The Doctors. Input Please.

[Kara_Love]

I have been to several doctors where I'm from. I've been seeing doctors since I was 12 years old, the first time I tried to kill myself, and I've had the same experience every time, and I want to know if you have too, or if I'm alone on this.

The doctors here aren't too keen on people who want to die. I have tried every way of dying (I wont talk about them here because I don't want to give anyone ideas), and I also had a major drug problem, so I would overdose a lot. I have been admitted over 10 times, and each time I face the same problem.

The doctors have no respect for me.

It's like, as soon as they find out why I am there or what I did, or what my problem is, they treat me like garbage. They don't take in consideration what I say, they don't believe me when I tell them I'm not okay, they tell me I'm "seeking attention". How do I seek attention when I am brought in against my will by the police? I am 20 years old, and bipolar. In my highs I am crazy. In my lows I want to die. I can't help this. I tell them that, and they roll there eyes and put me on a form so I can't leave. When I say I don't want to, they instantly drug me, and strap me to a bed. I've never fought them, and they still strap me down. I am not a violent person.

They then continue to medicate me to the point where I don't know my own name for 72 hours, then kick me out of the hospital.

This is how every single hospital stay has been. I've been to 7 different hospitals. I live in Canada, and this is how they treat me.

I am not violent. I am not a mean person. I do not talk back. I do not feel that I deserve this treatment, but if this is how they treat all with my disease, then maybe I could accept it more. Is this the way I'm supposed to "get better"?

[katleen]

H i Kara

I;d always heard good things about Canadas medical, Wow. My sister works er in another state, says they treat people w/ mental illness like crap. It;s not you and it;s not your fault. I know here it's not good either. It would be different i think, if we had good insurance and money.

When i first started having severe panic attacks, i would go to dr and er and be told nothing was wrong. It took a number of years to get help.

Don;t give up. We all need to be here for each other.

It's late, I need to sleep. I;ll check in tomorrow.

night

katleen

[David O]

Good morning Kara,

I think it is the way in most hospitals, there is less "respect" for those with mental illness... I should know, I worked inpatient for 12 years and at one time had oversight of 3 psych hospitals.

The damage brought on by poor quality care can be devastating.

I was wondering if you had been prescribed meds when you left? Can you tell us what they were, and more importantly, did you take them as prescribed-- daily? This may have something to do with the repeated suicidal attempts.

David

[Kara_Love]

I've been prescribed many medications. Seraquil, seraquilXR, effexor, risperidol, zoloft, xanax, valium, klonopin... the list goes on. They had me on the highest dosage each time because of my high tolerance and they all didn't work. The benzos just got me addicted. Now I don't take anything.

[samspruce]

Hello Kara_Love

A bit of a late reply but I just came across your post. I am not experienced in these matters but I don't think they treat people like that in the UK. From where I am sitting it does seem very disrespectful and very upsetting. I am not a fan of the mental health services. I have had some involvement and I have often felt that they think there is something wrong with people almost in a moral sense or a belittling way. I know there are lots of people who do care but not all. I am a serious fan of counselling and specifically person centred counselling. I feel that many people who are diagnosed with a mental condition are best helped by very genuine, serious, non-judgemental respect and love. But the official institutions could hardly prescribe "love" as a "medication".

So I am really replying to say I don't think they are like that everywhere and I'm sorry you are put through such hell on top of an already very difficult life.

Wishing you well

Sam

[Luna-]

It helped me when I really understood the difference between medical doctors (psychiatrists, GPs) and psychologists; they're considerably different.

Psychiatrists look mainly at medical aspects. I don't know what their training involves, but it leans more towards neurology, brain processes, assessing symptoms and what they reveal about where the problem might be as far as brain chemicals are concerned, and importantly, making a diagnosis and then knowing what kinds of medication may help for that. One really hopes they do some psychology! but to look at some of them, you wouldn't think so. They're primarily medically interested and the person in the body comes second. (Of course some have stunning bedside manners and are a great find). To be fair to them, psychiatry is a very inexact science - the brain is extremely complex and we know so little about how it works.

Psychologists, on the other hand, are interested in YOU, your psyche, your motivations and your symptoms in as far as they reveal the issues you struggle with. Plus, I'm sure, a whole bunch of stuff our resident professionals would add. They can't prescribe meds. Depending on how closely they work with people in a clinical or inpatient setting, or what field they specialise in, they may either be supportive of meds or against them (although I suspect even the most anti people see that when we're floridly psychotic, we need some meds before we can have any meaningful conversation).

Anyway, my point is that you're more likely to get understanding and be treated decently by a psychologist than a psychiatrist. Sorry, no offence to all the fantastic pdocs out there! I've also been treated callously by some pdocs ('maybe this is the best you're going to get") and even once turned out of an out-patient clinic because I dared to ask if I could try a specific med I'd researched ("it doesn't work like that here, you take what we decide you must take").

And my other point is that you learn where to look for positive strokes and where not to expect them. If the psychiatrist is warm and engaging you've struck gold, but if not, you're far better off to look to a psychologist to be treated like a person.

My experience, anyway. Hope my pdoc never sees this.

[mscat]

Hi there, welll gosh those are horrible experiences you have had in these hospitals.

I have also been to several in my life. & yes , as soon as a patient acts up , they are restrained , placed in a "quite room" or worse , having to be placed in 4 point restraints . Only because u were diasagreable.

I have been there way too many times to remember. As a teenagere, i sstayed in 3 different hospitals, and the last was the State Hospital , just left there . Left in those hospitals for a total of 2 yrs straight.

Then off and on the rest of the yrs afterwards. Since then i will lie , do anything to stay out of the "big House " ues , I have had many 72 hr holds placed on me since. But, I will do anything to get out of there and go home. I feel like I have to be forced to fib , just to get out !! Even when I was in the critical unit PDocs and their psych team, "residents" would always talk to me. I always expected a visit from all of them . They ask dumb questions , though, and the first thing i tell em is that I was NOT trying to die, which is /was not really the truth, I just wanted to to certain I was able to leave the medical hospital and go home ASAP.

It is too bad that mental hospitals ant the patients can and are treated like crap... SOme psych therapists or counselors were nicer then others. some would not even look at u .

It is a total shame not to be treated with respect.