Why are many mental health professionals like case managers & psych nurses so UNeducated about mental illness?

Question

I mean, like-why do they turn your physical problems into psychiatric problems?

Earlier today, I visited my case manager for our monthly follow-up appointment (it's the clinic policy for everyone to have a case manager). & she asked me what was wrong with me & told me that I looked like I was in distress. So I told her about my shoulders feeling funny (not actually hurting), & she thought I was having a panic attack. I was like, "No. I'm fine. I'm OK." I know she asked out of care & concern & everything, but I'm just wondering why mental health professionals (in general) are so misinformed if they went to college to study about people with mental illnesses. & I've also had mental health professionals mistake my anxiety for paranoia & my physical pains for hypochondria, when "in fact" I have irritable bowel syndrome.

Answer 1

you can't be serious!! your a psych patient in a psych facility that is the environment you are in and any problems you have will revolve around that one simple fact first time and all the time because that is your history and if your case manager/psych nurse ignores that then she is not doing her job.  what would you say if a person who has a history of lying comes up to you and says "How come no one trusts me??"

Answer 2

They do this because there are a lot of mentally ill patients who instead of dealing with their mental issues properly they "turn them into" physical issues.  It isn't everyone and I am hoping that you made it clear to your social worker that in your case that was not the situation.  Another problem is that social workers are overworked and they have too many case loads.  Sometimes they loose their lack of "kindness" and "caring" and start to behave and think like "robots".  When situations like this happen you need to make sure that your social worker knows that she is wrong.  It proves that you are taking good care of yourself and are taking good "mental" care of yourself.

Peace & Love :)