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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by pretty_paints on December 16, 2004, at 18:42:01
Arrrggh. I am fumigating!!! (Only UK readers will get that. Think Nadia. Think Big Brother)
Oh I can't believe it. My wonderful lady psychiatrist is ill, she is in hospital at least until the end of January :( I went to see the stand in shrink today.
OH MY. What a complete WALLY.
He sat me down, introduced himself and then went.
"Right, now ARE YOU HEARING VOICES?"
"Are you hallucinating?"
"Do you think people are controlling you, hmmm?"
"Do you think aliens are coming to get you?"
No to all the above.
"Right", he declares. "You are not seriously mentally ill. You are not psychotic. You must be on an antipsychotic for ANXIETY because you are not psychotic".
NEVER MIND THE FACT THAT I'M ON 750MG OF FRIGGING QUETIAPINE. OF COURSE I'M NOT PSYCHOTIC. THE FOOL.
"When did you start taking these antipsychotics?"
Me: "In hospital"
"You were in hospital?"
"Yes"
"Which one?"
etc etc
"WHY did they give you antipsychotics, hmmm?"
Me: "For paranoia etc etc"
"WHAT EXACTLY were your psychotic thoughts HMMMM?"
LIKE I'VE GOT TO FRIGGING *PROVE* MYSELF TO HIM. GOD.
Then he goes, "Right, well we will definately not be trying Clozapine with you because you are not hearing voices or having visual hallucinations". Never mind the fact that my normal pdoc and I have been discussing this as a last resort option for a while now.
AAARRGGH. I am so angry. I feel like such a fool. He's made me feel like I am some big kid having a tantrum. Or that I'm just being hysterical about nothing. No matter this last year of HELL. HE has summed it all up in about 15 minutes. Honestly, I feel so foolish and stupid. Like I'm wasting their time and money.
Psychiatry is complicated and things can be subtle. Helen, my normal pdoc, is sensitive and observant. She notices even the smallest things and can derive things from them. I am not currently psychotic, but I can tell you now even if I were, there is no way I would have marched in, sat down and declared: "Hello. I am feeling psychotic today. I feel as though the world is going to be taken over by aliens. Just thought I'd let you know". I find it very difficult to mention individual thoughts. If I believe them in any case, I won't mention them at all because I won't see anything unusual in them. Helen recognises this and uses other things rather than just rely on what I tell her to work things out. She acts a bit like a detective, worming her way through things.
And to finish it off, THE EJIT, just goes, "well what is it you want from me? What drug do you want to try? What do you want me to do?"
AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHH
Bring back my darling Helen, that's all I can say!
Do people think I'm being unreasonable here? Maybe I just had a bad day. Have any of you guys ever had stand-in docs? How have they been, better or worse than your current one?
Thanks for your thoughts!
Posted by TheOutsider on December 16, 2004, at 19:30:18
In reply to ARRGGGH......STAND IN PSYCHIATRISTS!!, posted by pretty_paints on December 16, 2004, at 18:42:01
Hey Pretty_Paints
Its good to see you back on babble!
I left a greeting further up the board, but maybe you didn't see it.Anyway I'll have to be brief as I'm about to go to bed.
It sounds like the doctor you met was an absolute twerp and is obviesly not going to help you!
My advice is to go privately untill your old doctor comes back, or try and see a different doctor on the NHS.I know your angry over the poor treatment you've recieved, believe me I've had many similar experiences! There are a lot of bad doctors in the UK.
Try not to let it get to you (easier said than done I know!)Take care of yourself!
Posted by Racer on December 17, 2004, at 1:45:29
In reply to ARRGGGH......STAND IN PSYCHIATRISTS!!, posted by pretty_paints on December 16, 2004, at 18:42:01
Have I ever experienced something like that? You betcha! Mostly in the US, but once in Australia. The Aussie Doc gets a pass on it, though, because his was pretty slight. I went to see him for shingles, and he prescribed the right medication, but told me, "It's actually Herpes Zoster." Really? You mean the viral outbreak commonly called Shingles? You just want to prove you went to med school, buddy? The US problems, though, have been worse.
Hell, this past year was worse for me. Despite telling a therapist that I was at war with food, she missed the signs of AN and continued to subject me to a barrage of "treatment" almost designed to trigger a relapse. Not to mention the psychiatrist who was treating me during that period who apparently did not notice that I had lost fifty pounds on his watch -- the jack@$$ continued to describe me in his notes as "well nourished"!
Doctors are almost like people, in that some are better than others. And then some are as ejitic (see? You gotta be careful how you spell things, "idjiotic" would have been better.) as the guy you just saw. I"m sorry you're having to deal with that. My bet is that he's insecure. But that's one bet, and it doesn't really matter why he's an idjit, just that you have to put up with his idjitcy.
Grrrrrrrr!!!!!! There's a growl in your honor. Good luck, and a healing hope for your Helen.
Posted by ed_uk on December 17, 2004, at 4:40:41
In reply to Re: ARRGGGH......STAND IN PSYCHIATRISTS!! » pretty_paints, posted by Racer on December 17, 2004, at 1:45:29
Hi,
The most pointless thing is when you're in hospital and you have to see a junior pdoc who doesn't know you at all! They ask all the questions that you've answered a million times before.
Ed.
Posted by Maximus on December 17, 2004, at 9:22:04
In reply to ARRGGGH......STAND IN PSYCHIATRISTS!!, posted by pretty_paints on December 16, 2004, at 18:42:01
Hi Pretty_paints,
I know what you are talking about. It is a very painful and frustrating experience. After the app. we feel so... alone, angry and small.
But with years, i've learned something. Actually you don't see that but it is a very good thing for you. I mean, you'll learn how to improve your self-confidence and your personality (yes despite your mental illness). You will become stronger. And remember, these guys (pdocs, etc.) work for you and with you, not against you.
You'll be fine.
Posted by bimini on December 17, 2004, at 10:04:04
In reply to ARRGGGH......STAND IN PSYCHIATRISTS!!, posted by pretty_paints on December 16, 2004, at 18:42:01
I can relate. I get bombarded with questions very similiar, and 'no to all the above' about sums it up. This coming from one and the same doc though, who should know me by now. All those 5 to 10 minute sessions ought to add up eventually to form something of a clearer picture.
I am quite naive about medication, getting asked what I want to try puzzels me.
bimini
Posted by pretty_paints on December 17, 2004, at 11:07:17
In reply to Re: ARRGGGH......STAND IN PSYCHIATRISTS!!, posted by bimini on December 17, 2004, at 10:04:04
Woohoo, I am so glad I've got some support off you guys! I was worried you'd all tell me I was being ridiculous.
Ed, you're right about hospital. At the time when you're most vunerable and feel most out of control (THUS, why you are in hospital), when you need THEM to be in the know and supporting YOU, the questions you get are so frustrating.
The first doc I saw in hospital was at 11pm, when I was admitted. She barged and and proceeded to ask my mum and dad (who were already shot away at the days events), could they please "assess my suicide risk". My poor parents didn't know what to say. They were shaken up as it was, and who wants to be asked that about their daughter? Besides, it's not like they would know anyway. Their not doctors. I got really angry and started shouting at the doctor.
Then the next day I was taken into a room by a nurse to meet a Ghanaian doctor. She asked me what had happened the day I came in, fair enough. But THEN she started going through the events of the WHOLE YEAR. Bearing in mind I was delusional and really angry and confused, she proceeded to take down details of the year's events. When did I first go to the doctors? What happened at xmas to trigger the whole event? What did I think had triggered the event, Uni stress, personal arguments, blah blah? What drug was I put on? What dose? When did this change? Why did it change?
ARRRRGGHH
I did my best to give her a clear account of the year (I really tried hard to do this coz I knew it would help her to have as much info as possible), CLEARLY EXPLAINING that the main problem of the year so far, up to today, was the DEPRESSION. Yes DEPRESSION. I'd read books on it, chatted on the internet about it, quite evidently that was what I was suffering from (up until now anyway). Of course, this whole discussion was made more difficult as a result of the fact that I thought the nurse in the room was trying to kill me, and that everyone was holding me in hospital because they hated me. So it wasn't what you'd call THE BEST STATE OF MIND to be having a logical discussion about ALL THE STUFF WHICH SHOULD BE IN MY NOTES ANYWAY! Anyway after this big long discussion about it all, about the ways the different antidepressants had increased or decreased my mood/motivation/suicidal thoughts/sleep/appetite/etc etc etc, she turned around and said...
"Ok. So Katie, have you been experiencing a loss of interest in your normal activities?"
Um, HELLO? Where have YOU just been for the last bloomin hour?
"Do you have a persistent sad mood?"
"Do you feel hopeless, like there is no way out?"
"Do you have difficulty concentrating, remembering and making decisions?"
"What is your appetite like?"
"What is your sleeping like?"
and then finally "right Katie, these are all signs of depression..."
NO SH*T SHERLOCK.
Posted by pretty_paints on December 17, 2004, at 11:11:13
In reply to Re: ARRGGGH......STAND IN PSYCHIATRISTS!!, posted by pretty_paints on December 17, 2004, at 11:07:17
And hi Outsider! Yeh I did see your message before, sorry I didn't reply.
How are you? Have you had any improvements in your situation? The last I read, I think you were looking for a better doc weren't you?
Posted by dove on December 17, 2004, at 11:39:07
In reply to Re: ARRGGGH......STAND IN PSYCHIATRISTS!!, posted by pretty_paints on December 17, 2004, at 11:07:17
Can I just say: "You guys made me laugh for the first time all week!"
I have been through the same crap, repeating the wretched story (stories) over and over, and trying to explain that I really have no realistic timeframe for all these events as I was/am severely depressed. Most wholly functional people can't pin down life events like they expect us to do, these same docs can't even remember when their rounds are sometimes, or if they ate lunch yet.
I feel your frustrations and pain, and yet, I find a lot humor in the descriptions! Thank you all for the colorful reminders of humanity alive and well at the nearest mental health professional's office! It's all so true, sad, and silly, though many of us have been there and will visit there again.
Keep well everyone~
dove
Posted by ed_uk on December 17, 2004, at 11:47:37
In reply to Re: ARRGGGH......STAND IN PSYCHIATRISTS!!, posted by ed_uk on December 17, 2004, at 4:40:41
Hi!!
The question I always got asked in hospital was.... 'Is there any time of day that you feel worse? Do you feel better in the morning or the evening?'
I have answered that question a billion times! The answer is always no. My pdoc sometimes completely ignores my actual symptoms on his quest to find symptoms listed in the DSM!
Ed.
Posted by Racer on December 17, 2004, at 12:48:21
In reply to Re: ARRGGGH......STAND IN PSYCHIATRISTS!!, posted by pretty_paints on December 17, 2004, at 11:07:17
Pretty_Paints, you have got me thinking and laughing with this, but to keep this MedBoardAppropriate, I'll ask if you've ever considered taking medications for any of your sypmtoms? (<<<See? I'm qualified to be a doctor!)
Here's my story, relating to what you wrote about thinking the nurse wanted to kill you in that appointment, and not being psychotic while on APs...
When I started relapsing with the AN this year, I told the therapist I was seeing that it was happening, and that it frightened me. She asked if I ate? Well, yes, of course I ate! Then she asked if I vomited? No, I don't vomit. That was it. Mind you, "not fasting" is not the same as "eating normally", and vomiting is not the only form of purging behavior. What's more, AN is a very deceptive disorder -- not only do we deceive others, we deceive ourselves, too. The basic rule with eating disorders is that you have to ask questions, and specific questions at that. You also have to ask questions about the answers you're getting, because what sounds simple probably isn't. If I tell you I ate a ham sandwich for lunch, don't assume you know what a ham sandwich looks like. It's just as likely that it involves two saltine crackers instead of bread, or that it's just sliced ham with mustard. Still with me? And any question I hear as accusatory or an attack will bring up a defensive reaction designed to shift attention away from what I have been eating.
So this therapist asks her two questions, do I eat and do I vomit, and puts into her notes that I have no problems with eating behavior, but do express Axis II behavior traits by my attention seeking self-report of what she wrote as "not eating well!!" Hello? I told her I was at war with food, and feeling as if I needed to suck the skin over my bones in order to suppress my discomfort (discomfort caused by the pressure she was putting on me not to express negative emotions), and that the only way I could do that was to stay hungry! Um, I'm not a professional, but it seems as if that's a kind of adequate report of AN kicking up...
Yeah, doctors, therapists, nurses, etc, can all be oh so frustrating. Guess it makes the good ones that much more to be valued.
Posted by glenn on December 17, 2004, at 18:00:19
In reply to ARRGGGH......STAND IN PSYCHIATRISTS!!, posted by pretty_paints on December 16, 2004, at 18:42:01
No you are not being in the slightest bit unreasonable.
I have seen plenty and now work with them , why it takes 7 years to reach a position of such ineptitude beats me. My psych is an American , so desperate was I that I went over there.
Best thing I ever did!
Hopefully your usual doc will return soon , in the meanwhile I know it is frustrating to be treated by someone you know is a fool, but nonetheless has the power to prescribe, but it isn't you who is being unreasonable- that is unless myself and the vast majority of British posters here are suffering form a delusional state about British shrinks!Best Wishes
Glenn
Posted by pretty_paints on December 18, 2004, at 7:45:53
In reply to Re: ARRGGGH......STAND IN PSYCHIATRISTS!!, posted by glenn on December 17, 2004, at 18:00:19
I'm glad some of you found this thread funny, so many things in psychiatry are when you look back at them! And I guess you have to have been in a similar position to get the jokes. It's like being a member of a big Crazy People Gang! I tell things to my family and they just don't seem to get why it's so frustrating/funny/annoying/whatever!
Anyway I'm off out xmas shopping. I just popped on here to tell you the good news that I got a letter this morning, telling me that I've got an appointment with the consulting psychiatrist in a few weeks. She's the consulting psychiatrist that my normal psychiatrist Helen is under. I didn't even ask for this. But my last appointment with Mr Ejit was so ridiculous that they have decided to let me see this other doc instead next time! This is nice to know. Maybe Mr Ejit got a telling off for being so unhelpful!
(ps: do feel a bit sorry for him though, even though he was not very helpful. Maybe not this fault. It's a bit like supply teachers in schools, they come in and have to pick up where the last teacher left off and I'm sure it must be really hard. Same with docs. Guess he was only trying his best. Hope I didn't offend him, eek).
This is the end of the thread.
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