| As a physician specializing in psychiatry, I | | | | psychoanalytic couches. It is important to |
| know that many emotional conditions such as | | | | remember that psychoanalysis preceded our |
| depression and anxiety disorders are true | | | | modern treatment approaches which now have a |
| medical illnesses with a biologic (physical) | | | | much higher success rate. We currently have |
| origin. Psychiatry has become more and more | | | | many safe and effective medications, which |
| "biological" in its diagnosis and treatment | | | | when used with or without psychotherapy, help |
| approaches during recent years, but a very | | | | many people fully recover.Another reason for |
| significant stigma still exists against those | | | | the stigma is in the use of the term "mental |
| who are seeing a therapist. This has become | | | | illness". The field of psychiatry has |
| increasingly difficult to understand, but it | | | | undergone many changes in the past twenty |
| is a social stigma that is so very important | | | | years. Research into the functioning of the |
| to eliminate.Why does an embarrassment or | | | | brain and nervous system has led to the |
| stigma still exist associated with those who | | | | concept of a "chemical imbalance" as the |
| are seeking psychiatric treatment? Why do | | | | cause of illnesses such as Major Depression |
| people wait so long before come for help - to | | | | and Panic Attacks. In addition, Obsessive |
| the point of becoming nearly non-functional | | | | Compulsive Disorder, a condition portrayed so |
| with their families, children and work | | | | well by Jack Nicholson in the 1997 movie "As |
| environment?First, many people have a picture | | | | Good As It Gets," is also caused by a |
| in their mind of movies in which | | | | chemical imbalance. Medications were used to |
| psychiatrists are ineffective listeners of | | | | help treat the "Obsessive Compulsive" |
| problems of patients who are lying on | | | | character being played by Nicholson. |