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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Shame on March 7, 2005, at 13:05:06
I get the distinct honor of starting all over with another therapist, psychiatrist, and GP. Super. If these guys suck I have to get on someone else's schedule and try it again. I expect to be done sometime in 2007.
My first encounter with the receptionist could have gone better. I asked her to make me an appointment with the best doctor and therapist they had. She got pretty upset and told me that "they are ALL good". What is it with the medical community that they think they are immune from reality? Any time there is more than one person in the same profession, someone is always 'better' than everyone else. Get used to it. I told her to sign me up with whoever’s' schedule was the fullest.
If he isn’t good at least he will be charismatic. Or maybe he has the best candy in his office. Either way.
It's always a process of drawing battle lines it seems. This time they will have to convince me to get me to change meds. I'm really tired of "see what happens" medication changes. I could do that all by myself and order all my meds from overseas. I can read drug company fliers as well as they can.
Posted by Dinah on March 7, 2005, at 17:38:33
In reply to Moved. New doctors. Starting over., posted by Shame on March 7, 2005, at 13:05:06
Chuckle.
It sounds like a wise strategy to me.
Maybe you could write up your history so you don't have to go over it time and time again. When I was interviewing pdocs last time, I felt like saying "oh whatever" by the second one.
The one I decided on suggested a medication change that turned out to be the smartest medication change I've had yet. He noticed that my antidepressants were making me agitated and added a mood stabilizer. Other than that he didn't change a thing. I'm still on the same drugs something like four years later. Except that I dropped the antidepressant altogether.
What are you looking for in a therapist? Do you have a good idea of what therapeutic orientation you'd like? I started out with a CBT therapist, but he was capable of being flexible with me so it worked out all right. Fortunately, because I was a totally uneducated consumer at the time. I went to him because he was the only therapist I contacted who actually seemed to want to see me. Most of them seemed to be very off-putting on the phone. Possibly because I wasn't using insurance to pay, and because I had no referral but was cold calling them from the telephone directory.
Posted by alexandra_k on March 8, 2005, at 2:57:04
In reply to Moved. New doctors. Starting over., posted by Shame on March 7, 2005, at 13:05:06
> I asked her to make me an appointment with the best doctor and therapist they had. She got pretty upset and told me that "they are ALL good".
Yeah. I think she would get into trouble for reccomending someone. The others would feel all left out and huffy :-(
I would ask whether there is anyone who has a particular interest in the conditions that apply to you. Often the 'best doctor' or 'best therapist' for one condition can be borderline incompetent for another.
And you might have a preference for male vs female or whatever.
It is nice to get a profile and pick from there...>I told her to sign me up with whoever’s' schedule was the fullest.
Ha! Hmm. I hope that works out for you..
> If he isn’t good at least he will be charismatic. Or maybe he has the best candy in his office.Or maybe he is so busy he has to rush through his clients... Or so imcompetent that they just keep on making appointments for changes in medications etc. Sorry to be negativistic. I do wonder about that method of choosing, though...
> I'm really tired of "see what happens" medication changes. I could do that all by myself and order all my meds from overseas. I can read drug company fliers as well as they can.Yes. Although there is other information out there as well as the drug company fliers. They often don't tell you of dangers with mixing certain combinations etc. Medical school is probably still the best place to go to make sure one gets a thorough training in that...
I do hope things work out for you.
It is daunting starting with new clinicians.
I hope you managed to strike it lucky all round :-)
Posted by Shame on March 9, 2005, at 13:04:44
In reply to Re: Moved. New doctors. Starting over. » Shame, posted by alexandra_k on March 8, 2005, at 2:57:04
> Or maybe he is so busy he has to rush through his clients... Or so imcompetent that they just keep on making appointments for changes in medications etc. Sorry to be negativistic. I do wonder about that method of choosing, though...
>Well GEEZE. If I wanted bad news I would tune into CNN. :P It seemed as good as a choosing randomly, and slightly better than consulting Miss Cleo.
Could be that choosing this way is my most clever plan ever. Maybe all of the other doctors are criminally insane! Whew. Glad I dodged THAT bullet.
Posted by alexandra_k on March 9, 2005, at 16:28:20
In reply to Re: Moved. New doctors. Starting over. » alexandra_k, posted by Shame on March 9, 2005, at 13:04:44
I know... You have chosen already. If you wanted a random way then I guess that is as good as any. I think there could have been rational alternatives...
But really you have to meet them to know whether you will be a good fit or not anyway. I don't think it really matters how you make the initial decision.
Sorry to be so gloomy.
I kind of regretted having said that after I had posted it.
This is the end of the thread.
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