Re: My trip to the neurologist/depression cop-out by doctors

[Guest guest]

Sounds like my neurologist and my GI doctor combined. I really don't

get it why doctors think it's OK to just tell us we're depressed

instead of doing their jobs and figuring out what is wrong with us! I

just did a presentation about this in a clinical psychology class

(well sort of; it was about the problem of managed care in my field)

and how PCPs and other medical (non-mental health providers) prescribe

anti-depressants like candy and/or make that diagnosis or assessment.

It just isn't right, on many levels, both for the patients who truly

have clinical depression and need proper treatment and those who

aren't and don't. Sigh.

I think I've mentioned it before, but when I see my neurologist and

tell her what is going on physically, she makes seemingly sympathetic

remarks about how busy and stressful my life is with six kids and

school, as if that " explains " all of my symptoms! It is true that my

life is crazy, and until we relocated one of those children a year ago

things were pretty insane with her due to her mental illness, but

guess what, she's gone, and I haven't improved. Imagine that!! My GI

doctor is the one who said my pancreatic pain would be helped more by

an antidepressant than anything he could do for me, when really that's

because that's the easier and cheaper road because what he thinks I

have is rare and risky to treat (something called Sphincter of Oddi

dysfunction). Sigh.

So I just wanted to say that I know what that's like, and I know it

can be really frustrating! Like I tell my doctors (and you point

out), yes, I may be slightly depressed, but that comes BECAUSE of

feeling like this so much of the time physically and having my life

altered because of it, not the other way around!! At least you have

your diagnosis and you WEREN'T a patient he'd never seen, like the

scenario you asked your doctor about. I hope that your pain eases and

that you can get back to a normal life soon.

~Beth in CA~

> I handed him this

> list and asked him what his Dx. would be , if he didn't know me at

> all and just read the list. His answer: I would say this person is

> extremely depressed. No kidding. Me thinks me need new doctor, and

> who wouldn't be depressed, just a little.