In 2005, I had appointments with a psychiatrist for many months. At the last appointment, he gave me his conclusion. He said that I was having a mental illness, but that science was not enough advanced so there is no solution existing yet. So he told me that I would stay sick for the rest of my life but that I could hope that one day science would find a cure…
Hey!!! WAKE UP!!! All I was needing is an antipsychotic!!!
It took another 8 years for the doctors to finally give me an antipsychotic for the first time after 12 years of sickness!
This doctor who hailed from Russia (I only saw him once) told me my delusions and hallucinations were “immature and childish”. My illness started when I was very young. He didn’t seem to understand Western medicine either, stating that it made no sense to treat ADHD with stimulants.
My pdoc asked me if I had ever seen a luggage rack on a Hearse? I said no. He said that’s because you can’t take it with you. He said that the last time I saw him.
My last doc told me, "Well you look fine to me."
Okay, if you’re a real doctor you’d know looks don’t determine mental illness…
Also my therapist, after I told her about the demons and intrusive thoughts, decided we need to work on “self-love”.
Wow… it’s hard to believe some doctors even passed their schooling after reading the awful things you lot have been put through.
With how common mental illness is there should be a compulsory subject covering types of mental illness and the language that’s appropriate to use before doctors can even treat a patient. It will probably never happen but I can dream
One resident couldn’t contain himself as I shared my world views - finally - he burst out laughing in ER. Maybe he was just already really stressed out…who knows…
That’s awful. . I remember a similar thing during my first psychotic episode. everything tasted like poison to me. I thought the people around me were trying to alter my thoughts and poison me. Seemed to be to the amusement of the first doctors, nurses and psychologists that I was taken to. I guess empathy and understanding can’t be taught. It’s something a true healer is born with. We need more healers in medicine. <3
Don’t let the ignorance and unprofessionalism of one jerk get you down. If you have to see him regularly just be neutral and keep your boundaries and don’t build any personal relationship with him. I told my case manager I have too many people in my life besides my family and it is overwhelming for me to have so many people who like me and it’s hard for me to like all of them back.
Thank you nick… what you wrote about having too many people in your life and feeling overwhelmed really resonates with me. I’m exhausted from chasing so many appointments. I think I will take your advice… see him as I need to and try to stay neutral. hopefully I can track down my Psychiatrist and keep seeing her privately… that way I have a little back up if he is out of line with treatment. Just have to find her somewhere in Australia! lol. thanks again, mate
I am glad your doctor has improved :). I keep getting disbelief over my age as well… you are completely right… age is not a measure of traumatic experiences. And the most common age of onset for psychotic illnesses is in adolescence and young adults. Crazy that doctors don’t realise this… I was taught it in one of my first Youth Work assignments lol xo
Not slap-worthy, but… Kinda worrying. My old pdoc once said (maybe it was an admission) that he could lie to me, and that I should lie to myself if it’s going to have a positive effect. That threw me for a loop. I’m sure now his intentions were good, but he probably shouldn’t have said he would lie to me. This very much hurt my trust of the whole process.
But like the young doctor that was mentioned, I’ve also had doctors/case workers who are immature and want to get a laugh out of me.
