I am sitting across someone who is extremely depressed, suicidal and in a very miserable and dangerous situation. Things were not always like this......about 6 months ago this person was a well adjusted happy person going about life smoothly- inspite of the many challenges.
That he was on one anti depressant pill was not common knowledge. He went to fill his prescription at a new chemist- the chemist advised him not to take pills. He told him that Psychiatrists do this 'business' purposely to enrich themselves. One must take as less of these medications as possible and meditation is a better remedy for mental illness. This unnecessary intrusion caused stopping medications resulting in a severe relapse. Now I will have to probably give a course of ECTs to save the patient's life. And how he is suffering!
Then yesterday I have a call from a distressed mother. Her 9 year old has obsessive compulsive disorder. He spends several hours a day doing meaningless rituals. When the mother gets in the way, even by mistake she is severely assaulted by slaps and verbal abuse. Their family has not slept properly for 3 years because the rituals continue well past midnight. After trying homeopathy for 6 months she has come to a Psychiatrist who gave her pills and put the child on therapy. But her family physician, who is a homeopath has said that she is an impatient mother- his opinion- 'medications are harmful and being given in high doses so that the childs brain gets damaged and he gets addicted to it for life. What kind of mother gives such medicine to her child?' I am really upset at this shooting from the hip of a person who has no idea about how qualified I am versus him in this field. And about how indifferent he is to the childs and familys suffering. OCD needs higher doses (definitely higher than homeopathy, where the medicine is only a memory not actually present). I have put in decades of painstaking effort to acquire the expertise to treat this kid. And if this kid is not treated now he will have to drop out of life and his family will be devastated. Taking a pill is a small price to pay to be able to live a reasonable life.
Then the third call is from a Physician who practises in the neighbourhood. She is enquiring about phobia, suspects that one of her hypertensive patients aged 36 years may be having it. At the end of the discussion, though she says she will try her her best to convince him that he does not have phobia, so that he stops worrying about it....because she doesnt want her patient to be put on any life-long medication! She could have knocked me down with a feather! He is already on antihypertensives which are far more expensive and dangerous than anti depressants. And by convincing, will the phobia go away?
Really people should stop advising on mental health unless they have reliable information. Please consider that the Psychiatrist is a qualified responsible person. We will not only treat the patient, but also take responsibility and manage if anything unexpected like side effects occur. For God's sake, if someone is looking better after Psychiatric treatment do not make them stop it. And please get proper information about the Psychiatrist and medication before carelessly insinuating malafide intention.
That he was on one anti depressant pill was not common knowledge. He went to fill his prescription at a new chemist- the chemist advised him not to take pills. He told him that Psychiatrists do this 'business' purposely to enrich themselves. One must take as less of these medications as possible and meditation is a better remedy for mental illness. This unnecessary intrusion caused stopping medications resulting in a severe relapse. Now I will have to probably give a course of ECTs to save the patient's life. And how he is suffering!
Then yesterday I have a call from a distressed mother. Her 9 year old has obsessive compulsive disorder. He spends several hours a day doing meaningless rituals. When the mother gets in the way, even by mistake she is severely assaulted by slaps and verbal abuse. Their family has not slept properly for 3 years because the rituals continue well past midnight. After trying homeopathy for 6 months she has come to a Psychiatrist who gave her pills and put the child on therapy. But her family physician, who is a homeopath has said that she is an impatient mother- his opinion- 'medications are harmful and being given in high doses so that the childs brain gets damaged and he gets addicted to it for life. What kind of mother gives such medicine to her child?' I am really upset at this shooting from the hip of a person who has no idea about how qualified I am versus him in this field. And about how indifferent he is to the childs and familys suffering. OCD needs higher doses (definitely higher than homeopathy, where the medicine is only a memory not actually present). I have put in decades of painstaking effort to acquire the expertise to treat this kid. And if this kid is not treated now he will have to drop out of life and his family will be devastated. Taking a pill is a small price to pay to be able to live a reasonable life.
Then the third call is from a Physician who practises in the neighbourhood. She is enquiring about phobia, suspects that one of her hypertensive patients aged 36 years may be having it. At the end of the discussion, though she says she will try her her best to convince him that he does not have phobia, so that he stops worrying about it....because she doesnt want her patient to be put on any life-long medication! She could have knocked me down with a feather! He is already on antihypertensives which are far more expensive and dangerous than anti depressants. And by convincing, will the phobia go away?
Really people should stop advising on mental health unless they have reliable information. Please consider that the Psychiatrist is a qualified responsible person. We will not only treat the patient, but also take responsibility and manage if anything unexpected like side effects occur. For God's sake, if someone is looking better after Psychiatric treatment do not make them stop it. And please get proper information about the Psychiatrist and medication before carelessly insinuating malafide intention.
