***BEFORE YOU READ THE REST, PLEASE KNOW THAT I AM NOT IN ANY WAY TRYING TO INSULT ANY MENTAL ILLNESSES - THIS IS JUST MY EXPERIENCE IN THE PSYCH HOSPITAL***

...mental health professionals can sometimes have the tendency to treat people differently, depending on their diagnosis?

For example, in my 9 admissions to the psychiatric hospital, I find that certain diagnoses are treated as having more "hope" for remission, as opposed to some that seem to be considered less likely to change. Some examples of mental illnesses that I've noticed workers treating with more "hope" are: Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, ADD, and ADHD.

Some examples for ones that seem more "hopeless" are: Schizophrenia, any addictions, BPD (and other personality disorders). I would notice that workers would take the time to speak with certain people, while not giving much time at all to others except to give medications.

I don't speak this just from my point of view, I have met many people through my admissions, and many of them spoke of this. Those diagnosed with BPD (including myself at one point) felt like we were being brushed off by the doctors, treated like WE were to blame for our symptoms. Likewise with those with addictions, and other mental illnesses.

I know that when I was diagnosed with BPD, I was treated MUCH differently than when I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. I'm sure that (or hope that) most mental health professionals out there aren't biased based on labels and symptoms...but I've seen it in my local psych hospital. And I don't think it's fair. Even if chances of recovery are lower in one mental illness than another, doesn't mean that they should be considered a hopeless case. I'd like to think that there is hope for everyone struggling with mental health issues.

Am I the only one, or can anybody relate?

[Letshope]

Hi Melissa.recovering, I can understand as I've been in a psych ward for 7 months last year and I have Bi-Polar with psychotic features, I met LOADS of people with eating disorders and I got treated different by certain members of staff while others, I got treated well. But the people with eating disorders got the most time spent with. I have nothing against other mental illnesses by the way!
Letshope

[SophiaG]

I think it's a real problem that people with certain disorders are ignored. They are people too and deserve relief like any other person. It's not their fault that the doctors and/or nurses don't know how to help them.

[Letshope]

Hi melissa.recovering,
I can understand you, I have been in a psych ward for 7 months last year. I have Bi-polar with psychotic features and I met LOADS of people with eating disorders, I got treated different from them. They got more time spent with them. At the time I FEEL that I got treated as 'hopeless' for hallucinating and being depressed/high. Other member of staff treated me very well (but they specialised in Bi-polar and psychosis.) I also have nothing against other mental illnesses. I can see where your coming from
Letshope

This is most definitely an issue in psychology. Granted, it's improved significantly since the 60s and 70s (see the Rosenhan experiment - both enlightening and amusing ). But both professionals and laymen alike still have problems with stigmatizing certain labels and making assumptions about a person based on a label.

Any propositions on how we can remedy this?

We could do away with labels and diagnoses entirely, but that would make treatment, research, and communication difficult for psychologists.

[lynn P.]

Yes I think this happens. Some labels get more sympathy and others labels appear more threatening. It also happens with some in the general mentally ill community - narcissists, schizophrenia, anti social, BPD, psychopaths etc are assumed to leave victims behind them, so there's less empathy/sympathy for them. They're also viewed as more difficult and obstinate to treatment.

[Open Eyes]

Anyone who experiences Mental Illness can leave victims behind them.

Even in PC, when someone has poor communications skills for some reason they can be isolated and deemed bad or mean or wimpy or using their illness in some way.

Even what I have is very misunderstood, not only by others but myself as well. My last therapy session was about the fact that I have been afflicted with what I have most of my life. I had developed (unknowingly) many of my own grounding methods, soothing methods and communication skills simply because of some very troubling life experiences that I truely didnt understand were profoundly effecting my brain. I have been very misunderstood for significant reasons, reasons I could have never dreamed of. And yes, some people are diagnosed with what I have and they can learn ways to overcome their conditons much easier than I can. And yes, what I have is often considered or addressed by many as a whiner that just needs to learn how to grow up and deal. Unfortuanately it isn't that easy for some. There is a "REAL" pathology to what I have and it is not as easy as I had thought to just get over it. And it is very misunderstood and my time in a psychward was not a pleasant experience due to the lack of knowledge about what I have. In the past four years since I spent time in a psychward so much more has been learned about what I have. Part of my therapy is addressing the bad therapy I received in the psychward where I should have been treated differently.

Other than other members that struggle with what I have, no one truely knows how difficult my disorder is to understand and control. However, in knowing how hard it is for me to deal with my issue, I can only say that I have a lot more compassion for someone else who may struggle with something that I don't personally experience.

Melissa, yes, it is very troubling when we raise up our hands in a sense of hopelessness and enter into a place where we depend on others to know how to help us. Unfortunately those that are designated to address various mental illnesses in psychwards are only capable of acting on what is truely known about various mental illnesses. The only thing that we can be at all grateful for is that we do know a lot more today than, as Michael noted, we knew several years ago.

And as far as therapists are concerned, many therapists do not keep up with all the new infomation that is being discovered about the various Mental Illnesses that many people face. Many therapists develope certain programs they use to treat patients and they simply stay in these treatment methods they use over their years of practicing psychological therapy. I bring in new information all the time to my therapist and question him about it. Often he states that the information I bring to him is new to him. He also states that he doesn't have time aside from treating patients to do a lot of research as well.

So, for the most part each of us have to come to understand that we, ourselves must make efforts to research our own issues and connect with others and continue to search for therapists that DO understand our issues and WILL utilize and learn the new treatment methods. And as far as Borderline Personality disorder is concerned, there are ways they can be treated and learn how to understand themselves better and live better lives. BPD disorder is being studied and they are developing therapy methods that are proving to be very helpful. However there is a short supply of therapists that have become available to treat that disorder.

I ran into that problem myself with my PTSD. I was surprised to find out that there were not many therapists in my area that specialized and understood PTSD and how to treat it. We all have to remember that it takes time for people to be trained and become available for treatment. And, when a therapist does become available, especially in my issue, they tend to either concentrate on the Combat PTSD or they may gravitate to areas close to the wealthy who will pay large hourly fees for therapy. That is what I found when I did my search for therapy. And there was one facility that serviced my condition in my area, but the expense was unbelievable, nothing I could afford.

So, it is not that someone with Bipolar disorder or Borderline personality disorder is not worthy, it is more that it is just not known how to truely address it on a grand scale with a variety of therapists trained to do so. The only thing that a patient with this disorder can be offered at this point, is a place that will at the very least make efforts to stablize them and help prevent them from harming themselves. So, though you may not be cured, it is important to seek help before you harm yourself and continue your search for help.

Lynn, yes, there is still quite a bit of ignorance about various labels. In my time here at PC I have come to know that as each member struggles in their own way, I try to recognize that if I get triggered or struggle with another member, it is most likely because I might not truely understand that other member's issues. Often what I might perceive as a threat or some kind of meanness may actually only be due to a difficulty another member has in his/her communication skills that may be due to their disorder of somekind.

As I have mentioned before, considering the fact that PC has such a variety of psychological issues, it is an amazingly supportive site. Wow, I am learning all the time here. And I am now of the oppinion that if another person struggles with an issue that I simply do not understand, I try to NOT just flair up at the other person. I have met some members that REALLY struggle to express themselves and I would rather find ways to encourage them to post, if they can, rather than provoke them into feeling they don't belong in PC. That process alone can seem easy, however often some new member or even member that may be here for some time can be somewhat self absorbed due to their personal struggle and truely might not think to consider that another member is making efforts to express her/himself through their disorder. Being self absorbed in a disorder is very common. I can say for myself, I too sometimes struggle with that as I try to deal with my life outside PC. And that is something else that many members can forget, we cannot truely seee the environment another member is in, all we can do is go by what that member reveals. And often because a member truely needs to be anonymous we may never really know all about them.

After all, who am I to pic and choose who is better than who or what is best for another member, I have issues myself, I do my best. I am not here to become popular or gain other than to learn how to help myself better, recognize my own shortcomings and allow others to do the same. And I have to say that I have felt very fortunate that I have been given a lot of support from others, because, the bottom line is often these others know, it is very difficult to suffer through ANY mental illness.

Not all psychwards mean bad experiences. Some are better than others and they will improve as our knowledge improves about different disorders.

Melissa, keep trying to find help I feel you do deserve it. What could have helped you better in your psychward experience? Maybe write a letter? Sophia, keep learning, you may end up being an understanding therapist one day. Therapists have issues to, after all they are only human.
Open Eyes

[nicoleb2]

I have found this to be very true. I have depression and BPD and more often than not, I am treated differently once medical professionals find out I have bpd. not just mental health workers, but doctors in general.
I have had many hospitalizations for mental health and have had as many bad experiences with mental health "professionals"

[Bella01]

I've been in the psych ward seven times. I have to agree that each mental health issue is treated different.

When I'm in for psychotic times I'm treated different than other times. They seem to leave me to my self when I'm phychotic and when I'm not they pay more attention to me.

I kind of think it's their training. At least, I hope it is. I'm unmanageable when I'm phychoitic. So watching me and leaving me be are the best that can be expected.

[johndoeadd]

I've been to the psych ward at least 10 times. They never really talked that much to me. Probably because I'm very shy & I don't know what to tell them. I didn't know how to describe what I felt. I wish they would of given me a written test to see what my problem was. I have to go over a question like 10 times before I understand it. They talk to fast & I have a hard time understanding them. Some were not from this country & I had even a harder time understanding anything they said. They were nice people, I just couldn't understand them. They never told me what my mental illness name was. I never asked so they never told me. I get fluster around them people & my mind goes blank.

I'm in a mental illness employment agency and I feel that they treat us differently than when i was in normal employment agencies.

[SophiaG]

Originally Posted by Illegal Toilet

I'm in a mental illness employment agency and I feel that they treat us differently than when i was in normal employment agencies.

Different how?

[Brokenwings73]

I've been in and out of hospitals fir the last 2 years I've spent a total of 9 months in the hospital for my eating disorder inpatient, 4 in patient psych Hosp visits plus day programs but it was always ED, PTSD OCD, bipolar, major depressive disorder, and now borderline personality disorder. That one took the cake no one seems to know how to look at me trat me act around me anything. I too go in yhr psych Hosp and it's like most of them working are techs and they walk on eggshell around you. Sorry to disappoint but I'm not going to have an episode and go psycho on y'all! There needs to be some info sessions on this before people keep responding to us the way they do. I don't tiptoe around people with chronic diseases from a- z so why should mentally I'll be treated differently