@Calla_Lily12 - Thank you for telling me your experience. It sounds so much like my own. It is comforting when someone can relate, as you have.

I am taking care of myself. I've told them at my primary care clinic that I'm not feeling well mentally. They seem utterly indifferent. Maybe I'm not dramatic enough.

Inpatient care for psych problems is extremely expensive. I was shocked at what my insurance paid for the week I was in the psych hospital back 3 years ago. If my primary care clinic were a bit more responsive, that inpatient stay probably could have been avoided. I feel like I need some help. Not a lot. I feel like some anxiety medication, like Ativan, for a short period, could help me get over a hump, so I can get back to normal. Most of the time I get along pretty well, totally on my own, with no family nearby.

I was very sick this past year. I got admitted to the hospital 3 times. I had 5 blood transfusions. I'm still being treated for a bleeding ulcer. I'm still having to go for unpleasant diagnostic and treatment procedures. I'm being asked to consider major surgery that terrifies me. Someone at my primary care clinic should think to ask, "How are you holding up?" Actually, they do ask. Once every 6 months, a medical assistant reads off multiple choice questions from the computer monitor. You choose from 5 possible responses. (Never, rarely, occasionally, often, every day.) The M.A. reads off the questions and types a check next to the answer I give. That's it. That's "Depression Screening." That's the only evaluation I ever get.

When I answered these questions 3 weeks ago, I gave answers that did reflect my depressed state. You get points for your answers. I guess I didn't rack up enough points. No one else discussed the screening questionair with me. The M.A. hits something on the keyboard, and the depression screening questionair gets moved to an electronic file. They have done their "due diligence."