I have been puzzling about something today.

It seems to me that the medical professionals in my life take it very personally if I want to see other medical professionals, even if they are not in the same field. Has anyone else experienced this?

Let me explain:

I currently have a therapist. I have been seeing her for a couple of months now. She has a bachelors of social work and no other mental health education. She is unqualified to provide mental health testing, dispense medication, or make diagnoses.

Last time I saw her, I asked her if she thought I should speak to a doctor about my mental health issues, just to cover my bases. It was something my fiance had brought up with me. He was concerned that I would be short-changing myself by only going one route.

She very quickly told me that I should NOT speak to a doctor. A doctor would just give me drugs and I don't need drugs to recover. I should just continue my therapy and forget about all of that. I was surprised and a little put off by her vehemence.

When I told my fiance about her reaction, he disagreed with her and made an appointment for me with a local doctor.

Yesterday, I went to see this doctor. I gave him a list of my symptoms and I told him that, after doing some research, I was hoping for a referral to a psychologist. They seemed to be the doctors in charge of mental health assessment, which was something I thought I could benefit from.

I told him that I had been seeing my therapist for a few months now and before that I had been seeing her predecessor.

The doctor started by saying that he was glad that I had spoken to him. Seeing a doctor about mental health problems is a good idea! He didn't know my current therapist, but my previous therapist wasn't even a REAL mental health professional.

Still, he was hesitant to give me a referral. Why didn't I want to see him? I made the appointment and I didn't even want to see him?

In the end, after talking to my fiance, he agreed to send a referral but he still seemed kind of sore that I didn't want a consultation from him.

What is up with this? Is this sort of pissing contest common among medical professionals? Whatever happened to doing what was in the best interest of the patient?

I just found the whole experience uncomfortable and strange. It's hard enough for people to speak up and try to be a champion for their own health without doctors acting like jealous children fighting over a toy.