massive confusion

[ocean_doc]

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In medical school we are learning the importance of holistic medicine-treating the patient as a whole. Now my experience as a patient has confused me about this whole idea of holistic medicine. This is difficult for me to talk about. But, I will say it anyway:

I went to see an internist and ended up telling him that I attempted suicide 11 years ago. He did not seem too interested in what I had to say. He just wanted to get back to my cold symptoms. In most of my office visits with him, he had the time to talk to me about his family and other things.

I feel disappointed and confused: I am trying to deal with my bad experience with "unholistic medicine" while learning the practice of holistic medicine.

 

[mj]

Well all those guys who post on TPR have to go somewhere don't they

.

Seriously though, there ARE a lot of people in the world who have Dr. horror stories. I have a doosey myself. I reconcile it in two ways:

1. I am a consumer of medicine. I have a choice in who I see. If I don't agree with the way I am treated, I can go somewhere else. There was guy who posted here a while back who said he would rather take his sick little girl to the most arrogant, cold, obnoxious doctor who was the BEST at procedures than anyone with any compassion that didn't graduate in the top 1%. People come in many shapes and sizes and it takes doctors in lots of shapes and sizes to meet those needs. Your experience 11 years ago seems to still be bothering you. I would suggest you exercise your right as a consumer and find another doctor who will try to meet your needs.

2. I have a choice in how I practice. I can choose to be caring and involved, listening and attentive and holistic or not. To me, that's as an important service to provide my patients as all the rest. The good that will come from my awful experience is that I am a much more aware person of how a physician's actions affects others.

I would venture to guess your experience will do the same, that you will be a more aware physician, and other patients like you will only benefit from that. That is the good that will come from your exerience with your doctor.

peace and happiness

mj

 

[turtleboard]

I think many physicians avoid dicussing suicide with their patients because, to be honest, many physicians don't know how to deal with it.


Tim of New York City.

 

[unsure]

Or maybe they are worried about being sued for malpractice should that patient EVER attempt to harm themselves. Doctors are liable for everything.

 

[Djanaba]

So you acknowledge that you are in need of something specific from your doctor... and didn't get it. But you didn't say anything, either.

This guy doesn't know, in most likelihood, that he did something terribly wrong in your eyes, and you didn't tell him. Taking your doctor to task will likely a)benefit him, by letting him know that his patients expect more of him, and b)benefit you by either a more compassionate experience with him or a referral to someone who can do what he cannot. The idea that he'll dump you as a patient isn't well supported by *any* studies.

Go for it! Send him a letter, make an appointment, talk to his nurse. People don't learn unless they are motivated to do so. You can be that motivator.

 

[---123]

Um -- maybe he was thinking, as an internist, that if you wanted to discuss suicide you should make an appt with a psychiatrist. I'd be thinking that. Though I'd probably feel it out, and then point you in the appropriate direction(i.e make a referral) if it seemed out of my league

 

[ocean_doc]

Hi-

Thank you for all of your wonderful responses! I am in therapy now and the internist knows this from our last conversation. He just didn't seem interested in any of this.

However, this is interesting: Like all doctors, he asks his new patients to fill out a patient information form. Unlike other doctors I have been too he is the only one that had asked (on the form) whether or not one has attempted suicide.

I left this answer blank indicating that I did not. A couple of visits later, I ended up telling him I did so that I could build a better repoire with him. I told him so I could help him help me.

Again thank you for your responses

[This message has been edited by ocean_doc (edited 05-16-2000).]