Sunday, February 24, 2008

The Truth

Thank you for the strong response to the previous question.

Some of you were a bit off track while some of you were right on target!!

It is very troubling to know that people still believe that its only those who suffer from schizophrenia, personality disorders, suicidal thoughts, and emotionally "unstable" people need to go see a psychologist, or that only those who have no family or friends to solve their problems will benefit from therapy (or "counseling" to reduce the negative connotation that the word therapy holds).

Some responses also suggested that the common belief is that the psychologist will solve your problems or will be the "know-all". This response is inaccurate, sadly. And also puts us on a pedestal. We do not do much hand-holding. We provide all the support that we can in helping you come to a decision when facing a conflict or putting light on the pros and cons of the solutions to your problems. However, we do not do the work for you. In therapy, you have to work hard yourself!!

Here is a list of some of the problems that I have helped people with in recent times.

Helping my client...

  • Figure out if he is gay or straight.
  • Build social skills to maintain a romantic relationship.
  • Get over her grandmother's loss to death.
  • Maintain a healthy lifestyle to increase her weight.
  • Build her low self-esteem.
  • Get over her addiction to eating toilet paper.
  • Manage her ADHD.
  • Get over his panic attacks.
  • With his academic problems including poor motivation.
  • Fight his suicidal thoughts and overcome them.
  • Have a smooth transition into college from high school.
  • Deal with homesickness.
  • Resolve family conflicts and improve familial relationships.
  • Rebuild trust after having been cheated on.
  • Connect to the community resources such as the doctor's office after fearing he had contracted an STD.
  • Adjust to the United States

And many many more......................including feelings of sadness, guilt, overwhelming anxiety, phobia, job-related stress, post-traumatic stress, alcohol addiction....

Of all the people above, no one can be labeled crazy or mentally unstable, at least not in American terms. But I am sure in India they will be. And plus, the stereotype that I get to hear everytime I tell people about my profession is

"Oh you will make a lot of money. People in America are crazy".

Of all the problems listed above, how many can you identify with? I am sure, at least one.
Let's be fair. If the people listed above are crazy, are you not one of them too?

48 comments:

Neetal said...

Well Said !

badshah khan said...

I guess might need the presription for this "Maintain a healthy lifestyle to increase her weight."

Tuhin said...

Hmm..like this post! Impressed with the range of problems you've helped people with.

"Build social skills to maintain a romantic relationship"

That reminds me of Col. Julius Nagendranath Wilfred Singh of Choti Si Baat! You need to watch that movie, if you haven't! No, nothing to do with Psychology. Just sheer fun.

Solitaire said...

@ neeku, thank u!

@ badshah, you need a lot many other prescriptions too..we both know it. ;)

@ tuhin, I love chhoti si baat!!!

Keshi said...

beautifuk eye-opening answer! Loved it.

btw if u wanna 'model' up urself (just for fun) go to:

http://www.magmypic.com/

:)

Keshi.

Anonymous said...

Maintain a healthy lifestyle to decrease her weight.
Build her low self-esteem.

and maybe others.. too!

there are certain problems that I cant talk about too. Even If I have friends I guess who will help.

But then I think I have fought.. and won.. and am fine.

No people in India are as crazy and maybe crazier than people their.

and hell I have no idea.. hw u do it! darn yur job is so difficult

Satish Bolla said...

I was a bit late in reading your earlier post. By the time, I reached this blog, you already wrote this post. Anyways, I can associate myself with only of those you listed: "Deal with homesickness". But this too is a rare thing. Maybe once every couple of months. thank God, I don't need to visit you!!!!

Sam said...

to think that with the cases you've citid above one should be termed crazy, then I'm afraid the speaker is in need of psychiatric help... jokes apart!! well put...

Cinderella said...

My elder sis is a Psychiatrist (hope I spelled that right, eh ?)...
I have always been a keen listener to all her case histories, the books she follows, the questionnaires, the pictures et all...so much so I happen to know quite some clinical terms that she uses in her everyday life, and tease her with them..he he !!!
So I totally understand what you're saying here.
People do think that a psychiatrist can solve all your probs and everyone who goes to one is mad...shuchks !!
I'll share one family thing here. An uncle of mine, suddenly stopeed talking his normal way at the age of 17-18. His masculine voice dropped to a mere girly squeaky tone, his rather energetic demeanour changed to a very lethargic one. No one could make out why. We wanted him to visit a psychiatrist, but he got angry saying he wasnt mad so why should he visit one ??!!
His voice is the same till date, though everything else is totally fine with him. To this day I, and many others get confused with he answers the phone.
If only he would have done something about it when he could have, without thinking people will dub him "mad"...maybe things wouldnt have been this way.

Such is life...

aneri_masi said...

I understand the seriousness of this post, but was totally shocked that someone was addicted to eating toilet paper! Won't ask you to go into details (i guess you can't) but, well, my jaw is still somewhere on the floor!

IncorrigibleV said...

i maybe wanted to talk about just one or two of those things at some point in my life...
but i'll say this, really well written post.

Solitaire said...

@ Keshi, thanks!! I would love to see what I look like. But will be nowhere as close to your hot pics!

@ Veens, glad to know that you were able to fight it. The people that I see have fought for so long and therefore, lose all hope. We help instill hope in them. It is hard, but in the end very satisfying. I would prefer that than to program all day on the computer (no offense to computer programmers, just not my kinda job.

@ Satish, this is just 1% of the entire list of problems one can encounter. It is better to be aware of what can exist rather than to be in denial that all is rosy.

Solitaire said...

@ Sam, that would include most speakers (including Indians) who generalize that anyone who needs a psychologist (irrespective of their problem) is MAD.

@ Cinderella, perfect spelling! Thank you for sharing personal experiences about a family member. It helps the reader to understand that someone who needs a psychologist may be one amongst us.

Solitaire said...

@ Aneri, I cannot stop laughing after reading your post. I was totally confused though, when the girl came and told me of her problem. Never knew such a thing existed. Its called PICA. Look it up.

@ Vandita, just one or two thing is enough to find some support in a professional. You need not experience ten things at one time.

Gunjan Aylawadi said...

can i say i identify with none of those!!??
is dat a disorder?

Sweetstickychewy said...

I admire your profession.:)

And wow..i can sure identify with some of ya listings.:)

Thanks for sharing Solitaire.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the info!

RADhika said...

hey, very elaborated answer.. :) thanks for the same.. oh and did my comment at least come near to the answer?

gypsy said...

the last line says it all....

the very same thot came into my mind when in class 12th-bi lecture, we read abt these 12 symptoms said to be found in crazy people....

and I had stood and said to the teacher-'ma'am i guess i have 6 outta them and I am sure all of the others at least have one, so that makes all of us crazy'....

Everyone was starin me and my teacher after a minute said, sit down neha....

Solitaire said...

@ Gunj..maybe it is! It is called DENIAL! Jokes apart, this is an abbreviated list. The number of disorders that exist are in a book that is even bigger than the dictionary.

@ Sweetstickychewy, thanks!!

@ Alok, you are welcome!

@ Radhika, I have to go back and look? What do you think?

@ D sinner, wow that was quite honest and brave on your part to say that. I admire your courage to put yourself in a position where people can call you "crazy".

Pavi!!!! said...

oh yes yes yes..all of us have a "loony" inside of us. I have said that before..rite?

n yeah..sure ur profession must be so rewarding! Good Luck...am sure the hard work will pay off.

Pavi!!!! said...

Rgdg the poll Q about TZP kid : I feel Yes, the kid should visit a psychologist...not coz "who else can help him" but coz it must be difficult growing up 'coz hes different n he needs someone who'll teach him to live as a pat of the society.

PS: What is the right ans to this Q in ur head?

Solitaire said...

@ Pavi, I hope it does. thanks! The right answer to the poll will come in the form of a post!

Sam said...

let them be!!!

Solitaire said...

??????????

Lukkydivs said...

sneha di, i need u so much!!

aneri_masi said...

Forgot to answer your question about how many I can identify with: 2
One is ADD (I guess its not ADHD with me), which is probably why I did not read the post till the end and jumped right into putting in my comment.

Other is low self-esteem. Is this one of the more common things you see?

aneri_masi said...

I looked up PICA, and found this picture! Huh! Wow! OMG! Oh boy!
The caption on the pic was:
Stomach contents of an inmate with PICA:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/03/Glore_Stomach_Display.jpg

Rho Tau GWIS said...

Thanks for sharing this solitaire!

I recently saw this movie 'Bhool Bhulaiya'...Have you seen it? Anyways, the picture they paint of a psychiatrist (or psychologist..can't remember which one it was), is sooooo wrong!!! Not only that, they claim to show a person with dissociative personality disorder...again totally wrong in my opinion. No wonder so many people have such misconceptions about the psych pros (sorry,,, i'm to lazy to spell out both the words again).

badshah khan said...

then start with the therapy ....

Keshi said...

o dun say that...is that YOU in this profile pic? if so I THINK UR SMOKIN HOT!

Keshi.

ceedy said...

thanks for sharing.....

can you treat me?

The Furobiker said...

i also have one..
i think i am a bit crazy and people agree with that.. but no one takes me to a psycologist :(

Anonymous said...

Thats the whole point, I might just go crazy, because all problems in the world.. end up to be my problems.. and I can't stay dettached either... well computers don't have brains// and u dnt get attached to them either ;)

see 2 diffr people with 2 diffr perspectives!

I know my job is not satisfying, I wanted to be a teacher too.. but then they dnt take kiddish people to teach kids these dayzz! :)

cruiser said...

its like saying ...everyone who blogs is a nerd :D

so do psychologits self-counsel in crisis..or shud i say... do they have one?..and wat do u do?

Solitaire said...

@ Divya, why????

@ Aneri, ADD and low self-esteem, VERY COMMON problems!Oh and btw, I wont look the picture up. I am sure there is something gory in there.

@ Carolinagal, oh ya!! Good movie for awareness but so many things just haywire in there. What else to expect from Bollywood?

@ Badshah, I am not doing any therapy for free.

Solitaire said...

@ Keshi, thanks! :) Not as hot as you!

@ Ceedy, unfortunately not! What is the issue anyway?

@ abhishek, are you a kid? If no, then walk to a psychologist yourself!

@ Veens, trust me! You would be trained enough to not make everyone's problem your problem.

@ Cruiser, don't you think it would be a stretch to think that we counsel ourselves in crisis? We are mere humans, not magicians.

cruiser said...

actually ...i wasnt asking whether a doctor wud perform surgery on himself....it was more like ...wud he prescribe himself

ceedy said...

I wish I knew why everyone around calles me Crazy...that is the core issue

Solitaire said...

@ Cruiser, I just spoke to a doctor yesterday and he said that even though he could prescribe morphin to himself, it would not be ethical and would be looked down upon. However, I think things will be looked at differently in another country.

@ Ceedy, they say the same about me too.

ceedy said...

So I guess then we are NORMAL :)...
dimag par thi bahu moto bhoj hati gayo.....

w/o consultation you did help :)

Solitaire said...

@ Ceedy, oy! That was consultation! Its called "normalizing". You still owe me a LOT of money. Maybe some day you can play all those roles for me that you mentioned in my latest post.

ceedy said...

I knew it was coming.....

damn I will have to dedicate one Credit Card just for you...

sure....someday

cruiser said...

i seriously doubt if u got the analogy between doctor and psychologist

yeah..cud understand that...coz its tough keeping track of so many conversations at once

p.s. wats ur age?

Solitaire said...

@ Cruiser, I am 16. But how does that matter?

cruiser said...

lol....thrs a 'p.s.' for nothing?

i really did ask ur age....

i cud counsel u online if u dont mind ...for pessimism...negative thinking...lol....that too free of charge :P

Solitaire said...

@ Cruiser, thanks but no thanks.

Pavi!!!! said...

Q for u sneha.. As a professional do u think crying actually helps to get over/handle some aches?
Also if a person has not been able to cry for last 12 yrs or more..do u think they shld seek help from a professional?