KEVIN McPARTLAN,
Sir, - In her reflection on the heart-breaking story of Rosemary Toole Gilhooley, Dr Patricia Casey writes (Opinion, February 1st): "There is increasing criticism of psychiatrists for their use of medication to treat depressive illness - perhaps she was a casualty of that vehement anti-psychiatry polemic".
This remark was received with horror by the 500 mental health services users, their families, carers and the professionals who help treat them at a Cork Advocacy Network conference on the day of its publication. Dr Casey seems to suggest that anyone who is not convinced of the absolute and unique efficacy of pharmaceutical treatments is anti-psychiatry and in some way culpable for the tragic death of Ms Toole Gilhooley. This misunderstanding of the truth is deeply worrying, given Dr Casey's eminence in th e field.
What many users of the mental health services want is not the withdrawal of drug treatments, but rather the chance to make informed choices about our treatment in conjunction with the professionals.
We may be mentally ill, but we are no more stupid than any other group in society. We recognise that medical treatments are part of a sophisticated psychiatrist's armoury, but they are only one part of it. We require psychiatrists who will listen to us and discuss all the options before they reach for the prescription pad. We require psychiatrists who will work with us.
I would have thought that any doctor would be pleased to have patients taking an active part in the decisions relating to their treatment. We do, after all, have a vested interest in getting it right. - Yours, etc.,
KEVIN McPARTLAN,
Ballybeg Middle,
Buttevant,
Co Cork.