The first time I tried a medication for a mental disorder occurred in the winter of 1967. Since then, I have tried many more. In addition, I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on therapy. Within the last ten years, I have been told I have a treatment resistant illness.

Frequently I was told there was not much wrong with me. With diligence, I would be cured of this malaise. When I continued to have problems it was because I did not listen, did not understand, was stubborn, intellectualized too much, did not follow the treatment plan, etc., etc. The continuation of symptoms was my fault.

Now that I have had to deal with a treatment resistant illness more or less on my own, I have been doing better. I have been doing better because I learned some things from the many therapists I saw and the hours spent in therapy. I did listen. Were the criticisms valid? I was not the easiest client to deal with. Even so, treatment is a joint venture. Maybe, the professionals could have done a better job too?

I write because I think it is very wrong for those who treat mental disorders to make promises they cannot keep, especially in view of the current understanding of the etiology of mental illnesses. I have had many diagnoses. In fact, less than two years ago I received my current one. I do not know if the professionals consider my latest diagnosis untreatable.

I also think the treaters and prescribers are too closely aligned to the pharmaceuticals. Pushing brain-altering drugs on someone is serious business, even when the effect is known. What a medication for a disorder does to abate a symptom is not well known.

I trusted those who treated me. Maybe I would of benefited from a disclosure telling me that a placebo may work as well or better than a prescribed medication; or that treating symptoms is not a cure; or that there are advantages for those who work closely with pharmaceuticals?

Of course, it also could be I received great treatment considering the knowledge available to those who treated me. Who knows?

What follows is some of what I have been reading if anyone cares:

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archive...ental-illness/
http://psychcentral.com/archives/top_myths.htm
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archive...of-depression/
http://www.dsm5.org/about/pages/faq.aspx#8
http://www.cchrflorida.org/article-dsm-debunk.html
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...p-correct-dsm5
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...dsm-v-response
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...g=content;col1
http://science.education.nih.gov/sup...o-mental-a.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anis-s..._b_347351.html
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archive...s-of-interest/
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archive...wont-tell-you/
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ad.php?t=21149
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archive...nder-scrutiny/

Be well.