Doctors

[Livvy_rice]

Has anyone's doctor ever scared you more without realizing? Or made you feel 10 times worse when leaving the surgery?

[ServerError]

Some doctors don't manage patients' anxiety as well as others.

But some anxiety sufferers also react with disproportionate fear. It's just a personal opinion on my part, but based on our private messages, I think it's s bit of both.

[Weasley123]

Yes but I have a terror of docs so it might be all me

[Leah88]

i find the more experienced doctors don't scare me as much. For eg. I told my gp who has been practicing for a couple of decades and is brilliant, that I thought I had this disease and he just goes " cool, now I can write you up in a medical journal for rare illnesses and it'll give my career a boost". Whereas if I'd told a young intern doctor I thought I had it they'd probably have offered me the test. So what I'm saying is the really good doctors generally won't make your anxiety worse because they know it's just anxiety and not a real illness.

[ServerError]

In Livvy's case, a doctor has said that, if her déjà vu doesn't clear up, they'll investigate the possibility of epilepsy. The doctor is just being thorough, but it's scared her.

[MyNameIsTerry]

In Livvy's case, a doctor has said that, if her déjà vu doesn't clear up, they'll investigate the possibility of epilepsy. The doctor is just being thorough, but it's scared her.

If he had a suspicion of epilepsy he wouldn't wait to pursue tests, I suspect it's more likely he will be pursuing tests to prove to her she doesn't have it.

Doctors do monitor symptoms of course but in a chronic condition like epilepsy that has to be treated, I think it would be alongside tests rather than as a prerequisite to start them.

---------- Post added at 14:05 ---------- Previous post was at 13:56 ----------


i find the more experienced doctors don't scare me as much. For eg. I told my gp who has been practicing for a couple of decades and is brilliant, that I thought I had this disease and he just goes " cool, now I can write you up in a medical journal for rare illnesses and it'll give my career a boost". Whereas if I'd told a young intern doctor I thought I had it they'd probably have offered me the test. So what I'm saying is the really good doctors generally won't make your anxiety worse because they know it's just anxiety and not a real illness.

Sounds like a good doctor. Nothing wrong with some humour as long as it's not at someone's expense from them.

I remember when I was first starting out with my anxiety just as the breakdown was really hitting me. I had stopped my asthma meds out of fear of the side effects they caused me daily and ended up having an asthma attack. Used my meds (parents kicked my butt to take my Reliever) and I got into my docs. The only time I've ever asked for an emergency appointment throughout this. The new doc wanted to do tests on my heart "just in case". I got into my regular doc the a week or so later to talk about my anxiety again and when I asked about this test he said "rip it up, it's anxiety & asthma, it won't be anything more serious coincidentally popping up"

It was good advice and saved the NHS as well as the added anxiety to me. I strongly believe more doctors need to be tougher on saying no to testing, the only reason they aren't is because the patient is pushing for it when a non anxious person would accept their opinion and move on. That invalidates the need for tests, the only factor being a more worried patient.

[ServerError]

Terry - your first sentence to me is almost word for word the same as something I've said to Livvy in a message. So now she has it from two sources!

[Livvy_rice]

Thank you all for replying. It wasnt just the fact they wanted test for epilepsy (my biggest fear right now) it was also that she told me to increase my medication even though I said no because I'm pregnant. I said 'what is the likely hood of me having epilepsy because that is what I'm worrying about most' and she said 'in the past when you have worried about your health we have increased your medication and your anxieties go so thats what we are going to do'. It really upset me I hate being always branded as a hypocondriac i could probably go in with a massive lump on my face and they'd still say increase your tablets and see how you feel �� x

[ServerError]

Would you rather be told it wasn't health anxiety and that you really do have anxiety? Being "branded" a hypochondriac is far, far better than being "branded" epileptic.

You aren't being "branded" anything, though. Doctors do what the clinical picture suggests is necessary. In your case, your doctor sees hypochondria, and the past clearly demonstrates that increasing your medication dosage has therapeutic effects. You are presenting with hypochondria, so your doctor is treating that.

It's clearly your doctor does not believe you are epileptic, because she is not moving quickly on this. Health anxiety is a far better diagnosis than something like epilepsy. Sometimes we need help managing our anxiety, and that is what you need. There is absolutely no shame in that.

[melfish]

In the US, on the other hand, where medicine is for profit and doctors are scared of litigation, you'd be sent off for all manner of testing. I far prefer the gatekeeper approach that's in place in the UK and Australia. Having experienced the healthcare system of all three countries (and also Ireland's), I can say the US system just fills me with despair

[Gary A]

Thank you all for replying. It wasnt just the fact they wanted test for epilepsy (my biggest fear right now) it was also that she told me to increase my medication even though I said no because I'm pregnant. I said 'what is the likely hood of me having epilepsy because that is what I'm worrying about most' and she said 'in the past when you have worried about your health we have increased your medication and your anxieties go so thats what we are going to do'. It really upset me I hate being always branded as a hypocondriac i could probably go in with a massive lump on my face and they'd still say increase your tablets and see how you feel �� x

What you need to understand is that patient history is an absolutely massive part of a doctors diagnostic weaponry. You have a history of symptom producing anxiety and a history of your anxiety symptoms responding well to medical treatment. You're also currently suffering from a symptom that can be explained by anxiety, so you can surely see where your doctor is coming from.

I have to agree with the above comments, your doctor wouldn't hesitate if they thought you were suffering epilepsy, especially if you're pregnant. My mother has epilepsy and when she suffered her first seizure, was told by her GP that her discription sounded like a heart issue. They referred her to neurology as well as cardiology, though, because there was a slight risk of epilepsy.

[pulisa]

When you get "old" like me (fifties) you really have to hold out because the GPs want to test you for everything (good old NICE guidelines) and in order to manage my HA I say I only want to have tests if there is a clinical need.

[Leah88]

What was said about perceived drs response by an anxiety sufferer is true too. The same as how we skip over symptoms of an illness but focus on the ones that relate. I prefer to sometimes be told I'm a hypochondriac because it doesn't feed the anxiety.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Terry - your first sentence to me is almost word for word the same as something I've said to Livvy in a message. So now she has it from two sources!

I reckon there's a reason for that :winks:

---------- Post added at 02:49 ---------- Previous post was at 02:45 ----------


In the US, on the other hand, where medicine is for profit and doctors are scared of litigation, you'd be sent off for all manner of testing. I far prefer the gatekeeper approach that's in place in the UK and Australia. Having experienced the healthcare system of all three countries (and also Ireland's), I can say the US system just fills me with despair

The NHS does a lot of wasteful testing too. Some GP's are afraid of missing something and are too cautious.

I'm not a fan of US healthcare or Ireland. I suspect the NI residents have the NHS firmly on their minds when it comes to the reunification issue? Australias seems good though from what I've heard those using Medicare say on here.

I'm quite critical of areas of the NHS but I certainly would prefer to have it than not even if it never improves.