Neuropsychiatrists - Fun

[Kangaro]

Hi

It seems to me that all of us who post on here are going through really tough times, and due to our health have been for a very long time. We live in pain, confusion, fear and often misery on a daily basis – just trying to cope and get through yet another day of our illness. Most of us have had a long and hard struggle to be believed and understood and to finally get a diagnosis. We all have our stories to tell of the offensive and often vileness of the doctors – and sometimes nurses – we have encountered along the way.

All in all it's just a very hard and difficult life that we live day in, day out.

So may I ask you if you find your illness fun?

I wonder if you would have a look on You Tube at the following:

Interview with Dr. Jacob S Bird and Dr. Czarina Kirk – neuropsychiatrists – under the banner of Royal College of Psychiatrists - who must have vetted the posting.

youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Ejdej...(Not working as expected?)

The two neuropsychiatrists list the serious illnesses that they deal with under their speciality and go on to say

“Neuropsychiatry as a speciality is brilliant to choose and the first reason is, it's fun. It's a lot of fun, we have a very varied clinic. So you may see an 18 year old who's had a brain injury and who is struggling to find work.....and after that you may have an 80 year old who has quite advanced dementia..... "

I can honestly say not even one minute of the last 5 years of my illness has been fun.

I have been at the point of hopelessness and despair so many times, so I find it a little upsetting to hear these neuropsychiatrists describing the work they do with their obviously seriously ill patients as being FUN.

They could have said - “Interesting, Challenging. Stimulating.” as a description.

Fun? No. Where's their sensitivity? What type of person finds dealing with serously ill patients fun?

I am concerned, with this type of attitude, that they are in charge of our healthcare.

I find it strange that The Royal College of Psychiatrists feel that these words used are appropriate.

I wish you all well.

With love

Kangaro x

[210272]

I agree, Kangaro. I've also heard a psychiatrist, Prof Staab, describe his job as 'fun' and I find it highly insensitive especially because he said it in the context of diagnosing conversion disorder/FND.

It's understandable that they would want to try to attract more doctors to join their ranks by letting them know how rewarding their careers are but they are not thinking of the impact their words can have on patients. It's bad enough when our friends say things like 'it must be fun not to have to work' (this was said to me, to a dear friend who is a great rare conditions advocate and to many others) and when doctors use terminology like that about their patients it is no 'fun' at all.

[Van604]

Yes, I agree. Very insensitive and hurtful. Of all the doctors I've seen, including neurologists, GPs, orthopods, physiatrists and psychologists, the neuropsychiatrist was the least empathetic, the most arrogant and completely closed-minded. My condition got worse in the two years I saw him and has dramatically improved since I stopped seeing him and started listening to my body instead. He is a died-in-the-wool Freudian and tells female patients they have FND because they're child-less! He blamed me for collapsing because he said I should stand up for myself and called me a skunk because the hospital shower was out of order. Despite numerous complaints, he's still practicing at a prestigious university hospital, being paid by us via our taxes!