Frequently Asked Questions

Dr. Lester M. Sdorow, author of Psychology, answers questions about therapy.

1. Can professional therapists successfully diagnose their own disorders? How do they maintain objectivity?

In some cases they, like anyone else, can. People typically know when they're suffering from a phobia, severe depression, or other disorders that bring personal distress. But in some cases, such as schizophrenia or personality disorders, the individual is typically unaware that he or she has a serious problem. In fact, a person with paranoid schizophrenia or an antisocial personality disorder would be unlikely to admit that he or she has a problem even after it is pointed out by a mental health professional. But even professional therapists who recognize that they have a disorder will seek help from another professional--it is usually unwise and ineffective to practice therapy on yourself when the problem is severe.

2. What are the chances of recovering from a mental illness if you don't have a supportive family or network of friends?

A supportive network will increase the likelihood of recovering from mental illness, but is not essential. Even without social support, therapy that improves your thinking, emotions, and behavior can help you overcome mental illness.

3. Why is the use of Prozac controversial?

One reason why Prozac, a widely prescribed antidepressant, has become controversial is that it has been portrayed as a miracle drug that not only combats depression but alters one's whole personality--a kind of chemical "brainwashing." Though some people report such marked personality changes, most simply report that they feel relieved of a giant burden--the weight of chronic depression. A second reason why Prozac, and other psychoactive drugs, are controversial is that some people rely on them alone, with little attention to the issues that might be contributing to their depression or other psychological disorder. Nonetheless, some people cannot deal with these issues until they have received some drug-induced relief of their emotional suffering.

4. Should therapists be the same race and gender as their clients in order to give effective treatment?

Many research studies indicate that the personal qualities of the therapist are often more important than the kind of therapy that he or she practices. But the role of therapists' race or gender on their effectiveness has been subjected to more discussions than to experimental research--with research producing inconsistent findings. So it is probably more a question of the personal comfort of the client. If you would feel more comfortable seeking therapy from a person of a certain age, gender, race, or ethnic group, then you might seek that quality. In some cases, this might even be someone quite different from yourself. But the therapist's ability, warmth, empathy, and tendency to be nonjudgmental would usually be more important to the outcome of the therapy than any of their more superficial characteristics. It's clear that matching therapists/clients on gender has no effect, however, there is some evidence that ethnic matching may be helpful for clients of color