Posted by Will_Hung on June 26, 2002, at 17:34:27
In reply to Re: Testosterone question, posted by Phil on June 26, 2002, at 12:41:01
Hmmmmmmmm, I'll certainly give it a try next time I see the doc (about a month). Not too optimistic though.
I've actually been quite lucky as far as treatment is concerned. Once I'd got past a smug idiot GP (who insisted I waste six months seeing a counsellor - very useful for chronic depresssion and social phobia/avoidant personality, I don't think) I was referred to a consultant shrink who I still see about once every three months. Immediately I was put on the 'golden boy' drug Seroxat(Paxil) and within six months I was recieving CBT. My shrink is actually quite good and I have a fairly big say in my AD treatment. Although my problems remain, I can't really blame this on my treatment at the hands of the NHS.
Its seems to be mainly the 'serious' mental illnesses that get the rough treatment here - the schizophrenics and the psychotics who get locked up for a year or two before being turfed out onto the streets. Whats more, our government is trying to get all serious personality disorder sufferers locked up for life. I can only hope that this does not include AvPD!
Having said this, I doubt that there are many social phobics in the UK who get within a mile of a consultant. Most are diagnosed and treated by their GPs. Although this may keep the waiting lists down, it means that many conditions do not get diagnosed or don't get the optimum treatment. Most GPs, for example, don't prescribe MAOIs because of the associated liability that comes with them. In many ways, the idiot GP (not my GP any longer) did me a favour by offloading me onto someone else.
poster:Will_Hung
thread:110603
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020617/msgs/110848.html