bipolar disorder depression forum
Do you think a person with psychiatric disorder can understand others with psychiatric disorder better ?
I strongly feel so. May not be necessarily in all cases, but at least for those with Bipolar disorder, Depression, Anxiety, Phobia I have experienced this. Not only that, when they are cured, or when there is phase of absence of symptoms, they can informally help the patients either by working with psychiatrists , or by answering their questions in forums etc. This may sound exaggeration but sometimes I feel they can do better counseling than the experienced and trained counselor! What do you think?
Oh, I think so, absolutely. a psychiatrist or a counselor can never say they’ve been there, because if they had severe mental illness, they probably wouldn’t be holding down a professional job anymore (except in rare cases). Psychiatrists really are there only to help you adjust your meds, and counselors can help teach you techniques, like breathing, and meditation, and cognitive behavioral therapy, but other people with psychiatric disorders can offer understanding, something you can’t get anywhere else. Even my own husband was more understanding about my knee I twisted badly last week (and it still hurts) than he is about my life-threatening bipolar. Well, he used to be a football player, and has had other injuries, so he understands that, he has never had depression like I get it (ok, it is mixed moods).
Sometimes other psychiatric patients tell other people what to do about their meds, though, even tell people who have bipolar or schizophrenia to go off their meds, and that can be dangerous. So that’s my misgiving about it. And some patients have substance abuse problems or personality disorders and victimize other patients – I helped run a drop in center for awhile, and this one guy made incest jokes all the time, because he knew I was a sex abuse victim. He did it on purpose – some sick thing in him, he needed to stir the pot.
Mostly, I think it is great when people who have psych problems help out other people with the same problems. You know what doctors and counselors are good, what help is available, etc. & are more understanding.
Bipolar Disorder and me
