People w psych labels suffer discrimination: mental health professionals are often guilty

[GiaK]

 

People with psychiatric labels suffer discrimination that is not only demeaning but can also be dangerous.
 

A 2007 UK study by the Royal College of Psychiatrists revealed that prejudicial treatment of mentally ill patients extends to physical medical care; they receive poorer quality of care and doctors spend less time with them possibly leading to higher rates of death and preventable disease. Though tragic, the more scandalous aspect of the phenomena is the fact that mental health professionals apply the same prejudices to those whom they attempt to treat. The worst thing someone in mental distress can experience is dehumanizing treatment from other human beings who are supposed to be caring for them. I suppose as long as we continue to label people as ill and abnormal due to mental distress this will continue. We create a class of people who aren’t quite like everyone else.
 

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[Aria]

When I was so ill with an undiagnosed neuro muscular disease my new primary care doc (who'd only known me for 3 seconds) saw the psych diagnosis in my med chart and rudely dismissed me being physically ill. She told me pointedly I had to see my psychiatrist and refused to give me needed referrals to other medical specialists. The scariest was in the ER (I was critically ill) and repeatedly told with profanity to go home. It took my friend's husband coming to the ER to make them exam me. I lost count of the times my physical ailments weren't taken seriously. There was no compassion, no discussion, I was simply dismissed as mentally ill and therefore not to be believed.

 

To this day I don't reveal to new friends, acquaintances and new physicians any of my psych history. I see no reason to at this point.