There are many things your therapist won't tell you, but for today I want to focus on three. Some of these things are common knowledge, such as not everything is confidential (danger to self, danger to others, abuse). Some of these things are professional secrets (such as your psychiatrist is probably receiving free samples from the pharmaceutical company). There are at least three things your therapist won't tell you, and they vary by therapist. But as a general rule, the following statements are three things your therapist won't tell you.

You may have many questions to ask your therapist when you start therapy. This is a good thing--you are entering treatment and you have a right to know what to expect (Should Psychiatric patients Have A Right To See Their Files?). You wouldn't go to any other kind of medical treatment without doing research into your condition, your treatment provider, and what your prognosis may be. So why should therapy be any different? Here are some questions to ask your therapist and why you should ask them.

Did you know that the heat can affect psychiatric patients? Recently I moved into an apartment with no air conditioning--and Indianapolis has been hotter than usual. I noticed that my mental illness symptoms are worse than usual as well, so I researched how heat can affect psychiatric patients, both physically and mentally. I found that heat can affect psychiatric patients by interfering with their ability to sweat, increasing depressive symptoms, and increasing suicidal ideation.

Why are psychiatric drug side effects so severe? Recently, I complained to my psychiatrist that I felt like my heart was racing. She took my pulse, frowned, broke out her stethoscope, then ordered an electrocardiogram (EKG). The EKG came back abnormal, so the nurse practitioner overseeing it ordered another one. Both EKGs showed that I may have had a mild atrial heart attack. I see a cardiologist on Thursday. How could psychiatric drug side effects be so severe? (Check the side-effects of your psychiatric medications)

Are psychiatric medications to blame for mass shootings? Texas Governor Rick Perry's remarks after the recent shootings in South Carolina seems to indicate that he thinks so. So, are psychiatric medications to blame for mass shootings or is there another reason?

Should medical marijuana be legal for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? I recently got a petition from a veteran with PTSD. After developing the disorder as a result of military service, he was prescribed several psychiatric medications. None of the "dozens" worked, and he eventually attempted to overdose. Desperate, he turned to medical marijuana--and found it helped. Is it time to allow medical marijuana as a treatment for PTSD?

There are lies about psychiatric medications. Psychiatric medications are controversial due to the stigma of mental illness. I remember a college friend of mine told me she didn't trust anything that altered the emotions, even though she admitted the medications had made a positive difference in my life. It doesn't help that there is a lot of misinformation about psychiatric medications. Here are three lies people believe about psychiatric medications.

I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for the first time in college. Because I went to an out-of-state university, my family was unable to help, so a friend took me to a psychiatric hospital. Both my family and my friend had concerns: How long was I going to be there? What was going to be done to keep me from committing suicide? What exactly could I expect? Here are three things families and friends need to know about psychiatric hospitalization.

I sit in my home by myself because my family left. I don’t blame them. They just couldn’t take it anymore. What they couldn’t take was me and my posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I have come to refer to it as “the PTSD me,” because it often feels there’s two completely different people within me.

I am in the interesting position of being both a family member of a mentally ill person and being mentally ill myself. It sometimes gives me a unique understanding into both sides of the issues that can arise between the ill person and their family members.