I have just stopped working at a major hospital after 37 years of teaching and treating. It occupied half of my week's time, the other half in private practice. The transition happened quickly, but it left me time to do some writing and I thought a blog would serve as a personal outlet for ideas and reflections. Interestingly, the change occurred as a result of hospital politics, personal prejudices and emotional convictions on the part of other psychiatrists. After all, it was a psychiatric department that made all this come to pass. This illustrates one of the most difficult things I've had to learn. Others with the title of psychiatrist are not always thoughtful, not always caring. Psychiatry has many different types: research types, therapy types, drug prescription types, and administrative types. Each one of these categories demands different psychological orientations. In some categories these biases defy the title of psychiatrist in which the person is supposed to be insightful and understanding. I have witnessed the most egregious behaviors on the part of so-called psychiatrists. To be balanced, I must say I have also witnessed enormous generosity and care under the same title. Psychiatry reflects the seeming truth of the world, there is no consistent, dependable human behavior. Anything that is cruel, caring, or corrupt can be seen in psychiatry as can be seen anywhere else.
RDM