Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Psychiatric Care in America

Hello Campers, it's once again time for us to take on that huge business in America called Psychiatric care. Now, I know what you are thinking, what could possibly be wrong with the shrinks. Well, this may not be what is wrong with them, but more, what we feel is wrong, and how we should be reacting.

So, I have noticed that a lot of times, when people are diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, they are put on different medicines. Let's take example A, we'll call him Andy. Andy goes to a psychologist, and they diagnose him with Bi-Polar disorder. They put him on Abilify, which is an anti-psychotic medicine. He takes the dosage as ordered, and lo and behold, three weeks later he is not any better, but is showing every side effect that is in the book. So then he is taken off abilify, and put on Lithium. Lithium seems to do a partial job. It evens out his mood swings, but unfortunately, it evens them out at a low level. So, they add in lamotrogene. Lamotrogene pulls the level up to a more even level, so it seems to be a good combination. Things work out.

Now we move on to example B, we'll call him George. George also is diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. George is also put on abilify to start with, and lo and behold, three weeks later, he is much better. His mood swings have stabilized and he is on an even keel. So, what is the difference. No two people have the exact same brain chemistry. So while it seems that psychiatry is a duck shoot. That they just throw medicine at the patient in hopes that it works, well that is kind of what happens. But it is not because the doctors don't know any better. It's because no one knows any better.

And let's talk about the sessions where they ask you to talk. Do those really do any good? Well, while chemical in-balance has a lot to do with psychiatric care, there are also prior actions that play on our emotions, and our psyche. So, if in talking out what has happened in our past, we may be able to get past the medicines and get our lives back in order. And then sometimes, it takes both. Medicine to help stabilize, and talking to help us deal with our past trauma's. Or at least, that's as I see it now.

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