Lived Experience Forum

[frog]

I saw my psychiatrist today and he said something really interesting. He is young, takes a collaborative approach and really ackowledges lived experience. I'm grateful, because not all doctors do this. I went decades un/misdiagnosed and he said that the reason mental health professionals can do better than that now with young people is partly due to learning from the lived experience of the previous generation. I sometimes feel overwhelmed by feelings of futility, but his comment made me feel like my experience is valuable and part of something bigger.

[Former-Member]

Hi @frog

Theres nothing like Iived experience for gaining the wisdom and knowledge to relate on a deeper level with clearer perception. And yes the bigger picture, which as a universal collaborative effort we all play a big part in. Our reason for being. So glad you had such a positive validating experience with your psychiatrist today. He sounds great 👍😊

[Queenie]

Hey @frog,

When I was studying, I learned that lived experience can be just as vital as the medical model. The generations before us, with their lived experiences, can teach us so much. Things like self-mastery and learning to live with our different conditions on our individual approaches to recovery. I am glad your psychiatrist is adopting a collaborative approach, so often they don't and come from more 'traditional' psychiatry. I believe the field is changing rapidly now, with peers and their lived experiences being the way of the future in providing a pivotal key in understanding and managing mental illness.

[Amour_Et_Psyché]

Hi @frog 🙂

First of all, thank you so much for sharing your experience with your Psychiatrist. It can be comforting sometimes to feel that our struggling is not in vain, and that our experiences can be used to help others who are struggling too.

I, like @Former-Member, think your Psychiatrist sounds great in his collaborative approach. Happy you have found someone who sounds so supportive and that you can trust! 🙂

I agree@Queenie! I believe the field is changing, and that we need to consider lived experiences as key in understanding and managing mental illness.

Kindest,

Amour_Et_Psyché