being treated like a piece of **** by your g.p.

[Gideon]

  Hi, it's gideon here, I went for an appointment to my g.p. today, accompanied by a friend who understands the agrophobia I have been suffering from, the reason i went is because for the last couple of weeks i've been getting heart palpitations, and my chest feels sore. My g.p. never examined me, i told her i had joined a forum on the net for people suffering mental health problems, asked if i should come off the tablets i've been on for over a year for the panic attacks, as i felt they weren't doing me any good, she said it's up to me, got nasty with me, told me i had a choice that was simple: 'stay indoors, or get out, as it's no life being stuck indoors, is it', she started to shout at me, saw me to the door, said 'i've got four more patients to see, i'm very busy'. My friend had waited ouside for me, he could see how upset I was when i left the building. I feel exhausted now, even though the gp sugery is only down the road, (ive only started to get out recently after being indoors for years). It was a lot worse than i'm writing, the depression feeling came on strong, and the tears are starting to flow, there is anger too, but i try to let it go. Has anyone else on the forum been treated like a piece of **** by their g.p.?

[mrbob]

Hi Gideon,

Yep totally. I staged a sit-in at my GP on one occasion, because he was so unfair.

The very fact you can see it clearly is fantastic. We are sitting ducks usually, easily abused because we tend to blame ourselves for everything. It is good you took a friend.

Many GPs are in the profession to make good money and the Hippocratic oath seems to be a bit of a legacy for them. On top of all that the pharmaceutic industry bribes GPs with luxurious prizes to push their drugs. Honestly!!! Even going far back as 1985, I was writing early day multimedia software to help Pharmaceutic salesmen sale drugs to GPs. I was only 18, I didn't realise the significance at the time but I feel guilty even today.

But to mitigate what I am saying, often the real problem is that GPs are human! They are completely stressed out and really unhappy people. Patients turn up to their surgery who claim to have problems, but (from the doctor's point of view) the patient is more advanced in recognizing their own difficulties, and therefore closer to recovery than the GP themself, and so those GPs are jealous, because they desperately want to admit they have problems too but decide they can't because they think they have to be perfect and would have to give up their homes and cars if they admitted their mental health problems.

Trust yourself Gideon! You recognise your mental health, you recoginse that you bring problems to your community, we all do, and that is why you are a responsible person and conversely your GP is irresponsible because they do not recognise the problems they bring.

Mr bob

[Gideon]

  Hi Mr. Bob, thanks for the sound advice, and reminding me that g.p.s are human!! Of course what you have written is sadly true, and she obviously has issues which she is not dealing with. I admire you for staging a sit in, did it do any good? what happened? I have registered with another g.p. across the road, and can only hope that this person will at least attempt to do their job properly. I just tend to see the way i've been treated, and other people with mental health problems as a sad indictment of the mess of the health service, and this society, a degeneration over the past twenty five years, but hey, what the hell!, this forum/group exists, there are still a lot of good people out there trying to help one another, and thats what counts. I tend to repeat a mantra in my head these days: " no situation makes a mental state inevitable", it was written years ago by Robert Anton Wilson, one of my favourite authors, and believe it or not it has helped. Again thanks for the kind words, and I hope to come to your get together soon. Gideon.

[mrbob]

Hi Gideon,

Glad I helped in some way.

"no situation makes a mental state inevitable" is a great quote. Good one.

My sit-in, as you can imagine, had both positive and negative effects. The GP threatened to call the police and was shocked by the fact that it didn't concern me. They didn't turn up in the half-hour I was there, that is the police for you! His wife/reception manager came in and tried to reason with me and I was pleasant with her, since she treated me with humanity, but I told her I had to make this protest as a matter of principle. I left because the GP had to use another room, I could hear the other patients in the waiting room and felt I didn't want to hinder their wellbeing any longer.

So the positives are, hopefully it made that GP think twice about making prejudiced opinions of his patients. Also, the authorities know that I have the wherewithal to kick up a fuss and express injustice in a very anti-social way combined with delusions of grandeur, which scares them. Actually, thinking about it, it scares me! 

The negatives are that I transfered and have a difficult relationship with my current GP as a result. God knows what that GP put in my notes. But I may have difficult relationships with GPs for quite a long time until their profession becomes a little more enlightened about mental health.

cheers Mr Bob

[Gideon]

  Hi again mr.bob, I think what you did was very brave, and at least you made a stand. One thing sprang to my mind: are g.p. patients allowed access to their notes under (the so-called) freedom of information act? By the way, I would imagine that if the police had arrived, they may have arrested your ex-g.p. for wasting their time! Kind regards, Gideon.

[Sasha]

A bit late to comment on this but in case you guys check back.

Mr. Bob

Yep, you can get copies of your patient records. There may be a fee.
I keep meaning to get hold of mine.

Gideon

I don't know what medication you were on for anxiety but I was prescribed propranol and I think this has very depressive effects if used continuously over prolonged periods.

This is a good site to checkout drug effects: http://www.biopsychiatry.com/

[mrbob]

Hi Sasha,

Yeah, I've thought about asking to see my patient notes but I need to me in the right mood. It would really help at the moment as I saw a psychiatrist about 8 years ago and I never found out what exactly I was diagnosed with. He was just as bad as the GP, he seemed to have his own agenda. Truly an old quack and his remarks may well be the source of my problems since.

[weesh]

Yep - I was told to 'put up or shut up' when I went for depression - nice - changed GP. Are they really interested in you as a person? i think not!

[markymoomoo]

G.P'S!! I was told by one G.P there were many people far worse off than myself and I should pull myself together I complained lol...... I went for my first CBT for agoraphobia on friday and was told that I think hard about whether I will be able to attend..... thats the hardest part for me since I don't think can since i have mood swings but somehow I have to try very very very hard since I am worried this is my only chance within the primary care trust and I already have a tag that I am not reliable. Anxiety is ruling so many aspects of my life however I hope this module will work however I am also worried that if it doesn't my life will be the four walls it has been for years.

[Hope]

  Hi MMM
             
     I can't think of anything more ridiculous than telling someone with Agoraphobia that they must leave the house and get to a particular place at a particular time to get therapy... for not being able to leave the house and go to particular places at particular times!*!!

     

[markymoomoo]

I am really having major problems getting to appointments for agoraphobia somethimes i can and other times i feel so uncertain about how to get there the panic is immense . I tried to explain this to my G.P and was told what did I expect him to do... he told me to speak to the mental health team yet I have no one there to speak to as such apart from the therapist I am seeing.

I called unable to attend and was told by my therapist to try and relax and I WILL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK BYE!!

I realise there is a lack of resources however I also feel very strong that when you are in an incredibly vunerable situation why do you have to fight for help which is only given in tiny small measures....... it leaves you in a real horrid place since I feel I cannot do the most simple things like getting to appointments!Thing is I GET ANXIOUS NOW OVER GETTING ANXIOUS!! LOL

[Noisy]

I am really having major problems getting to appointments for agoraphobia somethimes i can and other times i feel so uncertain about how to get there the panic is immense . I tried to explain this to my G.P and was told what did I expect him to do... he told me to speak to the mental health team yet I have no one there to speak to as such apart from the therapist I am seeing.

I called unable to attend and was told by my therapist to try and relax and I WILL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK BYE!!

I realise there is a lack of resources however I also feel very strong that when you are in an incredibly vunerable situation why do you have to fight for help which is only given in tiny small measures....... it leaves you in a real horrid place since I feel I cannot do the most simple things like getting to appointments!Thing is I GET ANXIOUS NOW OVER GETTING ANXIOUS!! LOL

I know what you mean about getting to appointments. We can only do our best with what we have.

Do you a CPN (community psychiatric nurse) or someone at the mental health team that co-ordinates your treatment?

[chrisfm]

  Even if i found  a G P who cares tuppence about mental health problems it would not be much help as -----
In my nearly  30 years conact with state mental health services (Brighton Hove Worthing) I dont recall ever coming across anyone who gives tuppence.