Psychiatry Today

This will be a peer reviewed, double blind study in to the effectiveness of today's mental health practices. FUCK NO. Pure opinion piece. It is a blog after all.  Disclaimer anyone?

I really think that Medical students go into Psychiatry because they either

A. SUCK at all other medical practices
B. Have no interpersonal skills and wish to deal with only medicated patients who are lobotomized laboratory rats
C. I am exaggerating of course

I mean no insult to any of the excellent ones that may exist.  Some recent experiences have dampened my opinion I must admit.

Background (story kinda fails without it.):

In January of this current year (Just look at the blog and you'll figure it out Einstein) Beth fell apart after encountering a medical malfunction in her body. It was simply a kidney stone, but due to losing Kathlyn it was more to her. It was her body failing her. This lead to a severe anxiety ridden depression. She was strong enough to come to me on a Saturday and tell me how low she was and that she needed help. Of course there was a complicating matter of telling a friend who is a medical professional and a possible involuntary commitment (do some research It'll make sense then).

Forced to take action we went to the only emergent mental health facilty in our area. I feared that Beth would be traumatized there because being  the only emergent Mental Health facility the area it therefore sees all the violent and utterly unstable people that I come across in my line of work.

We were blessed that night in January. We had a younger Dr. with a military background of all things. He asked me some questions after talking with Beth. With the help of my input he made the decision to recommend the outpatient program. The reason was, Beth was sad for a valid reason, she has support at home and through the church. The outpatient program did her good. That Dr. was reasonable and personable and I can only guess didn't view Psychiatry simply as medication delivery (explanation in a few) but understood a bigger emotional support picture. (Theory through observation).

Well, things got better. She dealt with great social workers and nurses and a Psychiatrist whom she had no faith in a first. He only did medications. She grew to appreciate his direct candor in the end, but he only did medications. Not really a holistic approach to a complicated matter in a complicated creature such as humans.

So we tried to get pregnant again.  I am an old man and surprise, things worked (Age is relative and I am relatively old compared to our close friends here in North Cacalaki). Beth was ecstatic. I knew she had a lot of emotion wrapped up in this pregnancy. All pregnancies have risk, especially high in the first trimester. We got the news this Tuesday that we miscarried. That devastated her. She went as far as calling her womb a tomb because she lost a stillbirth and a miscarriage.

She was so devastated that she couldn't talk to the OB. By the next day she decided to call the OB's office because we needed to decide if we would let the miscarriage happen naturally or surgically. Here the background ends and the current begins.

Beth said something to a medical professional (One who also is a friend so the conversation is more open, and the same one as before) that set in motion the same thing. I was called an told she has to go to the same mental health facility again, and if I didn't do it they would (involuntary commitment again) send and ambulance and take her. This time completely different result and experience.

A nice nurse came an got me and took me back to Beth just like last time. The nurse knew I was her husband and so did another staff member. After a while a female Psychiatrist comes in. OK. She says in a very dry and monotone voice, “Thank you for supporting your loved one. What is your relationship?” HUH. Did you not read the chart, ask the nurse, look at my fucking finger! I AM HER FUCKING HUSBAND YOU ROBOTIC SOUNDING WHITE COAT WEARING MONOTONE SPEAKING BALNKETY BLANK. Of course I really said in a confused soft voice “husband?”

The Dr. proceeds to not ask any questions. Proceeds to say how upset Beth is and that she should be committed. The Dr. stated “voluntary?” The intonation that she'd sign commitment papers otherwise. Now I am fully aware that the nurse did an eval. I am fully aware that the Dr, talked to her before I came back. I am fully aware that Beth has a file there from the outpatient program. But what were they aware of? Was the doctor aware that Beth was fairly together on the drive to the hospital. Was the Dr. aware that Beth even snickered at one of my offhanded jokes (they are never really funny). Was the Dr. aware that the reason Beth was crying was because the staff wanted to take her necklace for safety reasons. The necklace that has the pendant with Kathlyn's picture.  You can't take that from a grieving mother without some sort of reaction. Was the Dr. aware that Beth has a strong support system. The other Dr. asked, I hope he put it in the chart. I discussed with the other Dr. the first time we came how Beth's demeanor changed once inside the secure area. She was scared and embarrassed, it is an intimidating place. This Dr. didn't give me a chance. So much for women professionals having more empathy and better communication skills. FUCK.

So the nightmare for my loyal, caring, and childlike (in a good way) wife continued. They inform us that the treatment wing is full. She has to go to the observation area until they find her a room. Um great. This is where we take the “unstables” in my profession. Beth told me today how she was in a 6*6 room. How she was scolded for sitting on the floor and spelling Kathlyn's name with tissues. She was fucking bored your moron. Someone with a high IQ is not gonna sit in a empty room and not find something to do. Double the fact that Beth likes to write Kathlyn's name wherever she is. It is a sweet thing. READ THE FUCKING CHART.....GRIEVING MOTHER....... YOU FUCKSTICK.

Sidenote:
If you really want to find out how much I care a bout a person. Do them wrong! I am a protector by nature. When I am half way up your asshole ripping your tongue out though your large intestines you may call that a CLUE.

Anyway. She never saw a Dr. for more than one minute. They were so busy dealing with a raging patient in the observation area she got no attention at all. She finally made it to treatment today. I hope that this area affords her more attention and care and treatment for her depression.

I am not completely raging against this facility. This is a joint public private hospital that has to deal with so many unstable “unhelpable” people amongst the “real” patients who need real help. It becomes a mill. Pushing people and meds through. The staff can become bitter and complacent not actually knowing how to deal with a patient with an acute situation and separate them from the unstable chronic “crazies” that may be lost forever.

I wish I was given a chance to find a more appropriate place to take her. I wasn't. She is dealing with an acute situation in our lives. The pain will be forever, the overwhelming sadness won't. She has been made to feel abandoned, embarrassed and scared in one short day in the observation area. I pray the treatment area is better or we will have to get her out.  I happen to know a few legal people, duh. This cannot be how we treat people who need help. I recognize some people are beyond it. We cannot lump them all together. On the battlefield they do triage to determine who is beyond help and who needs it. You cannot tell me they cannot attain that in a behavioral health hospital.

On a side note just to make you (the reader, you can already figure my stance) feel even better about Psychiatrists. Beth has been seeing one to control her meds since she left the three week outpatient program and before our current nightmare. I will say again the outpatient program was excellent for her. So apparently outpatient at the hospital good, inpatient bad. Anyway, I digressed, this Dr. said to her that they treat all depression the same. No matter JUST chemical imbalance or life event triggered. He has the name of a famous football coach, but apparently is not a good talker or motivator. She said he is dry and spends only enough time to change meds. Doesn't care about anything else. WHAAAAT. So the mind is only a chemo-active computer we can control through meds. Hmmmmm emotions experiences have nothing to do with us??? I am sure a Psychologist would disagree....but hark they are not medical doctors just lousy PhD's.

Anyway, he may be right on the medication level, there is no different treatment. I accept that. If there is a change in chemistry the causation may not be totally relevant. Not totally. The bad part is his lack of personal skills and tact. Back to A and B way in the beginning. On her second appointment during their very brief time together he said to her, “Oh that's right you are the one that lost a baby?” WHAT WHAT!!!! Motherfucker you have her chart, try reading it! If you don't know how to read I hear Rosetta Stone is excellent. Habla Espanol????? So Two out of three of the Psychiatrists we dealt with have no skill with people and apparently view us as biochemical processors only. Hey I only have a B.S. In physiology so I am not a doctor. But my short four year degree taught me that we are more complicated than that. Hell a kid with an eight grade education could deduce that from plain observation. Observation, that first step in any scientific discovery. Seriously are these Doctors doing any observation of their patients?

So obviously I am not feeling a whole ton of confidence in our mental health approach in region. Specifically the medical side of it. We have had wonderful experiences with counselors and Psychologist (Remember mere PhD) and nurses with counseling masters degrees. I recommend finding a private institution avoid big public ones in this case. They have to put the unstable dangerous people somewhere, just not where the average patient should be. Other medical problems? Some of the best hospitals are large medical hospitals. Beth works for one. One of the largest and best Children's hospital in the region. Her love of Children and caring emotions that have lead to her current sadness at our loss, lead to great care there. It will lead to a great caring in our home too. I don't do well at giving up. So we will succeed. This will all be a memory. Perhaps even the Psychiatrists of America will forgive me someday.