Posted by velaguff on July 23, 2002, at 13:43:01
In reply to frustration - the medical monopoly, posted by Elizabeth on July 20, 2002, at 2:24:11
Hello Elizabeth, I'm new here, name's Velaguff. I've enjoyed your informative postings for a long time before I actually registered with Dr. Bob. About six months ago, I asked shrink #37 or so, for Buprenex. He sneered at me. His counter-suggestion? That I take a four-hour drive (8 hours round trip!) once-a-week to the nearest research hospital with an electroshock device, and pay a FORTUNE for electroshock therapy, as my health insurance doesn't cover it. I would have loved to snap his pencil neck like a twig. I would have done a great service to humanity by doing so. Unfortunately, as a "crime of passion", so to speak, this action would not have won me the death penalty (which, ironically, would, presumably, relieve my depression). I restrained my trembling hands, thus enabling me to remain depressed in my own house, as opposed to the big house.
> Hi everyone. I've been struggling onward, working with a new pdoc who is, shall we say, less open-minded than the ones I'm used to. (I posted about this a while back.) It seems to be working out okay, but I'm left feeling frustrated that I have to be dependent on a doctor to get the medication I need. You know?
>
> I'm pretty sure that I know more than my doctor does about my own psychiatric history, present symptoms, and response to medications. I'm also pretty sure that I understand at least as well as she does how the medications I take work, on the molecular level and otherwise. She does have important knowledge of things like pharmacokinetic interactions which I might miss, but it just doesn't seem right that it should ultimately be her decision whether to permit me to take a particular remedy. It seems to me that this impinges on a very basic freedom of mine, the right of self-determination.
>
> At one time I was faced with a doctor who refused to prescribe the medication that -- according to records to which he had access -- would help me. As far as I could tell, he would rather see me continue to be depressed than take a "bad" drug, and I narrowly escaped being committed by this bastard (refusing to treat me, to the end). To this guy, the thought of prescribing Buprenex for depression -- even on a trial basis -- was so repulsive that he would rather cause a depressed person's suffering to continue (although, to tell you the truth, I didn't get the impression that my well-being was a very high priority for him). And I didn't have the option of saying no to him. His opinion was law. It was a terrifying experience, and even now, months after, I'm disturbed just thinking about it. *shudder*
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> We all know that doctors sometimes appeal to morality -- their own subjective morality -- in making medical decisions. I just wish that my ability to be well didn't depend on whether I can find a doctor whose morals don't make him/her too rigid to prescribe the medication that works for me. It seems like most doctors in average American cities are pretty rigid, alas.
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> Anyone else having similar thoughts and feelings?
>
> -elizabeth
poster:velaguff
thread:112998
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020718/msgs/113418.html