pity we only get to see people every few months for 20 mins or so and are expected to get a flavour of clinical progress from that. I think there's a lot to be sorted out in psychiatry, and like I said I'm here to learn and discuss things with an open mind.
Best wishes to all
I'm a first year SHO in psychiatry. I did a psychology degree halfway through my medical degree too (mainly neuro/cognitive stuff),and got interested that way. I'm joining this forum to try and learn more from the patients' side and hopefull implement ideas into my practice.
I have actually got my doubts about psychiatry, and wonder what the hell I'm doing sometimes, because mental illness is not very well understood. Although I think terms like "chemical cosh" or "chemical straitjacket" are sensationalised and miss the point, I do understand that the medications used for alleviating psychosis ("antipsychotics") are essentially tranquillisers.
I don't necessarily have a problem with doing that if they help the patient gain perspective and stability to the extent that they can engage psychologically with therapy , their community, and function better, moving towards a happier life. I do have a problem with the fact that they often cause TD and other side effects (diabetes etc) and blunt emotions. I am hopeful future research will produce less debilitating drugs.
That's just psychosis though of course. In my short time in psych I've also seen severely depressed people improve with the help of anti depressants, bipolar people get their lives back, and seen older people with alzheimers perk up on rivastigmine and donepezil. Social and psychological input are invaluable however - I think the medications at the moment are a good initial holding measure which allow people to regroup psychologically, ideally speaking.
I hope you don't all hate psychiatrists, we're not all greedy bastards, some of us have the best intentions.
We're not all monkeys conditioned to believe that we're treating primarily biological illnesses either. I read quite a lot of critical/anti-psychiatry stuff (bentall, moncrieff) etc - which is interesting. I was thinking of jacking in psych this year and retraining in obs and gynae or paediatrics etc, because I thought at least those are "real" or 'hard' sciences, with solid evidence bases. If I'm honest though , I do find mental illness more interesting. And also remember one thing - EVERYTHING is organic in a sense, thoughts, emotions, beliefs/delusions/ideas are all neurochemical in basis until there is any evidence or strong reason to believe in a soul,spirit etc.
So in that sense, there is a rational biological element to some aspects of mental illness, which is often triggered or unmasked by the traumas and trials of life which might be considered "precipitating" factors...psychological trauma will cause brain changes, which will then affect future brain function, and it's a vicious circle. Shrinks, psychologists, neurologists and patients/clients have to all work together to figure out the best interventions to reduce harmful patterns, in each individual. Psychiatry's not like the rest of medicine, where antibiotic X is effective against organism Y. Each person needs a bespoke care package in my opinion, it's a pity we only get to see people every few months for 20 mins or so and are expected to get a flavour of clinical progress from that. I think there's a lot to be sorted out in psychiatry, and like I said I'm here to learn and discuss things with an open mind.
Best wishes to all
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