I want to be a Psychiatrist, or do I? I've had somewhat of a roller-coaster life..

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Boydals

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Hey All
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Just some real quick info about myself - 23 years old, currently living in Melbourne(Australia) i'm a reasonably social person, currently working in retail until I'm able to sit UMAT and gain entry into a medical degree in which I will then pursue the psychiatric pathway.

Firstly I was diagnosed with schizophrenia & depression in 2008 but only recently discovered its more so a case of PTSD from my childhood. I've self admitted to a mental health ward once as a voluntary patient and again as an involuntary patient, due to certain personal tragedies occurring at times that were quite close together, so ive got an insight into what its like and what goes on.

I've done various other units of study (only diploma level) such as IT/Business etc but are all bat**** boring. So i thought to myself: "why not do something that you find interesting, something that makes you happy - something that when you wake up in 50 years time you can be content knowing you've contributed to making the world a better place & better yet, saving lives"

Now the thing is after 1-2 years of initially taking the medication i stopped completely and have done so for 5 years, yes i sometimes feel a little disconnected and depressed BUT my question is this: Would it make sense to take the path of becoming a promoter for clients to take medication in order for them to become neuro-chemically balanced (psychiatry) when I'm more of an advocate of the opposite ie. Talking about things (The psychologist kind of pathway to results)?
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I've definitely considered psychology and was accepted to study a bachelor of Social Science (psychology/forensic science) - but I'm tending to lean more towards pursuing psychiatry. I'm sure a lot of shrinks are more than happy to trial their clients on different drugs but I'd like to change the way things are done and as a first line of defense use psychotherapy to try and heal the person & save the drugs as a last line of resort, of course if the person is mentally unstable and there is an immediate need for them to be medicated then by all means i'd be happy to prescribe the required drugs, but in most other cases I'd like to take a different approach in a hope that more would adopt my application.

Feel free to ask ANY personal questions through inbox or as a reply & I always welcome criticism with open arms - Thank you
- Boyd :happy:

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Sounds like you'd be happier as a psychologist than a psychiatrist.
 
Although most critics of psychiatry would agree with your view that medications are over used, you have not even touched your first patient and you have a clearly articulated bias. I would be glad to be in your care if I suffered from what it sounds like you experienced, but I wouldn’t recommend you to someone that needs medication. I hear that you would use medications for those that clearly need them, but how much convincing would you require given your personal experience? Most would argue that life experience is an asset, but it can go either way. This all depends upon how you handle and recognize your preconceptions. You can go for it, but do so knowing who you are.
 
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Sounds like your issues is as much with misdiagnosis as therapy>meds. These are related but ultimately separate issues.
 
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Although most critics of psychiatry would agree with your view that medications are over used, you have not even touched your first patient and you have a clearly articulated bias. I would be glad to be in your care if I suffered from what it sounds like you experienced, but I wouldn’t recommend you to someone that needs medication. I hear that you would use medications for those that clearly need them, but how much convincing would you require given your personal experience? Most would argue that life experience is an asset, but it can go either way. This all depends upon how you handle and recognize your preconceptions. You can go for it, but do so knowing who you are.

Firstly thanks for the constructive criticism, everyone's view is a valuable piece of the puzzle.
Agreed, I come across as bias - but not so much as to decline a patient that's been on his/her medication for several years the right to continue their prescription. If i did have a cemented view then by all means i would undertake psychology.
Would you mind elaborating on "This all depends upon how you handle and recognize your preconceptions. You can go for it, but do so knowing who you are" - I love what you said but what's the best way in understanding who i am, and recognizing the possible preconceptions?

Thank you :)
 
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Sounds like your issues is as much with misdiagnosis as therapy>meds. These are related but ultimately separate issues.

Thanks Nitemagi and you're ultimately correct, maybe my bias stems from being misdiagnosed myself.
 
From your original post:

I'm sure a lot of shrinks are more than happy to trial their clients on different drugs but I'd like to change the way things are done and as a first line of defense use psychotherapy to try and heal the person & save the drugs as a last line of resort, of course if the person is mentally unstable and there is an immediate need for them to be medicated then by all means i'd be happy to prescribe the required drugs, but in most other cases I'd like to take a different approach in a hope that more would adopt my application

When you go into something with such a deep-rooted bias, it's unlikely you can be objective when you need to be unless you really change how you look at the mentally ill and stop identifying with them as peers. Psychotherapy certainly has its place, but psychopharmacology does as well. All of this is moot considering you're not in med school yet and really haven't had exposure to psychiatry as a profession. I would just offer this piece of advice: if you want to be a medical doctor, then go to med school. If you don't, then don't. I wouldn't base going to med school solely on my drive to change the psychiatric profession.
 
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From your original post:

When you go into something with such a deep-rooted bias, it's unlikely you can be objective when you need to be unless you really change how you look at the mentally ill and stop identifying with them as peers. Psychotherapy certainly has its place, but psychopharmacology does as well. All of this is moot considering you're not in med school yet and really haven't had exposure to psychiatry as a profession. I would just offer this piece of advice: if you want to be a medical doctor, then go to med school. If you don't, then don't. I wouldn't base going to med school solely on my drive to change the psychiatric profession.

A valid point - if it really is something i want to do, and it is - how can i help myself? read more?
What brought you to the field?
Also in an earlier post from McdonaldTriad he said: "This all depends upon how you handle and recognize your preconceptions. You can go for it, but do so knowing who you are" - I've really thought about this in great depth throughout the day, but how would you expand on what he said?

Thank you for taking the time to answer the questions and give council when sought - Its helpful and hopefully i'll be able to pass on what I've learnt down the track
 
Traditional analytic psychiatrists believe that psychiatrists need to go through their own analysis before they can have the awareness of their own neuroses and be of help to others. Twice I have seen residents enter into psychiatry with significant psychopathology. One struggled with relatedness, but I suppose functioned well enough in very specific work settings. The other had a bias against the use of hard restraints to the point nurses where getting injured and violent patients with substance intoxications were not receiving IM medications that were clearly indicated for both the patient and the staff’s safety. I have heard of many personal stories about people who enter into the mental health field because of personal experiences. The claim is that this experience will increase empathy and increase their credibility as they guide others back into health. I’m not sure it is always such an advantage. Should people with CF go into pulmonary medicine, or do neurologists with MS make better neurologists? I believe that experiencing some form of mental illness can be of use in helping others with mental illnesses, but it can also go the other way.
 
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Traditional analytic psychiatrists believe that psychiatrists need to go through their own analysis before they can have the awareness of their own neuroses and be of help to others. Twice I have seen residents enter into psychiatry with significant psychopathology. One struggled with relatedness, but I suppose functioned well enough in very specific work settings. The other had a bias against the use of hard restraints to the point nurses where getting injured and violent patients with substance intoxications were not receiving IM medications that were clearly indicated for both the patient and the staff’s safety. I have heard of many personal stories about people who enter into the mental health field because of personal experiences. The claim is that this experience will increase empathy and increase their credibility as they guide others back into health. I’m not sure it is always such an advantage. Should people with CF go into pulmonary medicine, or do neurologists with MS make better neurologists? I believe that experiencing some form of mental illness can be of use in helping others with mental illnesses, but it can also go the other way.

Yes i agree that psychiatrists should be made to undergo their own analysis & become aware of themselves before applying what they've learnt to others.
1. I think the resident that struggled with relatedness probably lacked life experience which, in this field is a must
2. With the other resident i believe that he/she was probably under-trained, I'm sure their intentions were pure and kind-hearted but the result of their actions were un-satisfactory

Again, yes i agree. I have heard of a number of people that have entered or expressed interest in the field because of their own personal experiences or struggles - firstly so they can help themselves and secondly so they can help others.
I disagree with your words "Should people with CF go into pulmonary medicine, or do neurologists with MS make better neurologists?" Because both of those conditions affect a persons psychical functionality and the work described is essentially 'hands on'.
Should Stephan Hawking have stopped his groundbreaking and life changing research and work because of ALS? No.

My goal is to not enter the field to give the mentally ill patents a hall pass from their medications nor withhold their entitlements to medicate, however I'm pursuing it as i believe I'm able to be more efficient than some of the current practitioners, as well as having much more leveled degree of relatedness to the clients.

I value you opinions and it plays a crucial part in giving me the opportunity to better understand the field and not only that but offer a unique perspective from a different angle of thought, so thank you for that. If your time permits would you do me the favour of recommending some literature that you found helpful in your pre-studies

Thank you again @MacDonaldTriad
 
I disagree with your words "Should people with CF go into pulmonary medicine, or do neurologists with MS make better neurologists?" Because both of those conditions affect a persons psychical functionality and the work described is essentially 'hands on'.
Should Stephan Hawking have stopped his groundbreaking and life changing research and work because of ALS? No.
@MacDonaldTriad

I think he is just saing that people with CF and neurologis will be equally good in ANY branch of medicine, not just that of their disease. Similarly, a person without those afflications is at no disadvantage in treating them.

The Mr. Hawking comment I think suggests you misinterpreted what Mr. MacDonald was trying to say. If anything you further proved his point because Mr. Hawkings grownbreaking work wasn't in ALS (his disease) but in totally unrelated science.
 
I think he is just saing that people with CF and neurologis will be equally good in ANY branch of medicine, not just that of their disease. Similarly, a person without those afflications is at no disadvantage in treating them.

The Mr. Hawking comment I think suggests you misinterpreted what Mr. MacDonald was trying to say. If anything you further proved his point because Mr. Hawkings grownbreaking work wasn't in ALS (his disease) but in totally unrelated science.

I think so too...oops - nevertheless i wont edit out the comment and just wait for MacondalTriad's response

Thanks for bringing it to my attention @Mr. Bub
 
I'm pursuing it as i believe I'm able to be more efficient than some of the current practitioners, as well as having much more leveled degree of relatedness to the clients.
Let's be honest, you're not even in medical school yet. While you do have experience with the mental health system, it's not from the psychiatrist's or psychologist's perspective. There's a lot you don't know about how it is to work in these fields, and you don't even know what you don't know. So saying that you'd be better at these jobs than others is jumping way too far ahead.

For now, you have to decide if you want to be a medical doctor, and possibly pursue psychiatric specialization after doing that, or if you want to be a psychologist, and possibly pursue a clinical line of work after doing that. If you think that you'll let your own personal experiences bias your decision making to the point where you are not practicing good evidence based treatments, then I'd recommend a different field entirely. But either way, that is still further down the line than you are right now.
 
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Let's be honest, you're not even in medical school yet. While you do have experience with the mental health system, it's not from the psychiatrist's or psychologist's perspective. There's a lot you don't know about how it is to work in these fields, and you don't even know what you don't know. So saying that you'd be better at these jobs than others is jumping way too far ahead.

For now, you have to decide if you want to be a medical doctor, and possibly pursue psychiatric specialization after doing that, or if you want to be a psychologist, and possibly pursue a clinical line of work after doing that. If you think that you'll let your own personal experiences bias your decision making to the point where you are not practicing good evidence based treatments, then I'd recommend a different field entirely. But either way, that is still further down the line than you are right now.

Yeah agreed and I've joined this forum on the basis of learning new material and getting as many different perspectives as possible, so thanks for passing on your wisdom and voicing yours :) @hamstergang
 
I was just going to say the Dr. Hawking isn’t a better physicist because he has ALS, but Mr. Bub said it better than I have.

As far as the first example of the resident with poor relational skills, I’m convinced the core problem was that this wasn’t amenable to correction through “life experience” or training (we are all on a spectrum, but some of us are in different places on it). People with even mild features of autism spectrum disorder will have more trouble with nonverbal communication and the like. And yes, I know there are examples of people with autism doing remarkable things. I have not written any articles on the subject, but I have been a reviewer on the subject.

For the second example, it was that resident’s experience and a failure of objectivity that made this person poorly responsive to enhanced instruction.

I’m really not reading a post or two and then judging who is and isn’t going to make a good psychiatrist, I’m just trying to make a counter augment to the suggestion that people who recover from mental health problems are uniquely well equipped to enter into our field. I do believe they can be, but they can also be uniquely unqualified. This isn’t anti-recovery; I am just saying there are those whose recovery permits being an effectual provider, and some whose recovery may not. Psychiatry isn't for eveyone. There are a lot of doctors out there without mental health histories that would make terrible psychiatrists.

This feels like the point where I should say "I'm just saying....", but I still have no idea what that means. Maybe it means my lips are moving, but I don't take any responsibility for any content that is coming out.;)
 
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Part of being a good psychiatrist or psychologist is recognizing which treatment is indicated and then formulate a plan for that treatment based on an accurate diagnosis and clinical conceptualization. This can include different types of psychotherapy, medications, case management, social services, education, etc. Bias will get in the way of that process.
 
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