I Developed Severe Anxiety And Need Advice Please

[Troy]

Two of the ER doctors at my hospital have targeted me and have have caused me so much distress and anxiety because my ER attendance accumulated over the years resulting 88 ER visits in 9 years. So now two of the doctors there now have a problem with me and they have labled me with anxiety.

Majority of the ER treatment was due to Dysautonomia related complications and have no reason for me to be dismissed as anxiety. Most of my attendances have been for Gatroparesis resulting in vomiting, fever and nausea. Other ER trips were due to Gastrointestinal issues causing severe pain, two cases of kidney stones, meningitis, pericarditis, SVT's, neck injury following car accident, knee injury requring crutches and gastro, food poisoning, dehydration following endescopy preperation, severe asthma, hyperthermia, ear infection that turned into a full blown viral condition that took months to resolve and many hospital visits and finally several of them for adverse reactions to my pain medications. During the attendances following adverse reactions to pain medication which Im prescribed for chronic pain, the doctors wrongfully accused me of being a drug abusing junkie and refused to look at my specialist reports explaining otherwise and later wrote a false deragotory discharge report to my family doctor telling him I suffered from anxiety and mental and behavioural problems due to opioids.

When I reported the doctor, the news travelled fast in the hospital and the next time I attended the ER another doctor who is his colleague refused to treat me and left within minutes of seeng me.

Both of thses doctors have only seen me twice in 9 years and both have never examined me or gave me the chance to explain myself and they have both refused to look at my medical history which contains maany specialists reports. They both made wrongful assumptions about me within the first minutes of seeng me. One doctor labelled me as a junkie whilst the other labelled me with anxiety. When I tried to show them evidence from two seperate psychologist reports stating that I did not suffer from anxiety and that I have hypersensitivity to medications and my symptoms are due to Dysautonomia as diagnosed by my specialists, they refused to look at it.

Ironically my anxiety developed over being misdiagnosed as having anxiety. The very doctors that kept badgering me as having anxiety have managed to cause me anxiety when previously I was not even anxious. Now I have been losing sleep over the way they treated me and I'm afraid to seek medical help at the hospital. A few days ago when I developed Gastroparesis again I drove to the hospital and sat in the car at the car park until i recovered enough to go home. I was too anxious to go into the hospital at the fear of seeng those two abusive doctors again.

They are so hostile, rude, egotistical, arrogant, insensitive, narcisistic, skeptical, dismissve and have no regard for my wellbeing as they have refused me treatment even when I was exteremely ill and now they are keeping tabs on my attendance so whenever they find out I went to the ER they send my family doctor letters unecessaily stating the current number of my attendance even when they are not the treating doctor that day. One of them even sent my family doctor an anonymous letter about me which even disgusted my family doctor as to their rude immature behaviour. I am really angry, upset and anxious over all this, a part of me is so angry I would want them to experience the same distress they are causing me. I need some help on how I can deal with this situation?

Edited April 25, 2012 by corina

[corina]

I'm not sure what could help Endure, this sounds very complicated. Could your family doctor help by writing a letter or trying to negotiate? I think it's very important that you can go to the ER without feeling anxious about it. I'm very sorry things have come so far. I always thought doctors are required to help out, it must be so frustrating when they don't.

[Troy]

Thank you for your reply. My doctor actually wrote a statement specifically adressing the doctor who mistreated me and in the letter it explained that I have Dysautonomia and I am hypersenitive to medications and that I do not suffer from anxiety and it finished off saying " "he is not a drug dependant person"...

Yet when the time came and I tried to show the letter to the doctor who was harassing me he refused to read it or even look at it. It was ironic considering that the letter was specifically written to him to prevent further abuse yet the letter failed to serve its purpose because the person it was adressed to would not read it.

That's why I am angry. The hospital has worked in putting together a care plan to prevent further mistreatment, I have a file there explaining everything and I also carry my own folder full of specialists reports but none of it is any good when the doctor wants to acts like a complete bully and ignores all the paperwork designed to stop such behaviour.

[Guest Alex]

I'm so sorry to hear about your disappointing experiences with the ER department.

if it's any consolation, I get the same treatment. I heard the nurses and drs talking behind my back one too many times. I heard them saying that I'm not taking my anxiety meds on purpose just to get to the ER - as if I have some pervert sense of humor and I love being poked and prodded and even pay them for doing ... Nothing for me. Lots of times the drs don't even consult me, they look at the ecg and blood work (which of course is picture perfect) then send me home. One doctor had the audacity of telling me to my face that it's all in my head, that I'm spoiled and that I should stop pretending. When my BP was 80/50 laying down I've been told it's normal for my age, and that I'm a tiny lady (I'm 5'7" ... That isn't what I'd call tiny?!).

Unfortunately, until POTS will get more publicity and the medical personnel will be willing to learn about our condition, we can only try to advocate for ourselves and hope and pray that we'll find understanding doctors.

A suggestion - can you go to another hospital? Or can you have your POTS specialists personally call the ER you're going to and "instruct"them on how to help you?

It's frustrating, but hang in there, try to ignore the nasty comments (I know, easier said than done when you feel crappy to begin with and desperately need help) and keep pushing, keep fighting. It's your right to be treated fair and with dignity.

best of luck

Alex

[FarmerAmy]

Sorry you have been treated so poorly. Can you go to a different ER? I don't think you are going to have much success with the situation at your current ER. The doctors will not change and it will just make you crazy to keep going to them.

I don't know much about your long list of medical problems, but is it possible to seek treatment at your doctor's office instead of at the ER? I have felt bad enough to consider going to the ER on several occasions, but decided not to go because I knew the ER staff would not get my situation. But perhaps your medical issues are critical enough that you really do need emergency attention.

I don't know what else to say. Our medical system does not deal well with chronic illnesses. I hope you can find some doctors who are more sympathetic to your situation.

[abnel]

Endure, that is just awful. I had a bad experience with a doctor once and I contacted the patient liaison officer (can't remember her exact title) and she was wonderful at helping me with my complaint even though she was an employee of the hospital. I was worried that she could have a conflict of interest but she was totally pro-patient care, and interviewed the doctor involved about my situation. I also complained to the Medical Practitioners Board in Victoria. In the end they did not make adverse findings against the surgeon but the whole investigation/interview process with him would have given him a bit of a fright and would hopefully make him think twice before treating another patient that way. I would recommend doing this (when you're not so stressed) as it might make them think twice about how they are treating you. The patient liaison officer I saw drafted my statutory declaration for me and took care of things. I hardly had to do anything but make a statement. I think she was the one who referred the whole thing onto the Medical Practitioners Board. When the dust settles, it might also help if your liaison officer would arrange a meeting between you and senior doctor in charge of the Emergency Department to resolve the dispute as it sounds like you will need to continue to seek out their care in the future. Ofcourse this could all be way too stressful for you and believe me when I say I understand the whole anxiety thing that comes with dealing with the medical profession. I have a bad case of "white coat fever" most times now when I go into see specialists.

[Troy]

Hi Lotusflower,

I knew you were Aussie soon as you said "Medical Practioners Board" . I actually live in Victoria too in the South Eastern Suburbs.

From the two doctors that are abusive towards me I reported one of them to the Medical Practioners Board but later it was decided another agency named AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) was better suited to deal with him and the matter is still being investigated since December 2010.

I reported the other doctor to the Patient Laison after he refused me medical treatment and rudely told me to leave and and then quickly labelled me with anxiety without even looking at any of my medical history and refusing to ackowledge anything I said to him about my health. He then crossed the line by trying to push his misdiagnosis onto my family Doctor with his stupid letters. After reporting him I was called into the Hospital to speak with the ER department manager who was very kind and understanding and promised he would speak with the doctor in question...

This all happened 4 months ago and just when I thought the matter was resolved...my family doctor randomly received a letter out of the blue last week and it was that same ER doctor still trying to brainwash and concvince my family doctor into believing I have anxiety and asking him to send me to a psychologist despite the fact that a psychologist has already evaluated me and dismised any findings for anxiety. It really annoys me when I told him about having already seen a psychologist, he refused to believe me yet now he is sending requests to my family doictor to send me AGAIN and I bet once again they will clear me of anxiety as the cause for my symstoms or adverse reactions and once again he will refuse to believe the results or that I even went to a psychologist.

So the entire thing is redundant. Why is that doctor even requesting for me to be sent to a psycholgist when he keeps refusing to look at any of my medical history or psychologist reports and when he keeps refusing to believe I saw several a pyschologist already and when he keeps refusing refusing that none of them found any anxiety. I could see a million psycholgists and it still wouldnt make any difference because he simply refuses to acknowledge anything i or my specialists have to say. It is clearly evident its him who needs to see a psycholgist because he is behaving like a complete loony.

This crazy Doctor is still out to cause dramas for me and I am afraid to repotrt him to AHPRA or Medical Board as I already have an investigation in place for the other doctor and if I make another report then it starts to look badly on me as if I was just complaining about everyone. So it s a catch 22 situation.

Thanks for your advice and I agree with you even if a case does not get resolved in your favour you can still find peace in knowing that "the whole investigation/interview process with him would have given him a bit of a fright and would hopefully make him think twice next time" But with the second doctor it seems reporting him to the hospital wasn't enough to deter him frm creating further dramas for me so I may just have to take it higher even if it means it may look badly on me. I'm even considering reporting it to the tv show that investigates unfair conduct such as "a current affair or today tonight" and I'm also going to email all the board of directors for Southern Health and let them know of the discrimination and ongoing problems I've had to endure. I wish I could name and shame the doctors and the Hospitals name on here and Youtube for everyone to see but apparently the rules prevent us from listing names.

Thanks for reading all this and once again thank you for all your help and advice.

PS>

For Corina, The name "Southern Health" is not the name of the Hospital , its just a general non specific name for the chain of many hospitals that exist in the South Eastern region I live in which is governed by a board of directors.

Edited April 29, 2012 by corina

[abnel]

So the hospital (Patient Liaison Officer/ER Manager) wouldn't take it any further with the 2nd doctor?? I wouldn't be put off by the fact you have already reported the first to the AHPRA. You have a legitimate complaint and you have evidence of the horrid things he has been thinking and saying given he wrote to your GP. These doctors sound unhinged - probably overworked and stressed out - not that that excuses a thing! I would press ahead and report the whole matter to the MPB, giving them a chronological account like you have here of what has taken place. I feel for you because when we are at our most vulnerable is when we should be receiving the care and attention we most need. We shouldn't be accused of falsifying how ill we feel by being told it's just in our heads.

[ramakentesh]

Its actually annoying that they label it anxiety - if it was it would probably be a lot easier to treat

[Troy]

Its actually annoying that they label it anxiety - if it was it would probably be a lot easier to treat

Yea definetly! Sometimes I wonder if there really are so many people in the world suffering from anxiety that the doctors are so quick to label us with that diagnosis. I also don't understand why is it that when you tell a doctor that you don't suffer from anxiety they don't believe you. Do they really think they know our feelings better than us? I mean come on it doesn't take a masters degree to know what anxiety feels like, we are not stupid or in denial that we can't even realize the existence or absence of anxiety.

I know what anxiety feels like because the doctors have made me experience it, and I can now confidently say the feelings I get when Im having an adverse reaction are nothing like the anxiety, fear, frustration, panic I feel dealing with those frustrating doctors. Even when faced with the possibilty of death during an adverse reaction I am still much calmer than when I am faced with a seceptical dismisive doctor. Those doctors make my heart rate shoot up and sadly It just goes to show my biggest fear in life has become dealing with arrogant, mistrusting doctors. I have to try so hard to convince them on every word I say, i don't understand what their deal is to have become such difficult people to deal with.

[Troy]

So the hospital (Patient Liaison Officer/ER Manager) wouldn't take it any further with the 2nd doctor??.

The patient Liasion arranged me to see the hospital ER manager. Which was great but it would have been better if they also allowed the offending doctor to be present during the interview I had with the department manager so that I could see for myself that he had learnt his lesson.

[StephL]

I can get pretty hyped up when I have to see a doctor, especially a new one.

For me, there is little doubt I'm having an actual anxiety attack from appointments. Its different than when I'm having anxiety from dysautonomia.

Its a real catch 22. I get all anxious and wired up and then when the doctor sees me that is all they see and they say I need to be on antidepressants for my anxiety. Or they use to anyway, I've gotten much better about choosing doctors lately.

I once had an elderly doctor, who after being emotionally abusive, then proceeded to touch my bare thighs with no nurse in the room, then told me that I was way too high strung and clearly needed medication for it. No you idiot, I need to run as fast I can away from you. I called my husband that in tears and told him what happened, he was ready to get in the car and beat this guy up.

[ramakentesh]

This is an interesting phenonema - read the article about beta 2 receptor disdfunction in POTS.

[bellgirl]

Can you move or find new doctors? I'm sorry you are having to deal with all of this...it's hard enough to have dyautonomia, and all that goes with that without all these other issues to compound the problems!