How often do you see a doctor?

[skippy66]

I used to do this about twice a month, over sometimes the most ridiculous of symptoms.

Makes me cringe when I look back and realise how much taxpayers money I wasted (mine included obviously), and more than that - the fact that I took an appointment which took up a doctor's time, time which they could have used to treat or diagnose somebody with a real illness.

[Stormsky]

On average Twice a year max.

[nomorepanic]

I guess the answer depends on why you see the doctor.

I have to see mine quite a lot for my 2 on-going health problems but not for anxiety or for every ache and pain I get

[Lilharry]

Anxiety is a real illness, unfortunately doctors don't know how to treat it, which in turn creates more anxiety. People with anxiety should not be made to feel guilty for going to the doctor. We are told that if we are sick we see a doctor and they will make it better, so that's why we go. If we're not getting better then we keep going to the doctor, not understanding why we're not getting answers. It's a flaw in the health system that needs to be addressed. Stop blaming the sick people.

[AuntieMoosie]

I'm the same as Nic and I agree with what she said :)

It's isn't really about how often you visit your doctor but more about the reason that you've visited :)

I have to see mine frequently about my ongoing medical conditions the same as Nic does, but I actually hate going to the doctors, but it's just something that I have to do.

Lilharry you are quite right in what you said. But I think one needs to look at what can be done for the underlying condition, such as, if you're a sufferer of Health Anxiety, instead of presenting yourself with endless symptoms, would it not be more beneficial for you to be seeking treatment for the health anxiety as apposed to other symptoms??? :)

[Lilharry]

Health anxiety is just another symptom of an underlying condition that doctors won't treat. Some of us, the lucky ones, have enough support to find someone who can help us, but many of us flounder around in the health system not gettting answers. If the health system took a more holistic approach to health we would see more people being treated. The answer isn't in drugs that mask symptoms, it's about lifestyle changes that can benefit us. It's impossible to make those changes when you don't know what to do or how to do it and don't have any support and are constantly being told it's all in your head. Also, being told that alternative/holistic medicine is quackery isn't helpful either. There are many people out there who can treat these conditions at their root and most of them don't work in the public health system unless you can find an integrative/holistic GP.

[AuntieMoosie]

Lilharry that's a very good post and I fully agree with you on a "whole person" approach :)

I don't fully agree with you on the medication front though. Medication such as antidepressants do NOT just mask the symptoms, they actually treat the condition. You may be talking about tranquilisers and yes, they are a very different ball game, although if used properly with close medical supervision, they are also fine to use for short term relief :)

But I'm also very interested in all the therapies that are out there too. I have had both psychotherapy and CBT therapy and I found them both extremely useful and beneficial :)

I also do relaxation frequently and I've also had aromatherapy and reflexology which I also found helpful :)

I also like crafting and find doing that to be a very good occupational therapy, as well as gardening or cookery :)

I think there are many doctors, in the UK anyway, not sure about where you are, that are very interested in alternative therapies, I've had GP's recommend various things for me to try, none of which involve taking medication but will go hand in hand with them :)

[Lilharry]

Relaxation techniques are fantastic at helping our bodies and mind heal and that is definitely part of the treatment.

Do a search on gut flora and mental health - there is a lot of research going into this area, but it's still in its infancy. The public health system is way behind when it comes to this stuff, because it's evidence based and has to rely on hard science. The science is there, but there hasn't been enough rigorous study into it for it to be used as treatment. Alternative health practitioners have been treating gut health for thousands of years. It is likely that most people with psychological problems also have an imbalance in healthy gut flora (likely, but not "proven" with hard science). Changing our diets can go a long way to addressing it. Eating foods full of probiotics is a good start, but there are lots of other things like cutting out sugar (which feeds bad bacteria and yeast) etc are required to heal our insides.

The reason things like relaxation, meditation etc are really good is that while the gut can affect the brain, the brain affects the gut also - everything is linked - and a relaxed mind affects physical changes in our bodies.

[AuntieMoosie]

Well I'm with you on the mind and the gut being very linked.

I have IBS, have had it for years now, but thankfully, I don't get it a lot now.

But I do know that if I'm anxious or worried it hits my gut faster than a flash of lightening!!!! lol

I'm not quite with you on the flora of the gut though?? are you saying that some think that what goes on in the gut will effect our brains or minds??

It's interesting and I like to keep an open mind on all theories but I've not heard about this one.

What do they mean about an imbalance in the gut flora??

[Lilharry]

It's interesting stuff! I would suggest doing your own research, but I will provide a few links below:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-neuroscience-of-gut

http://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2012/aug/19/microbes-manipulate-your-mind

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/changing-gut-bacteria-through-245617.aspx

[AuntieMoosie]

Thank you Lilharry, I shall have a good read tomorrow :)

[Magic]

I see the GP once a year for review. If I am not reminded . I do not go.
I don't think GPs care like they used to.:huh:

[Stormsky]

I don't fully agree with you on the medication front though. Medication such as antidepressants do NOT just mask the symptoms, they actually treat the condition. )

I don't agree , they only treat the condition while your on them, so they are just masking.
Antidepressant drugs DO help a sufferer. But only TEMPORARILY. They cannot offer a permanent cure because anti-depressants treat ONE of the SYMPTOMS of the illness. What anti-depressants do is give sufferers a "boost" by raising levels of neurotransmitters. The problem concerns chance of relapse when sufferers stop taking the meds.
This happens because the drugs haven’t tackled the root cause of these illnesses. By boosting levels of “happy chemicals” the drugs simply mask the problem.

[bernie1977]

I used to see my Doctor a lot but since becoming housebound with agoraphobia I don't go. Whenever there's a problem I ring and leave a message and the doctor calls me back.

The amount of times I need contact has dramatically reduced. I think it's a combination of two factors 1) I don't like ringing as the receptionists ask too many questions 2) I don't get as many illnesses anymore as I'm housebound I don't get contact with all the bugs that are going around.

It's made me think did I use to go before when it wasn't always necessary, because I don't like ringing I always wait until I'm desperate before I ring

[Lilharry]

I don't agree , they only treat the condition while your on them, so they are just masking.
Antidepressant drugs DO help a sufferer. But only TEMPORARILY. They cannot offer a permanent cure because anti-depressants treat ONE of the SYMPTOMS of the illness. What anti-depressants do is give sufferers a "boost" by raising levels of neurotransmitters. The problem concerns chance of relapse when sufferers stop taking the meds.
This happens because the drugs haven’t tackled the root cause of these illnesses. By boosting levels of “happy chemicals” the drugs simply mask the problem.

I thnk you both have interesting points. I think often they mask the symptoms and shouldn't be the first go to point, but I do actually think there is a place for them assuming depression/anxiety etc is largely a result of a bacterial imbalance in your gut and assuming that there is a 2 way communication between gut and brain. At its basic level you could concluded that if you feel happier by taking the drugs then the gut will be influenced by this.

[AuntieMoosie]

Stormsky we all have different views on this and that is very healthy, and I fully respect your opinion and I like to hear different views :)

Believe me, I'm not saying for one minute that antidepressants are the best thing since sliced bread, far from it to be honest and, yes, I think it's too easy for doctors to just prescribe them willy nilly as a quick fix.

But I do believe that they actually treat the illness as opposed to masking it, however, I do understand what you're saying too.

How I view it is that you could almost say that every medication there is, only masks the problem. I'm on medication for diabetes, no, it's wont cure me of the diabetes and if I stopped taking my medication I would be in trouble, but it moderates the disease and controls it which will help to prevent my body becoming damaged by the disease :)

I've already been told a good few years ago now that I will always have to be on an antidepressant, as every time I've ever been taken off of them, I've ended up having a relapse and ended up very ill again!!


It's the SSRI's that I'm most concerned with. I still hold that they do treat the illness, but I have a horrible feeling that they could well be addictive.

I had a debate with my GP a while ago about this very subject and he told me that they were definitely not addictive in any way. He got a bit offish when I asked him where the evidence for that statement was??? Where's the proof???? His answer was "well there's no proof or scientific evidence that they are addictive" and I replied "but there's no proof or scientific evidence that they aren't either"!!!!

That is my biggest worry about the SSRI's. I ended up with SSRI withdrawal syndrome a year ago when they had to reduce the dose of citalopram that I was taking due to it causing heart problems, I felt sooo ill and in the end they had to get me on another SSRI to balance me out again.

If they're not addictive, then why was I so ill with just having a dosage drop???

This is an interesting subject though :)

[swajj]

Anxiety is a real illness, unfortunately doctors don't know how to treat it, which in turn creates more anxiety. People with anxiety should not be made to feel guilty for going to the doctor. We are told that if we are sick we see a doctor and they will make it better, so that's why we go. If we're not getting better then we keep going to the doctor, not understanding why we're not getting answers. It's a flaw in the health system that needs to be addressed. Stop blaming the sick people.



Great post. My doctor told me that he would rather someone like me who turns up for every symptom than someone who ignores their symptoms entirely. I pay a heap in tax so I don't feel guilty about how often I go. However, to answer the OP when my HA is under control I probably go about once every 3 months. And that's only because I need to get a new script for my BP meds.

[skippy66]

About anti-depressants - more than one person has told me that going on anti-depressants are the worst thing they've ever done, and I quote: "anti-depressants ruined my life".

You do not need anti-depressants to cure your health anxiety, I am living proof of that and my health anxiety was very, very severe.

All you need is a change of attitude towards illness, life and death. And some willpower/determination.

[swajj]

Some people benefit from anti-depressants. I have never taken them. My psych told me that HA is basically a fear of dying and you need a clear head to overcome that. He did say that anti-depressants would only mask the symptoms (his words, not mine) but they could be beneficial in conjunction with therapy. The negative being that it takes a lot longer to get better.

[Stormsky]

Stormsky we all have different views on this and that is very healthy, and I fully respect your opinion and I like to hear different views :)

Believe me, I'm not saying for one minute that antidepressants are the best thing since sliced bread, far from it to be honest and, yes, I think it's too easy for doctors to just prescribe them willy nilly as a quick fix.

But I do believe that they actually treat the illness as opposed to masking it, however, I do understand what you're saying

I totally respect your point of view as well.
If we all believed the same thing, life would be dull.. :)

[panicperson]

I go about once a month and sometimes I have been twice a month (all within the last year.)
I have tried anti depressants for 6months but came off them as they didn't 'cure' me so I thought it would be best not taking them. It's made no difference to my HA.....I still have it!

I don't like going GP as I have to see my GP for part of my job in addition to being a patient! I therefore feel embarrassed.
But in the other hand I think Sod it: if I didn't go and later found out I had an illness which could have been diagnosed earlier, I would kick myself!

[shonaleg]

i visit my doctor when i get very anxious just for reassurance and i hate it :blush: