Do you think doctors take you seriously when you are ill if you ahve anxiety

[sarah jayne]

Hi, i always worry when i go to the doctors when im ill that because i suffer from anxiety the doctor doesnt take me seriously. Sometimes they dont even check me over. It worries that one day i might have something seriously wrong and they wont notice and put it down to anxiety. Just wondering if anyone else feeld the same way ?

[Luci-loo]

The one I normally see does but I hate going so I think that when she does see me she has an idea that it must be bad.

However I saw 3 or 4 doctors about my anxiety regarding my toilet phobia and she was the first to say lets look and see if there is something medical behind this bladder issue whereas the rest just gave me drugs.

[luke1982]

My doctors have been quite good if I have a worry about something physical despite them knowing i suffer from h.a they check what ever it is to put my mind at ease.

[meg86]

I have had good and bad experiences with doctors, my first doctor didnt take me seriously at all, when i was first diagnosed with Anxiety i told him how i was feeling and that alot had happened in my life recently so i had lots of test and he told me i had anxiety, i had no idea what it was and he sent me on my way with some propronolol.

I went back to him 3 times in tears saying i just feel scared all the time and im struggling and i dont know why i feel like i do and he said nothing just said continue with the propronolol and you wont be like this and was a bit blunt with me :(

I learned everything about anxiety from self help books, and decided to change my doctor, its been 2 years and i have finally been referred for CBT, my new doctors take me more seriously and if i think i have something medically wrong with me they check and wont let me leave until i am sure there is nothing else bothering me. xx

[anx mum]

No they dont just got bk from docs thought it was a waste of time never even checked me over just said its anxiety. Worried sick as ive been getting headaches.

[mumof4]

my doctor is great if im feeling bad and i think there is something wrong with me she will check me over gives me a piece of mind.

my doctor always listens and never says on its anxiety she takes time with me.

[nanny]

My doctor does take me seriously, but I sometimes think that because you suffer from anxiety DR's put almost everything down to that!

She always almost puts my mind at rest but sometimes there is still that little doubt at the back of my mind that maybe just maybe it could be something else.

Or is THAT just ANXIETY too:shrug: :shrug:

[janni]

I do feel that I am not being taken seriously, not getting checked out etc which only leads to out of hours calls and even casualty visits :(

[cherrypie]

I suffer with irritable bowel syndrome, and am always frightened to leave the house in case i need the toilet in a hurry, i also had a nervous breakdown in february , the anxiety was brought on by the irritable bowel, so when im anxious and uptight especially if i have to gout i need the toilet more, and so a vicious circle. All my doctors says is calm down, dont get so uptight and your bowel will be better, if i mention other symptoms she just has a way of not answering them, i think she thinks i am imagineing things and is getting fed up with me. that the impression i get.

[Welsh.Baz]

Just remember all doctors have bad days, so its possible you catch them on a bad day so they do seem blunt with you.

My GP is great, whatever I go in for he listens and checks me over and then says what it is, if its anxiety its just the old well thats your anxiety playing up again, do you want meds? If it isn't he'll say what it is then tell me what to take, he even asks if I need anything off my repeats hah, good doc huh!

[Gazman]

my new doctor is really good, although 2 other doctors have said i have anxiety, he wants to be certain and has made me an urgent appointment with the gastroenoroligists (sp?) just to see why i'm not eating much, burping alot etc, and more blood tests as markers, he's also said if thats clear we'll have to take a look the other way... (gulp!)

[Rod]

My GP is very good. He understands anxiety and takes time to explain things in a way that will not make me more anxious.

[Desprate Dan]

Yes my GP is very good, he listens and takes time to explain things in the manner that i understand, all though i do worrie what he thinks of me "OH no not him again" but i think that is more in my mind that in his..
I really feel reasured and happy when i have left the surgery its like talking to a freind, but i have this trouble if he prescribes something even though i dont think its working or not for me (I feel bad about saying it) as if he is trying to help and i am letting him down by saying i dont think this is working.......Why do i always feel like that???

Its like if anyone hurts you accidently "for instance runs into the back of your ankles with a pushchair or stands on your foot" although i might be in a lot of pain and they say sorry, i sort of feel there pain and although i might be in agony, i will say its okay no worries "to make them feel better"

Does anyone else do this???

[sarah jayne]

I think part of the reason why i dread going to the doctors is because i never get to see my own doctor, its a different one every time i go. I think as soon as they see 'anxiety' on my records they put everything down to that. Its quite a large doctors surgery but i think that theyve got far too many patients then they can handle because its extremely hard to get an appointment, you cant pre book one, youve just got to be there at 8.30 am on the day you need to see a doc and hope you get in...
Thanks for all your replies, ive found them interesting, i wish i could find a good, nice doctor !! x:)

[Panic33]

My GP is great - when I'm talking with him its the one place I feel safest.

[lindzanne]

I have been fortunate enough to have doctors believe me, and also fortunate enough to have doctors get tough with me when they knew what my physical problem was was really minor, and get me the help I needed emotionally and psychologically. I usually go over all my physical symptoms first and then explain I have health anxiety and it is causing me to believe the worst, which I always find a good tactic, because they heard symptoms first, not panic. Then my doc usually eases my mind about the worst. And of course when they see my med history they are not surprised. I feel very lucky to have doctors who see anxiety and depression as just as valid as any physical complaint, which was not happening 25 years ago when my mom was first diagnosed with depression. (You know what drives me crazy though? I think they are legally obligated not to tell you that you don't have cancer, etc, until they have proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt! So they can't say, you definitely don't have this, because what if by some odd chance you did, and then I could sue them for saying I didnt! Not that I ever would. So they have to find a nice reassuring way to say you're ok, without completely saying it.)

[AleemRadunzel]

well personally i dont think they take you very seriously anxiety or not.. it took 18 years of ,at least twice anually, chronic lung problems to finally get a referal to a consultant.. and im 23..

looking at this i probably shouldnt smoke.. but i didnt till i was 19 and recently since my pluersy and pnuemonia im down from 30 full strengths to 10 weaker than silkcuts..

i wouldnt dare tell my doctor that i have anxiety.. the same as i wouldnt tell my psyc doctor that i smoke cannabis.. both things just point to lazy diagnosis in doctors..

i never told my gps that i smoke cigarettes.. they told me after a chest xray.. they would have just said its the cigarettes dispite the glaringly obvious fact that it doesnt take into account I WASNT SMOKING SINCE I WAS 5!

i lost both my brother 4 years ago and my mother this april due to lazy diagnosis.. so this really raises some contention with me..

thank you for the original post