Table 4.
Worst aspect of seeing mental health providers for 60 persons with MCS
| Aspect | n |
|---|---|
| Getting a psychological label | 5 |
| Getting no accommodations | 4 |
| Provider not understanding MCS | 3 |
| Not being believed regarding symptoms | 3 |
| Exposures in the setting | 3 |
| Having to go through a stinky building to get there | 2 |
| Being given psychiatric medication | 2 |
| There was no worst aspect | 2 |
| Getting no help | 2 |
| Being humiliated/demeaned | 2 |
| Talking through a mask | 1 |
| Taking the MMPI | 1 |
| Getting sick | 1 |
| The exhaustion | 1 |
| Fragrance on chairs | 1 |
| Fragrance on employees | 1 |
| The cost | 1 |
| Lost disability benefits | 1 |
| Being on guard so as not to be perceived as psychiatric | 1 |
| No testing for toxic encephalopathy only for psychological disorders | 1 |
| Being seen as trying to get out of work | 1 |
| Admitting it is chronic/lifelong | 1 |
| Embarrassment of talking about a disorder that could be perceived as psychiatric | 1 |
| Admitting that it could be a brain defect “on record” | 1 |
| Having an aloof examiner document notes | 1 |
| Lack of support/advice/discussion | 1 |
| Feeling as if I were talking to a stump | 1 |
| Getting depressed and upset | 1 |
Abbreviations: MCS, multiple chemical sensitivity; MMPI, Minnesota Multiplasic Personality Inventory.