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Psychiatrists in USA Europe
Mangoperson88
Posts: 339 Member
I live in Mumbai India and i am undergoing treatment for depression, anxiety amongst other stuff. There are some doctors here who openly diss psychiatrists like for eg i had taken my mom to a gynaecologist for a pap smear 3-4 years ago and me and the gyn got talking so i told her I'm depressed and undergoing treatment as my career didn't take off so she's like what's there to be depressed about just get married your depression will go away if you get married. I wanted to whack her! I mean you're a doctor and your intellectual level and calibre is much higher than a layman and you're talking like an uneducated clown? So what i wanna know are shrinks dissed by other doctors/medical professionals too in your country?
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Universally? No.
But doctors are humans, and individuals - so not infallible, and the profession is not an attitudinal monolith.
Doctors with limited psych education don't know much about psychiatry. Different people (including doctor people) have differing good or bad experiences with psychiatrists (who are also individual people with strengths and weaknesses), and differing prejudices about marriage (or anything else).
I feel like you're overgeneralizing . . . and so was your doctor.
Just my individual opinion, though. 😉😆0 -
I don't think you understand what I'm trying to say here. India has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Actually, Pakistan is ahead of us on the global happiness index. My point is lack of mental health awareness! I don't live in the USA but I've learnt on this site about negligence even trivial affects people and docs are dragged to court. It's not the same in India - if a patient dies when they could be saved the relatives just beat up the doctor rather than suing . It's the lack of health awareness and education in general and i feel doctors aggravate that to some extent with their prejudice opinions. Like your govt can't control the gun violence and it's now dangerous to walk down the street in USA as if it were Afghanistan similarly my govt got blinders on about mental health awareness and doctors are not helping.0
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Mangoperson88 wrote: »I don't think you understand what I'm trying to say here. India has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Actually, Pakistan is ahead of us on the global happiness index. My point is lack of mental health awareness! I don't live in the USA but I've learnt on this site about negligence even trivial affects people and docs are dragged to court. It's not the same in India - if a patient dies when they could be saved the relatives just beat up the doctor rather than suing . It's the lack of health awareness and education in general and i feel doctors aggravate that to some extent with their prejudice opinions. Like your govt can't control the gun violence and it's now dangerous to walk down the street in USA as if it were Afghanistan similarly my govt got blinders on about mental health awareness and doctors are not helping.
I'm sorry that your doctor treated you shabbily, and showed such extreme, ridiculous prejudices, sincerely.
My point was: You talked to one doctor, who clearly had dumb ideas. Maybe all doctors in your country think similarly, I don't know.
You asked if shrinks were dissed by medical doctors in other countries. In my experience, with my doctors, the answer is "no". (I'd observe that - coincidentally - the doctor who's been my GP for around 30 years was born, raised, and educated in India, and doesn't think that way. He has recommended psych services to me when relevant, in a sensible way.)
I can't speak for others, here or elsewhere.
BTW: It's not that dangerous to walk down the street in the USA. Some areas are safer than others, quite few are dramatically unsafe. Don't believe everything you see in the media: What merits headlines is unusual things, not common ones. Yes, we have a serious problem with violence here, overall. To translate that to daily danger to all of us in the US is just nonsense, probabilistically speaking.
I've lived here for 66 years, never seen a single incident of gun violence (or even threat), and only a handful of other types of violence (minor fistfights or push-shove type stuff). Yes, it happens hundreds and maybe thousands of times daily, but spread across a huge expansive of geography, and a big population - but also more frequent in certain relatively small geographic areas. It isn't daily-life common for most of us - not even close.
That, despite gun ownership being quite common: I was raised around it, know many gun owners, etc. I can only think of one person in my social acquaintance who has mentioned being involved in gun violence (as a victim). I did observe others when I was on a jury in a murder trial, but they were strangers to me, and the trial was related to a very usual incident in this mid-sized (for the US) metropolitan area. It was visibly-covered in the media, though.
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I'm not quite sure what the debate question is.
However, answering this" So what i wanna know are shrinks dissed by other doctors/medical professionals too in your country?"
IME, in my country Australia, no, not at all.
Psychiatry is respected as a medical specialty like any other specialty and doctors are happy to refer to them if patient has a mental health condition requiring specialist care.
The system here is that your GP does such a referral - so a gynaecologist wouldn't be involved in that.
I obviously don't speak for every single doctor/ health professional in Australia - but my experience is of being a nurse for nearly 40 years and of working the last 12 in general practice with many doctors.
Incidentally several from India and haven't noticed any difference in attitude on this.
( almost all GP's in regional Australia are overseas born/ trained from various countries as Australian doctors won't relocate outside of urban areas)0 -
Mangoperson88 wrote: »it's now dangerous to walk down the street in USA as if it were Afghanistan
No, it's absolutely not.
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Mangoperson88 wrote: »it's now dangerous to walk down the street in USA as if it were Afghanistan
No, it's absolutely not.
I know right? Like which street? Not that we have 50 different states and commonwealths :laugh:2 -
Chef_Barbell wrote: »Mangoperson88 wrote: »it's now dangerous to walk down the street in USA as if it were Afghanistan
No, it's absolutely not.
I know right? Like which street? Not that we have 50 different states and commonwealths :laugh:
Yeah. And even then, dosage matters, and timing.
I've walked down streets in inner city Detroit, NYC, and the South side of Chicago - places with bad reps for good reasons.
Improbably (😉), there were no shootings when I was there, and I personally am still alive, unwounded. (Not saying those are all ultra-safe places to live and work long term in all neighborhoods, though.)1 -
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Look, it's fun being kind of snarky or sarcastic, which we are doing. It's not helpful, really, though, I'm aware.
This next bit is absolutely serious, and is meant as a true expression of concern.
As I said in my first post on the thread:(snip)
I feel like you're overgeneralizing . . . and so was your doctor.
(snip)
Overgeneralizing is both a symptom and a trigger for anxiety and depression. Catastrophizing - assuming/believing the worst - can be also. We all do some of it, I know that.
OP, again: I'm truly sorry that you experienced what you did from that doctor. I'm glad that you are (or at least were) pursuing help to improve your depression, because it's a very serious issue . . . and one that even your mother's gynecologist absolutely should not treat as a joke (even if not your personal doctor), or - bizarrely - treat as curable by marriage. You're right, that was a completely inappropriate thing for any doctor to say.
I've seen your other posts on this site, and you've been doing very well with making improvements in weight loss, fitness and health: That's a tribute to your character and persistence. I hope it's been empowering, and a positive in your life.
I also hope you're able to find doctors in your country who will give you the appropriate, needed support across all medical specialties, including psychiatric interventions as needed. We all deserve that respect.
It seems that there's not a consistent worldwide pattern of other doctors dissing psychiatrists, based on these few reports.
It's also not the case that it's unsafe to walk the streets in the US - no matter what the media in other countries may say - though we do have excess interpersonal violence, I acknowledge (Any is too much, other than self defense, yes?)
Every country has its systemic problems. Ideally, they're all working on improving them, but most culture-level fixes are long-term, gradual efforts.
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@AnnPT77 hit the nail on the head. Both my GP and my OB-GYN regularly ask questions about my mental health and have made recommendations; I feel 100% confident that if I were to ask for a referral from either of them, it would be given without hesitation. Beyond medical professionals, my employer provides free mental health counseling (not unlimited, it's only free for X number visits in Y timeframe; after that there is a fee) for employees and their immediate family members. While this is absolutely NOT to say that mental health care in America doesn't have a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT of room for improvement, it is safe to say that it's not frowned upon or quite so taboo as it may be in other places. And yes, I'm sure there are individual doctors who think it's silly or trivial or for weak people or whatever, but overall I believe otherwise.
On a tangential note, if you're looking for a very interesting (and amazingly researched) read on violence (on all scales - from domestic violence and child abuse to full-blown wars), I'd highly recommend Steven Pinker's "Better Angels of Our Nature."1 -
I apologise to all that was uncalled for. I shouldn't be commenting on your nations political situation when I haven't a clue and i only get information from media. Anyway, it's just that not only docs infact all highly educated people who belong to different professions that I've met are of the same view. My dad's a senior advocate at Bombay High court and he yelled at me for going to my psychiatrist and he said i gotta stop all this when he clearly knows how bad my situation got in Feb this year when I was suffering from suicidal tendencies, insomnia and hallucinations especially at night. I was seeing victims of Nazis and holocaust and they were telling me they want to do to me what was done to them. I clearly saw an old woman with blood and pus on her face and very light blue eyes and a scarf around her head alongwith her was a 3 year old boy covered in tar and he was staring at me. It was a very scary time for me and @AnnPT77 i thought in your first reply you were being hostile so i felt attacked and sniped back. I'm sorry again people.2
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It might be cultural - not just the attitude towards psychiatrists but the attitude towards mental health in general.
Even here in Europe, so many people don't ask for help when they have mental issues, because it carries a stigma in society. When looking at US films and series, it would seem half the population has a therapist
No doubt another generalisation (just like the violence thing) but still I'm certain it's more accepted/common to see a therapist in the US than in Belgium. Or if people are seeing therapists here, they certainly aren't as open about it as in the US.
The distinction between therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists is an important one too. Psychiatrists being the only ones who can prescribe medication (certainly in Belgium, possibly elsewhere too?).
My boyfriend had severe anxiety attacks a few months ago (stress from starting a new job). His doctor prescribed a herbal supplement (calming effect) and referred him to a kinesiologist specialised in work-related problems. The kinesiologist is giving him breathing exercises and cognitive behavorial therapy, which seems to be working. I'm still amazed he was referred to a kinesiologist and not a therapist, but depending on the country and specific doctor the road to getting help can sometimes be... unusual?2 -
It might be cultural - not just the attitude towards psychiatrists but the attitude towards mental health in general.
Even here in Europe, so many people don't ask for help when they have mental issues, because it carries a stigma in society. When looking at US films and series, it would seem half the population has a therapist No doubt another generalisation (just like the violence thing) but still I'm certain it's more accepted/common to see a therapist in the US than in Belgium. Or if people are seeing therapists here, they certainly aren't as open about it as in the US.
The distinction between therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists is an important one too. Psychiatrists being the only ones who can prescribe medication (certainly in Belgium, possibly elsewhere too?).
My boyfriend had severe anxiety attacks a few months ago (stress from starting a new job). His doctor prescribed a herbal supplement (calming effect) and referred him to a kinesiologist specialised in work-related problems. The kinesiologist is giving him breathing exercises and cognitive behavorial therapy, which seems to be working. I'm still amazed he was referred to a kinesiologist and not a therapist, but depending on the country and specific doctor the road to getting help can sometimes be... unusual?
Trust me, there actually is major stigma in the US in most subcultures about seeking therapy or related medical treatment. The "toughen up" "put on your big boy/girl pants" "it's all in your head" (etc.) rhetoric is common. On top of that - even with that stigma limiting people seeking support - the backlogs to get help are extreme, and cost can be prohibitive for many.
I can't do comparatives with other countries, but the "everyone has a therapist" idea that one sees in TV shows and movies is not reflective of what I see in daily life, and I'm pretty sure I'm not in the most therapy-shaming demographic or region. I can't think of anyone I know who admits to having a therapist (though it seems likely that some do).
Brain (psychology, cognition) and body are all one system. Interventions in one of those (supposedly separable) areas affects the other, potentially dramatically. The current cultural stigma, and the access problems, are not acceptable. (As an aside, it seems logical to assume that various cognitive or psychological issues contribute to the US's problems with interpersonal violence, and certainly to suicide levels.)3 -
Mangoperson88 wrote: »I apologise to all that was uncalled for. I shouldn't be commenting on your nations political situation when I haven't a clue and i only get information from media. Anyway, it's just that not only docs infact all highly educated people who belong to different professions that I've met are of the same view. My dad's a senior advocate at Bombay High court and he yelled at me for going to my psychiatrist and he said i gotta stop all this when he clearly knows how bad my situation got in Feb this year when I was suffering from suicidal tendencies, insomnia and hallucinations especially at night. I was seeing victims of Nazis and holocaust and they were telling me they want to do to me what was done to them. I clearly saw an old woman with blood and pus on her face and very light blue eyes and a scarf around her head alongwith her was a 3 year old boy covered in tar and he was staring at me. It was a very scary time for me and @AnnPT77 i thought in your first reply you were being hostile so i felt attacked and sniped back. I'm sorry again people.
((Hugs)) @Mangoperson88 - I'm so sorry that you had to go through that. That is just awful. I'm so glad that you've made progress. Hang in there, keep going!
I'm sorry that my initial reply seemed harsh, sincerely. I think I didn't communicate well, didn't hear well where you were coming from, didn't communicate my full feelings. Here and always, I think there should be no stigma in seeking psychiatric or related care, and it should be available to those who need it. In part, I probably over-reacted emotionally to the comment about safety here, as it's frustrating to hear unrealistic stereotypes about the US (not that we don't have plenty of real problems!) . . . but that's no excuse.3 -
Mangoperson88 wrote: »I apologise to all that was uncalled for. I shouldn't be commenting on your nations political situation when I haven't a clue and i only get information from media. Anyway, it's just that not only docs infact all highly educated people who belong to different professions that I've met are of the same view. My dad's a senior advocate at Bombay High court and he yelled at me for going to my psychiatrist and he said i gotta stop all this when he clearly knows how bad my situation got in Feb this year when I was suffering from suicidal tendencies, insomnia and hallucinations especially at night. I was seeing victims of Nazis and holocaust and they were telling me they want to do to me what was done to them. I clearly saw an old woman with blood and pus on her face and very light blue eyes and a scarf around her head alongwith her was a 3 year old boy covered in tar and he was staring at me. It was a very scary time for me and @AnnPT77 i thought in your first reply you were being hostile so i felt attacked and sniped back. I'm sorry again people.
((Hugs)) @Mangoperson88 - I'm so sorry that you had to go through that. That is just awful. I'm so glad that you've made progress. Hang in there, keep going!
I'm sorry that my initial reply seemed harsh, sincerely. I think I didn't communicate well, didn't hear well where you were coming from, didn't communicate my full feelings. Here and always, I think there should be no stigma in seeking psychiatric or related care, and it should be available to those who need it. In part, I probably over-reacted emotionally to the comment about safety here, as it's frustrating to hear unrealistic stereotypes about the US (not that we don't have plenty of real problems!) . . . but that's no excuse.
We both overreacted!! Because i thought you were being condescending with the " you're overgeneralising" comment. Believe me i hold USA in a very high regard! It's one of the best countries in the world along with most European countries.so i always assumed since European countries and USA are developed and first world so your mental health care would be excellent but what you and @Lietchi said was sad and eye opening. Your countries are educational hubs!! So many Asians and others salivate over the prospect of studying there
me too 
since i couldnt i plan to study law here and do something about mental health awareness or lack of!! In my country. I really want to de- stigmatise mental illness because most mentally ill are not bad people. Since i have no education about my country laws my plan is still sketchy but i hope i can make a change and once again I will always be a well wisher of USA!! 1 -
It might be cultural - not just the attitude towards psychiatrists but the attitude towards mental health in general.
Even here in Europe, so many people don't ask for help when they have mental issues, because it carries a stigma in society. When looking at US films and series, it would seem half the population has a therapist No doubt another generalisation (just like the violence thing) but still I'm certain it's more accepted/common to see a therapist in the US than in Belgium. Or if people are seeing therapists here, they certainly aren't as open about it as in the US.
The distinction between therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists is an important one too. Psychiatrists being the only ones who can prescribe medication (certainly in Belgium, possibly elsewhere too?).
My boyfriend had severe anxiety attacks a few months ago (stress from starting a new job). His doctor prescribed a herbal supplement (calming effect) and referred him to a kinesiologist specialised in work-related problems. The kinesiologist is giving him breathing exercises and cognitive behavorial therapy, which seems to be working. I'm still amazed he was referred to a kinesiologist and not a therapist, but depending on the country and specific doctor the road to getting help can sometimes be... unusual?
Trust me, there actually is major stigma in the US in most subcultures about seeking therapy or related medical treatment. The "toughen up" "put on your big boy/girl pants" "it's all in your head" (etc.) rhetoric is common. On top of that - even with that stigma limiting people seeking support - the backlogs to get help are extreme, and cost can be prohibitive for many.
This is so true. Took me a long time to seek help because it felt like giving up or failing somehow. So yeah, the stigma is definitely real.2 -
I keep reading on this site that help is difficult to access...I'm in the U.S. and I've never run into "backlog" issues when seeking any type of medical or psychological help. Interesting.
With that said, my personal issues are best solved by me. I've tried "therapy" and found it to be not only unhelpful but actually harmful. Same with pills.
YMMV, but I do best both physically and mentally when I eat well, get enough sleep and generally live by the rule that, "What people think about me is none of my business."
Prayer, meditation, exercise, writing in a journal, eight hours sleep, and good nutrition are far more healing to me than outside help.1 -
cmriverside wrote: »I keep reading on this site that help is difficult to access...I'm in the U.S. and I've never run into "backlog" issues when seeking any type of medical or psychological help. Interesting.
With that said, my personal issues are best solved by me. I've tried "therapy" and found it to be not only unhelpful but actually harmful. Same with pills.
YMMV, but I do best both physically and mentally when I eat well, get enough sleep and generally live by the rule that, "What people think about me is none of my business."
Prayer, meditation, exercise, writing in a journal, eight hours sleep, and good nutrition are far more healing to me than outside help.
Financial situations would make a difference here. As well as insurance.3 -
cmriverside wrote: »I keep reading on this site that help is difficult to access...I'm in the U.S. and I've never run into "backlog" issues when seeking any type of medical or psychological help. Interesting.
With that said, my personal issues are best solved by me. I've tried "therapy" and found it to be not only unhelpful but actually harmful. Same with pills.
YMMV, but I do best both physically and mentally when I eat well, get enough sleep and generally live by the rule that, "What people think about me is none of my business."
Prayer, meditation, exercise, writing in a journal, eight hours sleep, and good nutrition are far more healing to me than outside help.
Things changed during Covid. More people were seeking help, and the rise of "virtual" appointments made it more accessible. BUT, the number of providers did not increase. My sister is a psychologist, and has a 6-month waiting list for an initial appointment. And after that, her patients have to wait an unreasonable amount of time for a follow-up appointment. It's the same with all her colleagues. Her employer, a hospital, keeps telling them that they have to get these patients in. But, there's only so many hours in the day.
And to be clear, she's not a therapist and can't prescribe pills. She treats serious psychological disorders that can't be resolved with sleep and nutrition.4 -
Chef_Barbell wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »I keep reading on this site that help is difficult to access...I'm in the U.S. and I've never run into "backlog" issues when seeking any type of medical or psychological help. Interesting.
With that said, my personal issues are best solved by me. I've tried "therapy" and found it to be not only unhelpful but actually harmful. Same with pills.
YMMV, but I do best both physically and mentally when I eat well, get enough sleep and generally live by the rule that, "What people think about me is none of my business."
Prayer, meditation, exercise, writing in a journal, eight hours sleep, and good nutrition are far more healing to me than outside help.
Financial situations would make a difference here. As well as insurance.
Plus location, and need for a sub-specialty (adolescent, addiction, etc.). I have good access even now through a my large pre-retirement employer's counseling service for limited-course needs, and there are therapists in numbers in my mid-sized metro area. (I don't know what their backlog is, haven't needed to find out lately.) However, friends and relative in rural or small-town settings will find logistically convenient in-person services to be thin on the ground.
It's good that virtual is now more of an option, but there are tradeoffs with that modality.3 -
Chef_Barbell wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »I keep reading on this site that help is difficult to access...I'm in the U.S. and I've never run into "backlog" issues when seeking any type of medical or psychological help. Interesting.
With that said, my personal issues are best solved by me. I've tried "therapy" and found it to be not only unhelpful but actually harmful. Same with pills.
YMMV, but I do best both physically and mentally when I eat well, get enough sleep and generally live by the rule that, "What people think about me is none of my business."
Prayer, meditation, exercise, writing in a journal, eight hours sleep, and good nutrition are far more healing to me than outside help.
Financial situations would make a difference here. As well as insurance.
Yes. If you are able to pay cash, it's pretty easy to find a private practice to suit your needs.
If you want to use private insurance, your options are fewer.
If you are on public assistance (Medicare, Medicaid), your options dwindle even further, and these providers are particularly backlogged.1 -
Just to clarify a few terms, because the OP asked specifically about psychiatrists.
Psychiatrists are MDs, trained in general medicine at a medical school, and choose psychiatry as their specialty. They can prescribe medication to treat psychological illness, but do not generally engage in therapy.
Psychologists are PhDs, having completed a doctorate-level program in psychology. They can diagnose psychological disorders, but cannot prescribe medication. They engage in therapy sessions.
Psychiatrists and psychologists often work together to treat one patient, as many people need both medication and therapy.
With anyone calling themselves a "therapist" or a "counselor", you have to check credentials. Some have Masters-level training, some a Bachelor's, and maybe some no formal training at all...think "life coach".
I think there's a lot of confusion sometimes, just like when people discover there's a difference between a registered dietician and a nutritionist.5 -
Well said @SuzySunshine99
The difference between all different types of providers matters in care. And sadly like most things in this country, money talks.1 -
We have a very skewed ratio of psychiatrists to patients here- 1:500 approx
a celebrity shrink from a posh hospital in a posh neighborhood himself admitted this! He gives mental health advice in the newspaper. I'm very lucky to have 2 shrinks in my middle class neighborhood!! I've been to both my former shrink has gone crazy herself but my current shrink is brilliant!! Infact he's the one who motivated me to pursue law! And just the other day I read about a state run mental asylum in the next town having 7 vacant posts for shrinks despite good salary and incentives!! It's just that psychiatry is not a very popular profession in India. What's the ratio in USA and also what does your law say about euthanasia? I'm just asking generally don't get me wrong here!! 0 -
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics thinks there are about 25,520 psychiatrists in the US**, and the US population was 331,449,281 million in 2020 (most recent census). Sounds like 1 for every 12,987 people?
** More details about them here: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291223.htm
As observed above, though, that's not the full story. There are various types of therapists, well-credentialed and otherwise. I wouldn't even begin to know how to estimate a sensible ratio of therapists to population, and it would be very uneven across the country anyway. (The link above shows how unevenly the psychiatrists are distributed across states.)
Laws on euthanasia differ state by state in the US: A lot of things are in state law, not federal law, and that's one. AFAIK, active euthanasia is illegal in most states (i.e., "mercy killing" or "assisted suicide"), but withdrawal of treatment or feeding (passive euthanasia) is mostly legal in at least some scenarios in most states. Also legal, mostly, as far as I know, is use of drugs to relieve suffering in terminal illness, even if those drugs may potentially cause death as a side effect **** . . . but I'm not a lawyer.
**** I may've done that, but there's no way to be sure. If I did, it was the right thing to do, and I'm accepting of the possibility.3 -
Mangoperson88 wrote: »We have a very skewed ratio of psychiatrists to patients here- 1:500 approx a celebrity shrink from a posh hospital in a posh neighborhood himself admitted this! He gives mental health advice in the newspaper. I'm very lucky to have 2 shrinks in my middle class neighborhood!! I've been to both my former shrink has gone crazy herself but my current shrink is brilliant!! Infact he's the one who motivated me to pursue law! And just the other day I read about a state run mental asylum in the next town having 7 vacant posts for shrinks despite good salary and incentives!! It's just that psychiatry is not a very popular profession in India. What's the ratio in USA and also what does your law say about euthanasia? I'm just asking generally don't get me wrong here!!
Practicing psychiatrists in Belgium: around 2000, which is a ratio of 0.17 per 1000 inhabitants (total population is 11.56 million). Slightly lower than the European average of 0.19 per 1000 inhabitants.
Clinical psychologists in Belgium: around 10900.
As for euthanasia: active euthanasia has been legal in Belgium since 2002 (heavily regulated). There were around 2700 cases last year.0 -
Mangoperson88 wrote: »We have a very skewed ratio of psychiatrists to patients here- 1:500 approx a celebrity shrink from a posh hospital in a posh neighborhood himself admitted this! He gives mental health advice in the newspaper. I'm very lucky to have 2 shrinks in my middle class neighborhood!! I've been to both my former shrink has gone crazy herself but my current shrink is brilliant!! Infact he's the one who motivated me to pursue law! And just the other day I read about a state run mental asylum in the next town having 7 vacant posts for shrinks despite good salary and incentives!! It's just that psychiatry is not a very popular profession in India. What's the ratio in USA and also what does your law say about euthanasia? I'm just asking generally don't get me wrong here!!
I thin you'll find the ratio is much, much lower than that - 2019 it was 0.75 psychiatrists to 100,000 people. Or are you saying that each psychiatrist has 500 patients?
In a lot of countries (or areas of countries) which are traditionally patriarchal, mental health issues have historically been treated as shameful, particularly when it is men seeking help. They've been expected to "man up" and having emotional or mental distress has been viewed as 'unmanly'. Women's mental health is just as disrespected, but on a different basis, they're not expected to be 'strong' and not have it, but more that it gets dismissed as 'weak women's issues'. Many countries, and cultures (including subcultures) are slowly becoming more open to accepting psychiatry and mental health treatment as mainstream medical treatment, but there's a long way to go, particularly as there is such a distant ratio of practitioner to population.
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Mangoperson88 wrote: »We have a very skewed ratio of psychiatrists to patients here- 1:500 approx a celebrity shrink from a posh hospital in a posh neighborhood himself admitted this! He gives mental health advice in the newspaper. I'm very lucky to have 2 shrinks in my middle class neighborhood!! I've been to both my former shrink has gone crazy herself but my current shrink is brilliant!! Infact he's the one who motivated me to pursue law! And just the other day I read about a state run mental asylum in the next town having 7 vacant posts for shrinks despite good salary and incentives!! It's just that psychiatry is not a very popular profession in India. What's the ratio in USA and also what does your law say about euthanasia? I'm just asking generally don't get me wrong here!!
I think your ratio number might be off...are you talking about the ratio in all of India or just your area? Because if 1:500 were true for all of India, the country would have 2.7 million psychiatrists. I don't think that's the case.
As Ann stated, it's hard to say what the ratio is in the US if you count all mental health professionals, not just psychiatrists. And, your location really does matter. There are far fewer mental health services available in rural areas than in urban ones. But, in all cases, the system has been overwhelmed since the start of the pandemic, with not enough providers to handle the number of patients seeking care.
As a side note...I understand that English is not your first language, and there are cultural differences as well, but be aware that the term "shrink" is not well received in the mental health community. Every mental health professional that I know would be offended to be referred to in this way. In the US, it is an outdated term.0 -
SuzySunshine99 wrote: »Mangoperson88 wrote: »We have a very skewed ratio of psychiatrists to patients here- 1:500 approx a celebrity shrink from a posh hospital in a posh neighborhood himself admitted this! He gives mental health advice in the newspaper. I'm very lucky to have 2 shrinks in my middle class neighborhood!! I've been to both my former shrink has gone crazy herself but my current shrink is brilliant!! Infact he's the one who motivated me to pursue law! And just the other day I read about a state run mental asylum in the next town having 7 vacant posts for shrinks despite good salary and incentives!! It's just that psychiatry is not a very popular profession in India. What's the ratio in USA and also what does your law say about euthanasia? I'm just asking generally don't get me wrong here!!
I think your ratio number might be off...are you talking about the ratio in all of India or just your area? Because if 1:500 were true for all of India, the country would have 2.7 million psychiatrists. I don't think that's the case.
As Ann stated, it's hard to say what the ratio is in the US if you count all mental health professionals, not just psychiatrists. And, your location really does matter. There are far fewer mental health services available in rural areas than in urban ones. But, in all cases, the system has been overwhelmed since the start of the pandemic, with not enough providers to handle the number of patients seeking care.
As a side note...I understand that English is not your first language, and there are cultural differences as well, but be aware that the term "shrink" is not well received in the mental health community. Every mental health professional that I know would be offended to be referred to in this way. In the US, it is an outdated term.
Yes English is not my first language and neither is math my strong subject but thank you for letting me know that shrink is offensive to American doctors. I meant that we have very few psychiatrists for a large number of population in urban areas itself. This mental health discussion came into light when a Bollywood movie star committed suicide in June 2020. That's when the discussion about mental health seriously began and of course it coincided with the pandemic. I don't know about rural America but it is far worse here and thank God i don't live in a godforsaken village because mental illness in rural India is equated with being possessed by evil spirits and so they're taken to tantriks(spiritual doctors). I have read cases where these guys rape women under the pretext of getting rid of the spirits residing in the woman's body. It's slightly better in metros but still india has the highest suicide rate and my state ranks third in the whole country for the number of suicides.1 -
Like lietchi i assumed everyone in USA goes to therapists or psychiatrists and lawyers and psychiatrists mint money because either everyone is suing everyone or undergoing therapy to deal with it. Again sorry if I'm offending anyone. I don't watch Netflix or tv shows but I've read a lot of crime novels and someone is always in a mental hospital, especially females, because they suffered scary abuse as children so they're seperated from their kids and it's a whole big conspiracy and stuff like it is supposed to be in books.0
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