Read on Twitter
Imagine a mental health field that doesn’t center on the DSM diagnoses where people could preventively see a psychologist annually and a neuropsychologist every three years, both covered with $0 copay. That is my dream and why I applied to grad school. The DSM is only one 1/ https://twitter.com/intsectnetwork/status/1345388473948241922
letter away from BDSM (Bondage, Domination and Sadomasochism). I don’t believe is a coincidence as the mental health field is reacts to the first suicide attempt, the first psychotic break, the first rape & the first incident of domestic violence. We connect with them in their 2/
darkest moment, but humans aren’t light switches where the light is either on or off. We are more like a dimmer switch. In life, we start on the middle setting. Life through childhood, adolescence, early adulthood & adulthood turns the dimmer knob more towards the bright light 3/
of joy and the darkness of depression that could be the beginning of a mental health diagnosis. There were moments that influence whether the light is brighter or dimmer, it is our environment. The psychology field has an opportunity to be a part of that environment throughout 4/
the lifespan, but we wait. The light is out, maybe it has been out for awhile and emergency services begin then psychologists ask a client to trust them. Let me ask a question, why should they especially if they are Black, Indigenous or People of color? Life was hard for me 5/
from the beginning. I watched mom be the object of mental and financial abuse from my father. He also emotionally and physically abused me. When they divorced it was hard on me, but psychology wasn’t there. I was a younger sibling to a severely disabled older sister, I could 6/
have struggled with jealousy and not understanding why she got more attention than I did. Having a disabled sibling, a child health psychologist could have seen me to teach me about the nature of disability and how I felt as her sibling. This never happened. When my grandpa 7/
died and mom told me about his death, I was 4 and I said “grandpa dived into a pool.” While funny, it is funny that there wasn’t a child bereavement counselor to talk to me, help me understand death, so I could be there at his funeral. I was excluded. In kindergarten, I was 8/
assumed to be dumb because I had a disabled sister. This was in a very racist area of Missouri. I was subjected to tests to prove myself and I was above average in a few areas. Did I get a chance to see a child psychologist to talk about this experience? Of course not. With 9/
mom raising me by herself, I helped with the finances, calling utility companies as early as 11 years old when the power went out because of payment arrangements not being noted, I watched my grandma with dementia and took care of her & really who took care of me when I felt 10/
overwhelmed to tell me that as a kid that I shouldn’t have to do all of this... no one. My father was emotionally abusive all of my life, visits with his side of the family were torture. They all told me how I want good enough because of my clothes, how I spoke or something 11/
else. My step mother once permed my hair 4 times in one month to try to get it to be like her flowing smooth hair. Honestly I am glad I have hair after that. Where was anyone in the psychology field to help me, nowhere? It was only when I was raped at 17 & diagnosed with the 12/
first of many psychiatric diagnoses from the DSM that I got help from the mental health field. But the light has been out for so long despite the smile I always wore. The smile was a lie at 17 to get everyone to ignore me and not all how everything was. I didn’t trust the 13/
mental health field and quite honestly I still struggle to trust it. At 34 years old, I celebrate 8 years free of suicide attempts and cutting. 8 years without psychiatric hospitalization. 9 years without voices. 4 years free from my abusive marriage. I am my best emotionally 14/
That I have ever been. I will have my bachelor’s degree that has been 19 years of undergraduate college education in the works for my 35th birthday. I have applied to 2 graduate schools, lead 2 research teams and I am a disability advocate with @DisInHigherEd as a co-founder 15/
and @APHADisability as Communications Student co-chair. I serve on an advisory committee working on school reopening considerations for students with disabilities thanks to the referral of @SFdirewolf. All of this and last month, I had a new psychiatrist that specializes in 16/
patients with chronic pain tell me that she is pro-ECT and that I would get royal treatment if I had it. I stand here as a Black Disabled woman and I know that there is no way that I can be guaranteed safety in a hospital or quality care. My mental health is not deteriorating 17/
It is thriving and for her after meeting me once to suggest that is like a slap in the face and a disrespect to all the progress that I have made. I may for the first time have to make it my first and last appointment with a psychiatrist. She even applied new labels from DSM 18/
without truly understanding who I am. I don’t appreciate nor trust it. The mental health field needs to transform if it is going to meet and exceed the needs of everyone in our population. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia during my abusive marriage 5 years ago. 19/
I was in that area for a year and never did she refer me to a health psychologist, a rehabilitation psychologist or an LCSW who specialized in treating patients with chronic pain. It was 2020 that I found it existed. A travesty. Supportive psychological services for anyone 20/
newly diagnosed with a chronic disability should start immediately after diagnosis to prevent maladaptive coping. This is also a major driver of why I applied to graduate school in Health Policy. I hope that I can make a difference. This was a surprise thread for me, so thank 21/
you for listening and truly hearing me. Thank you to all of #DisabilityTwitter for being there for me, you were the best part of my 2020. It has been such an honor to serve as Underrepresented Student Officer for @_UCSA and I look forward to finishing strong. I may be the 22/
