| As a physician specializing in psychiatry, I know that | | | | Gets," is also caused by a chemical imbalance. |
| many emotional conditions such as depression and | | | | Medications were used to help treat the "Obsessive |
| anxiety disorders are true medical illnesses with a | | | | Compulsive" character being played by Nicholson. |
| biologic (physical) origin. Psychiatry has become more | | | | Many psychiatric illnesses are not "mental" or |
| and more "biological" in its diagnosis and treatment | | | | "emotional," but are now understood to be |
| approaches during recent years, but a very significant | | | | "neurochemical illnesses". |
| stigma still exists against those who are seeing a | | | | Many people are told, "You can do this on your own, |
| therapist. This has become increasingly difficult to | | | | be strong," as if a person can easily will themselves |
| understand, but it is a social stigma that is so very | | | | out of depression or anxiety. Can someone "Be |
| important to eliminate. | | | | Strong" and make their diabetes or bronchitis just go |
| Why does an embarrassment or stigma still exist | | | | away? These types of suggestions only result in a |
| associated with those who are seeking psychiatric | | | | delay in seeking treatment or feelings of failure in the |
| treatment? Why do people wait so long before come | | | | individual who finally does seek help. The stigma of |
| for help - to the point of becoming nearly | | | | psychiatric treatment also leads many people to seek |
| non-functional with their families, children and work | | | | help at the health food store, or other types of |
| environment? | | | | self-diagnosis and self-medications. |
| First, many people have a picture in their mind of | | | | Men in particular have to overcome an additional |
| movies in which psychiatrists are ineffective listeners | | | | obstacle. It may seem "Un-Macho Like" to seek |
| of problems of patients who are lying on | | | | professional psychiatric help when one fails to |
| psychoanalytic couches. It is important to remember | | | | understand or see their condition as an illness, and |
| that psychoanalysis preceded our modern treatment | | | | instead view it as a weakness in their character. Thus, |
| approaches which now have a much higher success | | | | injury to a man's ego often contributes to their long |
| rate. We currently have many safe and effective | | | | delays in seeking treatment. |
| medications, which when used with or without | | | | My hope is that the shame and secrecy associated |
| psychotherapy, help many people fully recover. | | | | with obtaining professional psychiatric help will gradually |
| Another reason for the stigma is in the use of the | | | | diminish and eventually cease to exist. If we |
| term "mental illness". The field of psychiatry has | | | | understand how the social stigma was established in |
| undergone many changes in the past twenty years. | | | | the first place - the media lack of medical knowledge, |
| Research into the functioning of the brain and nervous | | | | societies' understanding or ignorance, etc., then we |
| system has led to the concept of a "chemical | | | | should realize there is no need to "stay in the closet." |
| imbalance" as the cause of illnesses such as Major | | | | Let's wipe out the term "mental illness" and view many |
| Depression and Panic Attacks. In addition, Obsessive | | | | of these conditions as "neurochemical illness," with the |
| Compulsive Disorder, a condition portrayed so well by | | | | same non-prejudicial attitude as we do toward |
| Jack Nicholson in the 1997 movie "As Good As It | | | | diseases such as diabetes or hypertension. |