Posts by Michelle Evans

Rebecca Scott3 said:...maybe that's supposed to be part of the job...but some people just don't have what it takes to do it right...besides...if someone is a client and they're paying top dollar for therapy...and we're talking $240 for a 50-minute session...that is definitely not pocket change...so surely the client has a right to not be treated by someone who's chauvinistic, racist, sexist, or just lacks the awareness to see how problematic that behavior is...

...and honestly, I'm curious how a narcissistic therapist is supposed to help anyone...other than helping themselves dig themselves out of a hole...
......and no...it isn't right that a client has to pay through several hours of therapy just to realize that their therapist can't actually help them because of religious, nationalistic, or whatever other prejudices they hold...while still being able to reach right into the client's pocket for cash...
....it's like when you order dinner at a restaurant and they serve you stale bread with a side of spoiled butter....and then when you complain...they tell you...fine...you can go eat at a different restaurant...but you still have to pay for the meal you just had...
.....

That's exactly why supervision exists.

redharbor9 said:I bet they’d want a blood test next, and let's not forget about equipment size for the male therapists, obviously.😍

A shoe, I assume. 😬

driftinggull21 said:Yeah, right.🤣 As if we should just hand over our Social Security numbers too.🙄
A psychotherapist is entitled to their own personal views and opinions, but within the office, they must remain professional and objective. Anyone dissatisfied with their therapist is free to find another.

I was actually just starting to type this exact thought, but you beat me to it. 😁

The issues raised here—like whether a religious therapist who views homosexuality as a sin can truly connect with an LGBTQ+ client, or if a traditionalist therapist who believes in patriarchal marriage roles can effectively help a woman struggling in that dynamic—usually become clear pretty quickly through the process. It’s often a matter of seeing if the clinician can set aside their own biases. A client will likely realize quite soon if their therapist can't rise above their personal convictions, even without being handed a manifesto on day one.

If the fit isn't right, there are plenty of other therapists out there. There's no such thing as "the only one."
The same goes for the professionals. If a therapist realizes they aren't equipped to work with a specific individual, there's no shortage of other clients waiting for someone who is a better match. They certainly won't be out of work.

Rebecca Scott3 said:....When I say that a client deserves to know certain things about their therapist, I’m not suggesting they should go on some interrogation mission to dig up private details.... what I mean is that this kind of information should be legally required and fully transparent. A person has a right to know exactly who is providing their care....
.....
....I've personally heard about instances where a psychologist grills a client about their ethnic background..... or even cases where a practitioner holds deep-seated prejudices against certain nationalities in their private life..... do you honestly believe someone like that can remain completely impartial and provide professional, unbiased support?
.....
....And think about this: do we really believe that people who graduated from religious universities and hold strict religious views—views that might label homosexuality as a sin—can truly offer sincere empathy to an LGBTQ+ individual?.....
...Or take a believer who sees women as being inherently submissive to their husbands, someone who thinks a woman should always prioritize her husband's interests over her own.... how is a therapist with those convictions supposed to understand a woman struggling with a marriage where she refuses to be patriarchal, or one who has chosen to leave such a marriage behind?.....
.....
....I'm especially curious about your thoughts on whether a client has a right to know if their therapist is superstitious..... you know, someone who believes in ghosts, bad karma, or all that stuff.....
....

I find this whole argument completely pointless.

Quincy:

...after all... do you think a client has the right to know who is supposed to be helping them?......

I just need to know if the person assisting me is capable of forming a therapeutic bond once I share my issues (and I expect honesty about that), and whether they can recognize when their own biases interfere with their work, such as through regular supervision.

Based on my past experiences with two different therapists, that’s more than enough for me...

Justin Fisher said:yeah, that makes total sense 😁
actually, I was wondering more about how to even act when they get stuck in one of those "loops," you know? Like, when I can't even follow what they're saying anymore—should I just let them ride it out, or should I try to pull them back to reality?
I mean, I know his illness isn't my responsibility or anything, but I've never actually been close to someone living with schizophrenia, so I'm just trying to figure out the best way to handle it if he starts getting 🤷

As long as they aren't in an acute psychotic state, you can try to redirect them. (I assume they aren't, otherwise they'd be under intensive clinical care)

I’ve actually received three different pieces of advice from three separate doctors on this exact issue.
One suggested ignoring it entirely, the second said to correct them, and the third recommended a mix of both—ignore it while they're in an acute phase because nothing else will work, then step in to correct once the medication kicks in. It really depends on the situation, though. I tend to follow that third approach most often.
You'll eventually learn how they react to it, so just adapt as you go.

Generally speaking, when someone's treatment is working well, they participate in social life just like anyone else. I haven't noticed much of a behavioral difference compared to how they were before the diagnosis. So, it's probably best to just treat them as you normally would, as if you didn't even know they were dealing with schizophrenia...

dustytrucker02 said:No, because they can just claim they don't trust my own psychiatrist's assessment.

The most frustrating part is that I am more than capable of working. I love interacting with people, I'm responsible, and I've never had a single complaint about my performance. I haven't even taken a single day of sick leave or vacation yet. But obviously, that doesn't matter here.🙄
For the record, the job was at a retail gallery.

I certainly didn't think we were talking about being a fighter pilot in the Air Force.
Those were just examples of how incompetence can manifest while on medication, though those involve much more high-stakes professions...

dustytrucker02 said:I don't think it matters whether the psychiatrist is in private practice or not. As far as I know, all the prescriptions come through your primary care physician anyway. Even though my GP is incredibly kind and wrote the certification as leniently as possible, that "F" still screams off the page.

Private doctors issue prescriptions just like anyone else, so you can pick up your meds at any pharmacy. The real difference is that you're paying the full retail price instead of getting an insurance co-pay. Usually, people go that route if they want to keep things off their official medical record and have the extra cash to spare...

A primary care physician will write the prescription based on a specialist's findings if you'd rather not pay the full out-of-pocket cost.

Is there really no way for a general practitioner to provide a certification based on a specialist's recommendation? Calling it "we don't have that specialist" sounds like a pretty ridiculous excuse...🙄

how am I considered unfit for work if I have a condition that I manage with regular medication? That can't possibly be legal...

You can definitely be deemed unable to work due to certain diagnoses regardless of your treatment plan—whether it's psychiatric or physical—depending entirely on the nature of the job. For instance, someone with epilepsy shouldn't be driving a truck, or a recovering alcoholic shouldn't be in air traffic control...
I assume your specific situation doesn't involve those kinds of high-stakes roles, but just for the sake of clarity, it is possible...

Dana Alvarez said:Fair enough, but if those intrusive thoughts are constant, I guess what I'm really wondering is how you actually tell the difference?

Someone in psychosis is convinced they see a demon because, to them, it is a physical reality.
Someone dealing with an anxiety disorder and intrusive thoughts doesn't actually see anything; they are simply terrified that they might. That’s the distinction.

It seems to me that the fear of developing schizophrenia—or other chronic illnesses—is quite common among people with anxiety.🤷 We've had entire threads about this on the forum, and I know several people in real life who feel the same way...

I’m throwing in the towel, too. I’m not treating myself for schizophrenia; I’m just exploring mysticism and research. What I wrote isn't a fabrication, but rather an interpretation of spiritual texts. We'll never help heal this planet while we remain this cruel. So many people are disconnected from the world and broken by medication. They've even turned away from Jesus because he brought the truth. Psychiatrists refuse to believe true healing is possible. Once someone is labeled, they're marked forever. It's shameful...

The only "enlightenment" a person with schizophrenia can truly experience is realizing they are ill. That they don't possess some hidden "truth," weren't chosen by space, and aren't blessed with special insights. And usually, that realization only comes once therapy actually starts working.

Real cruelty is encouraging them to skip treatment and giving them room to spiral into their delusions. Not the other way around...
Anyone who has ever cared for someone in that position, or spoken with those in clinical care, knows how difficult this is. It’s hard to accept, and sometimes family members hold onto the hope that the person is somehow special, or a mystic... I've seen that happen before.

Believe it or not, there is no more satisfied doctor than a psychiatrist whose patient never slips back into psychosis again.

Dana Kim4 said:Yeah, I mean, I totally get where you're coming from—dwelling on it doesn't help anyone—but sometimes it’s just really hard to move past all the crap people have thrown at you throughout your life.😢

It’s only natural to feel angry and hurt...
Some things just stay with you...
The only way forward is to try and break out of that cycle of negativity. It takes time to heal... some people manage on their own, while others need a little help to get there...

Dana Kim4 said:And why shouldn't this matter—really? I mean, we’re talking about our actual feelings, our health, and our lives here. The people who might actually be responsible for all this—as Dana Kim4 points out—are just out there living their lives, totally unbothered. Meanwhile, we’re the ones dealing with the fallout, getting sick and suffering because of the choices they made toward us. Honestly, I don't see any reason why this shouldn't matter to us, or why it shouldn't mean everything.

The question wasn't actually directed at me, but I'll weigh in anyway:
Blaming others and holding onto resentment won't lead to healing or a better life. It actually does the opposite...

Anthony Torres102 said:Do you think other people are responsible for our mental state, or are we the ones to blame for everything going wrong in our lives?

Maybe if we had just walked away from certain people sooner, we’d actually be living better, more fulfilling lives right now. We wouldn't be stuck dealing with depression or carrying around these heavy mental health struggles that eventually spiral into actual physical illness...

It’s a common pattern: once someone gets sick, everyone around them starts pointing fingers, acting like it’s their own fault. People rarely stop to ask about the environment that person was living in or the sheer amount of trauma they endured before finally hitting a breaking point.

So, who is actually at fault?

What’s your take? How much of your current situation or your illness do you attribute to the people around you?

Jessica Chavez4 said:And why on earth should blame and responsibility be treated as the same thing? Someone might be at fault for what happened to you during your childhood, sure, but once you're an adult, the responsibility falls on you to fix it... 🤷

To build on that—searching for someone to blame, whether it's yourself or someone else, is usually counterproductive. It rarely leads anywhere useful. Often, it just becomes a way to adopt a victim mentality, an excuse to avoid taking charge of one's own life, or even a form of self-punishment... depending entirely on where a person decides the "guilt" lies.

Physiognomy? It’s about as scientific as reading tea leaves...

Kimberly Ward said:What does "susp..." actually mean?

It means suspicion of... something.

Chloe Martin93 said:regarding what's considered unattractive 😢

😕
It's just part of your anatomy. Just like it is for most people...

Sophia Gonzalez79 said:I honestly don't know if I'm the only one... I've never judged anyone else for it, nor have I heard anyone complain...

If this is what Nicholas Myers is referring to, then we're talking about something incredibly common—supposedly affecting about 80% of the population. It can show up anywhere, like the genital area or even around the nipples...

For me, it's mostly just a cosmetic issue...

It's purely an aesthetic concern for me too. And usually, there's no need to treat it...

Standard dermatological literature doesn't suggest any specific treatment—neither topical creams nor physical procedures—since it isn't considered necessary. Some mention Vitamin A-based creams to reduce volume and sebum production, or certain types of lasers for destruction. However, both Vitamin A treatments and laser therapy on sensitive skin, such as the labia, could potentially cause more harm than good...

link

Chloe Martin93 said:Is it actually possible that nobody else is bothered by this??

Maybe it's because it isn't really an issue, just a completely normal occurrence...🤷

Standard American dermatological literature doesn't recommend any specific treatment—neither topical creams nor physical therapies—since it isn't considered necessary.

link

urbanranger22 said:I decided to sign up for this forum yesterday because I’m feeling a bit stuck and could really use some guidance. Here’s my situation:
About two years ago, I had an accident involving some broken glass that ended up slicing through the tendon in my pinky finger. It seemed like such a minor injury at first—just three little puncture wounds—but things went downhill quickly. When I went to the ER, they attempted to repair the severed tendon on the spot, but they weren't successful, and they actually ended up making a larger incision in the process. A month later, I had to undergo surgery where they made a 12 cm incision on my hand to graft the ends together using synthetic tissue. Unfortunately, following the procedure, I found myself unable to make a fist or even straighten that little finger. I’ve been fighting with the finger through sheer willpower for months now, and while I finally managed to regain my grip strength after about half a year, the finger still doesn't move quite right. To be honest, I have a nagging suspicion that they might have pulled the tendon too tight during the repair, which messed up the mechanics. I'm wondering if there's anything that can be done at this stage regarding the tendon, and more importantly, who should I actually be seeing? I’m a bit hesitant to let anyone else start cutting into my hand if it isn't going to fix the underlying issue, so does anyone know the specific medical specialty that handles this kind of thing? Truly, friends, I would appreciate any thoughts you might have—whether it's a piece of advice or just a personal opinion, I'll take it. I really need some help here. Thanks in advance.

I’m no doctor, but when I had hand issues, this was the advice I got: if you're interested in rehab options, go see a physiatrist. If you're looking at surgery, you'll want to find a plastic and reconstructive surgeon...

ambermason16 said:Guys, what exactly is Lexus? I have this nagging feeling that I made a massive mistake when I accidentally swallowed one of them this morning... :i see dead people:

It looks just like my regular pills, so I didn't think twice before taking it, but my aunt pulled that e-reader out of the box and now she isn't even answering my texts to tell me what on earth it's actually for...

http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs...0-mg/usage/

No, this thread definitely wasn't started just to pitch Lysol. 🤣

It’s pretty funny how Fabian and Edward Hall (and even Lysol in that flu thread) make the exact same typos. 🤦
Makes you wonder... but I guess that's for the moderators to look into.

p.s. if I've got that wrong, my apologies : posipasepepelom: :klečinakuruzi: