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Incels experience a complex combination of psychiatric symptoms but feel they cannot be helped by mental health professionals

https://www.psypost.org/2023/06/incels-experience-a-complex-combination-of-psychiatric-symptoms-but-feel-they-cannot-be-helped-by-mental-health-professionals-165960

People who identify as incels (involuntary celibates) have higher rates of self-reported mental health disorders compared to the general male population, according to new research published in Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression. Despite their elevated psychiatric symptoms, however, the study indicates that incels also tend to be distrustful of mental health professionals. ...

Incels experience a complex combination of psychiatric symptoms but feel they cannot be helped by mental health professionals

8 comments

exohuman

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Interesting study results. Sounds to me like the psychiatrists aren’t really providing a good enough solution to their problems. The article says more than 18% of them are on the autism spectrum (compared to way less than 1% over the general population). I would be interested in knowing if the psychiatrists are realistic in their treatments: telling them to lower their expectations, telling them they need to think about how others feel, treating the depression, giving them resources to interact with other autistic adults, etc. Or is it a case of speak your mind and here are some pills?

fossilesque

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Anecdotal, and I am not a doctor, but I am on the waiting list to be screened for autism. I think it is how doctors approach the former that is the issue. A lot of current therapy can feel like gaslighting to autistic brains. Stuff like this: https://www.dralicenicholls.com/why-doesnt-standard-talking-therapy-work-for-autistic-people/ I know I never had much luck with therapists until I found one that just listened and validated me and told me I wasn't crazy for thinking like the way I do. I do not have experience from the male perspective, though. There are also problems with outdated information as things are being studied, the lack of empathy thing being one of them irc. If anything, I am too sensitive, haha; I even have a hard time watching movies with distressed characters... I have noticed that a lot of the help I've tried to get was like trying to treat a raw nerve repeatedly slapped with a bandaid, superficial and inadequate. Now that people are more aware of what it is, it is no wonder more people are getting diagnosed.

glasslyrata

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Agreed, I'm neither a man nor an incel but I'm diagnosed autism and ADHD and even with diagnoses and a lot of help on paper this is extremely frustrating. Too many therapies that are based on neurotypicals and we're only beginning to scratch the surface of why they don't work. Too many of us end up feeling deeply misunderstood and hopeless. I have to constantly keep up with autism research only to be able to speak my mind and avoid losing more years to failed attempts. I'm lucky about the people that surround me to have stopped me from increased resentment and many types of maladaptive coping mechanisms.

HoboTurducken

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If I could incorporate this abstract into my vegetable patch that would be amazing. It is the largest can of worms in the solar system.