Comments | silentstones: ‘Attention-seeking’ behaviour and Prejudice Amongst Professionals.

silentstones

‘Attention-seeking’ behaviour and Prejudice Amongst Professionals.

Oct 31, 2008 23:19

Amongst health professionals of all studies; whether nurse, general practitioner, psychiatrist, health care assistant or counselor (to name a few), I have noticed a popular tendency to dismiss irrational, self-destructive or otherwise ‘unwell’ behaviour as being ‘attention-seeking ( Read more... )

Comments 3

moonlitxtears October 31 2008, 15:35:49 UTC

This is precisely why I have not gone again to seek any help.
I was directed to a nutritionist, and given a prescription for anti-depressants I had taken in the past that didn't work.
He also made a joke of me saying I had an eating disorder.
"Well, you don't look that sick. You're at a healthy weight. You can change those behaviors by seeing a nutritionist. I don't think you really have any significant mental disorders." He asked about my scars, too. When I told him that I used to be SI, he got this look on his face like he put it all together and I was just another "poor little girl" feeling sorry for herself and looking for attention. He made allusions to it, without really saying it directly.

I haven't gone back.

esophag0r November 1 2008, 14:59:06 UTC

I couldn't agree more. I see this ignorance among health professionals in Malta too. With my first psychiatrist, when I told him that I was cutting myself, the first thing he said was, "Are you doing this for attention?" Ummm... no. I never went to see him again ( ... )

holdon2dreams November 1 2008, 15:34:11 UTC

Sigh. yeah some ppl don't get it. Most of the ppl I have delt with do but OMG the few that don't drive me fucking insane. I had someone tell me that I didn't have bpd I just had addiction problems and that if I went to rehab it would be fine. I'm like really?? Cause I've been to ed treatment three times (which is exactly like rehab except its not faith based), I've done the AA, NA thing and nobody want to treat self injuy so there goes you theory. I had someone quesiton if I actually had attempted suicide. I'm like NOOOOOO I normally spew blood in a projectile vomiting kinda way. The guy I went to a week later b/c I was still having issues with the whole puking blood thing referred me to a GI guy who was pretty awesome but the chick I saw initially was just like get out of my sight. Yep that's definitely what I neededd.