Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Previews of Coming Events


Don't forget to listen to the latest Podcast, #37, out of order with the old equipment, sort of like a check that got cashed late! Roy will be posting the newest one soon. Our podcast schedule can be found at My Three Shrinks or by clicking on the three feet logo on the sidebar.

I will soon be posting the results of our Anti-Psychotics poll, if you haven't voted, please do. You can have a favorite even if you don't prescribe or take them. We're not picky. Seroquel remains in first place.

ClinkShrink tells me has some posts ready to go. I'm waiting patiently.

I've got a post brewing in my head about how a patient's expectations effect treatment before they even walk in the door-- this idea with thanks to Roy.

And I think Rach asked about how it effects a psychiatrist if they have their own mental illness. A while back, I wrote a post that sort of addressed this. See what you think.
http://psychiatrist-blog.blogspot.com/2006/09/taste-of-our-own-medicine.html

7 comments:

DrivingMissMolly said...

Dinah,

I noticed Mellaril on the list and voted it my fave even tho I took it like 15 years ago and I thought it was a tranquilizer. Since then I have seen it listed as either or in books and articles. Which one is it, really?

Shrink at that time gave it to me because I was upset (talked to him on the phone after hubby pushed me face first into a rose bush--long story). I was also given Haldol a few times as an inpatient way before that incident. Does that mean I was psychotic or are there other uses?

I am looking forward to your post about patient's expectations. I am convinced that I give each psychiatrist a "honeymoon" period after I first see him. Even before that 1st appointment I built up Shrink to godlike stature and he is left to inevitably fall and shatter. Right now I'm trying to break through and stick with this guy because my expectations, I feel, are part of my problems, but I would never say that to him because I, sadly, prefer to look down on him and tell how much of a help *he isn't.*

Lily

Rach said...

Hi Dinah, just to clarify (i wrote the last comments in the throes of a psychotic episode so I may not have been making much sense)...

I was wondering if a psychiatrist's experience with mental illness makes him/her more empathetic and/or more or less able to be objective when dealing with a patient who is dealing with similar issues. MWWAK kinda touched on the answer over on another post (- I think in the comments section from podcast 37?) regarding biases... that's kinda what I'm getting at. But it was nice to read some old posts... that one's a goodie!

Anonymous said...

I loved your site. The quirky humor that's at times, mixed in with salient psychiatric info is sublime.

This is my first time here and I assure you, I';; be back. Makes me want to grab one of my Sigmund Freud cherry flavored suckers...you know the ones...with the creamy Miltown nougat.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and will check out your podcasts, too.

Best,
LK
Houston

Anonymous said...

This is all starting to take on the feeling of a Beckett play. You know the one.

Anonymous said...

i think the issue that rach brings up would be fascinating to read about on this blog.
the post that was linked to was mostly just about medications in particular, but i'd like to know more about the prominence of mental illness among professionals who work in the mental health field... what the trends are, how common it is, why they go into the field, how mental illness affects their work positively or negatively, others opinions of mentally ill caseworkers, therapists, psychiatrists, etc. maybe some studies have been done? personal experiences and opinions also, of course.

Anonymous said...

I will read your post on patients' expectations with great interest. When I went to see a shrink for the very first time, I was so terrified that I could't swallow my own spit! The smell of the rubber mats in the doc's stairwell gave me palpitations every time I came back, I guess because they were so associated with terror. I felt like a failure because I had to go there in the first place. However, the shrink was perfectly wonderful and had me feeling better shortly. I am very grateful for my shrink, but thought you might be interested in just how petrified we can be before we meet you!

Sarebear said...

I'm not sure you'd want to know why I picked the one I did; I've never been on any of them, though.

The one I picked, I've read can help me to suicide.

Not that I'm planning on anything, but I know that I tend to go there from time to time.

Not that I need to add this last caveat, but I will given the content of this comment; my psychologist knows exactly what I've been thinking lately in terms of desperate measure, when I was that low recently.

On the other hand, my psychiatrist never would return a call about appointment nor refill on a med, nor did they call it in to pharmacy. 5 days of cold turkey off the one med, and my hubby finally camped on his office doorstep one morning to get the scrip. And he has the gall to say, hey, I need her to come in and see me (um, what do you think I'd left you a message about earlier in the week?!)

woops, sorry bout the vent there! We'll see about working out our communication problems, it's early yet in our doctor/patient relationship, and I need to be patient in more ways than one.