| As a physician specializing in psychiatry, I know | | | | psychoanalysis preceded our modern treatment |
| that many emotional conditions such as | | | | approaches which now have a much higher |
| depression and anxiety disorders are true medical | | | | success rate. We currently have many safe and |
| illnesses with a biologic (physical) origin. Psychiatry | | | | effective medications, which when used with or |
| has become more and more "biological" in its | | | | without psychotherapy, help many people fully |
| diagnosis and treatment approaches during recent | | | | recover.Another reason for the stigma is in the |
| years, but a very significant stigma still exists | | | | use of the term "mental illness". The field of |
| against those who are seeing a therapist. This has | | | | psychiatry has undergone many changes in the |
| become increasingly difficult to understand, but it | | | | past twenty years. Research into the functioning |
| is a social stigma that is so very important to | | | | of the brain and nervous system has led to the |
| eliminate.Why does an embarrassment or stigma | | | | concept of a "chemical imbalance" as the cause of |
| still exist associated with those who are seeking | | | | illnesses such as Major Depression and Panic |
| psychiatric treatment? Why do people wait so | | | | Attacks. In addition, Obsessive Compulsive |
| long before come for help - to the point of | | | | Disorder, a condition portrayed so well by Jack |
| becoming nearly non-functional with their families, | | | | Nicholson in the 1997 movie "As Good As It |
| children and work environment?First, many people | | | | Gets," is also caused by a chemical imbalance. |
| have a picture in their mind of movies in which | | | | Medications were used to help treat the |
| psychiatrists are ineffective listeners of problems | | | | "Obsessive Compulsive" character being played by |
| of patients who are lying on psychoanalytic | | | | Nicholson. |
| couches. It is important to remember that | | | | |