It seems to me that if the education bar were raised for mental health professionals, there would be even fewer people in the field. We need more mental health professionals, not fewer. But I do agree that there is a wide crevasse between the DSM-IV (or whatever version is out now) and the world of fuctional brain biology. And maybe the only place to start is the "neurophysician" model?
Sometimes less is more! But I agree, we do need more health professionals but maybe not more of the same. There are some very bright and caring people in the field of mental health who struggle to make the best of what's available. To my mind it's all to do with lifting the profile and prestige of psychiatry. If this is done - if it becomes a specialization to which only the brightest and best should apply, I think we'd all see a big difference.
Yes, we need to change some things, for sure. But I do believe that a good share of depression and anxiety have their roots in childhood abuse and trauma, which seems to continue to be barely addressed. How do we save kids from their parents? Somewhere, the cycle needs to be stopped. We still are hearing horror stories all the time of horrific things that children are forced to endure because they have no power and no voice. The parents go unpunished while the children pay the consequences. Then, unless they become somehow enlightened, these children go on to inflict the same things on their own children. I just thought of the song, "Blowin' in the Wind" where part of the lyrics are "When will they ever learn?" It seems like there is too little help for so much need.
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Hi Jerry
"Neurophysician"....hmmm...I wonder how that would work. Right now I am seeing a neurologist for my Multiple Sclerosis...well maybe to be more precise I am usually seeing my neurologist's physician assistant or nurse. There I am treated for related conditions to my MS including depression and anxiety. I have been prescribed both Prozac (didn't work for me) for my depression and Xanax for my anxiety. As specialized as my doctor is...I am not seeing any greater understanding of psychiatric disorders.
I am not sure what the future will hold as far as the doctors and specialists we may be seeing for mood disorders. One trend I am seeing is that more people are going to people who know about nutrition and/or homeopathic ways of treating both physical and mental disorders. I think in the future...more doctors will incorporate knowledge of diet and supplements in their treatment plans. I am already seeing it now.
Good topic for discussion. I am eager to hear what our members have to say.
I'd like to think the future holds something better than we have at the moment, Merely Me. Some well-meaning people have been fishing in the same pool for years so it's no surprise that things remain much as they were. We understand more about certain mood states but the danger is this provides the illusion of progress whereas in fact really substantive changes haven't happened.
What irritates me, as mentioned in the Sharepost, is that tools and techniques are out there and simply aren't being adopted outside of a few research institutes or specialized centers. if we could roll these out so they become used and evaluated we might start to make some progress.