Why do people use shrinks?

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A few months ago, some of my friends and relatives were worried about my mental health.
I was asked, "Why do you think some of these rich and famous hollywood stars use psychotherapists?", ( i think they were hinting i needed to see one.)
I replied, "because they have too much money", end of discussion.

Anyway, i'm a fan of Woody Allen and have recently been re-watching some of his movies.
Which got me thinking, Why do these people see shrinks?
I mean, if they haven't solved their problems after a few sessions ( never mind years), then why do they persist ?
And if it isn't a specific problem, then surely these people (ie. 'normal' & successful) have many confidantes which thay can talk with.
What am i missing here?
As anybody got anything positive to say about shrinks?

are you talking about psychologists (just talking) or psychiatrists (medicine)?

The psychiatrist has to keep working with you to make sure the medicine is still working.

Psychologist - deals with the less severe problems, and often involves self in experiments, research and treating things like learning difficulties and phobias.
Psychiatrist - treats mental illness, mainly.

If I didn't end up with a pyschiatrist (even though the good one was as a result of going to psych ward), I don't think I would be alive today. If I wasn't given medication by him, I would have thrown myself in front of something without realising, most probably. If I didn't have therapy for an eating disorder after the initial bad mental illness, I would have died of malnutrition, instead of gaining 5kg in one and a half months!

If i were being cynical i'd say because they think they will help.

With psychologists i believe it's more about finding the right one more than anything else, i've met some real idiots and one who was very good.
He didn't bullshit me or treat me like child, he understood how to engage me and eventually diagnose me, he also knew when he could no longer help me, which is a very good quality in a psychologist.

I have heard Woody Allen joke about his analyst in some of his films. This is more the Freud (psychoanalysis) or Jung (analysis) school of psych, called depth psychology.
People are in analysis sometimes for a few years, and the analyst interprets dreams, and how the unconscious is affecting what happens in conscious life. I think

My answers come through meditation - I dont need to see a 'shrink' to tell me why I do the things I do - he doesnt know me better then I know myself. Self Awareness is key.

People who leave their shopping cart in the middle of the aisle are not very self aware - they are oblivious to the hell they cause because all they give a s**t about is their needs so they run over others to get it or get in others ways - thats an example.

Therapy tends to be effective. Very effective. Statistically, it is more effective than medication in achieving some relief of symptoms for people. Does that mean I think people should flush their pills? Of course not. Neither do good therapists.

Therapy is most effective in helping people learn new coping strategies. I have a history of depression. Without my medication I get depressed, big time sometimes. If the pills are working I have a normal emotional response to things. But sometimes I might still get depressed or hung up about certain issues. Enter the shrink. I decided to see one a couple of months ago because I was getting depressed about a couple of specific issues and I felt that I needed to learn some better, more effective strategies in dealing with those specific issues. I needed some help learning to use those strategies too and making sure they worked for me. And that is what therapy is for. So its working really well for that. I am going less and less and probably won't end up going for very long over all.

I see a psychiatrist every once in a while about my meds, but not for therapy.

There are different types of therapy and therapists and you need to shop around to find one that works with you. Otherwise it is a waste of time.

I think people need shrinks to talk to about their disabilities and things society does not percieve as being "normal". Can someone PLEASE tell me what "normal" means?

I see a shrink and therapist because my employer (Royal navy) makes me.

Also I have "issues" that go way beyond just Asperger's Related challenges.

Some of my issues include:

Child sexual abuse over many years by different people
Dealing with grief
20 years of bullying in and out of school and my career
war trauma (PTSD)
Self Harm
Suicide Attempts

As expected niether the Navy shrink or pshycologist understand me or seem able to help me.

Thier solution was to whack me in the mental hospital for weeks for self harm, but i wasnt allowed to any therapy sessions as my apparent lack of empathy and innability to communicate in a group verbally about difficult issues meant they didnt want me in group therapy for the benifit of the other patients. Bummer when the hospital they send you to is 95% group therapy!! So i was VERY bored!! !

Luckily i have a friend who is a pshycologist who diagnosed me unofficially with aspergers after intensive investigation (she knows me very well). Shame being a friend the Navy wont listen to her!!

Thier solution is to give me a diagnosis of " Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder" and an "adjustment Disorder" because of the effect of changing job and hence routine had on me earlier this year. If they ooked at my history they would have to give me a DX of adjustment disorder everytime i change job or ship in the navy!! !

Also the Navy has very very little experience of any ASD incl asperger's

Hey, the shrink did make me laugh when he said "I find your lack of emotion disturbing".

KurtmanJP: I don't think anyone can tell you what 'normal' is.
And if they do, then you should hit them.

I see both a psychologist and a psychiatrist. The one I see every month or two and I get my meds from. I actually get more accomplished with this person then the latter. With said person I actually get little done (although much more then I used to and spend alot of time talking about my interests. I haven't stopped seeing him since I am planning to move to another person who is more knowledgeable in AS or related things. Something is better then nothing I suppose.