![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by whiterabbit on May 20, 2003, at 15:27:07
Yep I was all geared up for my first appointment with my fourth psychiatrist and they asked me to re-schedule because the doctor has to go to a funeral. Hope it wasn't a patient.
My first pdoc was a young woman assigned to me when I was comitted. After a couple of weeks they turned me loose from the nervous hospital with a fistful of prescriptions for psychiatric medication including some serious stuff like 500 mg Depakote and 200 mg Seroquel daily along with a month's worth of Xanax, which of course I finished within a few days. When I called for a follow-up appointment as an outpatient, a receptionist told me that my new doctor would be gone for six weeks because she had returned to Pakistan to get married - and then I guess a honeymoon, setting up house, etc. - but the gal on the phone said that I should have enough medication until then. Shocked, I said, "Who did she refer her patients to in her absence?" The receptionist told me to go to the hospital if I had an emergency.
My God! I had just been involuntarily committed as a suicide risk, I had just been started on a lot of heavy-duty medication that was making me feel confused, half-witted and ill, I had not been referred for therapy or any other out-patient treatment, there was no doctor covering for the psychiatrist in her absence, AND she hadn't even bothered to inform me that she was leaving the country for six weeks! What the
!?#*@^$!Although I was new to psychiatric treatment at the time, I knew this was not good patient care.
In fact, if one of the younger doctors at the orthopedic practice where I worked had pretty much abandoned one of their patients in this manner, the senior partners would have torn him a new rectum. (Whether this was inspired by concern for the patient's welfare or fear of a malpractice suit, I've seen it happen.)Regardless, I stuck it out with this woman for another 6 months, mostly because I was too depressed and sedated to do much else. Her blase, nonchalant attitude never changed much - she was always canceling appointments and looked bored to death whenever I did see her. Finally her careless manner penetrated my drugged stupor enough to really offend me. I dropped her and threw away all my pills.
Without going into detail, I'll tell you that this was not a viable option for me. I was desperately ill and I actually became psychotic.
(Of course I didn't know it then, but I know it now.) Psychiatrist number two (my gosh I just got a picture in my head of Thing One and Thing Two from the Dr. Suess book)was a kind but intense and nervous young man who couldn't sit still. He was always jiggling his leg or tapping a pen on the desktop, but at least he was listening to me. Thing One gave me the impression that if I stepped out of her office and dropped to the bottom of an elevator shaft right outside her door, she probably wouldn't bother to get up from her desk to see what the screaming was about.I was with Thing Two for nearly 2 years when he went right over the edge his own self. I called to make an appointment with him and the receptionist told me I couldn't because he was gone. I yelled, "Gone! What do you mean, gone! Where is he!" She said he came into the office with a cardboard box, cleaned out his desk and told her goodbye, she doesn't know where he went.
At least that's the story I got. He didn't refer his patients or anything, I guess he snapped. Although I practically became unhinged myself, I was in such a panic, really I wasn't totally surprised. The guy had been so high-strung that I sometimes left his office more concerned for him than I was for myself.Doctor Number Three was just a jerk. Although I don't question his competence, his "bedside manner" was really lousy - and sometimes downright rude. Another Pakastani, his accent was so pronounced that I often had trouble understanding him, and he would get terribly annoyed when I asked him to repeat himself. He'd
rap out these instructions like a drill sergeant
and tolerate no feed-back - "You are not to drink coffee. You are not to drink alcohol. You are addicted to alcohol and caffeine. You WILL attend the dual-diagnosis program at the hospital as I have instructed you to do. You WILL have your bloodwork completed this week. I will not see you again until you have followed my instructions..."Well, I need a good psychiatrist, but I don't need the attitude. Maybe Thing Four will be the
man...
-Gracie
Posted by lostsailor on May 20, 2003, at 20:41:24
In reply to Medical Lottery, posted by whiterabbit on May 20, 2003, at 15:27:07
Posted by magic potion on May 20, 2003, at 22:09:26
In reply to Medical Lottery, posted by whiterabbit on May 20, 2003, at 15:27:07
> Yep I was all geared up for my first appointment with my fourth psychiatrist and they asked me to re-schedule because the doctor has to go to a funeral. Hope it wasn't a patient.
Plenty of people die everyday. I'm sure it was just a colleague. If he or she lost a pt, I'd be surprised if they'd even bother to go to the funeral.
I completely know what you mean, though!
The whole process is so frustrating. You're on your fourth...I'm on my--oh who's counting anyways. I really can't remember what any of them even look like...it's all a blur.
CBT...RET...LSD...D.O.C :)(the last two aren't true, btw)
One thing's for sure, there is no "standard of care" when it comes to mental health. They're all out there doing their own thing.
Where are they measuring the quality of these practitioners? And who is doing the testing, the OOMPA LOOMPAS?
I used to dabble in Improv. I'm sorry about your bad experience with the foreign doctor (number three?), but I must say that it is some seriously good material. I can see the scene perfectly: a person in desperate need of help--completely on the edge--this is her last hope--and low and behold she can't understand a word of what the doctor has to say...except when he says "and this is critical." And, I think his barking out orders can easily be worked in. Having the doctor turn around and treat the "low self-esteem, depressed" patient like a piece of crap would be excellent. And, he would need to say to the patient, "Sorry, I'm late, but I just came from the funeral of one of my patients." :P
You have a terrific way of recounting your experiences.
Keep notes on these crazy pdocs you keep running into...they're good material!
I had one who yawned incessantly and could barely keep his eyes open. I used to get seasick from watching his head bob. I felt bad talking about my problems because I didn't want to wake him. I would just sit quietly and then cough when my time was up. It all goes back to Maslow's hierarchy of needs: you can't possibly be a good therapist if your basic need for sleep isn't being met.
> Well, I need a good psychiatrist, but I don't need the attitude. Maybe Thing Four will be the
> man...I hope this last one works out for you (funerals aside). I just cancelled on my psychiatrist. And tomorrow I plan to call my psychologist and cancel my next appt with him, too. I just can't do it anymore. The whole song and dance...I vomit out painful details of my life...they listen and give me a few 'uh, huhs'...they say time's up...I write out a check. I'm not sure how any of this is helping me.
I really went off course. I'm sorry! Focus hasn't been one of my strong points lately. The point is, there are plenty of ineffective pdocs out there...you have to shop around. There have to be some who are effective, caring, and civil...that's not too much to ask.
And, I've seen many posters who really like their pdocs...so that should give you some hope.
You just have to keep trying! Keep on keepin' on, Gracie!!!
:)
Posted by likelife on May 20, 2003, at 22:50:26
In reply to Re: Medical Lottery, posted by magic potion on May 20, 2003, at 22:09:26
> Where are they measuring the quality of these practitioners? And who is doing the testing, the OOMPA LOOMPAS?
LMAO! This totally made my day, and I'm still laughing. Priceless.
> I hope this last one works out for you (funerals aside). I just cancelled on my psychiatrist. And tomorrow I plan to call my psychologist and cancel my next appt with him, too. I just can't do it anymore. The whole song and dance...I vomit out painful details of my life...they listen and give me a few 'uh, huhs'...they say time's up...I write out a check. I'm not sure how any of this is helping me.
Try to hang in there with this, if possible. I have *finally* found a therapist (after, um, 5?)whom I respect, and who appears to respect me. Most of all, she has a sense of humor, and reminds me that I have one too. It feels horrible to rattle off the most intimate detail of your life and have the person sitting across from you look bored and clueless.
Posted by Ted on May 21, 2003, at 11:51:44
In reply to Medical Lottery, posted by whiterabbit on May 20, 2003, at 15:27:07
One thing I have noticed is that the pdocs covered by insurance are usually either really lousy or they are old and ready to retire. For some reason these lousy pdocs seem also to be immigrants. Don't get me wrong -- many of the wonderful mdocs and pdocs are also immigrants -- but why are the lousy ones usually immigrants?
What I had to do to get a reasonably young (and open-minded) pdoc with good rapport and good referral history was to talk with the nurses at my local hospital and then pay out-of-pocket. My pdoc takes cash & checks only, payment in full upon delivery of services (no insurance of any kind). He charges me USD $120 per 20 minutes and is due to raise his rates soon. My medical insurance coverage refunds me about $25 of this.
Another comment about the drill sergeant: Sometimes we need to be told in no uncertain terms what is needed to start the road to recovery. A busy doctor cannot afford to spend his time on a patient who refuses to help himself. There is only so much a doctor can do on his own. This applies to all specialties, not just pdocs.
Ted
Posted by whiterabbit on May 21, 2003, at 14:45:50
In reply to Re: Medical Lottery, posted by magic potion on May 20, 2003, at 22:09:26
MP-
I have an amusing little book called, "Maybe He's Just A Jerk" - the author started collecting stories from women who had survived painful relationships with creepy guys. She even
managed to classify the different types of jerk,
such as The Critic (SO familiar), The Con Man,
The Sleazy Lover, etc.Which gives me the idea for a book titled something like, "The Inmates Are Running The Asylum". I KNOW there are some horror stories out there about psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists, and they could probably be classified as well - like The Drill Sergeant. We could call your guy The Insomniac. Ahhh, physician, heal thyself...
Whattaya think? It might not make any money but it would be kind of fun...
-Gracie
Posted by noa on May 21, 2003, at 19:43:20
In reply to Re: Medical Lottery, posted by magic potion on May 20, 2003, at 22:09:26
YOu made me think. I'm actually on pdoc number 4 too! First was short lived--I was only on meds for part of a year--that was a long time ago. Second was great--I was on prozac twice for short periods--they used to think it could work that way! He was really good but I moved away. Then I had the smart, psychopharm-savvy doc with poor people skills, that I wrote about last year when I fired him. Now I work with another very psychopharm-savvy always up to date on the latest research, including on supplements,etc., very nice and personable but very quirky and never ever ever on time pdoc. Sometimes it really annoys me how late he runs. Other times I just deal with it. At least he is nice about it, whereas the previous pdoc was always late and could be rude, to boot. I try to schedule appts. accordingly. But, he knows his stuff and it feels like a joint endeavor to manage my meds and tweak my meds, and find the right combos, etc. Can't have it all. Sigh.
Posted by magic potion on May 23, 2003, at 15:29:10
In reply to Hmmm...maybe a book idea... » magic potion, posted by whiterabbit on May 21, 2003, at 14:45:50
> MP-
> I have an amusing little book called, "Maybe He's Just A Jerk" - the author started collecting stories from women who had survived painful relationships with creepy guys. She even
> managed to classify the different types of jerk,
> such as The Critic (SO familiar), The Con Man,
> The Sleazy Lover, etc.
>
> Which gives me the idea for a book titled something like, "The Inmates Are Running The Asylum". I KNOW there are some horror stories out there about psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists, and they could probably be classified as well - like The Drill Sergeant. We could call your guy The Insomniac. Ahhh, physician, heal thyself...
> Whattaya think? It might not make any money but it would be kind of fun...
> -Gracie
>I think it's a great idea! Sometimes the only thing left to do is laugh at these crazy situations.
By the way, another good book is "Men are #$$^&*()@!" --it's written by two male psychologists and it sounds similar to the one you read.
I've already started a book on depression. The tought part, though, is that no publisher will buy into a book until it has some resolution. So far my final chapter is "well, here we are, 7 chapters later and my life still sucks. I hope you get better. I never did."
:) :(
At some point, I'd like to have posters send me their best shrink and drug stories for the book.
Unfortunately, writing a book when you are depressed is an awfully difficult task. It's so slow moving. I can only write when I'm in these insomnia/psychotic phases. The problem is that it's hard to read my writing later. And, my thoughts don't always follow logical progression.
But then again, logic is overrated sometimes.
Your title is great--use it! You've got the shell started for a book. I like the premise.
Again, keep thinking "resolution." That's the one that has me stumped.
Take care,
Magic potion
Posted by Dr. Bob on May 23, 2003, at 18:21:49
In reply to Re: Hmmm...maybe a book idea..., posted by magic potion on May 23, 2003, at 15:29:10
> By the way, another good book is "Men are #$$^&*()@!" --it's written by two male psychologists and it sounds similar to the one you read.
I'd just like to plug the double double quotes feature at this site:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#amazon
The first time anyone refers to a book without using this option, I post this to try to make sure he or she at least knows about it. It's just an option, though, and doesn't *have* to be used. If people *choose* not to use it, I'd be interested why not, but I'd like that redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020918/msgs/7717.html
Thanks!
Bob
Posted by Snoozy on May 24, 2003, at 0:16:19
In reply to Re: Hmmm...maybe a book idea..., posted by magic potion on May 23, 2003, at 15:29:10
I've probably got a couple of shrink stories for the book. But here's one I'll call "The Filer". This was a therapist I was seeing at a very low point in my life, a real crisis. I remember one session, I was just crying and crying and could not stop, couldn't talk, and I heard her *filing her nails*. I also had to give her a check every session before I sat down.
I really don't know if I feel better knowing that I'm definitely not alone with having bad experiences with docs/therapists, or if it's unbearably depressing that this is all too common.
> > MP-
> > I have an amusing little book called, "Maybe He's Just A Jerk" - the author started collecting stories from women who had survived painful relationships with creepy guys. She even
> > managed to classify the different types of jerk,
> > such as The Critic (SO familiar), The Con Man,
> > The Sleazy Lover, etc.
> >
> > Which gives me the idea for a book titled something like, "The Inmates Are Running The Asylum". I KNOW there are some horror stories out there about psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists, and they could probably be classified as well - like The Drill Sergeant. We could call your guy The Insomniac. Ahhh, physician, heal thyself...
> > Whattaya think? It might not make any money but it would be kind of fun...
> > -Gracie
> >
>
> I think it's a great idea! Sometimes the only thing left to do is laugh at these crazy situations.
>
> By the way, another good book is "Men are #$$^&*()@!" --it's written by two male psychologists and it sounds similar to the one you read.
>
> I've already started a book on depression. The tought part, though, is that no publisher will buy into a book until it has some resolution. So far my final chapter is "well, here we are, 7 chapters later and my life still sucks. I hope you get better. I never did."
>
> :) :(
>
> At some point, I'd like to have posters send me their best shrink and drug stories for the book.
>
> Unfortunately, writing a book when you are depressed is an awfully difficult task. It's so slow moving. I can only write when I'm in these insomnia/psychotic phases. The problem is that it's hard to read my writing later. And, my thoughts don't always follow logical progression.
>
> But then again, logic is overrated sometimes.
>
> Your title is great--use it! You've got the shell started for a book. I like the premise.
>
> Again, keep thinking "resolution." That's the one that has me stumped.
>
> Take care,
> Magic potion
>
Posted by noa on May 24, 2003, at 12:10:36
In reply to Re: here's one for the book, posted by Snoozy on May 24, 2003, at 0:16:19
Filing her nails??? GRRRRRRRRRR...
How incredibly RUDE of her! Forget the unprofessionlism aspect of it. It was just rude and hostile and tactless....shall I go on?
I'm sorry this happened to you!!
I hope you have had better therapist experiences since then.
Posted by magic potion on May 24, 2003, at 13:09:00
In reply to Re: here's one for the book, posted by Snoozy on May 24, 2003, at 0:16:19
> I've probably got a couple of shrink stories for the book. But here's one I'll call "The Filer". This was a therapist I was seeing at a very low point in my life, a real crisis. I remember one session, I was just crying and crying and could not stop, couldn't talk, and I heard her *filing her nails*.
That is classic! Apparently, your crisis wasn't exciting enough for her...she needed to be working on another activity at the same time. She was either completely rude or a multi-tasking zealot. :)
From the perspective of pdocs, I suppose depression isn't very sexy. It's like post nasal drip to a general practitioner. Excuse me for being sad and boring.
>I also had to give her a check every session before I sat down.
Of course you did! Her nails would not have been dry enough for the money exchange by the time your session ended. That's why you pay up front before a manicure. :}
Don't worry, I pay my pdoc to sit on his butt saying "uh-huh." One day I'm going to take the pad of paper out of his hands...I'm sure he's just doodling funny faces...or writing out a grocery list.
> I really don't know if I feel better knowing that I'm definitely not alone with having bad experiences with docs/therapists, or if it's unbearably depressing that this is all too common.
Well, I find comfort in knowing I'm not alone. If I were to tell outsiders my stories, I don't know if they'd believe me.
Beyond bizarre idiosyncrasies, the other issue is that sometimes you just don't jive with someone. Finding someone you can work with is a large challenge and unfortunately, by the time I go in for help, I'm usually in no shape to be "shopping around."
I think consumers of psychiatric services should somehow be involved in the evaluation of these people before they hit the streets. We could set up some kind of panel, the "crazy people committee." We could tape the therapists during counseling sessions and we could then ream them a new one for their bizarro behaviors. Who's running the ship here, doctor?
Maybe part of my book could be a list for therapists: What not to do during a counseling session.
1. Sleep
2. file nails
3. yawn incessantly
4. leave your prescription pad unattended (Naw, I don't think I'll tell them that one.)
5. Bite your nails violently
6. Say "Uh-huh" more than 10 times
7. Repeat everything I say, only in question formI could go on...
Thanks for sharing your story!
Magic Potion
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Social | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.