Armchair Experts - A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing

It wasn't too far in the past that even something as basic as "the Physician's Desk Reference" was not readily available to those outside the medical community for which the book was intended; but information which was previously limited to professionals in their field is now accessible to anyone and everyone-- and this change is not good.

You may hear such remarks as "I read a book!" or "I saw it online!" or, equally preposterous, "I know somebody who has those symptoms!" as these days any "Bozo-with-a-book" can conveniently disregard the most important factor: professionals, who are in the position of being able to diagnose and treat people, have earned that ability through education and training-- and, consequently, reading a book does not grant someone expertise or even a modicum of the knowledge necessary to take on the task of determining what a person "has," if anything, and how to deal with it.

Armchair-experts learn words-- they may mispronounce them, they will likely have little if any clear understanding of what the words actually mean, yet they will toss around words like "dissociating" and "fugue" and "multiplicity" as if they, too, had spent many years in a classroom earning their doctorates. Armchair-experts learn symptoms-- "You are frequently tired? You must have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, like My Friend Susie!" Outrageous but true examples-- individuals who have no formal education or training behind them, pick up a book and begin to act as if they're Dr. Spock or Sigmund Freud; and, for those who are on the receiving-end, if it is not one-hundred-percent clear that these folks are spouting nonsense, the results can be disastrous, even deadly.

Some armchair-experts are simply misinformed, but well-intentioned-- they are trying to help, while having no concrete basis for being able to do so. Others fall into the category of manipulators-- wishing to "gain the upper-hand" on others, by attempting to convince others "You have something-- and I know what it is." In either case, the tactics and techniques of such self-proclaimed "experts" are more dangerous than one may realize-- an unwitting listener may actually come to believe she truly does have a serious medical or psychiatric condition when none in fact exist; or may allow this type of individual and his "read a book, know it all" attitude to stand in the way of seeking real professional assistance for something she actually does have.

When professional textbooks were restricted for the use of professionals, both the medical and psychiatric communities and patients were much better off. Even a hard-earned degree is not a guarantee of absolute accuracy in diagnoses and designs of treatments; but the most important factors to keep in mind are that professionals have earned their status through many years' of hard work, effort, and focus on acquiring necessary knowledge; and, unlike professionals, "armchair-experts" are not held accountable for their misgiven "advice."