Doctor Doctor give me the news..

The New York Times published an article where it stated that many Psychiatrists have responded to the recent changes in healthcare in the United States by cutting back on talk therapy, such as Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, and increasing the number of prescriptions they give.

If this is indeed the trend that Psychiatry is going in, then I feel sorry for the profession. I have known many Psychiatrists whose care of their patients has been excellent, but this is indeed disturbing news. It changes the role of the Psychiatrist from a Counselor into an Apothecary, who meets with patients for 5-10 minutes and then hands over a prescription. Who wants to go to a Doctor with the idea of getting medication the way we get cash from an ATM?

America is the country with the richest healthcare system. It is designed to make money from the misery of those who are part of that very same system. The insurance companies dictate to doctors, and other healthcare providers, what kind of treatment they are allowed to give and what kind of help they are allowed to offer those who need their services.
It is not Doctors who are making these decisions.
It is not trained mental health workers who are making these decisions.
These decisions are being made by people who only look at what seems to them to be "cost effective." So, whatever costs the insurance companies the least is what they go with.

It is time for all of us to look beyond what is seems to be our personal bottom line and instead explore what we can all do to help those around us. By doing so, we are making things better for others as well as for ourselves.

I hope that the article was being over dramatic, because this is a real slap in the face of the profession of Psychiatry.