I hate it when Doctors won't listen! Even though I fight depression. I am a nurse by profession. I tell my patients in similar situations that to remember you are your own advocate. Next time you see him remind him about what your psychiatrist said. Your Psychiatrist prescribed your meds the way he did for a reason. Also, if your doctor continues to prescribe your meds differently, there may be a legitimate reason why, so ask him why he prescribed it the way he did. You have a right to know why, and when you ask he is supposed to tell you. Hope that helps. I know doctors can be frustrating sometimes mine treat me like I'm 5!

Thanks so much

I am just so bloody tired and sad all the time......

There is a problem with some GPs (family doctors) looking at the mental illness before physical illness very frustrating to deal with. especially when physically ill

Not sure I could trust a GP to deal with my meds situation. except giving repeat scripts as they don't have enough experience with mental illness.

Dr.'s unfortunately can sometimes be dumber than a bag of hammers. I don't give a shit how long or how much they paid for school...there are a healthy amount of morons out there. Once you get labelled with a mental illness god forbid if you have to go to emergency for a physical problem, they will dismiss it as a symptom of your illness. This is completely true so if they can stereotype us we can stereotype them...they are all morons. When I see a dr. I have a hard time not wanting to kick the living shit out of them, if I do they will be in a full bodycast and I will visit them when they are discharged to repeat the cycle. I would probably put their family in the mofo hospital also. Doctors suck ass.

Sorry for the rant but it is justified.

I only trust my meds to my psychiatrist. It's their specialty why trust a pcp? You have a tight to fire your doc and see another who will listen if you can't see a psychiatrist.

Making generalized statements about any group only shows your own short-sightedness. Yes, there are some doctors that because of burnout, lack of time, or lack of expertise, act like morons. And there are some depressed and bipolar patients that because of mood instability, other underlying personality disorders, or a general lack of education, can be difficult to treat. The important thing in a doctor-patient relationship, though, is communication. Make sure you're clear with what you've been prescribed and what your concerns are. If your doctor cannot communicate back why they are prescribing something or if they aren't helping, move on and find a physician who can. And there are many primary care physicians out there who are just as qualified as psychiatrists to handle mental illness, and who are better at seeing "the whole picture" with physical and mental issues entwined.

The next time you have an appointment, I recommend writing down the medication you are supposed to be prescribed and then ask him/her before you leave if that is what he/she wrote on the script. And if it's different, ask your physician why.

You said you no longer have a psychiatrist. Is that by choice or circumstances you can't control, like you lost your insurance or your psychiatrist retired? Is there any way you can get another psychiatrist? I think some GPs are quite competent in managing depression medication, but I personally prefer working with a psychiatrist for medication management. For me, it also matters whether I am taking one medication for depression or a "cocktail" of different medications. I have a very competent GP right now and if I were to decide to try a basic SSRI or SRNI again, I would trust her to prescribe that. However, I would not feel comfortable with her prescribing combination medications -- I would want to see a psychiatrist for that.

Best wishes and hope that you sort this out.

Sorry I didn't mean to generalize I just meant my doctors don't listen and I don't a psychiatrist at this time I know there are good doctors out there just like anyone else...sorry for not stating what I really meant....I have appointment tomorrow and I hope I can get him to understand this be the third try in two months. Hugs

For Searching...Hitting back with an accusation of "generalizing", and being "short-sighted" is not really helpful. It sounds to me like invisible has a legimate beef.

I understand and sympathize with invisible's problem, and have had the deeply disappointing experiences of being treated very off-hand and even ignored by several doctors. I'm not talking one or two, I'm talking five or six, right in a row.

Cruel, condescending, unheeding and insensitive people do seem, at times, to heavily populate the medical profession. I know they have in the 10+ years I have been here in Canada. So, sometimes, generalizations FIT, and patience and tenacity are repeatedly rewarded by carelessness and even unethical, unjustifiable behaviour.

It is oppressive and unhelpful when a person has to continually struggle to get the most basic attention they should be receiving from doctors. It is ten times worse when we struggle with mental illness, no matter how "mild" it may be.

Doctor's appointments have now become what they never were before in my life: Exercises in pre-visit anxiety, and afterwards, often, complete frustration and irritation.

People GET to vent about this stuff on here. This is precisely what this site is for...so people do not feel alone in their struggles.

Hugs, invisible, and meb. And I like the suggestion that rats made.

Yes it can be very frustrating in my case my phicatrist makes mistakes in the prescriptions and so does my doctor if it wasent for my farmisist I don't know what I would do ......... The phicatrist Sayers he is going to raise one of my meds and forgets .....n My doctor forgets some of my meds so my farm fist fixes it all up now my doctor has a new system it is all on the compute so he can't forget so it schould be better there eneware .........god bless

My remark about the short-sidedness was not directed at you, invisible, and I'm sorry if it was perceived that way. It was actually directed at sweatings self-proclaimed rant. And I'm not saying you shouldn't vent... I was saying you should find a doctor you can communicate with.

And Skies... A big cause of your healthcare problem is what you stated... You live in Canada. Socializing healthcare only makes it worse, something we are unfortunately headed towards in the US as well.

No worries:-)

Again, Searching, thanks for your intelligent-sounding but off-the-mark assumptions. I did not say all this is happening because I live in Canada. It is a lot simpler than that.

It's because there are so many people who are just plain mean. There is no human touch anymore. It is not just doctors, it is epidemic in society. Doctors just happen to be especially prone to having giant egos and vicious superiority complexes. It has been my misfortune to run into more than my share of them.

It is more a matter of WHERE I live in Canada, as opposed to being because of socialized medicine. But thanks for being so helpful, compassionate, and sensitive, and keeping it non-political.

Sweating's entitled to their opinion, as well----

I don't go in for violent imagery but that doesn't mean I haven't been tempted a time or two to take a swing at the SFB who was my GP for too long, who always sniped at me and never let me finish asking a question and made ridiculous assumptions about me and also missed a MAJOR diagnosis staring her right in the face.

Some people really have been very badly served by the very individuals who SHOULD be on their side, and trying very hard to serve their best interests, AND in the process, DOING NO HARM.

But all of that now appears to be taking a back seat to self-aggrandizement and making the big bucks.

Doctors who listen are in the vast minority. Anywhere.