Unhinged: The Trouble With Psychiatry: A Doctor's Revelation About a Profession in Crisis

Abstract

Daniel Carlat remembers the initial session he had with a woman who witnessed her father’s death in an auto accident. Her symptoms included nightmares, insomnia, poor concentration, and flashbacks that were recurrent in the last month since the accident. She also described how she avoided all situations that might remind her of the incident such as driving, listening to newscasts, and reading newspapers. When she mentioned that the worst thing about it was the guilt she felt, he started to realize this was more complex than ‘‘a simple case of posttraumatic stress disorder.’’ When he inquired about her statement, she explained that her father had been drinking while driving and that she had confronted him while riding with him. His reaction was to scream at her and push the gas pedal to the floor. ‘‘That’s when it happened,’’ she said. In the brief time remaining in the session, he talked about PTSD, the standard treatments involved, and the prognosis for recovery. He also prescribed Klonopin and Zoloft and recommended a therapist for her to see, telling her that the medication would be more effective if combined with therapy. The woman looked confused, and Dr. Carlat knew that she thought he was her therapist. He shook his head and said,