Posted by ace on May 6, 2008, at 23:26:20
In reply to Re: Nardil- The best AD ever....... » ace, posted by Phillipa on May 6, 2008, at 11:40:30
> Ace are you saying that when you are a pdoc you will no longer take nardil?
Correct. Although this aim is not 'set in stone'
If so why?
I remeber Jung said something along the lines of "A doctor must wash his own hands clean of illness before treating patients"
I see a lot of merit in this comment, but do not agree unequivocally.
As a psychiatrist, one has a HUGE responsibilty. We are dealing with precious life. So many "patients" present with not only gross clinical syndromes, but also with personality issues such as insecurity, inassertiveness etc etc The patient can be extremely vunrable, and the physician must take great care to not to (usually unconsciously) take a certain advantage from this.
Just an example: A psychiatrist friend of mine who exemplified this behaviour. This doctor was a very nice man: very empathatic, caring and warm. His diagnostic skills were extremely acute. During his career, he had sex with two patients. At the time he was deeply depressed and disclosed this to the two patients. He spoke freely to them about his personal problems. He had a long history of depression and sought out psychotherapy and medications. He was eventually struck of the register in 2000. This was not before the RANZCP (unethically) tried to protect him due to his plethora of accolades- a bunch of pychiatrists trying to cover up his grossly unethical behaviour- "the boys club"
He commited suicide in 2004. He also made a previous suicide attempt at the time of being a psychiatrist.
Now, I feel he strongly should not have been treating patients. It is clear his own problems negated his capacity to help others. He should have, I feel, left psychiatry once the clear depressive illness set in.
The psychiatrist, in the room, must be extremely ethical, totally empathising with the patient, and doing his/her utmost to better the 'patients' position in live, by virtue of amelioratin the syndromes which made the patient seek treatment.
If I, for example, feel depression, or am disturbed by my own problems, in the context of a clinical setting, this is of great detrimant.
I feel it somewhat "wrong" to be on a treatment that I am prescribing to others ( i.e. psychoactive drugs) I would personally like to be free of illness, and thus free of treatment at the time of being a clinical psychiatrist. I have also not seen a psychiatrist for many years due to my intention of entering the field. The last psychiatrist I saw, I stated this too. He said there was no problem: a lot of people go into psychiatry to understand themselves better he said. I feel this is not ethical. One should go into psychiatry, I feel, due to an immense interest in psychiatric problems, their treatment, and, above all, the hope to help others. Monetary issues and the desire to understand oneself better should be the LEAST motivations.
That being stated, their is the other side of the coin. If I was to be on a treatment, and this did not interfere with my practice, and my own syndromes helped to empatise with the patient, and therefore hopefully find suitable treatment, I would feel fine about this.
I do feel somewhat confused here!
And I babble on!!!
Give me your thoughts Phillipa!
God Bless You,
Andrew
Love Phillipa
poster:ace
thread:827439
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080430/msgs/827674.html