She Doesn't Really Feel Like The Psychiatrist Does Her Any Good But Doesn't Know Any Other Way.

Question: My mother, aged 65, has always been troubled. She has been treated by phychologists and psychiatrists since around 25 years and has been medicated since that age with various products, ie valium, serapax to Prothiaden and Risperdal. Mum's psychiatrist regards her as suffering from schizo-affective disorder with a very high degree of generalised anxiety, with a tendency to panic disorder and phobic anxiety. She has always felt she needed a husband/man to look after her and so has had multiple marriages/partners. None of the family have ever understood her condition and it has taken its toll. I have been on my own journey of self psychology and have introduced her to the idea of emotional oppression and the inner child. For the first time I have seen a vibrancy in her, some life - it was just amazing. She felt someone was understanding her. It's a wonderful thing to experience. Mum indicates her current psychiatrist, of 10 years, just gives her tablets and has never tried to reveal the core of her emotional wounds. She doesn't really feel like the psychiatrist does her any good but doesn't know any other way. Mum lives in Victoria and I'm in Qld with a sister an hour away from her. I'm wondering if it is too late for another approach for her. I would greatly appreciate some thoughts. Thank you for your time. Julie

Answer (1) I think you're describing learned helplessness in your mum, despite the medical model labels. When you met her authentically, perhaps lit by your own journey of awakening, she was empowered. It reminds me of those incredible moments when one makes contact with a baby or another species - the life in there is universal and can meet us in many languages. It may only be a moment of vibrancy, but it proves your mum has the power to connect and to help her self to come alive. Perhaps you also gave her hope that there was another way than oppressing her feelings and living in fear of life. The effectiveness of treatment still depends on who delivers it so in choosing a therapist of any orientation with her, your sister would be wise to interview them over the phone and tag along for the first meeting or two.

I expect your mum will benefit from learning skills of affect self-management and emotion expression since after all these years of medicalising fear and of illness modelling, allowing awareness of and expression of emotions of any intensity may be confusing and overwhelming for her and those around her. She may choose to wean herself off the medication and I have found acupuncture useful for that. There are a number of GP's who also practise acupuncture and so Medicare will pay for some of those treatment sessions. A regular practice of yoga including pranayam (yogic breathing) or tai chi may be a bit beyond her in the first year or so, but it is something to later aim for.

Answer provided by Peter Fox, Psychologist

Answer (2) It is not too late to seek other forms of therapy. Your mother may be limited by what the psychiatrist has learned. Many psychriasts unfortunately (although this is not true for all) are medical doctors first and foremost and have limited training in Psychotherapy. You mother has already indicated that she is not completely happy with the current situation but appears unable to know where to go or what to do and being with this therapist for so long would mean that she has come to rely on him in some way anyway. Counsellors and Psychotherapists cannot make a formal diagnosis and medicate patients but they are trained very well in many ways to get to the core of the issue and facilitate change. I would suggest your mothers life is worth a try.

Answer provided by Jacqueline McDiarmid, Psychotherapist