Are things really that bad?

[Guest darma]

Hello!

First of all,I would like to say that I decided to open this topic after I read what you peole said about yourselves in the topic "Mental disorders".

As it happens,I am studying medicine,and about 2 months ago I've started working on a study for purely personal reasons.It is based on a theme "why people distrust doctors and modern medicine,nowadays?" And I'm also hoping that it will help me to become a better doctor one day.

It's still WIP,and I've gathered a lot of personal experiences from my friends and acquiaintances.Some of them are scary,some of them are fun,and some are sad.

So if you feel like it,please share.

ps:English is not my first language so please bear with me,I'm trying

[foeofthelance]

People probably distrust doctors for plenty of reasons, but for me its basically a matter of the impersonal attitude that some doctors seem to have. Not to say that they're rude to their patients, but that they see everything in black and white clinical matters, and I fully admit that this is aimed most at psychXs. If you're depressed, its a matter of chemicals in the brain. So just pop these pills as we tell you to and you'll be fine! There seems to be no effort made anymore to determine the cause of such an imbalance. Is it dietary? Are the living conditions terrible? Or is the person just naturally imbalanced? Doesn't matter, the imbalance exists, we must correct this at all costs!

The result? Well, a regular customer came in today. Apparently he's been prescribed some new antidepressants. So he randomly burst into song, couldn't maintain a conversation for more than a few moments, and was generally not himself all around. Not the first time I've seen something like this either, but for personal reasons won't go into them here.

[Guest echtrae]

For me it has to do with a similar reason. I distrust doctors as a whole because they act like it's an assembly line. They can't be bothered to try to actually figure out the root problem, just treat the symptoms and get the patient out of the room for the next one.

[Guest Agaib]

Some doctors are good, some are bad. Unfortunately many are bad. Not all psychiatrists just give pills to a patient to treat depression (it really depends on which therapy method they use). However, its an all too tempting choice for a therapist who's patient isn't patient.

[Guest darma]

foeofthelance,echtrae and Agaib,thank you for taking your time and sharing your oppinions with me.

As horrible as it sounds,it is true and I have to agree with you.

That's one of the greatest failures of a modern medicine.Dehumanisation!!!

Human being is:body,mind and soul,all in one,and it needs to be treated as such.Not as a machine that needs to be fixed,stuffed with meds and sent on it's way.

Edited August 24, 2007 by darma

[ZombieDuke]

I find that most of the time they just want you in and out of the office so they can see another patient. Mind you, my family doctor is really nice but I wouldn't have a clue what he was talking about most of the time unless my mother translated for me what he said afterwards (she was a paramedic for 7 years so she speaks doctor. Yes I drag my mother along with me because I forget what I went for about 96% of the time. Damn you thyroid meds!*shakes fist*).

Another thing: Doctor's speak a totally different language. I guess they've been learning a whole new language in the years of medical school, but it can get rather confusing and waaay over a persons head.

Its the nurses I don't trust most of the time. They glare and seem to look down at people that go into see the doctor

[dazzledfirestar]

Personally, my distrust of the medical profession in general (I will not limit this to doctors) comes from personal experience. I've been dealing with doctors regularly since I was a very young child and it seems that the attitude is because they went to school for so long, they know my body better than I do. I have a problem with this. Case in point; while in labor with my son, I tried to tell the doctor, and the nurses that my blood sugar levels were dropping (I'm diabetic for anyone who didn't know that) and they ignored me. What's worse, they turned up the amount of insulin I was receiving! Can you imagine what happened next? When my husband finally convinced they to 1) treat the hypoglycemia and 2) stop turning up the amount of freakin' insulin I was hovering around 2.1 (I don't know what the American equivalent is, so forgive me). Needless to say, I was not pleased.

And this is just one example. I've got 25 years of stories like this (to one extent or another) that I could tell you.

Perhaps, I've been unlucky. I've only had one doctor I've actually trusted, and that was because she trusted me. She knew I am not an idiot, and I know when something doesn't feel right, or isn't as it normally should be. There are good doctors and nurses out there, I have no doubt about that, but as Trae said, far too many are treating it like an assembly line. Not everyone is a textbook case.*sigh*

I'll stop ranting now.

[Guest darma]

ZombieDuke-you are so right about nurses,I don't trust most of them as well.And yes,most people I know are complaining about the fact that they don't understund what the doctors are saying.

dazzledstar-I'm sorry that you went through all of that.

I'm glad that despite all the bad experiences you have been through,you still believe that there are good doctors and nurses somewhere out there,because there are

Thank you for sharing your experiences with me!

[StoryJunkie]

I avoid doctors as much as possible. When I go in, I tell them the complaint, wait for their diagnosis and get the hell out. I'm a pretty healthy person, but my pragmatic side realizes how busy doctors can be. There is a shortage, and I don't blame anyone trying to "break into the trade" since there is actually so much law and ethics that doctors and nurses have to take now. I can see how a person can get that way. (cold) They are taught to be professional and detached. And Daz...that's just fucking scary.

[Guest Adara]

I'm on the same boat with Dazzledstar. Not about the diabetes, but, the simple fact that some doctors don't take into consideration that yes, YOU LIVE WITH YOUR BODY DAY IN AND DAY OUT. So you KNOW, you're familiar with what is the usual and what is not.

I mean, if they can barely scrape 15 minutes to talk to me, what makes them think they can asses my health status and prescribe something for it?

I once had a doctor tell me I was overweight, because they were going by my height, not my body structure or muscle mass. I'm sure some of you have an idea of what this kind of, "assessment" can do to a teenage girl. Luckily, even then I thought it was a load a shit. I was active, I was in the marching band and I was a drummer. I went around lugging 30lb drums to and from conserts, football games, competitions....

Luckily, my husband's family doctor tends not to over-medicate, and allows my tot to go through her colds and some infections without any intervention, (other than like, Tylenol or something).

[Kyouryoku Senshi]

I personally distrust dentists more than doctors, however I had a rather negative experience with one last year. My dad had been late to pick me up from school to take me to a doctors appointment at the clinic. I was about twenty minutes late and I was taken to that waiting room. I think I heard someone ask if she was on her lunch and could see me. While I was waiting the doctor, she finally comes in and I was talking to someone on my cell phone. She said "You need to put it away since you were late to your appointment." I waited about three seconds longer and she said "You really need to hang up now." in a very terse tone. I'm thinking 'What are you, my mother?' I had to end up hanging up on the person because she didn't even give me enough time to say 'bye'. Seriously, the impression I was given was 'Hurry up, so I can get back to my lunch please.' She gave a quick answer to the problem I was having with my glands before sending me off. Not worth the $35 I paid for the visit. Not my fault my dad forgot to take me to the appointment. I had to walk home after that appointment too. >_<

I agree with what some of you said about doctors proscribing medication on a whim. I've known people with similar situations where it was like 'Oh, you have problems paying attention in school? That means you have ADD or ADHD!' and have given a misdiagnosis just to get them out of there. I mean did they ever consider the problem could be family related or emotional problems at home? No.

[Leonhart29]

I don't trust doctors as far as I can throw them. I've dealt with them both personally and professionally - and let me tell you - it's rare indeed to find one that not only thinks they're human but acts like it as well. When I was 13 I had an "accident" that left me in a coma for 6 weeks. When I woke up I found out that my Godfather had to light a fire under all of them (from the CNA's to the doctors) just to take care of me. He pretty much stood watch over me 24/7 to make sure that my stitches were small, I was bathed, my IV was taken care of, and that I was treated like a sick HUMAN and not some pet that should have been put to sleep. If he hadn't been there my scars would be worse and I may not have had all my faculties when I woke up - if I had woken up at all.

When I was married... well let's just say that the only doctor who cared what happened to me was my OB/GYN. He was the one who kept the police informed and tried to get me help with not just the injuries I had sustained that threatened my unborn baby, but also the mental issues that arose.

It's been my experience that most doctors can't be bothered with hearing what their patients have to say. It's as if we're stupid and don't have a clue what's going on with our bodies. I had to fight to get an MRI last October when I had stroke like symptoms that sent me to the ER. The only thing they found was normal scaring due to migraines, but there could have been something else that had caused the reaction.

I also think it has a lot to do with the fact that I'm a woman, and I'll give you an example. My Aunt kept going to the doctor with these horribly debilitating headaches when she was 42 and they told her it was ALL IN HER HEAD (no duh!). They kept sending her home with pain killers - not one of them ever did a CT or an MRI even though she asked for the tests because women didn't have these problems. It took her collapsing at work and slipping into a coma before they finally did the tests they should have done before. The diagnosis? She had a blood clot in her carotid artery that could have been taken care of way before it became this dangerous.

Once she had woken up these same doctors told my Uncle that she would never talk, walk, or even feed herself again - and they gave up on her completely, dooming her to a nursing home for the rest of her life. If it hadn't been for my Uncle she wouldn't be able to not only feed herself, but cook for her family. She wouldn't be able to drive, walk, talk, laugh or live. He did what all the doctors refused to do - he cared about her enough to work with her.

Forgive me for this, but if doctors can't get a major shot of humanity they aren't worth the paper their degree is stamped on.

[ZombieDuke]

I also think it has a lot to do with the fact that I'm a woman, and I'll give you an example. My Aunt kept going to the doctor with these horribly debilitating headaches when she was 42 and they told her it was ALL IN HER HEAD (no duh!). They kept sending her home with pain killers - not one of them ever did a CT or an MRI even though she asked for the tests because women didn't have these problems. It took her collapsing at work and slipping into a coma before they finally did the tests they should have done before. The diagnosis? She had a blood clot in her carotid artery that could have been taken care of way before it became this dangerous.

My mother nearly died one summer... the doctors said that she wasn't sick but she ended up in the ER four times and was sent home after about 4-6 hours of waiting and seeing a doctor for about 10 minuets. Let me tell you, they DO treat women differently then men.

[ladydeathfaerie]

i don't know that i distrust going to the doctor. but i can tell you i dislike it immensely. though i've seen many of my thoughts already written down before me.

my biggest complaint about going to the doctor is that the wait is so long. my time is just as valuable as the doctor's time is. you get an appointment and are told to get there at least ten minutes before hand. and then you sit and wait in the waiting area for about half an hour after the appointed time. a nurse comes to get you, takes you back and you sit for another half hour in a room, waiting for the doctor to come see you.

and that takes all of fifteen minutes.

then you're on your way with a scrip. how the bloody hell can a doctor learn anything about their patients that way? and, given the way insurance works here in the US, this is the doctor you HAVE to go see. i don't believe there's anything such as a family doctor anymore.

its truly sad by my son's pediatrician knows more about him than the doctor i have now knows about me. my eye doctor knows more about me than my GP. and, even scarier, is that our vet knows more about our pets than our doctors know about us. and we get in and out of there faster.

i do have to admit that i've had doctors i really liked. my OB/GYN was great when i was pregnant. i really liked her. and the first GP we had when we moved to Texas was wonderful. that woman was sent by the gods. lately, though, its all about money.

[Leonhart29]

lately, though, its all about money.

And there's the problem. Everything is about money. The treatment you get, the time they spend with you, how they act... it's all about money. Insurance companies (the one I work for isn't this bad - but it used to be) gives guidelines on what can and can not be done for their members based on cost and most of the time cost alone. Doctors spend less time with you because the more patients they see the bigger their check is at the end of the day. Tests that need to be run aren't because the patient may or may not be able to pay - or their insurance company will balk at having to pay the bill.

Speaking of insurance companies... Doctors who enter into a contract with them are paid very little for what they do. An office visit that someone without insurance would pay $200.00 for is only paid about $80.00 by the insurance. American Medicare is the worst. The government only pays about $3.00 for most labs - some of which actually cost the labs $1,000.00 just to perform (that's supplies, labor, time, electricity etc.). I see it all day every day. Is it any wonder why a doctor won't spend more time with a patient when they won't get paid for it? I'm not defending them - when they took their oath they swore to service their patients even if they weren't paid for it - but they still have bills to pay. Granted that 46" Plasma TV they have their eyes on isn't a bill, but it's part of the American dream to have things that are better than the neighbors.

It's funny - I knew quite a few medical students while I was in college and most of them went into the field because they wanted to help people - very few were in it for the money... that changed as they went through their internship.

Question: How much is a human life worth to these people?

[ladydeathfaerie]

you hit the entire problem with the medical field on the head, Leon. money is the root of all troubles, in my opinion. we've been brainwashed into believing that bigger is always better and if you don't do your best to obtain something much better than the people living next to you, whether you know them or not, there's something wrong.

so we spend money we don't have to get things we don't need. and we suffer for these actions in the places where we need the help the most. even base medical care is beyond our grasp without insurance these days.

i'm sure most people start out going to school for medicine out of a desire to help their fellow man. but, somewhere along the way, it all gets buggered up by money.

[madlodger]

I would like to agree with most points from posts above, they are too numerous to quote. Personally, I trust Doctors as much as I trust Lawers - not at all. The Law is not about Justice and the Medicine is not about Health. They are just a profession, a money grabbing vehicle for those who wants to ride it.

This thread reminded me that I haven't had a physical in... er... 4-5 years, I think. I hope that there is no serious illness in my future, because I would have to fight for getting proper care at the time when most volnurable.