educating healthcare providers

Posted by LizKat @lizkat, Jun 2, 2012

Hey Roxie
Could you do one of your great posts here to describe what we are about here?
LizKat

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Roxie43 | @roxie43 | Jun 3, 2012

The Professional Consumer's Perspective:

Everyone is someone's patient. The best approach to quality care is inclusive of a holistic and humanistic perspective. If 1 in 5 individuals live with a mental illness this means that some of the very people that we are receiving care from are also living with illnesses that affect their brain, mood, thinking, functioning etc.

Individual's that live with mental illnesses simply want to be treated the same way in which everyone else is treated. When I frequent my medical doctor about a physical complaint I do not want to hear that it may be my anxiety. My maternal aunt died at the age of 39 from a massive heart attack. And, despite having a pre-existing condition, she often heard that her symptoms were that of her anxiety. Well, she's dead.

Healthcare provider's need to have more than academic preparation and practicums. There comes a time when plain old common sense, cultural awareness, and open mindedness has to play an intricate part in the care that one is providing. Furthermore, there needs to be a level of trust and a healthy working relationship.

I do not walk around with a sticker on my forehead that states "I am mentally ill and therefore all of my concerns are related to depression, anxiety, PTSD". There are times, and the research has demonstrated this, that I get physically sick and that's all I want to be treated for. Yes, my PCP is aware of my condition, because it's important for her to know the medications that I take but this does not discount the automatic judgements that any and all physical complaints are related to the mental illness.

Healthcare provider's also need to show their patients that there is mutual respect and that the one seeking medical help knows him or herself better than anyone else. It's disrespectful to suggest to someone that an issue is all in the person's head.

Then, there are the biases, prejudices, lack of understanding and other pertinent factors that can impede someone from receiving quality care.

Academia is wonderful, but there are more things, that provider's can do to make a person with or without a mental illness feel like they matter.

And some are;

Good Communication
Respect
Boundaries
Trust
Empathy
Compassion
Reflective Listening
Non-Judgemental
Ethics
Confidentiality
Empowernment
Skill Building
The Promotion of Independence
Positive Feedback
Encouragement
Cultural Sensitivity and Awareness
Kindness
Nurturing
The Ability to Decipher between Pathology and the person

Individuals whom live with mental illnesses are so much more than the mental illness. Some are even made to feel like it's their fault that they have these chemical imbalances. In some cultures, certain spiritual and religious beliefs can be misinterpreted as psychosis because the provider does not know much about the cultural norms and beliefs.

So, although the medical profession continues to make important advances in the treatment of many diseases/illnesses, there are many improvements that can be made. Treating an individual means just that "treating an individual" not just a part of the individual. There is no better feeling than knowing that one is important, worthy, respected and an active partner in the care that one is receiving. Partnerships are essential...........

Big Hug,
Rox