Posted by Mark H. on January 30, 2002, at 0:38:36
In reply to Re: Last post of it's Kind.. » sjb, posted by mr.scott on January 28, 2002, at 10:13:51
Scott,
You know where I stand on your drinking. But as for seeing four psychiatrists in six weeks, that is truly self-destructive behavior, because even minor differences in diagnosis and approach to treatment would completely undermine your confidence in all of them, leaving you with no support, no supervised course of action, and the perfect excuse to do nothing about your condition.
(Not to mention four doctors who no longer trust your ability to listen and comply with a treatment plan. Doctors -- believe it or not -- are subject to ordinary human feelings, and there are so many people in genuine need who value their care, that hardly a one of them has to tolerate a patient who goes shopping for competing diagnoses or otherwise acts in a way that discounts their usefulness, credibility, insight, education or experience. I'm not suggesting that we as patients have an obligation to coddle the egos of our physicians; however, it doesn't take too much disrespect to virtually guarantee that you will fall off the bottom of their list of people about whom they are particularly concerned.)
Your history of over-use of alcohol and drug abuse, your emotional sensitivity (including perhaps hyper-sensitivity to rejection and loss) along with your reaction to various medications, suggest that you *may* be a highly allergic person. Allergies (or sensitivities, if you're a purist) can CAUSE depression and all of your other symptoms. Have you ever run across Dr. Doris Rapp's book called "Is This Your Child?" It is a must-read for anyone with food sensitivities or allergies to mold, dust, diesel fumes or what have you. You may be eating your way to poor health.
Medicine is not sufficiently advanced to know what causes conditions like bipolar II and/or atypical depression. Yet many of us have successfully found help in a combination of carefully selected and trialed medications and in cognitive therapy.
You're a wonderful person, and I'm very fond of you. Don't give up on your search to feel better, and don't feel that you have to "suck it up" and refrain from complaining here. I for one will continue to clobber you with my point of view for as long as you need it!
With kind regards,
Mark H.
poster:Mark H.
thread:91632
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020124/msgs/92124.html