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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by NKP on July 25, 2010, at 2:32:06
I have a problem whereby I bite my fingers when I feel angry or under stress. Not my nails but the actual fingers.
A few days ago my right index finger became infected. They've put me on antibiotics but said that if my finger hasn't substantially improved by Tuesday I'll have to go to hospital for intravenous antibiotics. There is a small chance I could lose the finger since apparently finger infections can become very nasty very quickly.
The doctor who treated me said I should go to see my psychiatrist. I thought he was really judgemental and I felt offended by how he treated me. Some of his comments included:
* I've seen many things but this is a first.
* At the beginning of the consult he asked me "What can I help you with" and I told him I hurt my finger. He asked how and I said that I bit myself. His immediate response was "Who's your psychiatrist?"
* He asked me when the injury took place. I told him I'm not sure but I first noticed my finger was painful on Thursday. He then replied in a sarcastic and irritated tone of voice "Look it's not every day that we bite ourselves so when did it happen?" I told him I'm not sure because I do actually bite myself on many days.
* He asked me when my next apointment with my psychiatrist is. I told him I don't have regular appointments with my psychiatrist. He then interjected in an irritated tone of voice "When is your next appointment?" and I told him I don't have one. I thought that my answer that I don't have regular appointments implied that there therefore wasn't a next appointment already scheduled.It felt to me like he dismissed me as some crazy freak psychiatric case and he also spoke to me like I'm stupid.
Anyway what I want to know is what could be the cause of this destructive habit of mine and how might one treat it?
Posted by emmanuel98 on July 25, 2010, at 5:05:28
In reply to I bite myself, posted by NKP on July 25, 2010, at 2:32:06
Well, imginge his frustration. He is trying to treat an infection which you,yourslf caused through self-destrctive behavior. Yet you are not addrssing the reasons for such behavior with a mental healh professional. If i were you, I wold make an appointment with a therapist (not usaualy a p-doc) to try to understand and control your self-destrctive behavior.
Posted by chujoe on July 25, 2010, at 6:59:16
In reply to Re: I bite myself, posted by emmanuel98 on July 25, 2010, at 5:05:28
Dear NKP, physically self-destructive behavior is a fairly common symptom of depression -- cutting, biting, burning, etc. It sounds to me as if the MD who treated you was indeed very insensitive, but he was probably right that you ought to see your psychiatrist or therapist. There are treatments for the behavior.
Posted by Phillipa on July 25, 2010, at 13:10:59
In reply to Re: I bite myself, posted by chujoe on July 25, 2010, at 6:59:16
I bite and pick cuticles on fingers. I use it for something to do. I've always attributed it to OCD like behavior. Anxiety, and calming. Am I wrong? It's fine to say I am will not be offended. Seriously would like to know as it's just less extreme that finger biting. Phillipa
Posted by sigismund on July 25, 2010, at 18:15:32
In reply to I bite myself, posted by NKP on July 25, 2010, at 2:32:06
> I've seen many things but this is a first.
He clearly hasn't seen much. Perhaps his patients have reason to be careful about what they say to him?
Posted by Dan_MI on July 26, 2010, at 6:16:45
In reply to I bite myself, posted by NKP on July 25, 2010, at 2:32:06
What a jerk. I have angrily stood up for myself in situations like that. You are right: he probably suspected that you are too dysfunctional to write a letter to your state's department of health. Prove him wrong!
Posted by sigismund on July 26, 2010, at 15:41:18
In reply to I bite myself, posted by NKP on July 25, 2010, at 2:32:06
Who is to say a psychiatrist could help you anyway?
Maybe, maybe not. My understanding of this is that it relates to feeling frantic in some way. Psychiatry has been bugger all use to me with that. You don't need to feel abnormal. Genocide is normal, to take an instance at random.
Posted by NKP on August 1, 2010, at 4:20:21
In reply to Re: I bite myself, posted by sigismund on July 26, 2010, at 15:41:18
My finger was only getting worse so I went back last weekend to the same medical centre but to a different doctor this time.
* She said the dose of antibiotics the original doctor gave me was grossly inadequate and doubled it.
* She told me to keep my hand elevated so as to reduce swelling. The internet says this too and apparently it is quite important with finger infections because of how constricted the space around the finger is that one should reduce swelling as much as possible. The original doctor never mentioned any of this.
* There was a pocket of pus under the skin clearly visible even when I went to the original doctor but it didn't occur to him that the pus should be drained. The other doctor made an incision and drained the pus.
The wound has now almost healed thanks to the intervention of the second doctor and no thanks to the first doctor.
Another rude thing the first doctor did was he looked at his watch several times during our consult.
Posted by chujoe on August 1, 2010, at 6:38:27
In reply to Re: I bite myself, posted by NKP on August 1, 2010, at 4:20:21
Glad you're healing. Some people -- like your first doctor -- really need to find new jobs.
You might want to look at self-injury.com.
This is the end of the thread.
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