Bipolar Support Group

I was doing worse day by day and I kept telling my old doctor that the meds were making me worse. He actually yelled at me and told me that he was the doctor not I. I ran out of there crying and could barley drive home. I found a new doctor today who actually sat down with me and listened to everything I had to say. I told her all my symptoms including being scared to leave my house to the panicky feeling deep in my gut. She told me she was going to get with another doctor and sit down and discuss my symptoms and then diagnose me and put me on the right medicines. I really feel good today because I think I finally found someone who can and wants to help me. The old doctor had me on 6 meds and every time i told him they were making me sick he would tell me to take more of them. I don't think he knows whats hes doing. I told him I was thinking about sucide and he told me to take a benadryl to make me sleep it off. I couldnt believe he said that. Well I'm done with him and all his crazy ideas on how to fix people. I have hope now and I will let you all know how it goes. Hope everybody is doing well.

arctic--i'm so glad you found someone that you like! it is so important that your pdoc listens and addresses your symptoms. i hope she helps you get the right dx and right meds if necessary!

Thank you so much. truly means allot to me.

Kudos to you for switching pdocs. Nothing worse than being yelled at especially by someone you have no choice but to trust. I hope I will have the courage to dr shop if that time comes for me.

I read "new doctor" and "her" and it reminded me of my own experiences with doctors in general. My pdoc is a man, and he is helping me alot. I have noticed, however, a generalized and stereotypical difference between male and female doctors. Male doctors tend to treat the file. What I mean is, they will talk to you and ask questions, but are often either reading or writing in your file while talking to you. The female doctors I have visited tend to read the file, put it down, and then look me in the eye when they talk to me. The feeling I come away with is that they listen to me more intently, and I appreciate it. I currently see the nurse practitioner at my GP's office. She meets this stereotype perfectly. The male doctors in the office are very good and have excellent reputations. Unfortunately, they meet the stereotype too.

Glad you found a good doctor, good for you, hon...sounds like the old one was not very helpful...

Arcticfox, good for you. It took a lot of courage for you to change pdocs. When I read you were on 6 different meds, wow! I wish you the best of luck with your new pdoc.

Post edited by: Dit, at: 01/19/2009 18:58

I'm so glad you found a pdoc that you're happy with. I recently switched pdocs myself after being unstable with rapid cycling and mania on a daily basis for the past year and a half. My old pdoc did absolutely nothing for me, so I decided to change and I'm so glad I did. My current pdoc is wonderful and really stops to take the time to listen to my symptoms and address them immediately. He also diagnosed me accurately after I had been misdiagnosed since 1991. I'm now on a new med combo and am doing very well. No rapid cycling for 8 straight days. All I know is that my pdoc has a huge bear hug waiting for him next Thursday. LOL!

LOL, that's funny that you mention that. Because, my doctor is the one that types away and stops briefly and goes back to typing. Although, he's the best pdoc I've got.

i'd walk into my first pdoc's office and she'd just say, "what do you need?" or "what would you like to try this time?" i felt like i was self-medicating.