Some validation for people who need it

[Quixotic1]

I just got this in a weekly Psych letter I get.  It warmed my heart to read it and I hope it strikes a chord with some of you.

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/10/04/its-all-in-your-head-living-with-chronic-illness/

Quix

[Quixotic1]

It was in the Olden Days.

[sllowe]

Excellent resource and post Doc Q!

I remember the past post too. I encourage all to read it!

[PastorDan]

Listen to the patient?  What a concept, Quizzles!  How long ago was that?!?!

[Quixotic1]

Ren - I was taught that if you listen to the patient long enough they will tell you the diagnosis.  Conversely, if you dismiss their story right off or feel everyone is stressed from the beginning, you will miss most true answers.

Quix

[rendean]

Thanks Quix!!!  GREAT article!!

My current MS neuro, who is older, came from the mold that the patient is correct until proven wrong. He understands how miserable it is to wait for test results and calls patients as soon as he gets results to report them and answer simple questions. More complex questions are politley put off until the next appt. , usually 2 weeks away or so.

I've found a gem of a neuro. He believes the patient first and foremost.

[johnniebear]

thank you so much,  I do know I have avoided some friends & foe's  alike,  and thought its best ,  I thought a little isolation  is best for me,   after reading this I know that my thinking is wrong & I  must change it NOW.



Thanks.

Johnniebear

[Quixotic1]

I have often commented on the "stress" issue.  For the great part stress just does not cause major neurologic impairment short of the VERY rare conversion disorder.  What is seen with stress is many stress symptoms in the same person - magnification of tiny symptoms or sensations, rapidly changing symptoms, fleeting symptoms, and certain standard ones that are expressed with high stress - chest heaviness, difficulty swallowing, air hunger, tingling around the whole mouth, indigestion and things of that nature.  Even then, those must be looked at seriously before stress is considered.

And few "stress oriented docs" seem to consider that serious symptoms evoke the stress response in everyone.  In fact, the people that are most suspect for a psychiatric problem are those who seem unbothered by severe symptoms - termed "la belle indiference"  The "pretty unconcern."  Most of our stress is secondary to the horror we are going through.

I'm not surprised that a physician felt the need to justify the stress hypothesis.  It's sad.  These docs are mediocre thinkers and would not tolerate that same assessment if they, themselves, had the same symptoms we do.

A long time ago we had a thread on this topic.  It was right after I joined the forum

I asked the forum to comment on what I titled "Psychic Groans - Anxiety or The Real Thing?

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/Psychic-Groans---Anxiety-or-the-Real-Thing/show/693174

Quix

[Ufrustrated2]

Hey Dr Q,

did you see the MD who wrote his take in the comments section? Clarke, MD,
Oregon Health & Science University

sure the "stress" factor should be looked at but for some doctors, they laser beam on that and don't let go, no matter what the objective test & history findings show. well, i'm harping, so off i go.

just wondered what you thought of that?

[Audrey_M]

Once again, job well done.

What spoke to me most clearly is the need to believe in oneself and knowledge of one's body. Yes, there are hypochondriacs in this world, but there are more people like us who definitely have something going on, with test results to bear it out, yet doctors are either sitting on fences or focusing on only one aspect of sx.

I just started seeing a therapist for a variety of issues. He wants me to see a particular psychiatrist to rule out contributing factors for not being able to bridge the line between intellectual acknowledgment of substance abuse to emotional connection needed to address the situation.

He spoke to her about me and I need to make the appointment. She also has several patients with MS and is well connected to the medical community, is very strong in her opinions and may be another good resource for me.

She's out of network, but at this point, I have to do what I have to do.

Audrey

[Lulu54]

And check out this linked story through this article - 5 Rules for Living with a Chronic Disease.

http://blog.beliefnet.com/beyondblue/2010/06/5-rules-for-living-with-chroni.html

[Lulu54]

It is so good to read the experts with all those letters behind their names validate what we have been saying here all along....

We have to advocate for ourselves - we can't rely on anyone else to watch out for our interests.

We have to trust ourslves and not allow the experts to fill us with doubts

We have to play the game - be nice, share the sandbox, see the pyschs and don't alienate the experts, at least for now.

But most of all, listen to your instinct.  If you know something is wrong, then something is wrong.  It's up to them to help you find the answers.

Thanks for that great find, Quix.  

Lulu

[Ufrustrated2]

>>Above all, listen to your gut.

super duper article, and the author knows/feels first hand!

my pychologist and i were discussing this very issue the other day. i see him for anger issues related to just what the article speaks of.

none of my anger helped with the VA, that is being agressive, non-agressive, passive, etc. no matter the my mood no one really listened (in my head that is how i see it). i told him my anger actually helped me in all this, otherwise i wouldn't be on DMD now.

but, i told him the main thing that helped, if that is what one calls it, it has been perseverance - cuz my gut was always telling me the truth - and i just kept chiping away at it. the symptoms have always been on/off so my body was always saying, "help". funny but not so funny some days.

great article. i will fax that to a few people! LOL

[figuerpa]

That was awesome and so true for what many of us deal with. Thank you so much for sharing :)

Paula