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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Creature on January 25, 2002, at 0:05:14
Haven’t seen abbreviations here so...
T - therapist or therapy
Pdoc - psychiatristDiagnosis: major depression disorder w/ psychosis, PTSD, (self-injury too) Depersonalization Disorder, and depending on my current T possibly Borderline Personality Disorder (2 said I have it and 2 said I don't)...in two yrs I've had 4 T's because county mental health doesn't pay much, therapists often don't stay long, 3 of mine quit...the last one I changed
I've fought this battle w/County Mental Health for a year now, thought I had finally gotten somewhere
About a year ago, I went to my then Pdoc said I want an evaluation done, it was at a large teaching hospital (live in a very rural area) since I am getting no where, we've exhausted the medication options and T isn't working...He fully agreed with, said that hospital was a least a year ahead of here, he encouraged me to do so
History: 2 psych hospitalizations, every class of antidepressants have been tried and various combinations of, including MAOI's, and Topamax, lithium, Neurontin, tripletail, provigil,
And I am on several medications for other medical conditions
They only I got those meds was by doing online searches, bring in all the data to my Pdoc...rant and rave at him until I finally get it
I get SSI for all the above goodiesI cannot change to a different place for treatment; no other place will take my insurance
Well, I did...they made a recommendation for a specific type of therapy...DBT
I have an ICM (intensive case manager), Lura.... Lura said they have an excellent therapist in the other office does DBT, she's very experienced with your type of problems.... I meet with the T, really felt comfortable with her, we set up a month of apt, since I would have to drive 45 miles to see, though it would still be in the same agencyClinical Coordinator wrote me letter, said no you can't do that, you have stay here and work with your current T...the Pdoc that had encouraged me to get the evaluation had left the agency
I fought the ruling, so did my ICM.... big flat NOCounty mental health got a new clinical coordinator, Mike...I knew him, he was my former family therapist...and knew him to be very open minded
Mike called after office hrs on his day off, said he would look into it further
A week later his ruling came...YES! You can see the new TAngela, new T, got on the phone to tell me she hasn't received authorization for me to see her yet, she knew nothing about it, my records haven't been sent and they are supposed to sent a transfer statement, she tells me to call the local office where I was in treatment
So I do that, nope nothing has been sent out...they tell me Mike, Clinical Coordinator is out w/an emergency won't be back until next week, they weren't even sure he'd be back thenThen they told me because I didn't have an appt in Jan (you're required to have a minimum of an appt every 30 days) my case would be closed and would have to make an appt for an intake and start all over again %&$#@!
I was so fed up; I just hung up the phone
I called Lura, she's says I can fight it because it was there goof up
Seems my old T, Ellen made sure to tell me that, I asked her for an appt to hold me off and avoid an intake...she refusedAlso Lura, intensive case manager, starts her vacation this coming up Monday...for 2 weeks....... no T, no Pdoc, and no Lura for at least 2 weeks probably longer, though I can use the crisis line, yeah right last time I used it took them an hour to call me back and then I was put on hold
I just cry and sob so tired of fighting this
CreatureWhat difference do it make if the thing you scared of is real or not?
~Tony Morrison, The Song of Solomon.
Posted by WhiteHare on January 25, 2002, at 22:50:22
In reply to getting jerked around by mental health, posted by Creature on January 25, 2002, at 0:05:14
I am so sick of Circles of Care. Circles of Care is the only place in my area that will take medicare/medicaid and that's all I have.
BIG HUG.
I know this doesn't help, but I know how you feel.
I have been sick since 1992 and have spent two of the last ten years institutionalized.
I have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, skitzophrenia, skitzo-affective disorder, just plain faking it, and most recently with manic depression.
Since I now have manic depression, I may loose my disability. THANKS A LOT DOCTOR. But she has me on respirdal which is an anti-psychotic for voices, which makes NO sense. On top of that, I weight almost 300 pounds and my doctor won't change my meds. I'm also having anxiety attacks and rapid heart rate. Today she switched me from effexor to 20 mgs of prozac. That is going to do nothing for me.
I have a case manager but all he does is come out once a month and hang out and talk about how crappy Circles of Care is. He is looking for another job.
Anyway, I am new to this board and hope to make some friends.
HI. Thanks for letting me vent
Posted by trouble on January 27, 2002, at 7:05:23
In reply to Re: getting jerked around by mental health, posted by WhiteHare on January 25, 2002, at 22:50:22
Let's see, I hope I'm doing this right, trying to respond to GETTING JERKED.
I have all those diagnoses too, and then some. No hospitalizations (I am way too proud of that fact). I'd be interested in anyone's experiences with DBT. I dropped out of my class after 10 sessions. Therapy from a manual, very lame. The adherence, man. I am convinced that socio-cognitive therapies are in ascendency partly b/c they are easy to learn and easy to teach, they demand little from the practitioners, and the homework diaries reassure everyone that we're getting things done. What things?
No attempt was made at forming a therapeutic alliance, no intimacy, they don't want to know the details. To speak of cutting, hair-pulling, or face-picking was verboten. These behaviors fall under the rubric of "self-harm." Around the room we go, each of us reporting INCIDENTS of SELF-HARM. SUICIDAL IDEATION. SUBSTANCE ABUSE. THE MISERY INDEX. This is the language of distance and instrumentality. Self-harm is a category and YOU are a category, sick Borderline piece of poo. I often find categorical thinkers frightened and anxious people, and generally not the sharpest knives in the drawer.
This may sound implausible, but even bonding among group members was discouraged. I know this b/c I confronted (privately) every issue that rubbed me the wrong way, and the therapists had a justification for everything.
But what I found most insupportable is the standard policy against process. Oh good, deny ANYTHING to a borderline. Talk about being unclear on the concept. It's a PERSONALITY DISORDER, for heavens sake. Our entire schtick is about replaying troubled patterns, screwing with peoples' minds and super-kookified attempts at needs gratification. The world is my arena, bub, and that is no more apparent than in the therapist's office. I can't work w/out process and mutuality. I am a meaning FREAK, but in my group meaning as such was frowned upon. I read Linehan's manual too and this is what it said: TELL THE LITTLE BASTARDS TO EAT THEIR VEGETABLES, VEGETABLES ARE GOOD FOR THEM.
I was paying for this?
I may be rotten but I work hard and take my disorders seriously. I need help. But I knew it was time to get out when I started referring to group as my weekly bored meeting. Far as I'm concerned these socoi-cognitive therapies so popular today fill a much needed void. I wish they'd bring back Dr. Freud, but that's another rant.
I know some people have had good experiences w/ DBT and if you're out there I hope you don't hold my opinions against me. I'm a world class complainer.
But I like the BIG HUG someone sent to the original poster, that's the kind of warmth I'm still looking for in a group of personality disorders.
Posted by trouble on January 27, 2002, at 13:53:46
In reply to getting jerked around by mental health, posted by Creature on January 25, 2002, at 0:05:14
Dear Creature,
I wouldn't blame you if you rolled your eyes skyward after reading my so-called reply to your dilemma. I was just so punch drunk after 15 hours trying to get into the site and intoxicated at the possiblity of undivided attention that your message served as an association for me, and off I went on my own DBT adventures.
I've since given your note a more careful study and realize that my response wasn't appropriate for the situation at hand. Complaining about ADHERENCE to therapeutic principles, when chances are you could use a little adherence right now. So, water under the bridge eh? Thanks.
I don't know where you are in the process of getting services, you sound tenacious and on top of the situation, absurd as it is. They have a fat lot of nerve to call us dysfunctional while operating from such neurotically impenetrable and effed up beurocracies. You have to be a Trial Lawyer when dealing with these people, wear a wire so you can play back their own voice to them when they start trotting out the lies and circumlocutions, but I digress. Can I ask a couple questions?Is there a referral hotline in the front of your phonebook? If so I bet they could help you conquer the mean mistreaters when you don't have the stamina to go the usual ten rounds. I've done that and they were sympathetic and proactive about about stepping up to the plate for the fragile mental patient at her most vulnerable hour. Or somesuch. Point being THEY made the calls and got back to me with the goods. I've also called the YWCA when lost and broke and needing therapy, also the United Way, and both organizations were on it before I hung up the phone. So I've become a true believer in these monolothic non-profit do-gooders. Anything but government agencies. Sorry if all this is anecdotal and useless.
About DBT. If you haven't already just forget everything I said in the previous note. Those are didactic issues, filtered thru my own characterological hatred for authority. Who knows-maybe vegetables ARE good for us. I gather you liked the DBT lady, yes? That's the name of the game in this racket. I've had providers who could have been satanists for all I knew of their theoretical underpinnings, b/c the relationship was healing me at such a breakneck pace I didn't have time to quibble.
Sorry if I'm coming across all self-important, as if my earlier post could scar you for life, but I know how suggestible I am, Lord, I'll create an entire belief system based on a facial expression, so I felt it was my duty to come back and talk straighter. OK, hope things in your neck of the woods are coming together for you.
Posted by Creature on January 27, 2002, at 22:05:29
In reply to MY FIRST APOLOGY ON PSB!, posted by trouble on January 27, 2002, at 13:53:46
< < Is there a referral hotline in the front of your phonebook? > >
No, there isn't. I live in a very rural area, the town I live in has a population of 9,000. It's a 70 miles to any large city. The only I can use is County Mental Health. No one else takes Medicaid because they pay such low rates.
< < I gather you liked the DBT lady, yes? That's the name of the game in this racket. > >
yes, I did like her...fealt an instant rapport with Angela and that is very rare for me. Angela said we could explore all options, DBT wasn't mandatory.< < Sorry if I'm coming across all self-important, as if my earlier post could scar you for life > >
No, you didn't and you have no reason to apologize.< < OK, hope things in your neck of the woods are. coming together for you. > >
many thanks indeed
creature
Dying is easy, it's living that
scares me to death.~Annie Lennox, Cold (CD,Diva)
This is the end of the thread.
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