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Me?
Always raining acid on the parade?
Seriously?
Wow ... i think you must not be comprehending my expression on the above post and others.
If the truth as i see it bursts some bubble you're in, that's too bad.
You need to do what you see and know what is right for you to do and discard the opinions of others if they don't resonate with you ... if they don't ring true.
I'm not trying to "rain on your parade" but when you get into the field of healing it's not just your parade anymore and it's extremely unfortunate, imo, that there are so many unwell so-called healers out there of every kind / in every field and often (not always) they're in it to make money and to inflate their egos and i'm one of those people who think that ones motivation for entering into the field of helping and healing others needs to be very pure.
You're incapable of physically stopping people due to your beliefs so I'm not intimidated.
Right. I can tell you right now, that I would never had the jobs in the mental health field if I had "disclosed" my issues during a job interview.
Same as having a disability, I have ADD and dyslexia that is off the chart. Sometimes I wonder myself how I have been able maintain employment. As for Voc Rehab, the prejudice there among counselors is incredible against people with disabilities, especially psychiatric disabilities. I have personally heard counselors make "fun" of people who have serious issues..."All he needs is a kick in the butt", this about a client struggling with depression.
I can tell you, disclose your psychiatric history to get a job in mental health, will definitely mean you will not get a job. Yes, I know there are "exceptions", don't bore me with the .001 person who got a job at their former treatment center. It happens, but rarely.
With all due respect, that is changing! If you go to any national community mental health conference, you'll meet tons of current and former MH consumers who are employed successfully in the field, and MH organizations presenting about how they actively recruit consumers.
It's no longer just the token client getting hired at the center he attends.
We have been trying to hire peer support counselors (BA level, non-degreed, and graduate level), and if someone has the qualifications plus they disclose a mental health condition, that actually gives them a leg-up in agencies like mine.
In NJ, if someone has the qualifications plus they have a disclosed mental illness, they end up with several organizations wanting to fight over them! My state can't be alone, as we are actually a little behind on the efforts to adhere to the Recovery philosophy. The efforts are huge in the Boston area, the state of Ohio, and other areas where the wellness & recovery philosophy has been fully adopted.
I agree w/Jasper8....not a good idea to share your mental health history in regard to career employment. As a medical professional, I do not think the MH community is "eager" to hire the MH consumer.
FYI: Many of MH workers have their own untreated MH issues, as was stated. I have first-hand knowledge of a psych nurse who had an affair with a married psych MD ( brilliant ), a psych MD who thought it cool to allow Playboy to shoot photos of girls on his DINING RM TABLE (), a female psych MD who was in it for prestige only and could not diagnose even basic depression correctly , a psychologist who weighs around 400 lbs , a psychologist who thought it her right to disclose diagnostic info about a patient to patient's employer (before HIPPA)....and etc.
There has been a study done on work place bullying and violence, Social Workers and Mental Health nurses were at the top of the list as far as bullying at work goes. Which makes me think, sometimes those people are not that mentally healthy! Bullying within the social services sector
You're incapable of physically stopping people due to your beliefs so I'm not intimidated.
I have no interest in stopping you from doing anything.
It's your life.
You started a thread and asked for opinions and then when you get a reply that doesn't please you, you fight.
Do what you will.
Why do you need the approval and opinions of others anyway?
You need to know who you are and listen to your own internal guidance.
From there, you'll find your way naturally whether it's in the mental health profession or elsewhere.
I have no interest in stopping you from doing anything.
It's your life.
You started a thread and asked for opinions and then when you get a reply that doesn't please you, you fight.
Do what you will.
Why do you need the approval and opinions of others anyway?
You need to know who you are and listen to your own internal guidance.
From there, you'll find your way naturally whether it's in the mental health profession or elsewhere.
I hate to break it to you, but my default internal guidance is non-existent.
I've been relying on the approval/disapproval of others in my decision making for as long as I could remember.
When it comes down to solely myself, I just stare into space until any given opportunity is snatched away from me.
So if you're a free-spirit that always makes the right decisions on your own, good for you.
As for myself, I'll continue seeking advisers on issues like this and weighing out opinions like votes.
In the case of this thread and conversations in the real-world regarding this issue, it's mainly been all YES votes and very few NAY votes.
With other people assisting me in my decision-making process, my brain feels like a civilized and orderly society.
When it's just myself, it reverts to a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
I hate to break it to you, but my default internal guidance is non-existent.
I've been relying on the approval/disapproval of others in my decision making for as long as I could remember.
When it comes down to solely myself, I just stare into space until any given opportunity is snatched away from me.
So if you're a free-spirit that always makes the right decisions on your own, good for you.
As for myself, I'll continue seeking advisers on issues like this and weighing out opinions like votes.
In the case of this thread and conversations in the real-world regarding this issue, it's mainly been all YES votes and very few NAY votes.
With other people assisting me in my decision-making process, my brain feels like a civilized and orderly society.
When it's just myself, it reverts to a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
My analogy anyway.
Well said.
I'm impressed.
I am a free spirit but i definitely don't always make the best choices and yet those bad choices, if handled skillfully, can be extremely "educational" albeit a pain in the butt.
And your internal guidance system is not non-existent (everybody has one) but rather, you haven't been able to access it yet probably (or i imagine anyway) 'cause you think it's to be found in your head.
Looking for it (or for any depth information) there is not only folly but is (or can be) totally crazy making.
It all depends on your level of psychosis. If you walk around thinking your a chicken and flap your arms while clucking madly, chances are you aren't going to be a good fit as a counselor. If you've experienced some depression and/or anxiety in your life and just needed some coaching to help get you through, I doubt that's going to be a dealbreaker. I would also guess that the time in between your mental healing and the time in which it would take for you to go to school and get through an internship is probably about ten years or so, give or take.
Perhaps try going into social work as a start and see if it sparks any further interest in pursuing a career as a therapist.
Really, would anyone have wanted "Bob", in "What About Bob?" To be their therapist? I don't think so...
I was once given an EAP referral, and met a therapist I felt was really messed up. I never went back.
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brilliant ), a psych MD who thought it cool to allow Playboy to shoot photos of girls on his DINING RM TABLE (
, a psychologist who weighs around 400 lbs 
, a psychologist who thought it her right to disclose diagnostic info about a patient to patient's employer 
(before HIPPA)....and etc.
