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