@MuseumGhost - you made me chuckle with how you characterize some doctors, as being possibly "on the spectrum," so to speak. Thanks. I needed to smile. There's also a thing that I call "the Cesar Milan" school of patient care. The "Dog Whisperer" tells his human clients that they must never pet or speak sweetly to a dog that is shivering in fear or distress. To do so, he says, just reinforces the very behavior and mindset that you're trying to discourage. Instead, you remain stoically indifferent to little Poochie having his nervous breakdown, when he hears the thunder claps. Similarly, though a client of psych services may be distraught from a chain of adversities that have overridden his coping capacity, you must refrain from any show of humanity or empathy toward the client. Otherwise, that client will be motivated to never recover. I think psych patients deserve at least some courtesy. I don't think doctors are exempt from making the small gestures that basic decency requires of everyone else.

Like when I called my clinic's psychiatrist a month after my boyfriend died. He'ld been managing my psych meds. I informed him that my guy had passed away and that I was becoming unable to handle the loss. He told me that I was fine and my feelings were normal. He never even said, "Sorry for your loss." I don't think being an @$$hθ|€ is part of being an effective physician. Such smug dismissiveness conveys disdain. It's disrespectful to the patient's personhood.

I'm sorry you're losing your personal physician. Try now to find a young one who may last your lifetime. It's great that you've grown stronger with experience.

I'm getting through one hour at a time. On top of depression, I've started to have real anxiety. I don't see this changing soon. I have to try.