What is the dumbest piece of advice your therapist, doctor, or pdoc has told you? (It's okay if you have more than one! )

Here's mine:
When I was severely depressed, my old therapist said to me: "I don't think you've experienced depression before, so you're definitely not bipolar. You're just frustrated because you have ADHD. If you learn to let go of that frustration, then you won't be like this. You'll instantly feel better, because this is something you're doing to yourself."

[Nammu]

Wow! What school did he go to?

I'll have to think on this one

[pirilin]

Take adderall. Costed me six months, or more of suffering.

[Raindropvampire]

From several of my family members: Once I accept jesus as my lord and savior the demons will leave me alone because there is no such thing as mental illness or depression it's all the devil and demons

From my best friend in high school: Don't get sperm in your eye or you'll get pregnant fortunately i managed to not laugh right in her face but did correct her.

almost forgot an ex T: IF you will yourself happy you will be happy so my advice is only think about happy things and it will become habit

[Standup2me]

You are not bipolar, you just don't work out enough. Spend more time at the gym and stop the meds.

[Anxiousvalkyrie]

Raindropvampire......I got something similar....When I finally told my mom that when I as young I used to have auditory hallucinations, especially at night. She told me that they probably weren't hallucinations and that there were probably demons around me. She said if I were to become a Christian it would help cure a lot of my problems. Best part is...my mom is a therapist....

When i was in university i confided in my mom that i was terrified of a public speaking assignment i had to do. She said to think i was the little engine that could and tell myself, "I think i can, i think i can." I was 21.

"you don't really want to kill yourself. you just want a date with her"

(this was when me and someone else were planning a suicide pact together)

My doctor told me my fear of overdosing causing long lasting damage and possible locked in syndrome was unwarranted. Essentially he was saying "go ahead and kill yourself". That was pretty horrible advise from my perspective. I think he was wrong and peddling unhelpful advise.

Originally Posted by bluebicycle

What is the dumbest piece of advice your therapist, doctor, or pdoc has told you? (It's okay if you have more than one! )
...

Scene: First severe protracted depression slammed out of nowhere while in university. Utterly perplexed at this (there must be a reason, right?), I gathered my every last strength to go see someone. I explained the situation.

"Are you sad because you don't have a BF?" (!!!???!!!) WTF lady?!

What part of everything's GREAT -- best time of my LIFE -- and then BOOM, immobilized for NO reason did you not get?! And "sad"? Seriously? Can't leave my dark room, not going to a single class or talking to anyone and having to psych up to sneak out at night to procure doughnuts, my sole food? SAD??!!! Lady, I'm incapacitated! And BF? Really? What is this? 1950?! More to the point, I had said absolutely nothing on the topic! Needless to say, I never went back. Lucky for her I didn't have the energy to jump across the desk and throttle her.

Get a BF. That'll solve everything!
Idiot.

[Nammu]

I guess the worse advice I've ever gotten was from the university counseling center. I had just gotten picked up by a cop for standing on a bridge ready to jump off...them...just think happier thoughts and you'll be happier. It was another 4 years before I ever sought help again. In the mean time in a manic mode I dropped out and got married to a man I didn't really know.

@InnerZone: that's tragic. She should lose her license. It's always so hard when you finally ask for help and you get nonsense. So demoralizing. Hope you feel better these days.

Another piece of stupid advice i got was when i was asking my psychiatrist if i should keep having ex-sex with my former partner. She said i should because 'it keeps the lines of communication open.' Well: we weren't talking. We were f&*king. Having ex-sex is one of the greatest regrets of my life. I was so heart-broken and vulnerable and so totally alone and my former partner was on top of the world as his parents had just came into a pile of money and he was so excited all the time he was horny... and he preyed on me. With my psychiatrist's blessing. Idiot!!!

Yikes, apfei! I hope you were able to get a new Pdoc soon after. it's sad that you feel regret over it. After all, you didn't do or not do something intentionally (which to me is what regret is from). You simply didn't know at the time, and in traumatic times, we don't always have enough clear thinking to think to question things, you know? I really hope you do not feel this regret from blaming yourself. Please be gentle with yourself, ok? We do the best we can at the time. You didn't know then what you know now.

Originally Posted by apfei

@InnerZone: that's tragic. She should lose her license. It's always so hard when you finally ask for help and you get nonsense. So demoralizing. Hope you feel better these days.

Thanks, apfei. It was a lifetime ago. Certain things just ring in one's head forever it seems. That was one of them. I'm still incredulous about it, but I'm pretty sure there was no ill intent, and with the way I was raised, I don't know that I would have been diligent in getting enough help to really have changed the course of things. Getting help was simply not something we were supposed to do. (F'd up, yes.)

There's only ONE that I will never forgive, and that was a medical doctor. Long dead I'm sure. He can rot in hell.

[K-dogg]

During a my major depressive episodes (unable to get out of bed for days), my husband always says, "You're not depressed. You're just LAZY! Get up and do something!" ..... He's sweet like that.

It wasn't a professional but she was in a mentor position. It was after I had my son I hadn't healed from the birth and was in a lot of pain and I also wasn't sleeping and I was extremely paranoid and suicidal and my Dr wanted to put me on something for the pain and something for sleep. The person I was working with was in this organization and told me God would heal me when he was ready to. So I wouldn't take anything. I was very young, naive and vulnerable. Finally my Dr came to my mom's house and explained I could get a really bad infection if I didn't let my body heal, and I needed sleep badly. He said this woman is not a Dr. So I took the meds. She left my life when I told her. I was heart broken. But I had a newborn I was nursing. I had to sleep and eat and let my body heal. Ppl from the organization turned their backs on me too.

I would say bad advice...

[BrazenApogee]

Spiritual mentor I went to for emotional help : "Just do mindfulness meditation. Don't let anyone see your emotions. Emotions are harmful to others. Just meditate and let it go. If you can't pretend to be happy keep it to yourself. Don't share your emotions with anyone."
After controlling everything, thoughts and emotions, and doing meditation for 6 months for 45 minutes a day I was so locked up and dissociated and alienated from everyone I had an episode of uncontrollable shaking that lasted a month and a half. I'm still recovering.

[Pikku Myy]

hmnnn... had a few funniest from my mom. She likes to place positive energy rocks in my purse. Threw my neck out , lol

Originally Posted by shattered sanity

"you don't really want to kill yourself. you just want a date with her"

(this was when me and someone else were planning a suicide pact together)

i forgot to say... i'm a girl anyway.

so a totally sick comment.

i'm straight for christ sake

[BastetsMuse]

Originally Posted by bluebicycle

What is the dumbest piece of advice your therapist, doctor, or pdoc has told you? (It's okay if you have more than one! )

Gee, I never thought about my pdoc/therapist giving me dumb advice. However, the dumbest thing a pdoc ever did to me was tell me to accept raging diarrhea as 'normal,' because it couldn't be a side effect of my meds -- which is ended up being. After I proved that to him, he listened to me a whole lot more!

The smartest thing a pdoc ever said to me was "every body is different, if you think you have a reaction to a medication, you probably do."

[HALLIEBETH87]

I struggle with self harm. Was talking to my friend who is a preacher about it and he basically gave me permission and said to make it a prayer to God.

I hurt myself.....a lot.

Later I confronted him gently and he said he was just trying to help me accept the urges and not give them such power and never meant for me to hurt myself so badly.