Twice a month on Friday afternoons I meet with 4 or 5 other women for a couple of hours of knitting and the kind of conversation women have when we gather as friends. Yesterday the discussion roamed over the recent election -- sorrow that marriage equality was defeated, pleasure at the outcome of our local city council elections. And then we turned to the horrific event at Ft. Hood. Expressions of sorrow and horror and the struggle to understand. Concern for American Muslims should there be a backlash. And then one of the women, someone I would say is a friend, casually said, "It does seem that shrinks are often crazier than their patients, doesn't it?"
I said I doubted that was true and that she wouldn't want to see a therapist who knew nothing personally of emotional pain and struggle. So she then said, "Well, they do have crazy kids." And the others chuckled.
I mumbled something about there not being enough psychologists and psychiatrists to produce all the troubled children in the world. And then it was time to leave.
When I got home, I felt that exchange, in the way that sometimes happens when we encounter and attitude we never expected a friend to hold. Because my friend knows I am a psychologist, a shrink, and still she made a casual remark demeaning all of us. And I have to say, hers is not an uncommon attitude.
This morning I read a terrific post addressing just this issue on the Psych Today blog, Irrational Expertise. Thanks! I'll send the link to my friend.