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What is your experience with therapy and/or mental hospitalization?


Posts: 18

I have gone back and forth with myself for years about whether or not treatment would be of any use. I want to learn more about myself from an informed outside perspective, and there are things about me that I wish I knew how to change.

I'm not sure whether I'm a true psychopath or not, but there's certainly many psychopathic tendencies, and can't help but wonder what a good psychologist would say. It may not be treatable, but I wouldn't want to treat it anyway. I've just never told anyone the whole truth and there's a burning curiosity in me about what people would think. I also very much want advice and help with aggression and possible manic and depressive episodes.

I don't want to make any decision without knowing exactly what going through therapy, or hospitalization(since I think there's a possibility that anyone assessing me would send me there) is like for people with similar problems. 

Posts: 1285
What is your experience with therapy and/or mental hospitalization?

If you're interested in change and more importantly self-introspection then you are not a complete psychopath. Self-introspection is pretty inconsistent with psychopathy as well as most personality disorders in my opinion. (I don't acknowledge that word exists) so let's just use it interchangeably with personality disorder.

You say you want to change bits and pieces and then you say you don't want to change. Which is it?

There are general criteria to have a personality disorder BEFORE you can have a specific personality disorder.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_disorder

(diagnosis area). So I ask you. Is there significant interpersonal dysfunctional, social and/or occupational dysfunction that has existed almost since as far back as you can remember?

If you are struggling with non-PD issues like depressive disorder, bipolar, etc then you should seek out treatment and also bring up whatever issues you are having in your life. That will probably be handled with medication.

I spent one time inpatient a few years ago for a suicidal ideation. Someone put me in there (my friend, I was not in therapy nor was I ever) and in there I was diagnosed with depressive disorder NOS. Being inpatient was annoying and a waste of my time. It depends on what hospital you're at because the first one I was at before I was transferred was a nightmare. No one is going to send you away unless they think you are an immediately threat to yourself or other people.

My axis II (where personality disorders go) was deferred upon my discharge. There are things in the way I think/behave that are taboo. I really didn't realize that then, and on a good day I'd say I have maybe 65% self awareness. I'll let myself pass. There's thing I will probably never see. There's parts of me that I don't understand the root to nor do I give a crap.

I have recently gone to therapy for the first time, as I was not required to upon my discharge. Like you (or maybe not you?) there are parts of me that I would like to change. There are parts of me I am not interested in changing. I don't fit into any specific personality disorder, but PD-NOS so it can kind of get messy. I don't lie in therapy, there are somethings I won't discuss but I won't lie. I'm actually very honest and for being a person who has significant PD issues (evident in social and occupational dysfunction) and I vocalize what I think maladaptive behavior behind that a lot of the time. Lying is BS if you don't have an ulterior motive to enter treatment. If you're an attention seeker that's catering to your disordered behavior.

/end rant

Most of the things I won't discuss are related to behaviors I am not interested in changing so it's absolutely pointless to discuss them. Is therapy helpful? I have someone that understands and we are a good fit. But if you do have a personality disorder it is very hard to change the way you think and it takes time. And to be honest sometimes it's impossible.

Hope you understand a little more and can make a little bit of a more informed decision.

Posts: 1386
What is your experience with therapy and/or mental hospitalization?

The only help you will get from a psychologist or a psychiatrist is a chance to vent and get some meds to help your anxiety or mood. They can't use meds to change your personality tho. But a good one might be able to help you answer some questions you have about yourself or others in your life.

Posts: 3882
What is your experience with therapy and/or mental hospitalization?

None.

 The concept of needing help with your mentality seems almost pathetic to me. 

But hell, who am I to judge.

Posts: 3246
What is your experience with therapy and/or mental hospitalization?

.

Posts: 7645
What is your experience with therapy and/or mental hospitalization?

 

by Tryptamine

My second time seeing a therapist was my first year of college. I was feeling like shit and wanted some SSRIs. I went in to see a psychiatrist. A few free sessions of therapy were offered, so I took them. I didn't like the therapist or the SSRIs, so I quit going after two sessions.

The psychiatrist put you on medication after only 1 or 2 sessions?

That seems hard to believe.

Posts: 3246
What is your experience with therapy and/or mental hospitalization?

.

Posts: 299
What is your experience with therapy and/or mental hospitalization?

 

by Thrill Kill

 

by Tryptamine

My second time seeing a therapist was my first year of college. I was feeling like shit and wanted some SSRIs. I went in to see a psychiatrist. A few free sessions of therapy were offered, so I took them. I didn't like the therapist or the SSRIs, so I quit going after two sessions.

The psychiatrist put you on medication after only 1 or 2 sessions?

That seems hard to believe.

 Common practice here.  Same thing happened with me and not just one time. 

Posts: 1386
What is your experience with therapy and/or mental hospitalization?

I didn't start questioning my way of thinking tell I was 38. Before that I thought there was something wrong with everyone else. I always blamed my childhood for the stuff I did. It wasn't tell my late 30's when I realized that it wasn't my family that got me thrown in prison. It was the choices I made, that got me locked up.

Posts: 299
What is your experience with therapy and/or mental hospitalization?

 

by whoameye

I didn't start questioning my way of thinking tell I was 38. Before that I thought there was something wrong with everyone else. I always blamed my childhood for the stuff I did. It wasn't tell my late 30's when I realized that it wasn't my family that got me thrown in prison. It was the choices I made, that got me locked up.

 With age hopefully comes wisdom even with PD's. Good for you! 

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