My Personal Experience With The Mental Health System
What follows is my cruise into scribble with the help of so - called mental health professionals. Keep in mind these events took whereabouts in Massachusetts. You will find this story quite amusing, and yet undeniably disturbing.
In the early to mid - 1990s, I mentioned to my PCP that I was experiencing nuisance with my dead-eye. He in turn, vocal Has anyone ever talked to you about Adult Attention Deficit Disorder. I was quickly referred to a psychiatrist. I told the doctor what my PCP spoken. This psychiatrist immediately offered me a prescription for Ritalin. There was no discussion regarding symptoms or tests of any good-hearted. It was neatly this way: If the Ritalin helps you then well know you have ADD. I requited for my next appointment telling him that the Ritalin was not working. The doctor put me on higher yearning called Dexedrine. That did not work, so he prescribed some other drive that I cannot get.
At this point, I told the doctor that I was getting anxiety, so he prescribed Zyprexa. This was when it was first put on the market. I was also accustomed a referral to a psychologist. My conversations with this psychologist focused on what I had done the previous week and how my medications were working. This went on for several years. Annihilation was accomplished therapeutically. I saw some of her notes in my medical records. My mother did psychic readings for entertainment. Based on this information, my psychologist stated that my mother ran a cult. Lassie also stated that I was sexually abused. This never happened. There was an entry in my document that verbal my father was not in my life for he had moved out - of - state. My father moved when I was in my mid - twenties, and he called me ofttimes. This is all awfully absurd.
Getting back to my medications, I told my new psychiatrist that I was titillation depressed. He put me on Paxil, with no questions asked. I went back to him three times. Each time he would guess It always works, and he would increase the dosage at each visit. Next I was put on all of the SSRIs, agnate Zoloft, Paxil and Celexa, as well as Wellbutrin. My PCP prescribed an anti - depressant called Pamelor. It was not the best choice of medication for me in terms of side effects.
This psychiatric treatment escalated as time went on. It went from bad to worse. At some point, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, General Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and fear attacks. Some of the doctors would add psychosis to my diagnosis. I asked one doctor if chick would put me on Amantadine ( I opine it is an anti - viral medication ) being I scan on the Internet that the Borna Virus caused Bipolar Disorder. I was desperate to escape this disease. Sis consented ( for no motive ), and a week following I was in the hospital for several days with severe hallucinations. This was at pristine ten years ago.
One psychiatrist put me on Klonopin for my anxiety. I was acutely sedated on it. I told him it wasnt working. I understand my doctor vocal - I can give you three milligrams three times a day ( no iterate for this one ). He uttered, Thats the best I can do. Not surprisingly, I got into a car appearance. I never attributed the Klonopin to my sedation. I thought I was always tired due to want of sleep from stress.
I went through every dormant psychiatric medication on the market, including Depakote, Trileptal, and Seroquel ( which gave me severe hallucinations ). They also put me on all the second begetting antipsychotics. There was one psychologist who asked me to see neuropsychological testing. His conclusion was that I had Asperger ' s Syndrome. That diagnosis was subsequent refuted by else Psychiatrist.
I spent ten years outpatient at a well - known mental health hospital beginning in approximately, 2000. The medication affair remote with the four inhabitant doctors assigned to me. I even took medications for my supposed dead-eye deficits. I was prescribed Namenda ( as part of a study ), Mirapex, and Excelon ( at any earlier time ). For the most part, I was kept on a regime of Lamcital 300mg, Lithium ER 1350 mg, and Risperdal at various milligrams. At about five years into my treatment, I began to complain to my doctor about tremors and restlessness. The doctor I was seeing called it Akathesia. Maiden prescribed Inderal 80mg, tolerably than take me off the Risperdal.
I was on Ativian with one of my doctors. Once also, I told the doctor that I was sensitivity tired while driving. He prescribed Adderall to keep me hep during the day at my suggestion. I was eventually arrested for operating below the influence of drugs. This was following reduced to reckless driving. The only thing that my doctor had to orate is, I could have gotten sued.
It has gotten to the point that I can no longer use a pen to even sign my name. A neurologist diagnosed me with Tardive Dystonia. Cutie insisted that I go on a low dose of a tranquilizer / anti - convulsant medication, as my only option. It does not affect my driving or give me sedation, but neither it does it help my factor.
My current psychiatrist stated in my medical records that the Risperdal contributed to my Dystonia... in those very words. I was taken off my Risperdal partly five months ago. I fondle the alike as when I went on it, which everyday means that I didnt need it. Maiden also lowered my Lithium. The medical director asked me if I knew that I was on three mood stabilizers. Bobby-soxer asked me if I knew why I was on Risperdal. I replied that did not know. I treasure two of my occupier physicians at the hospital I was being treated ask me that twin query. It is in my medical records.
The box I can see in filing a complaint against the psychiatrists with the Board of Medicine, is that the doctors can smartly convey, based on my behavior at the time, they had justification in the enlarged use of the drugs they were prescribing me. I am hooked in the mystic as literally millions of people are in this country. That must have been a worriment for them. Its interesting that I have been in savoir-faire with dozens of people who income my beliefs. These people I am language of are prolific members of society, and they are direct totally accurate. Its true I had debt and a spending count. I wonder how many people are in debt, and have not been diagnosed with Bipolar Difficulty? The country is 17 trillion dollars in debt for that consideration. I went to Debtors Concealed years ago, and I have not taken out a loan or credit spot in three years.
I turn up an unorthodox haven, which is a popular religion in many parts of the United States. Their main focus is the use of mediumship to make safe the continuity of life after death. This organization has hundreds of members who receive messages from the deceased and chase them to their loved ones. Im perplexity why all of these people have not been diagnosed with mental indisposition. Just for, one does not accept congenerous beliefs, does not give justification for creating a psychiatric issue. Is talk of the supernatural enough of a actuation to marker me as having a preposterous disorder? Am I any different those famous head trip mediums who attentive millions of books? I mean besides the fact that I havent absorbed millions of books.
This is what happens in the mental health system. You are just now unequivocal of your insanity by the first mental health competent. In your visit with a new psychiatrist, you tell him or her, what you admit is misconstrued with you. The doctor agrees with you, and has you answer a number of questions on paper having to do with your behavior, thinking, and symptoms. Whereas you as the patient topical know your diagnosis, you hand over answers that support your belief in this diagnosis. At the end of the powwow, the psychiatrist gives you medications to treat the supposed sickness. In subsequent visits, you line the psychiatrist with information, about what you count on to be bizarre thinking, and, for, related to your ailment. The psychiatrist then documents this self - reported information in your enter as evidence of your mental disorder. If you stirring on to increased psychiatrist, he or bobby-soxer merely accepts the diagnosis of the previous treating physician and continues on with that medication routine.
Sometimes I fondle matching am a in reality normal person with a unique personality just agnate everyone extended. The experiments I endured at the hands of the mental health professionals have set me back. I endure as if I have obscured fifteen years of my life. I feel especially cheated by the psychiatrists who treated me at the mental health hospital I was a patient at for the gone ten years or so. These so - called medical professionals had me hold all of this nonsense for years. I do take incubus for allowing them to do this to me.
I admit that psychiatry is customary one of the most unrewarding medical specialties since their patients often dislike them. Still, Im categorical there are decent, egghead, competent, and well - intentioned medical doctors working in the mental health field. Its just that I have only encountered the ones who should not be practicing.
