... Oftentimes people don't take you seriously because of your diagnosis? Like, they blow things off because they think, "Oh, Kori is not in her right mind, she doesn't know what she's talking about."?

It seems like even some doctors do this. Like to them, you're just a nutcase and because you've been diagnosed as a nutcase you obviously can't tell what reality is so you obviously should not be taken seriously.

You know what I mean?

[jadedbutterfly]

I do know what you mean.... I hate it when Doctors do that. It's like they forget that we know what feels wrong for our own body, that we are just a mental illness and that's it.

Yes Kori, I hate that as well. I hate it when my pdoc tells me that a combo of meds won't work b/c I'm bipolar. But they worked for me for almost 10 years.

[Webgoji]

Heck, I can't get people to take me seriously whether they know I'm crazy or not.

As an example, I know it's not normal to have chest pain, especially for a year straight, but will my doctor try to figure out what it is? Nope.

[psychmajortwenty2]

It sucks and I've experienced it. I feel like people patronize me sometimes because of my diagnosis and treat me like a fragile little flower. Or don't you just hate it if you're in a really good mood or you may do something weird (because hey! Maybe you're just a quirky person and you like it when life is interesting..) and people ask you if you're taking your meds?

Maybe it's a defense mechanism they use. I think it's just that we acknowledge our humanity. Everyone else is in mind-numbing denial.

[ocdwifeofsociopath]

Yeah, especially when you know you really are having a sane moment! I really really really hate it when somebody asks me if I took my pill. Like I'm not allowed to have any emotions at all that aren't related to my disorders like they can. ugh!

[MotownJohnny]

Definitely feel that way about doctors. Told some last fall, when it was new and raw, and I did feel they dismissed me, or acted differently. Since then, absolutely will not disclose. In fact, I try to go out of my way to seem like a sane, competent, stable middle aged professional.

[iwalkwithjesus]

Originally Posted by jeffro1972

Yes Kori, I hate that as well. I hate it when my pdoc tells me that a combo of meds won't work b/c I'm bipolar. But they worked for me for almost 10 years.

I know! I think they just say that cause some meds are being abused, so their trying to keep them off the street. But that's not fair to people who need
them.

Originally Posted by iwalkwithjesus

I know! I think they just say that cause some meds are being abused, so their trying to keep them off the street. But that's not fair to people who need
them.

I agree.
I also hate when the opposite happens, where people are OVER medicated because of their diagnosis. At one point when I was dx'd with schizophrenia my pdoc suggested that I take all these different meds and it was overwhelming! After my diagnosis changed, this same pdoc changed the list of my suggested meds.

[cool09]

Exactly. Over the past decade I've had more insight into my illness and can describe it pretty well and PDOCs still don't show a great deal of interest or seem to understand. That's because they don't know much about mood disorders.

Being hospitalized is an experience you'll want to avoid because you'll be treated less than a dog.

[sprik]

im on disability and people think im lazy because I get child support, like im messing him over or something. He literally pays nothing. My psych a lot of the time, wont listen to me because everything is stress because of my horrible relationship with my ex over the kids. A lot of time its hard to cope with.

[psychmajortwenty2]

Originally Posted by MotownJohnny

Definitely feel that way about doctors. Told some last fall, when it was new and raw, and I did feel they dismissed me, or acted differently. Since then, absolutely will not disclose. In fact, I try to go out of my way to seem like a sane, competent, stable middle aged professional.

I find that they even sometimes attribute your physical ailments to your mental health condition! It's like wtf... no... I bruised my leg... this isn't some other kind of symptom of my mental illness... just treat the leg!

It's ridiculous. They should be trained in this. The prevalence of mental disorders is 1/4 people. 1/2 people will experience a mental disorder in their lifetime. This stigma should not exist!

[psychmajortwenty2]

Originally Posted by cool09

Exactly. Over the past decade I've had more insight into my illness and can describe it pretty well and PDOCs still don't show a great deal of interest or seem to understand. That's because they don't know much about mood disorders.

Being hospitalized is an experience you'll want to avoid because you'll be treated less than a dog.

I agree with you. At my intake appointment at the hospital in the emergency psychiatric ward (I was feeling suicidal so I checked myself in thinking they could help me), the on-duty psychiatrist - a freaking psychiatrist! - LAUGHED at me. After the 10 mins (seemed like an eternity) of his interview (after my fricking 8 hour wait at the hospital!) I was feeling even more suicidal than I was before. It seemed like his overall message to me was "try harder". I basically told him if he released me at this point... I would make sure to come back and show him that I was serious about harming myself. He practically threw the intake forms at me and said I was to remain there for 3 days (I got out the next day because I realized I wasn't going to get help there!).

It was awful. The nurses were great, although it did feel like they were treating me like a patronized child sometimes... and the psychiatrist I saw the next day was much better. He seemed to understand and was much more empathetic and thought I was stressed out. That I just needed some time to decompress and that helped a lot.

I don't know. I think we need to do something about our hospitals. They've improved from how they used to chain up mental patients... but... that's not saying much.

I think sometimes it's a toss up and you never know what you're going to get. Sometimes people are fantastic and understanding.. and other times they are assholes.

[psychmajortwenty2]

Originally Posted by sprik

im on disability and people think im lazy because I get child support, like im messing him over or something. He literally pays nothing. My psych a lot of the time, wont listen to me because everything is stress because of my horrible relationship with my ex over the kids. A lot of time its hard to cope with.

Maybe you should try and switch psych doctors? It's the therapeutic relationship, the alliance between psych and client, that's really important for psychotherapy.

[-jimi-]

I've been stunned more than one time by people's behavior. Like I was at the clubhouse (for people with a certain diagnosis) and used their computer. One of the "helpers" came over and asked what I was doing, and it was a game and knowing people are generally bored with other people's games, I decided to describe the game in like three sentences. After two I notice I'm alone. He left with this look in his face that he just checked out the idiot.

Several times I have been "corrected" about what I feel by pdocs cuz I can't know what I feel, you know?..

Worst is medical doctors. They see mental record, psych meds. And then I know I shouldn't have come there. They can draw blood and read really abnormal things and then STILL say it is in my head.

[iwalkwithjesus]

Yes! Sure do and I hate it. So far I've only had one Dr,who treated me like I had some smarts. And tats saying a lot since I've had this over 12 years. I think they need to go to school to learn bedside etiquette. I don't care how busy they are. They chose the profession.

[flipster]

Originally Posted by Kori Anders

... Oftentimes people don't take you seriously because of your diagnosis? Like, they blow things off because they think, "Oh, Kori is not in her right mind, she doesn't know what she's talking about."?

It seems like even some doctors do this. Like to them, you're just a nutcase and because you've been diagnosed as a nutcase you obviously can't tell what reality is so you obviously should not be taken seriously.

You know what I mean?

Hello All,
I just now joined after my recent discovery that I have Alexithymia, So true what your are saying about indifferent Doctors.
Luckily, I have recently found a nurse practitioner (female) who actually listens and does bloodwork to verifiy.

[kirby777]

Originally Posted by jimi...

I've been stunned more than one time by people's behavior. Like I was at the clubhouse (for people with a certain diagnosis) and used their computer. One of the "helpers" came over and asked what I was doing, and it was a game and knowing people are generally bored with other people's games, I decided to describe the game in like three sentences. After two I notice I'm alone. He left with this look in his face that he just checked out the idiot.

Several times I have been "corrected" about what I feel by pdocs cuz I can't know what I feel, you know?..

Worst is medical doctors. They see mental record, psych meds. And then I know I shouldn't have come there. They can draw blood and read really abnormal things and then STILL say it is in my head.

Hi Jimi-

Prior to my mental breakdown, I was an operating room nurse for many years. The(most) surgeons do talk about the patients whether they have a psych dx or not. It is sad. They especially talk about obese patients.

Some will say "this person is nuts"...and I am in the OR having PTSD flashbacks. I am not a fan of physicians.

[jeppys]

psychiatrists are interested, it seems to me, to listen to as little of what you have to say as possible so they can diagnose you and feed you pills. we cant necessarily be trusted to report to them accurately. humph.....

[voicesinmyhead2]

I feel inferior to other people especially the ones that I have shared my diagnosis with. I even had one of my relatives say that I was crazy. That really hurt to hear that they felt that way about me. I even asked one of my nurses will I ever get better and she said no, That was not very encouraging at all. Try really hard not to let that bother you.

Originally Posted by psychmajortwenty2

I agree with you. At my intake appointment at the hospital in the emergency psychiatric ward (I was feeling suicidal so I checked myself in thinking they could help me), the on-duty psychiatrist - a freaking psychiatrist! - LAUGHED at me. After the 10 mins (seemed like an eternity) of his interview (after my fricking 8 hour wait at the hospital!) I was feeling even more suicidal than I was before. It seemed like his overall message to me was "try harder". I basically told him if he released me at this point... I would make sure to come back and show him that I was serious about harming myself. He practically threw the intake forms at me and said I was to remain there for 3 days (I got out the next day because I realized I wasn't going to get help there!).

It was awful. The nurses were great, although it did feel like they were treating me like a patronized child sometimes... and the psychiatrist I saw the next day was much better. He seemed to understand and was much more empathetic and thought I was stressed out. That I just needed some time to decompress and that helped a lot.

I don't know. I think we need to do something about our hospitals. They've improved from how they used to chain up mental patients... but... that's not saying much.

I think sometimes it's a toss up and you never know what you're going to get. Sometimes people are fantastic and understanding.. and other times they are assholes.

I do agree with you, that hospitals have definitely come a long way.

I think when it comes to the intake psychologists, a lot of them oftentimes see VERY sick patients. Some that are very, very highly disturbed and it seems like when they are seeing patients like that often when they find a patient that is coming to them voluntarily, they have a hard time understanding that you don't have to be severely mentally ill to be highly suicidal or feel like you are in danger of hurting yourself severely.

I never had an experience like that in hospital, but I know when I saw a T who used to be a police officer, who treated people with severe dissociation and C-PTSD, he always told me that I "didn't have any problems" and he'd compare me to his patients that had combat PTSD and he'd tell me about how some of them would fall to the floor and curl into fetal position after being triggered by what they were dealing with during sessions. This was before I went to hospital and afterwards when I was diagnosed he FINALLY started taking me seriously.

So yeah, I'm not saying what these so-called "professionals" do, (i.e, laughing at a suicidal patient) is okay, but I'm just saying, that a lot of times they're used to seeing people a certain way and they just get stuck in thinking that ALL patients are like that. But we all know they're not.
(if okay) I'm so sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience with the intake doctor. Like you said, some are great, some aren't.

[The_little_didgee]

Originally Posted by Kori Anders

... Oftentimes people don't take you seriously because of your diagnosis? Like, they blow things off because they think, "Oh, Kori is not in her right mind, she doesn't know what she's talking about."?

Mental health professionals were the only ones who ever treated me that way. Shame.

Originally Posted by Kori Anders

It seems like even some doctors do this. Like to them, you're just a nutcase and because you've been diagnosed as a nutcase you obviously can't tell what reality is so you obviously should not be taken seriously.

You know what I mean?

I got this type of behavior when I was misdiagnosed with a personality disorder. Nothing I ever complained about was heard. It wasn't until I got acutely psychotic that they actually began to listen and offer treatment. Suddenly I had a legitimate illness that required treatment. Big shame.

[MotownJohnny]

Originally Posted by voicesinmyhead2

I even asked one of my nurses will I ever get better and she said no, That was not very encouraging at all. Try really hard not to let that bother you.

My experience with the MH system is very limited. Prior to my breakdown, I had seen a psychologist on and off for about a decade for "life stress" issues reared to the MH problems of others that were inflicted on me through no fault of my own. Such as my father with serious MI. And, I prided myself on my functionality, sanity, and humanity. I used to laughingly say "by rights, I should have turned out an ax murderer" but I am actually a pretty terrific guy when I'm not down on myself.

So, I didn't really have much experience until my breakdown a year ago. Keep that as context for what I am going to say. And also keep in mind that I felt sentenced like a criminal to this day program, and to say I had a bad attitude would be a gross understatement. I had the mindset I was a POW and had to resist as much as possible. So, not objective to say the least.

I feel like the MH system as I observed it is designed to keep people sick and dependent. I never heard much talk about curing people, or returning them to functionality. They talked about disability but not employment. They talked about being on medications long term, playing the med go round game, but never about using them as a short term tool to get over the hump.

I saw so many patients who had multiple admissions, many inpatient, multiple suicide attempts or breakdowns or manic phases. They would say things like "when it happens again, remember it's not your fault"- but I never heard anyone being encouraged to make sure it never happened again.

It was attitude as much as action - like the poster above said, no faith that anyone recovers from this, just that they will be "managed" from crisis to crisis. I find that discouragingly heartless and dehumanizing.

[dumburn]

I sometimes wonder if my current GP either once failed psychiatrist training or maybe doesn't believe in mental illness at all
My "difficulties" (as he puts it) are the only thing HE'S wanted to talk about.

2 years ago I needed a sick note after i broke my wrist and got a 20 minute lecture about how ten years is really for too long for anybody to be on the med combo i was on (despite the fact i was doing really well on them and I was actually really happy with everything) and he'd be writing to the MH team and have my meds withdrawn.
When he was finished i pointed to the big fat cast on my wrist and asked quite nicely for my sick note (dispute being in floods of tears as he made me fell less than 1 inch tall)
He said fine, did it there and then, on the plus side I didn't have to pay!!

well dispite my fighting it for 18+ months GP has his wish and i'm off them,
I'm in a total mess and wondering if GP had anything to do with my diagnosis being changed from depression to Borderline as they don't do meds for that.

****ing Knob

[Bloem]

I fully understand what you mean! especially doctors they think everything is psychological if you have a diagnosis. Fortunately my doc takes me more seriously since she has spoken with my t. But still it feels weird.