Dr. Dale Archer’s Psychiatric Philosophy 

When I started practicing psychiatry there was a tremendous stigma associated with mental illness. Folks were told to "be strong,” "stop worrying,” "get over it.”  Seeing a shrink was not something people talked about with anything other than embarrassment.  

I fought hard during those days to de-stigmatize mental illness, to educate the public, to help them understand that psychiatric problems were not due to personal weakness, but were often caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, which could be evaluated medically and treated with medication.

 

Over the last 20 years, much has changed for the better but unfortunately the pendulum has swung far to the other extreme; too far. Psychiatry has gone from being stigmatized to glamourized. Many people think it’s chic to see a Psychiatrist and even pediatricians pass out medication out like candy. 

Terms such as OCD, ADD and Bipolar have become popular slang and we as a nation have become over-diagnosed and over-medicated. We’ve been told that no matter our symptom, a pill can do the trick.

Even worse, folks are now using their psychiatric ‘diagnosis’ as an excuse, rather than realizing that when you take responsibility for your own life a frightening yet amazing thing happens...you have no one left to blame.

Now don’t get me wrong, chemical imbalances of the brain are real and they do exist. There are many folks that need medication, sometimes for life. For some who have severe cases of obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and other psychiatric conditions, their prescription is the only thing that keeps them out of a hospital. But not everyone who walks into the doctor’s office with a few mild symptoms needs a tablet thrown down their throat.

The simple fact is that we are trying to cram everyone into a mental health box called "normal” and we are making this box smaller and smaller. That enlarges the "abnormal” universe to include almost everyone. Then we tell them not to worry, it can be fixed with a pill that will make them normal, just like everyone else. But, we have to remember that normal equals average and if we try to please everyone and conform to the norm, we lose our uniqueness which is the foundation for our greatness. 

Embrace yourself for who you are. You may be extra tidy, have a few mood swings or at times feel anxious. Maybe your kid is a bit hyper. That does not necessarily mean that medication is needed. These very traits help define you as a unique human and even though it’s hard to believe, many times moderate amounts of these traits are very advantageous! It’s much better to tailor your life around your traits than to medicate them into oblivion.

This holds true for everything in your life. If you embrace your strengths and weaknesses as part of your uniqueness, then the right relationship, friends, job, life will come to you. A happy life is much easier to achieve when we stop fighting against the current of who we think we should be. The simple saying "be yourself”, has never been more true.

So here I am, 20-something years later with a new dragon to slay, a new mission to complete. Yes psychiatric conditions are real and medications do work. But the true art of psychiatry is being able to understand when a pill  is needed as opposed to the need for a simple change in perception about who you are...and who you want to be.

Please join me here on my website as I attempt to help folks with the three approaches that have been key to my psychiatric practice over the years. First, assess for a chemical imbalance and treat if needed (since I can’t do that via the Internet, that may mean a recommendation to see a psychiatrist).

Next, give good common sense advice. And finally and most importantly, provide hope. Hope in the understanding that you are a unique and special person, that you can take charge of your life, that you are better than normal and that if need be, you can change. 

Others have done it successfully, you can too. You’re not different or weird or ‘not normal.’ You are who you are, and sometimes understanding and accepting this can make all the difference.