Getting It Right In Psychiatry

Psychiatry is a science. It's not perfect and not one size fits all. It requires doctors and patients to work together. Just as we would expect out of any other doctor/patient relationship, both parties must be absolutely transparent. If a doctor doesn't know what is going on inside of the patient, they won't be able to help the patient. If a doctor is not transparent about the therapy, they are then misleading their patients.

When I hear about someone that has taken their own life and they suffered from a mental illness, I can't help but wonder if the patient and doctor were totally transparent. Did the doctor discuss with the patient the side effects of the medication? Was the patient totally transparent about how they were feeling. As a patient, you can become comfortable with the pain and just not bother saying anything about something being wrong. This can possibly lead to fatal results.

As someone that suffers from depression and anxiety, I have both a responsibility and an obligation to myself to be open and honest with my doctors. If I'm not, There could be serious consequences. As a patient, you owe it to yourself to be transparent with your doctor. Failure to do so can do yourself more harm than good. If you have to, make some notes before you go to the doctor. When put on the spot with the question of: "How have you been doing" our brain is prone to freezing up and we forget to tell the doctor what is wrong.

The possible lack of transparency I believe has caused psychiatry to get a bad image. There are people who think that the same people that are here to help are the same people that are actually going to kill you with the drug therapy that they apply. I personally feel that when there is no longer proper communication between the patient and the doctor, that's when a problem will come about. Patients also need to understand that it falls on their shoulders to take action to help themselves when it is necessary and not wait. Putting it off won't do you any good.