Electronic Health Reporter

Seeing a psychiatrist doesn’t have to be difficult, challenging, nor scary. Or, maybe you’ve been told myths about how seeing these mental healthcare providers isn’t going to help you or that they aren’t going to know how to help you or approach you with care, kindness, and compassion.

The reasons to see a psychiatrist are many, and being an anti-psychiatrist does you a lot of harm in the long run. The most prominent myths about psychiatrists’ care can be detrimental to one’s mental health and lead to an individual’s harm. The following are some of the most dangerous myths about care from a psychiatrist.

My Primary Care Physician Handles All of My Care

Individuals suffering from a mental health disorder often think they can rely solely on their primary care provider for all of their medical needs. Still, mental health is a specialty care area that requires advanced knowledge, training, and education beyond that which can be provided by a general practitioner. In other words, your regular doctor is not equipped to handle mental health issues.

When their patients require mental healthcare, general practitioners refer these patients to respected and qualified mental health professionals, which means a psychiatrist.

Only Weak People Need a Psychiatrist

Seeing a psychiatrist is not a sign of weakness, and the people treated by psychiatrists aren’t crazy. They have a mental disorder beyond their control and have nothing to do with being weak or strong. Likewise, people suffer various chemical imbalances that cause mental illnesses in their brains. This is a medical condition, not a weakness.

People See A Psychiatrist To “Sit On A Couch and Talk About Their Feelings”

This is one of the most common misconceptions about psychiatrists exacerbated by movies and television and exaggerated tales from ages past. Unfortunately, while widely untrue, it’s one of the most popular misconceptions about psychiatry. Psychiatrists work to ensure the comfort of their patients. While this might be on a couch, it can range from a chair or a conversation between a table or even a walk-and-talk through a park. The objective is comfort – comfort for the patient and the psychiatrist.

Additionally, they’re not just going to talk about your feelings or your childhood. They want to understand things their patients encounter and the nuances of their lives. They work to discover challenges and pains their patients face, including talking about a patient’s childhood and feelings.

I’m Not That Much of a Talker

Some people think they can’t see a psychiatrist because they don’t think they have much to talk about, or they think it won’t do them any good because they don’t like talking. They want you to focus on different things, and you probably won’t notice how much time passes because this will be an open and free area for you to talk about everything that bothers you or that might seem strange to you in your own life.

Psychiatrists Do Nothing Prescribe Pills To Patients

Psychiatrists prescribe too much medication rather than getting to the heart of the matter or trying to understand what’s bothering me. That’s a common, dangerous myth. Psychiatrists only prescribe medications when they know that they can help, in conjunction with the mental health help they’re going to give you. Instead, they should be focused more on how they can talk to you rather than how they can medicate you.

Prescribed Medication Changes Who I Am

While it’s true that any medication can make you feel different, but if they are needed, those medications are only offered to help you be your optimal self. They help you think that you can react appropriately in given situations and only prescribe meds if you need them. Many people don’t need medications while they’re going through therapy.

Psychiatrists Are Fake Doctors

Some psychiatrists out there are better than others, but far more psychiatrists want to help. They spend years in school and training to ensure that they can provide you with the level of help you need.

Based On Previous Experience, Psychiatrists Don’t Work For Me

It’s possible that the psychiatrist that you saw wasn’t the right match for you, or there’s a chance they were not a fit for your specific condition. There’s also a chance that you did not submit to the process to ensure the most significant benefit of the treatment. The relationship with your psychiatrist is only as good as you allow it to be. If you believe this myth, there’s a good chance you weren’t ready to take that step into psychiatric help. Don’t let one bad experience affect your entire opinion.

While common, most of the myths perpetuated about psychiatrists and psychiatric care are based on ignorance, and the loud few’s poor experiences. Psychiatry is vitally important to your overall health. Believing these myths can be dangerous to your health. Plus, steering clear of these high-quality professionals can keep you from being the best you can be.