#BUT MOST CLINICIANS ARE FINE ACTUALLY

[weswardstars]

me: late text cuz I realize I conflated the epi-pen and insulin over-pricing scandals with the daraprim/martin shkreli scandal. lol, too many medical scandals to keep track of 🤪

mom: That's why imo many medical people are suspect. I'd rather burn out than get treatment for most things.

me: n...no........ the takeaway is capitalism is bad for medicine, not... not that doctors/medicine are bad????

[glimblshanks]

.

[gabrielsbubblegumbitch]

Please, elaborate more on these Hazbin Hotel headcanons. I’m very interested in hearing about them.

I would like to preface all my posts on headcanons related to psychology and mental illness with a disclaimer: diagnosing mental conditions, especially personality disorders, can be extremely challenging. It's a complicated process that relies heavily on a psychologist's interpretation of facts, making it susceptible to biases. Personality disorders cannot be diagnosed based on surface-level observations and are not just labels that we can assign to people like in the case of MBTI. Additionally, I am not a clinician with any expertise in diagnosing people. Therefore, the following post should not be taken as a reliable professional opinion. It's simply my interpretation of the internal mechanisms that may be responsible for the behavior of certain characters in my fan fiction. Furthermore, I want to make it clear that I have no intention of stigmatizing people with personality disorders by associating them with villains. A personality disorder does not determine someone's character or make them a bad person. Some characters may be evil because of the choices they make, not as a result of their mental conditions.

Since you didn't ask about anything specific, I'll just give some headcanons on Vs since I think about them the most.

> Vs are not a polycule, it's VoxVal + Velvette because she would never touch any of these losers. What's more, Vox and Val are extremely sexist (I mean it's kinda canon, we heard how they speak about women) so if she had sex with any (or both) of them, she would no longer be one of the boys and become one of the bitches.

> Vox has NPD, Val has BPD, Vel has APD.

> Vox is continuously overstimulated because he's constantly connected to his web. That's why snaps so easily and sometimes goes through 5 stages of grief in 5 seconds. He could disconnect (and sometimes he does) but he's too much of a control freak to not lurk constantly.

> During his life on earth, Valentino had a terrible, toxic father. Very much machismo who abused him relentlessly for being queer. (Not that I want to make him sympathetic, I just think that evil people are often miserable before they become evil.) Because Val is very queer, not just "man occasionally fucking other men", he's always been loud and proud pansexual and gender non-conforming. He wasn't some kind of activist, very concerned about queer issues, he just refused to stay in the closet out of spite, and because it made men around him uncomfortable. He just enjoyed being perceived as a deviant. It was one of the things that eventually got him killed.

> Vox is like a hardcore sadist. He cuts people open just to feel powerful.

> During his life on Earth, Vox used to be extremely homophobic because his bisexuality was threatening to his masculinity. He's also the embodiment of toxic white masculinity from the 50's. He actually did some personal growth in Hell, eg. He gave up racism, homophobia, transphobia, and most other -phobias, and now he despites everyone rather equally. He just bullies women more because misogynistic violence is a low-hanging fruit.

> So with Velvette I had some fun because she manifested in Hell not so long ago and happened to be as powerful as other Vs, who had much more experience and souls collected. So I assumed she must be completely deranged. I came up with the idea that she used to be a toxic influencer who built a cult-like following around her. She weaponized it against multiple people, ruining lives, and manipulating kids into committing crimes or even suicides. Her methods are very fine, Vox and Val have nothing on her when it comes to cruelty.

> Velvette is not misogynistic per se but she despises weak women who can't fight for themselves. That's why other Vs behavior don't bother her, she doesn't feel threatened by their aggression.

> Angel Dust has BPD and an eating disorder. That's why he fell for Valentino so terribly, to trust him with his soul. He used to think that Valentino is the only person fucked up enough to truly love him as damaged as he'd been. (More hc about Val and Angel here). Actually Val has a very similar backstory to him - a queer, gender non-conforming man in a very masculine environment (I'm not sure how canonic is Angel working for the Italian Mafia at this point but I stick to it until proven otherwise).

Other headcanos about Vox and Val ❤️🩵

[moonbearblue]

Most of you have a fundamental misunderstanding of how the OSDD diagnosis works.

I am starting to get really frustrated with the OSDD arguments stemming from the CDD stuff. This post isn't about that but I feel like most of you are parroting stuff about OSDD from other people online with little understanding of how the OSDD diagnoses actually work.

1. OSDD 1a and OSDD 1b literally do not exist. That is outdated terminology like using DDNOS or MPD. It is fine as a community term but stop acting like it is a real diagnostic term. The only time 1a and 1b were used was back when it was considered DDNOS.

2. Technically the numbered diagnosis doesn't necessarily exist either. A clinician can choose to use a numbered diagnosis like OSDD1 if they want to, to be faster but they don't have to. Also the numbers can be useful for some. But technically they are meant to write the exact reason they are diagnosing OSDD instead of another dissociative disorder all the way out. Like someones records could say : OSDD, mixed dissociative symptomology, alternations of identity, no amnesia reported. (I am not sure if thats exactly how it would be worded as I am not a clinician, I am making this post after talking to my psychologist for a bit about this all.)

4. "Examples," The numbers are only examples of presentations or suggestions for the clinician to use when specifying what OSDD presentation someone has. Technically the clinician could specify a whole different reason or presentation than the ones that are on here.

Just wanted to get this out for now. I would recommend reading the yellow box because it explains what I was talking about. (This is an excerpt specifically from the DSM 5TR)

I am going to come back and add a bunch more stuff tomorrow but I need to go to bed now.

-Z

Here is me adding a little more actually about the CDD thing.

A lot of you have a kind of narrow view of the OSDD category because of using the numbers. OSDD is meant to be an "other" category for literally any number of presentations of dissociative disorders that do not fit into the other diagnoses. The argument of what OSDD diagnosis fit into a CDD and what doesn't is kind of silly because it will vary on a case to case basis. Not every case will fit perfectly into the examples given in the DSM and two people who fit into a single number presentation may vary wildly in symptomology.

[system-of-a-feather]

Man is it insane how far we've come honestly. For context, we are working on an inpatient crisis unit as a "bachelors level clinician" with like a total of like 20-30 staff members (depending on if you count the admissions team as part of our unit) and save for the admissions team, all of my peers are people who have had at least 3 years in the behavioral health field, a lot of them having leadership positions in their roles before getting the job I have, and a lot of them having several years of experience in post-masters work and like... everyone is honest to god AMAZING individuals - like I have never been MORE confident in a group of people / coworkers / peers in a workspace than I have now.

The only issue is, the manager of the entire unit really uses toxic management tactics and frequently treats a lot of the staff like they are people filling slots rather than these amazing and experienced people who have dedicated years of work to specifically working with children with behavioral issues who are just trying to understand exactly how things will be done and are going to be done when we open up. And combining the general stress of being a brand new program with a lot of staff having literally just been onboarded within the past month or two and a lot of things still being up in the air with the toxic leadership, there is a LARGE atmosphere of tension, frustration, dissatisfaction and just anxiety / burn out despite almost everyone I've talked to very much agreeing that the overall company's work culture and policy is amazing and that basically every OTHER coworker is amazing and one of the main reasons they are staying despite each individual's mental health going down lately

Honestly, until recently, I've been doing okay, arguably really good cause I guess I'm just incredibly hard to stress out and I've really mastered a lot of the ACT DBT concepts that just allow me to really acknowledge whats in my circle of control and also feel confident in my ability to navigate situations as they come up with people that I feel confident and trust and all that. Recently though, a LOT of my peers are kind of boiling over with how poorly managed we are and how a lot of toxicity is thrown our way by our manager and it actually kind of managed to get me off my very calm and regulated pedestal a bit and I honestly had to reign my focus back in

But I've realized in a group of therapists, I'm kind of being the calming and recentering / reframing force to just kind of remind people that despite the person with most power being the most toxic and bringing the entire unit down, we have a work place that is like 95% made up of LITERALLY the best coworkers we've ever had and we all have a good working relationship with one another and we have a really good sense of supporting one another, so as far as things go, we can really decide what we want to make the atmosphere be and we all have a SHIT ton of experience in acknowledging and managing our emotional responses from our SHIT ton of experience previously.

Because at a certain point, venting our frustrations over and over and feeding one another's anxieties and angers is not going to really make us feel better even if it makes us feel not alone. We can acknowledge the frustration, issue, and stress of the emotional mind while also bringing in the problem solving and awareness of what the next steps are from the logical mind and progress forward in our wise mind to make decisions that best address the situation without causing as much riot around us. We can make a plan to properly, formally, and professionally air our grievances to the appropriate channels and work on that - in the meanwhile, we can just accept the feelings, accept what we cannot control, and commit to making the unit and work atmosphere what we want it to be with what we CAN control; ie the energy and support we bring to one another

Things will be fine and since I see we are all heated and stressed, lets go outside and UNIRONICALLY sit in the grass and engage in some mindfulness and remember that things are okay. Then when we come back from our days off, we can come back with a recentered and renewed intent and dedication to the reason we are here while the issues are sorted out over time.

And I'm honestly just like... kind of proud of the ability to de-escalate a group and get at least the majority of the people who were riling one another up back into a productive and forward facing mental place after I honestly noticed it was just stressing me out and disengaging for a moment.

But like, yesterday night, today and some of tomorrow are solely going to be for self care and listening to my body / mind, the next day will be dedicated to having fun and relaxing (not that the two are mutually exclusive as there is a lot of overlap, but those are the themes of the day).

But like man, I literally went from being 16 and having daily crisises and melting down and having DID / C-PTSD flaring out of control to being in my early 20s and being one of the people in a group of literal amazing and experienced therapists kind of reminding people of their resources, coping skills, and providing a really calming and productive energy to the group and I'm just.... like DAMN son.

It's also kind of wild because historically the Riku-brain has always been more of the toxic positivity end than not and its been known and memed about, but genuinely lately my peers have been complimenting me on my ability to both be really calm and positive and helping counterbalance a lot of stress and its just wild seeing the often-unhealthily positive energy redirected back into being this like... sustainable positive and helpful energy.

I'm honestly just like, I guess really happy to be able to do my part among a group of such fucking AMAZING, skilled and experienced people because honestly, I'm probably one of the "least" qualified people in this group - at least in formal experience and what not - so its just really nice to be able to use a lot of my personal lived experience and see that it absolutely has its aid in a group of people with a lot more professional experience.

Either way, I'm extremely proud and happy to have the peers I do and to be able to help as something of a calming stone

And yeah I know its not my job / responsibility to manage it, which is why I'm explicitly taking time to relax and turn my brain off and not think about work after I finish this post, but with the current stressors in the environment and a lot of people taking on roles they shouldnt due to poor management, I absolutely am fine filing in some of the lack of ironically mental health and emotional support in the environment while a more long term and appropriate solution is being navigated.

[khaire-traveler]

Hey, so I know people want to help their friends and stuff, but it can actually be really harmful when someone has told you that they don't have an illness or disorder, and you continuously push the idea that they do, in fact, have that illness or disorder. Some illnesses and disorders share a lot of symptoms! PTSD and Autism are a great example because even clinicians can misdiagnose these for one another, meaning your average Joe would have a difficult time trying to diagnose, say, their friend without proper training and education.

Suggesting something is perfectly fine, but as I mentioned, pushing your diagnosis of someone else onto them, especially when they seem very resistant and disagree, is not always helpful or respectful. Sure, someone may be in denial of a diagnosis; that is their problem, and they will need to come to terms with it on their own. Suggesting someone might have something, especially if they ask for your advice or opinion, is more than ok - in fact, I encourage getting second opinions if you're unsure about something - but please do not force what you've decided is the truth onto someone who is extremely unwilling. If the same were repeatedly done to you, you may not appreciate it either.

Obviously, it is more than ok to want to help a loved one get the treatment and diagnosis that they need, but please, PLEASE remember that you are also most likely not a clinician/physician, and while self-diagnosis is totally valid and understandable, diagnosing someone else is a little bit not.

[laiosynth]

MK1 Whiplash AU

yeah, i'll think of anything, won't i....

anyways yes i'm talking about the whiplash with jk simmons. the jazz movie. the parallels between andrew / fletcher and reiko / shao was too much for my brain to handle.

to be truthful, the thought that led to this AU was "reiko would be a fucking incredible jazz drummer i feel it in my soul" and then i thought about whiplash and then i exploded.

so uh. more under the cut?

so to outline this AU:

reiko was orphaned at like 8/9. the foster system is kinda fucked, and he lashes out constantly at the foster parents who try to help him, scared and alone and traumatized from seeing his parents' death. he gets placed in a halfway house for 'behavioral issues' and it just so happens that this halfway house has an old drumkit in the basement. it's somewhat rudimentary, but it has everything you might need.

reiko, with no other option, sits at the thing one night and picks up a pair of sticks laying around. and from then on, that's his outlet. he relies... heavily on it. it's every waking moment that he's not in school or sleeping or eating. he's at the drumset, practicing. playing over the songs in the vinyl collection, playing over the songs in his ipod. every bit of music he can get his hands on, he's playing over it, mimicking what the drummers he can hear do.

the vinyls in the basement are all old jazz. a wide arrangement of it, from blues to latin to bossa nova to new orleans parade, but it's all jazz. that's what he grow up with, on, that's his formative influence. buddy rich, jo jones, art blakely, tony williams-- the drummers on these old vinyls are his heroes.

by the time he's in high school, his 'behavioral issues' have toned down massively-- he is largely fine. as long as you don't separate him from the drumset. he hasn't moved from the halfway house-- protested STRONGLY at being separated from both his drumset and the vinyls. by protested strongly i mean he nearly attacked some people over it.

when he's in high school, he joins the jazz band freshman year. he's in it every year until graduation.

this story starts, though, when a guest clinician-- dr shao kohn-- shows up to work with the band in reiko's sophomore year.

dr kohn teaches at the local community college, but is highly regarded across the country. he's professor of jazz studies and director of the highly prestigious auditioned jazz ensemble at this community college.

upon seeing the INCREDIBLE talent and potential of reiko during that clinic at the high school, shao invites reiko to come join the jazz ensemble at the college. he's young, but if he can make time in his schedule for it next school year, he'd get the chance to really challenge and prove himself.

reiko does. and starting 1st of august that year, he's giving his early mornings and late evenings to rehearsals with this ensemble and individual lessons with dr kohn. he's giving everything he fucking has to this band, and it shows. he's improving at rates he never had before, he's better than most college players doing this for a career.

and shao keeps pushing for more. and reiko keeps striving to fucking give. more, more, better, better.

to be truthful, he would probably be failing all his classes if it weren't for raiden, the only kid other than maybe kung lao who'll put up with him at school. raiden tutors him in the subjects he's falling behind in (all of them really) so he doesn't get held back or something.

all the while, shao pushes reiko for more, better. he's never satisfied, and that is not acceptable in reiko's eyes. he's never had someone he wanted to impress before, an adult he actually cares for the opinion of. and fuck, does he find he cares. he cares a lot. he's trying so hard to meet expectations, he's falling apart at the seams.

i don't know how i'd want this whole thing to end, but. i hate shao and i like happy endings so. shrug.

[xaykwolf]

I think I'm starting to pinpoint why things have become progressively harder for me in my program.

So much of psychology doctorate school is learning why we do certain things and avoid other things, especially when we hold others' lives and well-being in space. It starts out simple: administer this test, score and interpret it this way, learn these diagnostic criteria, practice these basic interviewing skills and internalize these theoretical ways people conceptualize clients. After a while, though, the reins get let loose: okay, now apply these things to real people(!!!) and make sure not to hurt them while you do that.

Great. Cool. It's part of the program process, so just don't worry about it, it's FINE.

All oversight is then shifted toward making sure we're doing things the "right" way, whatever supervisors think that looks like. There's liability on the line, and so very often it becomes "how do I keep you from getting me sued while doing this work for me?" instead of "how do I help you develop into the clinician you're meant to be?"

At best, you get a supe that will provide constructive feedback in a warm manner, taking into consideration that this is literally your first or second year of doing therapy. At worst, well...you get my supervisor from two pracs ago (he's now on a blacklist for all doctorate programs in the Chicago area). But when you look at the totality of things, there's something big missing.

"Good job!"

Unadulterated positive feedback, praise that isn't nearly immediately followed up by some other critique or criticism of the work.

I KNOW these programs are here to push us, help us grow, and give us the best tools possible to make the most helpful and ethical choices when working with people. That's great, that's part of what I signed up for in all this, in fact. But at the end of the day, I've spent going on 9 years now pretty much not hearing any unmitigated compliments about my work. Despite the long nights and long semester cramming this information in my exhausted cranium and the years of training I've put in (and had to redo for reasons unrelated to my actual performance).

It almost feels like self-flagellation at this point. Which is to say, it's starting to really hurt.

I DON'T expect my supervisor to give me only praise, but I'm certainly not getting it from anywhere else either. And it's not the same coming from people who are otherwise not involved in my training somehow. The incentives and motives for positivity are different in a pretty significant way.

And it's leaving me progressively more tired with each passing semester.

[zinderant]

Well, through an unfortunate sequence of events, the low-stakes extracurricular I volunteered for a year ago, thinking I would mostly sit in with meetings a few times per year, has hideously morphed into me being fully responsible for a two-day symposium with 25 other PhD students attending to listen to six invited speakers whose research focuses on the theme that I decided for this event. I think I'm still prepared enough for this but I resent that I need to be.

I'll walk you through how this happened. The committee I'm volunteering for organizes about six of these symposia per year, all themed around a certain subfield of experimental psychopatholgy, and said committee consists mostly of tenured academics. They ask for volunteer PhD students to assist with this, which, y'know, is good CV building and networking, but the first time I attended the meeting where they asked whether anyone had suggestions for themes for future symposia. Foolishly, I suggested having a symposium about the socio-cultural influences on mental disorders, because I had recently read The Geography of Madness. They liked this suggestion so much, that they promptly put me in charge of organizing it. That was uh... rather more responsibility than I had signed up for, but I figured, hey, I like this topic and I'll enjoy getting actually qualified researchers to discuss it, so let's do it.

The first problem with this is that the events are focused on experimental studies rather than clinical case studies, and most of the central examples of sociogenic and culturally sensitive psychopathology are described by clinical case studies. Social and cultural factors tend to be hard to experimentally manipulate, after all. This means that it's hard to find speakers who fit both the theme and the purpose of the event as education for experimental psychologists, but me and my co-organizer (thankfully a senior member volunteered to help) decided to address that by having a mix of more experimental and more clinical speakers, but it was still pretty difficult to find them. Still, over the course of a year or so, we managed to fill the roster including two speakers who had opposing views on sociogenic Tourette's syndrome, which was pretty much the ideal scenario. I had a good feeling about this.

Unfortunately, two days ago the clinician who studies Tourette's e-mails me that she suffered an accident and had to cancel. On top of that, my co-organizer could not attend, and another senior member was supposed to find me a replacement co-organizer... but it's only today, two days before the symposium is scheduled, that I find out she forgot to do that and so I am now without a co-organizer. God. Fine. How hard can it be? I have several colleagues from my own faculty who also attend (all PhD students) so I've managed to delegate a little, but this is still the first time being in charge of an event like this. I'm not nervous (yet) but I know it's going to be very stressful.

Students who attend a certain number of symposia over the course of their PhD and present at least once get a certificate from the graduate school so they better give me a goddamn medal for doing this on my own.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Pamela Garfield-Jaeger

Published: Mar 26, 2024

“Would you rather have a dead daughter or a live son? That question is asked over and over again, and therapists are trained to say that.”  —Author in the Epoch Times docu-drama, Gender Transformation, The Untold Realities

One of the most common lies told by therapists and clinicians to colleagues, the general public, the media, and ultimately hurting families is that if parents don’t affirm their child’s new identity, their child will die by suicide. These emotional statistics are found on the Trevor Project Website: Top-Line Statistics (note that most statistics group Trans with the entire LGB+ population): 

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 24 (Hedegaard, Curtin, & Warner, 2018)—and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth are at significantly increased risk. LGBTQ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers (Johns et al., 2019; Johns et al., 2020). The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ youth (13-24) seriously consider suicide each year in the U.S. — and at least one attempts suicide every 45 seconds. The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth.

Transition allies ask parents of transgender identifying youth the shocking question, “Would you rather have a living son than a dead daughter?” A new slogan that is being repeated by media and politicians is “gender affirmative care saves lives.” 

But is this true? 

Due to the fact that trans activists often prevent studies on this subject, the studies that are quoted are generally small sample sizes, do not have control groups, and don’t follow the patients for very long—so they prove little. Also, many of the headlines regarding these studies do not differentiate between suicidal thoughts, suicidal gestures, and actual suicide. You must read the fine print to find that information. 

The truth is that there is a large correlation between people who have other mental health diagnosis and gender dysphoria. Causality is the claim but is never adequately addressed in the studies cited. Though it’s true that statistics of suicidal thoughts and actions are higher in this population, we need to ask if it was the lack of “affirmation” that caused a suicide, or a symptom of another mental health issue, such as depression or anxiety. That answer is not clear in the murky discussions of this topic. Finally, notice that the LGBTQI+ are all lumped together. When you start to think critically, you realize that a gay boy is vastly different from a girl who says she is non-binary. Both are completely different from a person who was born with a rare birth defect that qualifies them to be intersex. These broad statistical claims do not give the real information you need. 

One of the few rigorous studies, which was completed in Sweden, followed a transgender group of adults from 1973-2003. This study found:

Persons with transsexualism, after sex reassignment, have considerably higher risks for mortality, suicidal behavior, and psychiatric morbidity than the general population. Our findings suggest that sex reassignment, although alleviating gender dysphoria, may not suffice as treatment for transsexualism, and should inspire improved psychiatric and somatic care after sex reassignment for this patient group.

The study concluded that, “The overall mortality for sex-reassigned persons was higher during follow-up than for controls of the same birth sex, particularly death from suicide.”  

This study still doesn’t give all the information we need because it did not have a control group of transgender people who did not get hormones and surgeries. It also only follows adult patients, and it does not represent the majority of today’s demographic who are teenage girls influenced by the internet and their environment. 

Anecdotal experience shows that suicide rates are not reduced by affirming a new gender identity, rather, the mental health of the young person declines. In some cases, there is an initial “euphoria” (a term more widely used by trans influencers), especially if they gain attention and status, but eventually that feeling fades and the underlying issues the person had been avoiding are still there. In many cases it takes time, about seven to eight years or more, for the patient to figure out that hormones and surgeries did not solve their mental anguish. More unbiased research is needed on the subject, but unfortunately, in this climate, politically neutral research is nearly impossible to carry out. 

Interestingly, there has been a ban on affirmative care on children in other countries such as UK, Sweden, France, and Finland, but there have been no reports of suicide spikes. Paradoxically, according to this narrative, with all the new celebrations, trans visibility days, and media representation, suicide rates in LGBTQ youth should have decreased, however, the rates continue to increase, and the media reinforces that. Plus, there have never been such high suicide rates in any marginalized population like this in the past, which suggests the suicidality is not from lack of acceptance, but other variables such as co-morbid mental health issues and the repetition of this idea. 

Throughout modern therapy, threatening suicide to get something (in this case gender affirmation) was recognized as maladaptive and considered unethical to be reinforced by a therapist. This behavior is often learned from online influencers, but sadly, it is deliberately practiced by many therapists and school personnel, particularly those who hold themselves out as “gender therapists.” Kids are coached to say, “I will kill myself,” to get hormones or other components of affirming care. Previously, this threatening behavior was typically done by those with conditions such as borderline personality disorder. 

A therapist must assess whether the suicide threat is genuine, or an unhealthy way to seek help or attention. If it is attention-seeking, the therapist and family should show compassion by acknowledging mental anguish and guide the individual to find healthy ways to ask for help. Those who demonstrate this pattern also tend to crave a lot of external validation, which means the treatment would include ways to help the person manage the desire with learning self-validation and self-soothing techniques. Also, when people get distressed, they tend to get tunnel vision or engage in black and white thinking. It is the therapist’s job to help the patient reality-check and see shades of grey.

Unfortunately, with the affirmative model, this learned suicide threat, and the demands for others to conform with forced pronouns and new names, we are reinforcing unhealthy thinking and behavioral patterns. In addition, no parent can give true informed consent if they are presented with the false ultimatum of choosing between a trans kid or a dead kid. 

If a therapist asks if you would “rather have a dead daughter or a live son,” here are a few suggested responses.

Can you please show me the data you are referencing? (If the therapist presents a study, look at it closely because it will be flimsy with no control group or solid conclusions because there is no valid study that proves this theory).

Did my child already threaten suicide? If she did, why wasn’t I notified? If she did not, then it sounds like you are giving her scary ideas which do not sound therapeutic.

If you believe she is so unstable, then we should be discussing a higher level of care, which you have failed to do. I find it difficult to trust your judgment now.

I thought that therapists believed that threatening suicide to influence someone to change their behavior was emotional manipulation. In fact, Marsha Linehan, the founder of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and an expert on people with suicidal and self-harm behaviors, teaches skills on how to get needs met appropriately, without suicidal threats, in the Interpersonal Effectiveness module of her therapy. 

(If you know there are other major issues) Why isn’t therapy addressing them? Why isn’t therapy addressing my child’s eating disorder or the recent social group changes she just had? 

I would rather not lead my child on a path that would lead to sterilization, chronic pain, disability, and making her a life-long medical patient. 

If your child’s therapist uses this tactic, my professional opinion is to pull your child from that provider as quickly as possible.

--

About the Author

Pamela is a California licensed social worker (LCSW) with over 20 years of experience. She has worked in a variety of settings including schools, clinics, residential programs, and hospitals. In 2022, she publicly started questioning the direction the mental health field is going. Pamela believes in working collaboratively with families when treating minors and advocates treating patients holistically, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. She has starred in three documentaries about the harms of gender medicine.

The preceding essay is an excerpt from her new book, A Practical Response to Gender Distress, about understanding and fighting back against the emotional manipulation of ideologically-captured therapists.

[qipsir]

Example of How to Treat Yourself

By someone whose care team has enough trust in that I have permission to mess with/alter my medication as I see fit

Credentials: the grandchild of a pharmacist, the child of a pharmacist tech and ex-librarian/college teacher/personal trainer; Clinician Associated Traumatization and severe betrayal issues, researches everything to a professional degree, psychiatrist + therapist + friends agree I would be an EXCELLENT therapist (and I've been told throughout my life I would be a wonderful teacher as well if that's worth anything here)

Topics + Hyperlinks

Debilitating anxiety

(C)PTSD

OCD

Chronic nightmares/night terrors

Clenching your jaw at night

Allergies (+ post-nasal drip)

Eczema, specifically dishydrotic (blisters on hands/fingers/feet)

Taking care of yourself on low/no spoon days

Overview

Locate the source of the issue. For example, if you're sneezing, why are you sneezing? Are you sick or is there something in your nose? Or if you're coughing, do you have post nasal drip? Is it allergy season? Do you have a cold or non-seasonal allergies? Are you a smoker/vaper?

Determine what course of action is both most accessible and most comfortable for you (we want to work with our meat prisons, not against them).

Note: Your preferred course of action may ABSOLUTELY be inaction. You may not want to change how that situation is at that time and that is Perfectly. Okay. It's your body, your life, and entirely your choice, okay? Okay. Let's continue.

3. Check EVERYTHING you intend on taking for interactions with all medications + supplements you are currently taking. Check for allergies. Double check side effects and if there is anything you can do to counter them (i.e. taking milk thistle to counter liver damage done by prolonged use of ashwaghanda)

4. If cooperation with brain/body has failed, research local professionals for assistance. Then, hopefully with a newly established baseline, start from step 1 as needed.

5. If the problem is psychological or psychosomatic, shadow work/therapy and alternative medicine may be of interest to you. The latter can include but is not limited to massage, somatic touch therapy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, reflexology, and more. Take the time to sort out to whatever degree you are capable what the root problem actually is and how it's specifically affecting you. This will help you to work through it or find someone to help you work through it.

Note 2: let it be known that I fluffin DESPISE the kind of people who are like "oh just be mindful and you'll be fine" bull.SHIT. I've got nearly two decades of trauma and neglect to work through and my anxiety/PTSD/panic/paranoia is so tired of this that it evolved to work around most grounding techniques. Being mindful and grateful is as effective at healing that as a singular spritz of mist is at putting out a bonfire.

Yes, this is just an excuse for me to yammer on about herbalism and shadow work. It's neat stuff, can you blame me?

Resources

[sysmedsaresexist]

I’ve been asked for some sources and I’m happy to provide! Thank you, friendo, for your patience <3 Getting things done in a timely matter is hard when you have 12 sets of priorities.

1) Are comfort splits normal? Yes! This is a PDF, careful if you’re on phone, but I’ll highlight the important bit. This is a bit of an older paper by Kluft about dealing directly with alters in therapy, and it discusses, “DID patients who are extremely avoidant, obsessive, or without strong nondissociative defenses are prone to develop larger numbers of alters. For the group without strong nondissociative defenses, dissociation is not a last-ditch defense--it is their first response to stress... [They] imaginatively transform their histories to conform to myths, movies, television shows, or pieces of literature and generate large numbers of alters to play roles in them.” When he says “large numbers” we’re not only talking about polyfragmented systems (he wrote other papers specifically about that). In this case he’s talking about a feedback loop in patients with low dissociative barriers-- forming one alter and then another to support that alter, and then another to support that one, and on and on. It’s in reference to ease in which some people gain alters, especially from media that they are interested in.

From Coping With Trauma Related Dissociation

From The Haunted Self:

2) Do 'most systems  discover themselves at 18-21'? This one is a little bit of a... confusing topic and it’s currently changing at an ever-increasing rate. The ability to recognize symptoms in oneself has become much easier with current media and the internet at our fingertips. This figure it based on the community currently in the clinical population. For decades, it’s been possible for those with DID to go their entire lives without ever realizing they even had a dissociative disorder, let alone alters. This is based on the very nature of DID, confusing presenting symptoms, and on the lack of resources available to older individuals at the time they experienced onset.

While alters can appear at any age, we’re talking about the self-realization of symptoms. The below states that self-discovery would occur around early twenties. [x]

Only five percent of people display overt symptoms, or clear symptoms of specifically DID. Instead, they display an array of symptoms indicative of several different disorders. From childhood, these symptoms can put someone on the path of treatment and diagnosis for something entirely different, and symptoms are explained away under another label. For example, shifting identity states, needs, and wants can also be seen in BPD, and it can take years before those states are acknowledged by either patient or clinician as alters.

Prior to the internet and easily accessible support groups online, patients were often left to figure it out themselves, and the lack of recognition and awareness of DID left many questioning their experiences for years. 18 is typically when adolescents leave the house for the first time. This removal from their traumatic environment allows someone to start exploring their experiences in a safer way, often leading to the first indication that something more serious might be happening.

This is also typically when heavily regimented schedules change, and a person gains more social freedom. From this, potential instances of amnesia and alters are often pointed out by friends and more easily recognized. For example, someone in their last year of highschool might be asked, "how was school today?" and without hesitation will answer, "it was fine, the usual," despite the fact that they don't actually remember their day. This is an example of "amnesia for amnesia". Because grade school and highschool is a daily occurrence with a relatively unchanging schedule (ie, math in the morning, SS in the afternoon, gym after lunch, and history last) that moves at a slow pace, losing a single day or memory is very likely to go unnoticed.

In contrast, college typically has one class only once or twice a week for a longer period of time and the pace of learning is much quicker. Losing a day of memory here would be much more easily noticed. Freedom to go out with friends at any time allows for more opportunities for people to notice shifts in personality, and there's more social outings that could be forgotten.

3) 'alters can  form from stress, not just trauma'? See the first quote in point 1 as a highlight of this. In addition, stress and childhood trauma are intrinsically related [x]. Childhood trauma often leaves someone with a lifelong vulnerability to stress, and their ability to handle that stress is significantly impaired. This can lead to worsening symptoms and a reliance on negative coping mechanisms (such as dissociation). [x] This means that once the mechanisms are there, some people can split at literally the smallest inconveniences. The mind is also notoriously good at hiding how stressed you are, so you may not even realize that you're stressed at all [x] [x] [x].

4) children don't display distinct alters?

From the DSM 5

ICD 11

ISSTD Children Treatment guidelines (PDF)

I like this section from Healing the Fractured Child on what it could look like.

I've heard one of my posts is causing waves

Here's some more things that are normal in DID/OSDD systems, and some weird myths, in no particular order

- Not realizing you're a system until later is normal (average age of system discovery is 18-21)

- It's rare for children to display distinct alters (not impossible, just a rare occurrence in a rare disorder (based on numbers, it's considered rare, yes), alters tend to form in mid-teens)

- Feeling as though you "created" an alter is normal (related to unconscious feelings of control over an uncontrollable situation, and/or tricking yourself into an explanation, also, if you have a need to be filled, the brain WILL provide)

- "mixed origin systems" are totally normal for DID/OSDD. I have a couple alters that could be considered "endogenic", but I'm really just... DID, with normal alters forming in normal ways

- Alters forming at any age/time is normal (you can form a brand new alter at fifty, after having undergone complete fusion, once the ability is there, it's always possible to split)

- Alters don't always appear immediately after a traumatic event (alters can take YEARS to come to front after forming, making it impossible to tie them to specific events unless THEY'RE aware of the connection)

- Alters can form from stress, not just trauma (and the brain is notoriously good at hiding how stressed you are from yourself)

- Comfort splits ARE normal in DID/OSDD

- The amnesia criteria in DID doesn't mean you need to experience amnesia day-to-day, you still have DID if you can't remember childhood events but have good communication now

- The dysfunction criteria is redundant and circular, where the symptoms themselves fulfill the criteria, and as per the DSM, doesn't imply any inherent need for treatment or distress-- so being happy, loving your system, feeling like your system helps you more than it hinders you, all normal (and good!) but still DID/OSDD

- OSDD 1a does not involve alters as they're known, but states or modes that influence you, and amnesia occurs during these periods of influence; OSDD 1b involves "emotional amnesia" only (which is just a stupid, fancy word for dissociation (an emotional disconnect from a memory) that doesn't actually exist in the medical world)

- You can have as many EPs and ANPs as you'd like. The majority of systems with OSDD feel as though the one ANP theory doesn't fit them, and there have recently been updates to theories to acknowledge this

- Integration is the lowering of dissociative barriers to allow for better communication between system members, and is absolutely necessary for functional multiplicity (fusion is the joining of two or more alters). These definitions come from the ISSTD, and it IS recognized by the ISSTD that integration and functional multiplicity are viable and attainable treatment goals. Keep this in mind when conversations about these topics come up-- if you can communicate clearly with alters, you're already well integrated. It's not scary, it's not bad, and no one can or will make you fuse.

- CPTSD, the basis of dissociative disorders and DID, presents very differently from PTSD -- mostly presenting as a negative view of the self and vigilance rather than the flashbacks and nightmares you'd see in PTSD (it's quite similar to BPD, but the view of the self is negative rather than unstable). If you resonate with some aspects of BPD and have a system, and you don't experience the "typical" presentation of PTSD, that's normal. That's CPTSD (complex PTSD, not chronic PTSD), maybe read up on it.

- You don't need to know your trauma to acknowledge that you have DID/OSDD, and no one should be pushing that you search for trauma. Who cares, move at your own pace, maybe you'll never figure it out, and that's perfectly fine. People who push others about their trauma will face my wrath.

- Trauma isn't an action, but a REACTION to an event. What traumatizes one person, may not have any effect on another person, and vice versa. This isn't about what might have happened to you, but how you felt about it. There is no Trauma Olympics, and people who play that way are ridiculous. Trauma reactions are personal and unique, and come from anything-- bullying, isolation and loneliness, abuse. And yes, other disorders can make you more susceptible to trauma reactions. Having autism or ADHD or BPD, EDs, psychosis, schizophrenia-- all of these create more opportunities for trauma reactions, and make someone more susceptible. That doesn't mean you're not trauma based. It doesn't mean those things caused your system. It means those things made it harder for you to navigate life and left you more susceptible to trauma. That's it.

- MADD is typically trauma based

There's so, so many more. Other DID/OSDD systems, feel free to add on, endogenic systems, ask if something is normal.

[sheepinthebigcity]

bored. here are some opinions ppl on tumblr give a shit about

shipping: i'm not a cop but i will give you shit and not want to hang around you if you ship incest or adults with children. same with certain other ships like shipping a bigot with someone they're bigoted towards. ships where one of the characters turns 18 during the course of the story (i.e. light x l, narumayo) or the characters being related is a spoiler (i.e. cassandra x rapunzel, reylo) is fine but you're on thin ice.

literally any lgbt identity shit: i do wonder if we're falling back into microidentity shit from 2014 but just a bit more edgy about it especially considering society's gotten more anti-lgbt lately. it's a little individualist but western society is also individualist so i can't fully complain. i think solidarity is really important though so take some time to REALLY reflect upon that. not just "we're all lgbt we're a family" "let's stop fighting and start making out" like actually think about what you share with like. gay men, trans women, etc. <- examples for me

cringe culture: still alive to me if they're normie cringe. i watch baby shows i can call you cringe if you're obsessed with sonic. get into a more esoteric furry game like detective gallo (not the right genre i dont play video games).

sex/kink positivity: sex and kink are kind of inherently neutral. don't act like they're a unstoppable force of universal good don't act like they're pure evil. something to be said about getting off to something and being normal vs googling the bomb that kills all women.

mental health: psychiatry is fucking barbaric we're still in the dark ages. we have a very limited array of ways to actually deal with it and everything else is either a scam or too experimental and clinicians are unwilling to look further into it. mental health systems do serve those and power and can help you if you're a normie, but it's sort of becoming worshipped as the new family. you can't really question your therapist, which makes it easier to hurt you. that's also why i don't like seeing anything as a universal good.

misusing mental illness terminology: people act like this is an act of ableism instead of it being people not knowing shit fuck about psychology. XD idc if you do it.

punitive justice: world's most useless thing. you need to admit that you're a vengeful soul who simply doesn't want to see the people who hurt you again. idk how a restorative system would work in full, but starting from there i think is a good idea.

punitive justice but strictly stupid revenge schemes: funny. i'll allow them

callout posts: straight up ocd triggering and i could never make one. a lot of them are shit that shouldn't be public internet drama (stupid) or shit that shouldn't be public internet drama (actual fucking crimes). callouts are def a weird line when it comes to punitive justice because is it a punishment to tell everyone what you've done? it's like are rumors a punishment for being too close to someone in middle school? but at the same time it's undeniable there's a certain morality culture that causes people to leave you for dead about it.

[bioticgoddess]

Answer Quest 2023: The 2024 Redux

I don't process and interact with the world the same way as most of my peers, never have. Now, if I describe it to friends and the void that is the internet I can make it sound like poetry because I have time to think and put the words together in a way that then also makes sense to me. Ask me to describe it to a clinician and I feel like i"m trying to quote an article or diagnostic tool.

Example, I was in the follow up interview with my clinician yesterday and she asked me why I think I'm ADHD and I said in part because my friends with it think I may be and then without their prompting I've watched the ADHD and AuDHD community (long before the internet) and gone "oh...I do that..." then immediately tried to hide it and mask because I needed to not be different. Being different in anyway when I was a kind ended with bullying from my peers and my father. My mom, the custodial parent, super supportive but everyone thought I was just anxious and/or depressed and tried to have me treated for those (the one psychiatrist we did see who thought I had ADHD we promptly never saw again, that's how strongly my grandmother disagreed with that suggestion).

The clinician said of the people who've been referred to them in the last year for ADHD, none have had it. TO which I said "Cool. If it's not ADHD I would still like an answer because something is very different in how i process the world." Then had to talk about the things I don't talk about even with my actual therapist like fine, you want to the stuff I learned to sweep aside, here ya go.

Not gonna go over the highlight reel but it definitely made me feel like I was either fishing for attention or was being overly dramatic. Those are the ways that my mind has minimized everything ever that's happened to me.

So now we're in the third hurry up and wait phase, the "Insurance in the US" version. Ugh. Hopeful for the best case scenario my clinician suggested but expecting the worst.

And now I have to go make myself more human.

[drhanidaudish]

From Lab to Life - A Noteworthy Compilation of Clinical Research Initiatives

At the forefront of these vital clinical research initiatives is Dr. Hanid Audish, a dedicated professional whose relentless pursuit of innovation and commitment to patient care is instrumental in turning the tide in the healthcare sector. Working in tandem with a team of esteemed professionals and institutions, these initiatives serve as the vital catalyst that transforms theoretical exploration into practical, real-world applications. The work they undertake not only pushes the boundaries of medical knowledge but also ensures that these advancements seamlessly transition from lab settings to patient care, providing tangible benefits that improve lives. Their diligent efforts and unwavering commitment to progress have played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of medical care, introducing promising new investigational medications, and innovating new ways to use already-approved treatments.

Clinical research serves as the linchpin that connects the theoretical foundations laid in laboratories to the actualization of innovative treatments and therapies. It represents the vital link in the chain of medical advancements, ensuring that the fruits of scientific labor do not remain confined within the walls of research institutions but find their way into hospitals, clinics, and, ultimately, the lives of individuals seeking medical assistance.

Dr. Hanid Audish has long recognized that the real power of clinical research resides in its potential to convert abstract scientific concepts into practical solutions that can be employed hands-on in-patient care. The environment of a laboratory, although teeming with novel ideas and groundbreaking discoveries, is typically distanced from the complex realities and challenges that actual patients face in their daily lives. This is where clinical research, with its evidence-based approach and rigorous methodologies, comes into play. It provides the necessary platform for these groundbreaking discoveries to be meticulously evaluated, fine-tuned, and customized to cater to the unique medical needs of patients from wide-ranging demographics. Clinical research, under the guidance of professionals like Dr. Hanid Audish, thus becomes the bridge between theoretical scientific knowledge and its practical application in the field of medicine.

Clinical trials, a fundamental component of clinical research, serve as the crucible in which the efficacy and safety of new treatments are rigorously evaluated. These trials are meticulously designed and conducted to adhere to stringent ethical and scientific standards, ensuring that the data generated is not only robust but also ethically sound. The invaluable insights gleaned from these trials contribute to the evidence base that informs medical decision-making, guiding healthcare practitioners in offering the most effective and safe treatments to their patients.

In addition to evaluating the efficacy of new treatments, clinical research initiatives also delve into understanding the complex mechanisms underlying various diseases. This deeper understanding often unveils novel targets for intervention and informs the development of therapies that can more precisely target the root causes of illnesses. By elucidating the intricate pathways and interactions within the human body, clinical research propels medical science forward, fostering a more nuanced and sophisticated approach to patient care.

Collaboration is a hallmark of successful clinical research initiatives. Multidisciplinary teams, comprising clinicians, scientists, statisticians, and other experts, pool their expertise to design and execute studies that address pressing clinical questions. This collaborative synergy not only enhances the quality of research but also ensures that the findings are applicable and meaningful in real-world healthcare settings. The cross-fertilization of ideas and expertise that occurs within these collaborative frameworks amplifies the impact of clinical research, fostering an environment conducive to innovation and discovery.

At the forefront of this patient-centric revolution in clinical research is Dr. Hanid Audish, whose work embodies a deep understanding of the necessity for such an approach. Beyond the realms of simply assessing treatment efficacy and understanding disease mechanisms, his clinical research initiatives are increasingly focusing on patient-centered outcomes. He recognizes the compelling importance of considering the perspectives and experiences of patients, ensuring that their voices are heard and incorporated directly into the research studies. This approach, championed by Dr. Audish, goes beyond traditional clinical metrics, acknowledging that the ultimate measure of success lies not just in numerical results but in the tangible improvement of patients' quality of life and overall well-being.

The impact of clinical research is not confined to a specific medical specialty or disease area. Instead, it permeates across a diverse array of fields, from oncology to neurology, cardiology to infectious diseases. This breadth of applicability underscores the universality of clinical research in advancing healthcare as a whole. By addressing a wide spectrum of medical challenges, clinical research initiatives contribute to the collective knowledge that forms the bedrock of modern medicine.

The successful translation of research findings into clinical practice requires a robust infrastructure that supports the seamless transition from lab to life. Investment in research facilities, training programs for researchers, and the establishment of collaborative networks are essential components of this infrastructure. Moreover, fostering a culture that values and prioritizes research within healthcare institutions is pivotal in ensuring that the benefits of clinical research are fully realized.

Leading the charge in these transformative initiatives is Dr. Hanid Audish, who, along with his team, embodies the commitment to patient-centered care and advancing scientific knowledge. This journey, which spans from the controlled environment of laboratories to the real-world experiences of patients, is deeply interwoven with countless hours of clinical research. Such endeavors serve as the nexus between academic discovery and practical implementation, ensuring that new findings and medical breakthroughs extend beyond the realms of scholarly articles and penetrate the core of healthcare practices. Celebrating the triumphs of clinical research, we must acknowledge the relentless dedication of researchers, clinicians, institutions like Encompass, and individuals like Dr. Audish, who tirelessly strive to expand the horizons of our understanding and herald an era of healthcare that not only anchors itself in evidence but also revolves around the patients unique needs and experiences. This will make a transformative impact on the lives of patients.

[aspirecounseling0]

Symptoms And Treatment For Disorders In Mental Health Therapy

Know why emotional well-being is significant for each person. Additionally know why psychological wellness problems are caused, what are their results and how might they be dealt with.

Many individuals try not to find support for sadness or other psychological well-being issues because of humiliation or an obsolete apprehension about being demonized. Monetary Status or Legitimate Status are significant viewpoints deciding the remaining of an individual. Being a social creature, a man's remaining in the public still up in the air by numerous things, including his psychological steadiness. This is where Psychological wellness is basic to an individual and similarly, the way that he would invest energy in bringing in cash, time likewise should be spent to keep an eye on any unpleasant edges in his emotional well-being. Looking for help when important is progressively figured out in our general public as a savvy and mature choice.

How about we check a model out. An individual is rich to such an extent that he possesses enormous areas of land in Florida. To add to his extravagance he has his own contract armada of helicopters. Regardless of having the humiliation of wealth, he actually keeps on being estranged from society. The main conceivable explanation I can see is that the singular experiences an emotional wellness problem. This can incorporate misery, tension, behavioral conditions, and so on. As a matter of fact, Howard Hughes cut himself off from everybody later in his life in all likelihood because of untreated fears and wretchedness.

What are the reasons for Emotional well-being Problems?

Emotional wellness Issues are caused because of various reasons. An individual can encounter an emotional wellness problem interestingly because of an unfortunate occasion, long haul disregard or misuse, a hereditary pre-demeanor to sorrow, or even a cerebrum problem that is clinical in nature. The outcomes change broadly and may require an expert to help analyze and treat, yet the most well-known psychological well-being issue is wretchedness and is capable by everybody no less than once in the course of their life. Those with a hereditary pre-demeanor to melancholy or another emotional problem like a bipolar issue, will have different occurrences and generally require some type of treatment.

What are the results of Psychological wellness Issues?

The outcomes of untreated psychological well-being issues can be very harmful to a person. At each phase of sadness, the singular keeps on acting less such as themselves. They become more stationary, and less friendly, thinking it challenging to think obviously and in outrageous cases might foster distrustful thoughts. In this multitude of situations, society will in general avoid these people when maybe they need others most.

Who are impacted by Emotional wellness Problem?

Nearly everybody will encounter some type of emotional well-being issue during their lifetime. It very well might be normal despondency, liquor or substance misuse, relationship issues, post-horrible pressure or maybe a more serious compound or mind problem. Aside from the individual, the following arrangement of individuals who are affected by this are the parental figures and the relatives of the person.

How could an Emotional wellness Problem be dealt with?

One of the best strategies to treat a psychological well-being problem is to look for the counsel of a psychological well-being proficient or family specialist. Psychological wellness specialists, clinicians, therapists and one's family and interpersonal organization assume a major part in treating a singular experiencing an emotional well-being problem.

Emotional well-being can't be undermined by any person at any expense. One doesn't have to ingest medications or medicine to keep it fit and fine, however, ought to be thought about when endorsed by an expert as a feature of a treatment plan. Perceiving these issues early can accelerate recuperation up to one does whatever it takes to manage their emotional wellness like one would with their physical or monetary well-being. Society has developed to never again criticize the people who look for help and maybe have come to regard their readiness to manage these issues head-on.

For More Info:-

Teen Mental health in Simi Valley, CA

Alcohol treatment in Simi Valley, CA