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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by phazedout on October 26, 2003, at 6:24:20
My first refarral to CAT was 8 years ago - whilst I was still young enough and eager enough to be bothered to change. After the usual 12 month wait I was seen by (and I might be biased) a brilliant and insightful clinician who filled me with confidence iin her and my ability to overcome at least some of my problems. Disaster struck just two weeks in, she left on sick, stayed off for 8 months and was killed in a car crash (believe me I am not making this up). Next my notes got mixed up and were 'inadvertantly' sent to the CBT department where I was referred to a very 'christian' (not that I have anything against them) woman with pictures of jesus and crucifix on the wall! (Being gay I did wonder if she just wanted to send me to hell). After about 6 weeks of drawings of 'see-saws' and balances and being told that I wasn't to go to the ends but stay in the middle (uh? excuse me but I might be bonkers so isn't that a little bit patronising) I eventually walked out saying "have a nice life". After this I was AGAIN referred to another clinician in the CBT department, my first MAN. This did not go well - it was as if I had some dreaded contageous disease - he placed my chair in the farthest corner of his rather spacious room and sat behind his desk in the opposite corner. He was gruff and dissmissive and felt that I was just trying to 'manipulate' him (all this from about 10 minutes - the guy is a god NOT). I told him I thought it would be best if I saw someone else and he agreed to do a review after a couple of months of not seeing anyone. Come 18 months later and after various calls and letters to the department I eventually took a seat outside his office and told the secretary that I WASN'T MOVING TILL I HAD SEEN HIM. Evenutally he came out and informed me that he had decided to DISCHARGE me from clinic - well thanks mister so where the f*ck was my letter telling me. Gasps and apologies (not from him) abounded as it turned out that somehow they still had an address from years ago on the file. How can this be - you send my original appointment to my current address B*ST*RD! Almost another 6 months later I was retransferred to the CAT department and had an assessment with two Clinical Psychologists (by this time I think they realised I had REAL problems). They in turn arranged an urgent (another couple of months) appointment with the top CAT therapist. Hurrahhh, no, don't celebrate too soon. Four weeks into this therapy I receive a letter saying "my sister is dying of cancer and I can't see you anymore". A substitute therapist was found to 'hold' me till her return but at the first session I told my new T that hell can freeze over before I let outta giving me the goods. She was funny and bright and very smart and we agreed to do 6 months work. It was a good time and I don't consider it to have been therapy as we just focussed on having a good time in the sessions - though she was the T that stormed to my Psych and told them to stop being B*stards and take me off all the meds - suprisingly this was a really good time, the meds had made me feel drugged but not better. Well that sort of brings us up to date apart from my latest T who once again has gone off ill (just 11 sessions) she went in March and still hasn't returned - well the moral of this story is if you have a T you really want to get even with given me their name and I'll sign up for a couple of sessions and wait for the badness to happen to them (only kidding).
Posted by Dinah on October 26, 2003, at 7:58:42
In reply to How's This for Therapeutic a Experience, posted by phazedout on October 26, 2003, at 6:24:20
Ouch. That must be awful. As if our abandonment fears aren't severe enough already. Consistency is so important in therapy. Do you live in Great Britain? It sounds as if therapy is difficult to come by where you are. Sigh. Are there any plans for you while your therapist is out sick?
Your post has given me the odd impulse to go throw myself around my therapist's feet and refuse to let go. Now there's the topic for our next session.
Posted by phazedout on October 26, 2003, at 8:23:35
In reply to Re: How's This for Therapeutic a Experience » phazedout, posted by Dinah on October 26, 2003, at 7:58:42
Ha, ha ha ha ha, at least that made me laugh! Yeah in GB where they haven't quite caught up with the rest of the world!!! As it happens I do think my therapists have been consistent - consistently awful rofl (rolling on floor laughing).
Posted by judy1 on October 26, 2003, at 13:00:23
In reply to How's This for Therapeutic a Experience, posted by phazedout on October 26, 2003, at 6:24:20
I'm amazed (and impressed) that you've been able to maintain your sense of humor through this disaster. I know Nikki has posted before about problems in GB with mental health resources, but I was curious if this is across the board or depending on what kind of insurance people have (like in the U.S., accessibility to psych care depends strongly on your level of insurance).
best of luck, judy
Posted by phazedout on October 26, 2003, at 13:12:10
In reply to Re: How's This for Therapeutic a Experience » phazedout, posted by judy1 on October 26, 2003, at 13:00:23
I think I must have some 'obsessive' component to me (or masochistic) :-)
In GB we don't really have insurance or rather we pay National Insurance (through our pay packet) that funds the NHS. Most therapy is delivered through the NHS and unfortunately consecutive governements have seen fit to starve it of the proper funds! There are types of private insurance over here but I doubt VERY MUCH that they would include any long term or intensive psychotherapeutic allowances. So really the most of us are dependent upon the pitiful state provision (not that it should be pitiful as the gross budget for the NHS runs into the £ Billions and national insurance contributions are even more). It would seem funds are diverted in central governement and thus we never know where our money is going.
I do have a real problem with the fact that GB is still STUCK in the Medical Model and even in the 21st century psychotherapeutic approaches are seen as somehow 'alternative' and 'hippieish'. Even getting the therapy requires fighting your way through a barrage of drugs and offers of 'in-patient' stays in psychiatric units. Over here it is definitely a case of 'aleviating symptoms' rather than trying to find a 'talking cure'. In fact, really worrying, the trend is to go toward CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) as a cheap and short intervention with the EXPRESS desire of making people MORE compliant with their medication regimes!!!!!
Its enough to drive you bonkers rofl rofl rofl. As for humour, well yes I think any Brit needs a good sense of humour to survive.
Posted by cubic_me on October 27, 2003, at 6:51:36
In reply to Re: How's This for Therapeutic a Experience, posted by phazedout on October 26, 2003, at 13:12:10
Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I'm a brit too, and am trying to keep my sense of humour fighting my way through the system. With all the cancelled appointments and 3 years to see a therapist etc its amazing we havent all killed ourselves by now. And what is it with them wanting us to be inpatients? I had a fight on my hands when I wasnt even at significant risk of suicide/harm to others and had a busy work schedule I needed to get through (not something you can do from a psyc ward!)
I've been through 3 psychiatrists in 5 months, hardly consistent. This stuf sucks.............!
_me
Posted by phazedout on October 27, 2003, at 13:19:13
In reply to Re: How's This for Therapeutic a Experience » phazedout, posted by cubic_me on October 27, 2003, at 6:51:36
Cubic, I can really understand where you are coming from. The desperate desire of the psych's to get you into hospital is driven from their failure to be able to open a 'proper' relationship with you. Staff turn-around is only part of the story, getting you into hospital allows them to pump you full of whatever antipsychotic has the best freebee (mug or T-shirt sir). All I can say is enlist the help of your GP if you have a good one, if not change!
phazed
This is the end of the thread.
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