Not being properly treated by my GP

[BeatrixPlotter]

I'm really in a bad way right now and I'm not sure what to do. I've been ill since last October and I feel as if I've been brushed off by every health professional I've seen because they don't know how to treat me.

I won't go into details but I've been in a lot of pain and discomfort, but no one can work out what it is. Instead of trying to get to the root of the problem, I'm prescribed random drugs in case they might do something (which they have never done), passed around random health centres (only after my insistence something is done to help a diagnosis), and misinformed several times over the state of my care. The last straw came this week when I was sent to Birmingham Women's Hospital for what I was told would be a test. I got there and paid their extortionate parking fees, only to be talked at for ten minutes, given a leaflet and told, 'You're too young to have the problems you have. Read the leaflet and come back in three months'.

Because I have anxiety issues this has been a severe challenge for me. I have tried to explain to the doctors I've seen that when these things happen it really impacts my mental health, but there's no consideration given to that. I'm about to change my GP anyway as my surgery have treated me like a malingerer, which I'm 99% sure is down to my mental health problems. I even put in a complaint, but when I went in to talk about I was told, 'Oh, I'm sure my colleagues would never do that.' What? You're not even going to try talking to them?

I've never trusted medical professionals since I attempted suicide at 18, and this just proves I'm right to be wary of them. I HAVE been in my surgery a lot since October, but that's because I'm ill and I need to get to the bottom of it! I wasn't going to change surgeries until I got to the bottom of this, but since that's obviously not going to happen I need to do it now. I've got no hope for the place I want to go though. They're obviously all the same.

I know I can contact PALS if I feel I'm not being treated properly, but I don't know if I can because these has happened to me over several health centres. The only other explanation is that it's my fault, but I don't know what else I can do. I appreciate it's difficult to work in healthcare, and I try to be respectful and polite, and not to demand too much. I'm just at my wits end. I'm suffering panic attacks almost dailt because I'm not in control of my own body anymore, and I've had to miss so much time off work I feel my job's in danger. What on earth can I do?

[Hidden]

Totally agree - GPs seemed to shrug and provide 'yet' another drug to try. For two years, had a different problem - and only after seeing Dermatology, Pain Clinic, Ultrasounds, Xrays, Vascular Surgeon (to name but a few), finally 23 months later saw a Rheumatologist who diagnosed my condition. Funny thing is the GP never even looked at the area I complained about (my feet)? Doh, I asked them on 15 occasions (the GP) please look and they didn't. So much for GP diagnosing - they spend more time looking at the computer screen. I have been prescribed 7 different medications over this time. Now I just rely on my Rheumatologist. My depression at the moment isn't too bad and thankfully it was a psychiatrist who prescribed my medication and I trust him and not the GP.

[boyceeileen]

I know that feeling the DR do not when you feel so Deoresson they think that you are playing on it. when i went to my GP last week about my depresson with the med i,am on she said she was going to give up on me bit i said you will not, i need the help she was not happy about it. It don't when you are unwell and have depresson and no one well help. But keep on going we are all here for you

[Hidden]

Hi

It sounds as if you've had a lot of difficult experiences of turning to people for help and finding that rather than help they either don't take you seriously or fob you off in some way. That must be frustrating, painful and enraging.

It sounds as though you feel your problems are mainly to do with physical health but that it is affecting your mental health now. I wonder whether talking to someone completely out of the system might help. I don't know whether there are any women's support groups near you, or whether your employers have a counselling service. I think it would be useful for you to talk with someone who is not in a position to offer you any medical solution but who can help you to find out what YOU think is the problem and to help you think clearly about what kind of help might be possible and where you might get it. Otherwise it sounds as though you are going around in circles and getting nowhere, except feeling worse still.

The other option if you think the problems are psychologically caused is to talk with someone with experience of their own mental health issues. That might be completely inappropriate, I don't know as you are the only person who knows whether you think you have a physical problem or whether the root cause is stress and maybe things from the past catching up or other factors in your life. Physical symptoms are often manifestations of emotional stress and problems. This website is great and I've found it invaluable when feeling really low, but if you think the problems may be linked to stress what about maybe talking to someone at the local branch of Mind where most people tend to have had their own issues, often quite serious, and will have had similar experiences to you of feeling not listened to or not understood and helped. Shoot me down if you think it's all physical, obviously I can't know but can only offer ideas so sorry if they're completely wrong.

I hope you find some support and solution to your pain and discomfort. Can you write any more about that without feeling you're losing privacy?

Suexxx

[coatpin]

October you say,,,, the season for seasonal effective disorder!!! go get a lamp if it works great,, it may take a week or more,, but a lot of conditions are attributed to depression, they are only general doctors.

Have you thought about going on the search engine about self help groups of Anxiety ect,, I know there is a group that could give you advise...

I think doctors are just at a loss, they dont know everything, and we have to help ourselves, they dont have all the answers.

I hope this gives you some direction.

Linda