Posted by stjames on May 11, 2003, at 2:43:18
In reply to Re: Pdocs, Psychopharmacologists, and my opinion!, posted by ace on May 9, 2003, at 0:04:53
> St. James is correct.
> Psychology is a joke.Thanks, but I highly disagree with
the second statement.Folks, I alsways get flack when I make this point.
How many years does it take to understand human
behavior and learn to art of thearpy ? Several, I suspect.It takes 8 years to be a doc, just a regular doc,
All Pdocs do this first, and they do not work on specility stuff during this 8 years. Then a few years of specility. There they learn the meds, how to Dx, treat, and I feel not enough neurology. Remember ER ? Docs work 24 hr shifts.
There is no way to fit 2 years of behavior science, concepts of thearpy, ect into this.I am not saying there is no connection between mind and body. I am saying it is unreasonable and unrealistic to ask a medical doc to be a trained behavior expert, also.
All the Pdoc's I have seen in 20 yrs made this clear. They are OK for a crisis but not for long term issues. However, I do know many do feel they have to give thearpy because often the HMO or $$ means they are all the patient has.
Some do try to give real psychothearpy. Some do take additional training, some are MD's and MSW's or PhD's. But a one semester cource in psychology does not an expert make.
You don't ask the plumber to fix the wiring in the bathroom, just because the bathroom is mostly
pipes and drains.I will agree that many are well served by the "supportive thearpy" Pdocs give. When the
psychological problems are not ingrained and what
problems exist are medical in orgin a Pdoc will do. Problems that are long term, in psychology, are real bears to deal with. They require a behavior and psychology expert. An expert with
years of specific training.I also understand that people want one stop shopping & it is a pain to open up to 2 people.
I count myself lucky that my primary doc is also an allergist and an ostiopath. I lucked out, I used to have to see all 3 as years of steriod use
for allergies stripped some bone. What luck, and cheaper, too.So, I would say if you are seeing a Pdoc for thearpy conserning long trem psychological issues, the question to ask is "What training
do you have in this" and "Medical School" is not
an answer that indicates a doc is qualified to do this.
poster:stjames
thread:225122
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030505/msgs/225751.html