Posted by alexandra_k on January 29, 2005, at 19:49:01
In reply to i feel like i am being an *ss, posted by smokeymadison on January 28, 2005, at 20:44:42
Then that makes me an *ss too! I got DBT because I demanded they give it to me. The beauty of your situation is that the more you act up, the more apparant it becomes to them that you really do need DBT! Ha! I just love those win-win borderline dilemmas, they are so much nicer than the lose-lose variety! This is a rare occasion of the win-win variety.
Forget about the 'special treatment and favors' angle. You are attempting to get adequate treatment. In fact, because you have to fight to get it you are showing them how much you really want this. Don't worry about the 'not being able to afford it' angle either. I have never paid for therapy. Fact is that I can't afford it. I don't feel bad about that because it is not my fault. But that doesn't mean I will put up with crap (ahem, people unsuited to working with me). And when there is an option between this or that treatment then I fight to get the one I believe will help me the most, ahem, I mean be the most cost effective for them at the end of the day.
Fact is that DBT outperforms other treatments. Fact is that they will save money on hospitalisations and crisis services if they give you adequate treatment. And that should be something that they think about. Of course the advantage to you is improved functioning and alleviation of distress, but people prefer to reflect on what they get out of it personally. And you are dealing with a money conscious system.
I dare say that it is in the secretaries job description to be a bitch. To put off people who will be put off. Don't worry too much about her, she doesn't make the decision. She is just your point of liason with the director. Directors have PA's to put as many people off as possible. They are busy people. They don't want to deal with stuff / clients they can avoid. Don't be put off by this. Once you get through then they will know you are serious.
>no one has called me back and it has been two days now. i wonder if the director even got the message. it took forever to get his name. they didn't want to tell me.
Ring again. If they say he will get back to you ask when you may expect to hear from him by. Ask them how long they think is reasonable to wait. Then you can call him back with no guilts if you do not hear from him by then. You are allowed to be persistent. In fact you will have to be persistent most likely. Pester. Annoy them until they realise that the only way that they are going to be able to get rid of you is if they let you talk to him or get an appointment to see him.
This is one of the oh so few situations where acting out a little can actually help your case... Of course that being said it can be done without that if you are prepared to be persistant. I applied for DBT and then found myself in the control group. 'Treatment as usual'. 'Treatment as usual' turned out to be no treatment because CMH told me that DBT was my only option. I packed a wobbly. Wrote the experimentors and told them that if CMH was refusing to treat the 'treatment as usual' control group then they were not comparing DBT with 'treatment as usual' they were comparing it with no treatment. That means that they weren't testing what they said they were, and running the control group was unethical.
They ditched the control group and I got DBT :-)
After many many fits.> i am coming from the angle that b/c i have BPD that i need DBT. and i know that the therapist i saw doesn't know DBT. i am asking that i see somebody who does.
Fair enough! Especially if they have that available.
Ok. Now I might be getting up in arms a little too soon...
I am just trying to prepare you for a possible worst case scenario...
Trying to get you into the spirit of it...
1st step: ring them back.
poster:alexandra_k
thread:449420
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20050129/msgs/449921.html