What is the worst thing a mental health worker can do?

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Dear_one
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18 Jun 2022, 9:03 am

lvpin wrote:
Dear_one wrote:
One of the worst is trying to rely on antidepressants. Drugs are tested by giving the new compound to a group of patients, and a placebo to a similar group, to see what changes for each group. If the control group is given the usual sugar pill, they can tell, and so they don't expect to change. If they are given any random drug that makes them feel strange, that will catalyze positive changes just as well. It is only the "bedside manner" that gives any potency to the antidepressants, but they are terribly addictive.


Gotta disagree there. It's not just the placebo, especially as so many trials are randomised. The issue with this sort of medication is that we don't fully understand it but it does save lives and have an actual effect. They're getting better at that now and can do genetic tests to see which suits you better.

I feel quite strongly on the subject because I have people I love who would be locked up in a psych ward or dead without mental health medication. Sometimes you can't do anything but take medication to help. I've been mentally ill for years and it wasn't until I took medication that I even had the motivation to take better care of myself. It's not perfect and I still get depressed, but at least I don't constantly dream about ending my life and don't self harm every other day.


As an adult, I have been physically assaulted twice. Both times, it was by someone on a trial dose of antidepressants. I also hear horror stories of addictions. By living with my depression, I was able to dig into the root causes, and now a few other people are seeing the same pattern to climb out with.



The_Znof
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18 Jun 2022, 12:37 pm

lvpin wrote:
The_Znof wrote:
lvpin wrote:
Wasn’t sure where to post this but basically, I work in a mental health recovery centre and am currently doing my training. However I was wondering if there was anything anyone here wanted to say about dos and donts when working with autistic people as a lot of the people who see us either are autistic or suspect that may be the case.

I only have my own experience as an autistic person so I’m curious to hear your takes.


Do they do ABA in your RC?


No. We basically function as a place to separate from the stress of life. We do have some actual counsellors but a lot of us are just there as someone to chat too. We also direct people to other mental health services but, as an autistic person, I would never recommend ABA to anyone I work with.


ah, sounds like a great place to work, good luck!



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18 Jun 2022, 1:59 pm

I have friends and family who have been in and out of therapy for years, so here are some pitfalls I've witnessed:

1. Telling my schizophrenic friend that he was healthy or not mentally ill anymore. This happened in the middle of the pandemic shutdown, so maybe the office was trying to say that he didn't need to come in for in-person visits anymore. Either way, he promptly went off his anti-schizophrenia meds (because the doctor had told him he wasn't mentally ill anymore,) the voices came back, and now my friend has disappeared into a schizophrenic haze inside his own mind.

2. Inadequate support for newly diagnosed schizophrenics. Finding out that you're not actually part of the secret world government but actually a homeless guy and that all of your "friends" are voices in your head is really stressful. People need friends. They need to feel like they matter.

3. Taking the client's word at face value when the same situation mysteriously keeps happening to them... My mother is paranoid and reacts angrily to pretty much everyone, even when they are being or doing very kind things, eg, when I invited her to celebrate Mothers' Day at the park, she responded with some nasty comments about my mother-in-law (who wasn't even invited). She has a history of yelling at waiters and customer service staff, etc. But she doesn't tell her therapists, "I'm paranoid and lash out angrily at everyone around me." In her mind, she's in the right and the rest of us are jerks! So what does her therapist hear? Of course she hears how the rest of us are jerks and don't support my mom and blah blah. So then on top of having to deal with my mom, I also have to hear about how her therapist thinks I'm a bad person.

4. Similarly, advice that makes things worse. For example, mom's therapist gave her some advice about dealing with a moving company... and the moving company dropped her like a hot potato because she started overwhelming them with emails and instructions about her stuff. The correct advice would have been something about destressing and keeping out of the way so the men can do their jobs.



Jakki
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18 Jun 2022, 2:41 pm

lvpin wrote:
Dear_one wrote:
One of the worst is trying to rely on antidepressants. Drugs are tested by giving the new compound to a group of patients, and a placebo to a similar group, to see what changes for each group. If the control group is given the usual sugar pill, they can tell, and so they don't expect to change. If they are given any random drug that makes them feel strange, that will catalyze positive changes just as well. It is only the "bedside manner" that gives any potency to the antidepressants, but they are terribly addictive.


Gotta disagree there. It's not just the placebo, especially as so many trials are randomised. The issue with this sort of medication is that we don't fully understand it but it does save lives and have an actual effect. They're getting better at that now and can do genetic tests to see which suits you better.

I feel quite strongly on the subject because I have people I love who would be locked up in a psych ward or dead without mental health medication. Sometimes you can't do anything but take medication to help. I've been mentally ill for years and it wasn't until I took medication that I even had the motivation to take better care of myself. It's not perfect and I still get depressed, but at least I don't constantly dream about ending my life and don't self harm every other day.



Congratulations on your progress …have kinda been in that state for a great many years when I Was younger.
It’s a fight to keep positive thoughts going . Did take a CPD therapy class 2x …After you get some of the mental practice done for awhile . It becomes more automatic , to not think about the other more harsh stuff .
“Not a cure all” but it helps, imho .


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traven
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19 Jun 2022, 12:32 am

there's a lot of things i'm sure,
what i know of; the lesbian therapist mom, after the lucrative pedo-clown event/hoax, she convinced her daughters they were abused by their father when they were very young, one of the daughters being my brothers gf for years already,
their relation didn't survive the drama :roll:

that case, in here (somewhere); http://saff.nfshost.com/DIDpsychiatricvoodoo.htm
also reviewed in "Delusions and the Madness of the Masses - Lawrie Reznek"