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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by AppleG on March 15, 2009, at 17:25:28
Do pdocs have favorite patients or patients they label as more difficult? I know they are supposed to be unbiased, but they're only human and everyone has some bias. I know docs in other fields who do.
Just wondering about pdocs in general? I worry sometimes about this, where I'd be.
Posted by rskontos on March 15, 2009, at 19:35:32
In reply to Do pdocs have favorite patients?, posted by AppleG on March 15, 2009, at 17:25:28
I currently have a pdoc that is my therapist and I guess I don't know if he has favorite clients. Rarely does he give out any personal information and I am fine with that.
I guess I might be something to him since he is not currently charging me. I am to "pay" when I am working in a field I love. LOL And if I am never working in a field I love then he is ok with that.
Does this make me special to him, I don't know. I still can't fathom why he is trying to help me to this extent. He sees more in me than I do. But then I guess that is why he went into the field he did versus a different type of medical doctor which he could have just as easily been.
He is a good p-doc though and it has been nice to have someone to prescribe things when I needed it versus having to go to someone else to get that. He is though a typical pycho-analyst I believe. But he can be warm at times. I often wonder if he is different with me than with others. I am so weird I think and wonder if he handles me differently, but then again I am not sure it matters to me yet.
I do know he is sometimes the only one I feel IRL that gets me.
sigh, it is so hard this therapy stuff.
rsk
Posted by obsidian on March 15, 2009, at 20:02:31
In reply to Do pdocs have favorite patients?, posted by AppleG on March 15, 2009, at 17:25:28
that's a good question. I worry about my "label".
I think they probably do have people they especially like to work with, but it's likely to be very individual.
I knew one who liked the "difficult" ones.
Posted by Phillipa on March 16, 2009, at 0:44:44
In reply to Re: Do pdocs have favorite patients? » AppleG, posted by obsidian on March 15, 2009, at 20:02:31
After working in the field found there were patients that were not accepted into the hospital as they weren't welcome. Sad but true. Love Phillipa
Posted by rskontos on March 17, 2009, at 22:15:15
In reply to Do pdocs have favorite patients?, posted by AppleG on March 15, 2009, at 17:25:28
about this topic. He said that when he takes on a patient, it is because he really wants to help them get better. So while he didn't say anything about favorites, he did say he tries very hard to make the connection feel like he wants to help with whatever issues are going on.
We went further to discuss transference, when is it healthy when isn't it. And the notion of being considered special by therapist/analyst/p-doc.
It was a very enlightening discussion, so thanks for the thread it helped me jump start a good discussion.
And since this week I have been feeling more dissociated with my real life, this really helped me feel more connected to my p-doc. Who is also my analyst.
rsk
Posted by SLS on March 18, 2009, at 6:34:37
In reply to Re: So Monday, I asked my p-doc...., posted by rskontos on March 17, 2009, at 22:15:15
Most everyone has his or her favorites of just about anything. Why not a doctor of his patients?
I have to imagine that my psychotherapist has her favorites, and I doubt that I make the top of her list. This is a reflection of real life. It is something that we must deal with. It is unlikely that any of us are the favorite of everyone we meet in life.
Anyway, I am guessing that for those people who have an issue with the idea that they are NOT their doctor's favorite, this is a clue that work must be performed to address problem areas in one's psyche.
Is it professional to have favorite patients? It is most certainly human. I think it is professional to know how to separate personal feelings about a patient from the care they are providing to that patient. It's called ethics.
I happen to know that I am my therapist's favorite, so I have nothing to worry about.
;-)
- Scott
Posted by Nadezda on March 18, 2009, at 14:22:02
In reply to Re: So Monday, I asked my p-doc...., posted by SLS on March 18, 2009, at 6:34:37
It's an awfully complicated and loaded question. I imagine as Scott says that Ts have patients that they enjoy working with more-- and that they have more difficulties with. And it may vary from time to time-
But it really isn't the point, which can be hard to understand, and feel-- but it really isn't. You can be your T's favorite and not make progress. Or vice versa. Or any combination. The question is what do you need, where you do you need to grow, and to change to make your life fuller and more meaningful. Being a Ts favorite patient doesn't accomplish that at all. it may feel good-- or it may not feel so good-- but it doesn't help you make progress in your life.
I often have worried about that-- but actually, you really can't compare how someone feels about you/or how much they care with how they feel/care about other people. Caring isn't divisible that way-- so long as your T is able to care about you in the way that helps and feels right-- it's not going to be less if they care about other people a lot-- it's just what it is. It won't be the same for you as it is for me-- I guess it's mostly are you getting enough of what you need. If you are, then maybe it doesnt' matter what anyone else is getting.
It can be reassuring, or good for one's ego-- which of course we all like-- but it's secondary, so very secondary.
Nadezda
Posted by desolationrower on March 22, 2009, at 19:06:31
In reply to Re: So Monday, I asked my p-doc...., posted by Nadezda on March 18, 2009, at 14:22:02
i'm not sure it bothers me too much, but i'm always surprised at how much pdocs want to avoid talking about medication with me. they would rather hear about spcific incidents, which seem to me to have everything to do with the actual context, and nothing to do with the medication. i guess would have thought that someone interested in becoming a pdoc would be interested in talking about pharmacotherapy. other than being sort of pushy about what meds i would like, i would have thought i woudl be someone a pdoc would enjoy talking to. less complaining about side effects or saying 'this med will increase a chemical called serotonin...' which seems about as interesting as a TPS report.
-d/r
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