Psychiatrists always ask the patient, "What are your goals in therapy?" In general medicine, physicians never ask that question. Physicians will diagnose an illness and recommend a treatment or various treatment options. In general medicine a doctor does not say to a patient, "You have gallstones. Now, what's your goal?" "You have colon cancer, what's your goal?" It is the doctor who recommends the goal. And in the case of a life-threatening illness, the goal is to save the patient's life or prolong it or palliate the patient's suffering.
I have a schizoid personality disorder. The essential symptoms are massive splitting and isolative defenses, severe identity disturbance, and an identification with the anti-libidinal object. I would hope that my psychiatrist would recognize that, understand it, and know how to help me moderate those symptoms. Other than that, I have no goals.
1 comment:
I find it interesting that the one field of general medicine where physicians ask for a patient's goals is elective cosmetic surgery.
I wish psychiatrists would act more like general surgeons and less like cosmetic surgeons.
Post a Comment