Discussion My psychiatrist suggested I have a baby to give me a reason to live.

[Quietist]

The fact that a group of suicidal people are more rational than many therapists speaks volumes.

Ironically, we'd all be better qualified, more empathetic, and more logical than most of the "professionals".

 

[Archness]

How TF did that person get a psychology license? No, that isn't just bad psychology, it's outright STUPID!

Really sorry you had to deal with that BS. All the studying and scrip memorization still can't truly improve how much they can help. A stupid person with a college degree will still be stupid.

The fact that a group of suicidal people are more rational than many therapists speaks volumes.

Ironically, we'd all be better qualified, more empathetic, and more logical than most of the "professionals".

Tho we're actually willing to be honest and say, "There's nothing I can do to help you anymore..." or, "You're literally just fucked." and that things can legitimately be downright hopeless. So immediately all the normies and pro-lifers are gonna hate us and everything else.

 

[vanillamilkshakes]

That has to be some of the most out-of-this-world advice I've ever heard. Is there any chance you can switch psychiatrists?

 

[WhatDoesTheFoxSay?]

For me when it comes to toxic family members, I would be wary of any therapist or counselor who tries to push an agenda of "forgiveness" and reconciliation, be it for (socio-)cultural or religious reasons.

Fortunately I was able to clarify with mine about what "forgiveness" means, and none of it translates to letting your abusers off the hook.

Sure you may be having an entirely justified existential crisis and facing your own mortality, but have you tried journalling tho

I know journalling can be cathartic for some people. As a kid I used to keep a diary but I stopped writing after my brother (we were close, but still...) read it without my permission. Nowadays I just prefer to keep things to myself.

 

[kagebunshin]

That has to be some of the most out-of-this-world advice I've ever heard. Is there any chance you can switch psychiatrists?

Yes thankfully I'm getting a new psychiatrist next week after having the same one for the past 14 months, but honestly I'm so checked out by now that I really couldn't care less about this new doctor. I'll be keeping my ears out though for any outlandish "advice" she might offer me lol

 

[catfriend]

i'm afraid your (ex-)psychiatrist is a moron. :(

this is like couples having children to 'save' their marriage -- invariably leads to more suffering.

 

[kagebunshin]

i'm afraid your (ex-)psychiatrist is a moron. :(

this is like couples having children to 'save' their marriage -- invariably leads to more suffering.

Absolutely, and it's so selfish to put all of your expectations onto an ignorant and innocent child. It's wrong on so many levels.

 

[onmywaytothebusstop]

I've been given some pretty absurd and farfetched advice over the years but I think this one takes the cake. After fourteen months inpatient, we're reeeally scraping the bottom of the barrel now. It just goes to show how far removed my psychiatrist is from what I'm going through. She's supposed to be in charge of my treatment, but we don't understand one another at all. Some of you may have read my post about how I stabbed myself last year. Talk about prime mother material! Imagine telling an actively suicidal person to have a baby! Sure, how about I fuck up another person as well as myself and for what? So I don't have to suffer alone?? I could only laugh.

What is some bad advice you've been given by medical professionals, or even concerned friends or loved ones?

Seems like pretty solid advice. Get a child to have a purpose in life. If after having a child, you're still suicidal, get another one. If it doesn't work, just try again.

Seems pretty retarded to me. I'm depressed af and can't even take care of myself how would i take care of someone else?

 

[Carrot]

This is.. weird. If anything, a cat/dog/pet would likely be a better suggestion.

I might be completely wrong and there might be something I am missing, we don't know you. I don't know the exact phrasing your psychiatrist used. There is a difference between saying something like "Get a baby" and something like "One of key things for humans is creating something, for many this is having kids, but for others it can be starting a business.".

 

[bankai]

Imagine paying these guys and hearing this stuff lol.

 

[Hollowman]

They're worthless, that's why I gave up on them years ago.

 

[karakoltriste]

"Work, you're not that bad" by psychiatris
or "Get a bf to be more mature"

They're worthless, that's why I gave up on them years ago.

and they are bad with us

 

[kagebunshin]

This is.. weird. If anything, a cat/dog/pet would likely be a better suggestion.

I might be completely wrong and there might be something I am missing, we don't know you. I don't know the exact phrasing your psychiatrist used. There is a difference between saying something like "Get a baby" and something like "One of key things for humans is creating something, for many this is having kids, but for others it can be starting a business.".

To give context, we were talking about feeling attachment to life itself and how I was and am struggling to feel fully "alive" since attempting suicide last year. Obviously when I attempted, I cut all emotional ties and completely let go of this world. My attempt failed due to circumstance, I'm still alive, but I'm still mentally checked out and kind of feel like my spirit is dead while my body lives on. I've been suicidal ever since then because I'm still in the same headspace I was when I attempted.

Anyway, the psychiatrist was suggesting ways to retie myself to life and this world in order to prevent me from attempting suicide again. She said, "Have you thought about having a baby?" For context, I'm a thirty-year-old woman so she probably looked at me and thought yep, prime baby-making age. I actually laughed because I thought she was being ironic, but she was completely serious.

 

[Angel999]

Every psychiatrist changed my diagnosis and said they can't help me eventually, after taking thousands from me.

 

[Carrot]

It does sound like the therapist was suggesting it. I don't know what to say.

 

[Alexandra_]

Your doctor is absolutely incompetent. I advise you to contact another specialist. Such a "doctor" is a disgrace to his profession

 

[Carrot]

I highly suggest telling talking with them about it. Just like you would/should talk to anybody else about any other problem. Just like you can have a talk with a roommate not to leave dirty dishes in the sink, you can talk to your therapist when they say something you did not like for some reason. It's possible to be fruitless, but at least you tried in good faith. And if that doesn't work, sometimes you need to cut people out of your life. Giving and receiving feedback is a very important trait.

 

[Forever Sleep]

"Drink wine when you're depressed" although really, I do love wine more than anything

I also had a friend who said: 'Ever heard of drowning your sorrows?' It was kind of weird. Promoting alchoholism! Seeing as I'm miserable so much.

But yeah, a college therapist also started down the baby route with me. To be fair, it was more of an enquiry, rather than a suggestion. As in: 'Do you want children?' Still, I found it unbelievable too. Just an exceptionally bad and irresponsible idea. What gave them the impression I'd be a good parent? Or, that my child wouldn't suffer the same? I guess it means more business for them! Bring more f*cked up people into a world they won't be equipped to deal with.

 

[kagebunshin]

I highly suggest telling talking with them about it. Just like you would/should talk to anybody else about any other problem. Just like you can have a talk with a roommate not to leave dirty dishes in the sink, you can talk to your therapist when they say something you did not like for some reason. It's possible to be fruitless, but at least you tried in good faith. And if that doesn't work, sometimes you need to cut people out of your life. Giving and receiving feedback is a very important trait.

Yeah I probably should have spoken up in the moment about how "inappropriate" her suggestion was, to put it mildly. I've actually gotten a new doctor literally last week so I won't be meeting the old one anymore (not due to this incident, I just moved to a different ward). I think that I will bring it up with my new doctor and nurses though as an example of what I don't find constructive in terms of professional advice lol

 

[eattwinkiesseejesus]

I would stop seeing that one.. lol

 

[cursedlife]

I'm an atheist ,I live in a country where the majority of its citizens are Muslims , so when i went to the doctor he told me I should worship god and prey because maybe I was possessed by a demon , he also told me to talk to a imam , I never went to that doctor ever since.

 

[Dee38]

I've been given some pretty absurd and farfetched advice over the years but I think this one takes the cake. After fourteen months inpatient, we're reeeally scraping the bottom of the barrel now. It just goes to show how far removed my psychiatrist is from what I'm going through. She's supposed to be in charge of my treatment, but we don't understand one another at all. Some of you may have read my post about how I stabbed myself last year. Talk about prime mother material! Imagine telling an actively suicidal person to have a baby! Sure, how about I fuck up another person as well as myself and for what? So I don't have to suffer alone?? I could only laugh.

What is some bad advice you've been given by medical professionals, or even concerned friends or loved ones?

I too had a psychiatrist who suggested having a baby, as if it would somehow fix all my issues! Mind you, this was 20+ years ages ago, but I would have hoped times had changed since then

 

[frayed]

how does it make y'all feel to remember that there must be so many women out there who gave birth for the exact same reason?

 

[Apathy79]

I assume her goal is that you have responsibility for someone else so you won't be so caught up in your own problems? But has she seriously not even considered the impact on the kid? Adopt a cat seems like it achieves the same outcome she's looking for without the catastrophic consequences.

 

[SilentSadness]

That's just absolutely terrible advice. It's completely inappropriate for a psychiatrist to be recommending something like this. These are the same people who say suicidal people will be recommended euthanasia!