You Are Sick

October 11, 2011, 7:47 pmDoctor Psychobabble16 comments

Please check out my latest post on “The Ink Blot” at Medscape/WebMD to read my thoughts on how challenging it can be to convince a patient (or the parent of a child) that they have a mental illness.

Click Here to View the Original Post on Medscape

  • Mark Eccles

    “to convince a patient that they have a mental illness.”
    You can’t, any more than you can convince a alcoholic they have a drinking problem.
    Or to convince a crack dealer to stop selling crack, or stop a psychiatrist from prescribing medicine.

    • http://doctorpsychobabble.com Dr. Psychobabble

      “Convince” is a bad word. I used it to be a bit provocative, though. I do, however believe that it’s possible to help an alcoholic understand they have a drinking problem, help a crack dealer to stop selling crack, and to help a psychiatrist stop from prescribing medicine. Call it my chronic optimism….

      • Anon

        Trust is a better word.

        When you have a “batch of the crazies”; it’s pretty much impossible to be able to reason out that the CIA is not tuning into your thoughts, but if I know I can trust you and you’ll protect me, then we have a way forward.

        Get the parents trust that you want to help the kid and trust that you want to do the best for the kid. Surely they know their kid is unwell or how else did they get into your hands?

        • http://doctorpsychobabble.com Dr. Psychobabble

          Trust is a much better word. And it is the foundation of a good therapeutic relationship.

          You are correct about getting parents to trust you. Unfortunately, though the parents don’t always know their kid is unwell. They can get brought to the psych ER because a teacher or other concerned individual brought them in, they brought themselves in, or the EMS or police brought them in…

  • Mark Eccles

    “to convince a patient that they have a mental illness.”
    You can’t, any more than you can convince a alcoholic they have a drinking problem.
    Or to convince a crack dealer to stop selling crack, or stop a psychiatrist from prescribing medicine.

    • http://doctorpsychobabble.com Dr. Psychobabble

      “Convince” is a bad word. I used it to be a bit provocative, though. I do, however believe that it’s possible to help an alcoholic understand they have a drinking problem, help a crack dealer to stop selling crack, and to help a psychiatrist stop from prescribing medicine. Call it my chronic optimism….

      • Anon

        Trust is a better word.

        When you have a “batch of the crazies”; it’s pretty much impossible to be able to reason out that the CIA is not tuning into your thoughts, but if I know I can trust you and you’ll protect me, then we have a way forward.

        Get the parents trust that you want to help the kid and trust that you want to do the best for the kid. Surely they know their kid is unwell or how else did they get into your hands?

        • http://doctorpsychobabble.com Dr. Psychobabble

          Trust is a much better word. And it is the foundation of a good therapeutic relationship.

          You are correct about getting parents to trust you. Unfortunately, though the parents don’t always know their kid is unwell. They can get brought to the psych ER because a teacher or other concerned individual brought them in, they brought themselves in, or the EMS or police brought them in…

  • http://www.facebook.com/rob.lindeman1 Rob Lindeman

    Don’t give up.  You have what they haven’t got: the power of the State behind you.  That makes you stronger than the patient.

    • http://doctorpsychobabble.com Dr. Psychobabble

      I don’t want to be stronger! I just want to help them if I can…. 

      • http://www.facebook.com/rob.lindeman1 Rob Lindeman

        Good.  Always keep in mind that you are an agent of a powerful state.  The temptation to wield that power will be great.  I would resist it if I were you.

        • http://doctorpsychobabble.com Dr. Psychobabble

          agreed.

  • http://www.facebook.com/rob.lindeman1 Rob Lindeman

    Don’t give up.  You have what they haven’t got: the power of the State behind you.  That makes you stronger than the patient.

    • http://doctorpsychobabble.com Dr. Psychobabble

      I don’t want to be stronger! I just want to help them if I can…. 

      • http://www.facebook.com/rob.lindeman1 Rob Lindeman

        Good.  Always keep in mind that you are an agent of a powerful state.  The temptation to wield that power will be great.  I would resist it if I were you.

        • http://doctorpsychobabble.com Dr. Psychobabble

          agreed.