Good doctor or Bad doctor??

mysts_gurlz · May 17, 2006, 7:51pm

Reading everyone's posts, i feel like going back on meds for my depression. The thing is, I don't like my doctor! Ok, let me make it clear (actually I don't know how to explain it). well, at my place (state) here there's only one psychiatric hospital (meds cost is subsidised by gov) and there's like only 5 or 6 doctors there to treat thousands of patient with mental illness. So it's clear that they're so very extremely busy. And I assume that's why they don't really bother patient with common mental illness like depression as they give more attention to more serious illness like schizo or whatever.

When I told my doctor the meds i'm currently on are not helping me, he just said go on with your meds and referred me to a counsellor. When I told my counsellor that I feel like giving up with my meds he told me to talk to my doctor as maybe I need higer dose or new meds. See the cycle here?? So how can I get better if this cycle keep going on? I better stop seeing them as I know the result would be just the same!

And, I was once told by my doctor to stop making up story (or pretend) when I told him about my increasing urges of self-harm!!(Do I need to show them to make them believe?) I was so very offended and i feel stupid for making me look so pathetic for them. I'm just an annoying, idiot, and faithless girl who irritates them!! - that's what I thought.

So can someone tell me, is it just me?? Is it just because of my impulsiveness or are they really being a lousy doctor??

I'd stopped going for my appointment as I hate to see them. But my mood swings are making me sick. I always had a bad day because of it. Not to mention the difficulty to sleep and oversleeping, lethargy, anxiety and sudden panic attack.They affect everything - my study, my work, my relationship, my health. Do we really need meds to get better??

(I told everyone not to be scared or hesitate to express their true feeling but seems like when it comes to my own feelings I can't say what I actually want to say as I fear to see how people may react to it.)

:: Chronic Major Depression :: BPD ::

rseadon · May 17, 2006, 8:55pm

Bad doctor. the medical advice may be good but the bed-side manner is apalling.

I came across a really good book The feeling good handbook by David Burns MD it tells you about the standard drug therapies for depression and what shoud be available to you.

mysts_gurlz · May 18, 2006, 4:36pm

Thanks bethany for your reply. Really appreciate it.

Duno why but i'm feeling so down now. The day was ok but i suddenly started to feel low few hours ago. I hate moment like this. huh!! Guess tonight is going to be another long miserable night..

:: Chronic Major Depression :: BPD ::

els · May 18, 2006, 7:29pm

Hi mysts, I think there are several factors that have to be weighted in here before hand and perhaps this maybe where your physician would be coming from...I dont know. One being is length of time you have been on your current medication regime. Most times it takes several weeks and up to 8 to start working at therapeutic level in your body. So for a doctor to not jump and start changing meds at the drop of a hat I think is a good thing. Also, you stated in your post that you are having mood swings so it is appropriate to recommend a counselor for you to speak to and for them to assess your mental health status as the counselor would spend a longer length of time with you than the psychiatrist. I does sound like maybe your psychiatrist is not conveying his thoughts on your treatment to you which is not good but is something you will find when you deal with a physician who treats severely mentally ill. I would suggest that you write down your concerns on paper and take it to your next appointment, and be sure to address them with him. Maybe you could also keep a calendar or diary of how you are feeling on a daily basis and also take this to your appointments so he will know that your not being impulsive in wanting to switch medications, that you are having real problems on the meds.