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