Hi Folks
I have three different issues at the moment (my GP's insistance that I see a Pdoc, fears over BP med level/serum testing and my GP's use of the term "intervention" used in a Psychiatric context). I'll try to address each of these issues one at a time and I would very much appreciate any advice or suggestions you folks could provide.
(ISSUE 1# - THE PDOC APPOINTMENT): Awhile back I was diagnosed with BP by a non-Pdoc specialist and put on meds. Shortly after that, my GP insisted I see a Pdoc. The last time I went to see my GP, he asked me if I had been to see a Pdoc and I told him that I was still looking around. He seemed to understand but also looked at me and rather sternly said "alright now, I need you to see a Psychiatrist". He asked (and I told him) the name of one I had been considering and he wrote me a referral that said I was to be seen by a Pdoc for all of my disorders (including my BP) and for "intervention".
(ISSUE 2# - "INTERVENTION"): When I asked him what he meant by "intervention" he told me that it just meant I would be evaluated for my conditions. A few days later I asked various people what "intervention" (when used in a psychiatric context) meant and was assured that it was nothing to worry about and that it simply meant that my GP wanted to get another specialist involved in my care. A few days after that, I typed "psychiatric intervention" into a search engine and was horrified to see page after page of terms like "crisis stabilization", "emergency commitment", "involuntary commitment" and "crisis management". At this point I was really freaking out. Then, to make matters even worse, I was watching a comedy the other day on TV and someone said that this lady needed intervention and suddenly two men in white coats grab her under the arms and take her away. Yikes, that was the LAST thing I wanted to see...especially after my OWN GP said on the referral that he wanted "intervention" from the Psychiatrist!. When you add all of this with my psychiatric horror story from awhile back, it's enough to make the hair stand up on the back of my neck!.
The place I had been considering is out-patient only. It is a gorgeous building in a very upscale community (think yachts, spas and million dollar homes). I'm actually pretty poor and down-to-earth myself. This just happens to be where I chose to go because it is located in a much nicer area than some of the other places and I figured I'd be treated better. I've called them several times (but not recently) and the procedure is that you call up and get "assessed" over the phone and they line you up for an appointment to get "evaluated" and I imagine, referred for some sort of therapy and/or meds. The wait-time is a few months. I've seen pictures of the place, read reviews and even know the Psychiatrist's name and have read reviews about him. A few complaints here and there but it sounds like a decent place overall.
The big issue now is that according to my appointment schedule, I will see my GP first and then the other specialist who diagnosed me with the BP (not a Pdoc though). With the other specialist, I have left everything open and have plenty of options and wiggle-room as to whether I want her to continue treating what she has diagnosed as BP or use a Pdoc for that. However, my GP is going to want to grill me about whether or not I have seen a Psychiatrist since the last time I saw him, want every single detail about how it all went, see a copy of the records from my visit, diagnoses, medications, when my next appointment is, grill me even more if I haven't seen a Pdoc, etc. He's a bit of a stickler for details - not exactly the type of GP that just says "hi, here are some pills and have a nice day". I really need to do this on my time and when I feel comfortable with it (because of my situation and until I can overcome my fears from a previous nightmare experience) but I'm not sure he is going to understand this and I absolutely can't afford to lose the GP (for insurance reasons). Right now I have an ear infection and I'm even afraid to seem him for that because I'm afraid the whole conversation will immediately turn to me seeing a PDoc rather than simply writing me a prescription for an antibiotic.
I've thought about just telling him that I'm still working it out and exploring all of my options and that it's taking longer than expected (which it definately is), etc but that in the interim the other specialist (not a Pdoc) is treating me for the BP and that I will continue working on it. However, this GP can be somewhat demanding, knows how to apply pressure and can actually be a bit overbearing and over-meticulous at times (even with his staff) so I'm not sure he will want to hear that. I suppose I could make an appointment with a Psych before I see the GP and then, if I continue to feel uncomfortable with it, simply cancel or rechedule but at some point I'm going to see the GP yet again and I don't want him to think that I'm playing games or not taking him seriously because I AM.
(ISSUE 3# - BP MED LEVEL/SERUM TESTING): I understand that Docs are not testing specifically for medication compliance when they test your BP med level/serum and that part of the reason they do this is to make sure that your liver is ok, etc but wouldn't they still be able to tell (by checking the "therapeutic" level of the med in your system) whether you are taking it or not and perhaps, how much you are taking (ie; whether you are taking less, splitting your pills, etc)?. I mean, I'm not thinking about going off any meds or splitting pils, etc - my main fears are that if my levels are either not there or really low she will either think that I'm not being "compliant" or increase my dosage to something that could cause lots of side affects.
How would you deal with these three issues?.I mean...what does one do in this type of situation?. Always seems like everything is one big catch-22 sometimes.
Thanks again for any assistance you can provide and help you can offer. I'm already under a lot of stress and pressure and with these three issues, it's really pouring in on.