Way to Get me On board

[TawnyMyst]

I was in high school when Columbine happened and they day after I was called into the office and given a three day unexpected vacation and an appointment with the school district shrink before I was allowed to come back. The reason? I was the only female on the school rifle team, one of the best shots, was a Sea Cadet and was on their range team as well. I hung out with gamers and we played D&D and L5R on our lunch breaks. I was kinda bullied and the principal did nothing about it, even though she knew about it. Therefore, I was high risk and needed a psych eval before she felt safe having me at school.

[NateTheChops]

Boy Columbine brings back fun high school memories. Insert sarcasm anywhere you like.

[Captain Trips]

... mental health care is not one size fits all

Yeah, but just try to tell that to insurance companies! They insist that "this symptom will need x number of visits. No more will be authorized." Mental health does NOT yield itself to actuarial tables very well...

[Mishi]

At 14, I had the joy of seeing a psychologist while chasing up a diagnosis for my joint problems. In the letter that she sent to my mother and GP (I wasn't supposed to see), it stated that I'm at risk of/partially developing Anti-Social Personality Disorder. In her opinion, "to avoid the full-fledged onset of this disorder, Mishi should be forced to interact with her peer group. To facilitate this, organise for her to spend time with the popular kids both inside and outside of school." Yeah, the same ones that were picking on me...

My problems with this:
1 - She's not qualified to make this call. She's a psychologist, not a psychiatrist.
2 - A full-blown diagnosis and 'treatment' plan after a 15 minute discussion, with her doing most of the talking?
3 - I refuse to take seriously the opinion of someone who has sex with a 15 year old boy in her office and later diagnoses him as having severe Bi-Polar.
4 - After looking it up, I found that I don't meet the majority of the criteria.

[NateTheChops]

3 - I refuse to take seriously the opinion of someone who has sex with a 15 year old boy in her office and later diagnoses him as having severe Bi-Polar.

I'm guessing that didn't happen during your session with her.

[Mishi]

Nope, it was one of my close friends.

I'd also have loved to see the face on the receptionist after you told her to call whomever she liked. Priceless!

[LadyAndreca]

Heh, the one time I -tried- to get help...

I've thought for a very long time I might have chronic depression. I have a lot of classic symptoms of it, plus both depression and bi-polar disorder have appeared in the family before. And there will be days at a time where I have no desire to do -anything-, and generally only get dressed because it's easier than explaining to roommates/my husband why I'm still in my pajamas when they come home. The days immediately following these "lazy" episodes are generally frustrating as I try to catch up on chores and homework that I didn't do.

So I forced myself to get up and drive to my college to get screened. Student services said to talk to the health center, the health center sent me back to student services, but to the department that does career counseling. It took half an hour for someone to be able to see me (I know, how dare I not pre-schedule depression?) I already was feeling grumpy and unsure about this, but...

They must've asked me a dozen times if I was suicidal over the course of that hour. That was the only directed question they asked me, at all. So I talked. I told them why I was there, some of the specific things I'd noticed that triggered the feelings, how often I felt like this, how it came and went in cycles, how I felt like it was never going to stop cycling...I was crying by the time I was done because it was so hard to put all of it into words.

I got told "You just needed someone to talk to" in one of the most condescending voices I ever heard. I guess if I'm not suicidal, nothing's wrong, huh?

I really ought to go see my regular doctor. It's been another year and little has changed. But I can't bring myself to put myself in a situation where I could face that attitude again.

[Sapphire Silk]

At 14, I had the joy of seeing a psychologist while chasing up a diagnosis for my joint problems. In the letter that she sent to my mother and GP (I wasn't supposed to see), it stated that I'm at risk of/partially developing Anti-Social Personality Disorder. In her opinion, "to avoid the full-fledged onset of this disorder, Mishi should be forced to interact with her peer group. To facilitate this, organise for her to spend time with the popular kids both inside and outside of school." Yeah, the same ones that were picking on me...

My problems with this:
1 - She's not qualified to make this call. She's a psychologist, not a psychiatrist.
2 - A full-blown diagnosis and 'treatment' plan after a 15 minute discussion, with her doing most of the talking?
3 - I refuse to take seriously the opinion of someone who has sex with a 15 year old boy in her office and later diagnoses him as having severe Bi-Polar.
4 - After looking it up, I found that I don't meet the majority of the criteria.

That psychologist was a quack. That being said, a psychologist IS qualified to make any diagnosis in the DSM IV-R . . . that's what they do. But you have to do the proper testing, which clearly this lady did not do. She was a lazy slacker who slammed diagnoses on kids to make herself look busy.

Heh, the one time I -tried- to get help...

I've thought for a very long time I might have chronic depression.

So I forced myself to get up and drive to my college to get screened. Student services said to talk to the health center, the health center sent me back to student services, but to the department that does career counseling.

They must've asked me a dozen times if I was suicidal over the course of that hour.

I got told "You just needed someone to talk to" in one of the most condescending voices I ever heard. I guess if I'm not suicidal, nothing's wrong, huh?

I really ought to go see my regular doctor. It's been another year and little has changed. But I can't bring myself to put myself in a situation where I could face that attitude again.

It certainly sounds like you may have a mild to moderate chronic depression. I am very sorry you were treated that way.

Most health care providers who are not mental health professionals really don't have the understanding or patience to work with patients who have mental health problems. It's really unfortunate, but your story is all too common.

It's just symptomatic of the way we view mental illness in this country: as a weakness rather than an illness.

[Seshat]

Heh, the one time I -tried- to get help...

I totally agree with Panacea - on all points. You deserve help, no less so than someone with, say, a broken leg or diabetes.

Unfortunately, proper treatment of mental problems is still in its infancy. Despite the fact that it's incredibly difficult for you to bring yourself to get help, it's hard to find the right people to help you.

If you have a good relationship with your family doctor, they may know a good psych (-ologist or -iatrist), and be able to refer you.

And Andreca: you don't have to be suicidal to be depressed.

[BlaqueKatt]

Yeah, but just try to tell that to insurance companies! They insist that "this symptom will need x number of visits. No more will be authorized." Mental health does NOT yield itself to actuarial tables very well...

the US Government at least put a stop to that

On October 3, 2008, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (HR 1424)Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act," which was attached to the economic bill and also became law. This federal mental health law requires health insurance plans that offer mental health coverage to provide the same financial and treatment coverage offered for other physical illnesses. It does not mandate that group plans must provide mental health coverage.

[Skeksin]

I got referred to several psychiatric programs because of "ADHD." Everything from a daycamp for children with Bipolar, anti-social, you name it, where I got bullied unmercifully, and even got chased by a girl with a knife! I had to lock myself in the bathroom to get away from her, and you can guess who got in trouble for "provoking" her. Supposedly, the fact that I wouldn't give her part of my lunch when she threatened was "setting her off on purpose."

One of the boys took a tennis racquet, smashed it against the ground until it was mangled, then said he'd do that to my head. One of the last straws for me was when one guy, in attempt to steal a koosh ball from me at a "summer school," smashed my head into a wall.

Is it just me or does this sound like they aren't actually trying to fix the problems there? It seems to me if refusing to give your lunch away 'provokes' someone then they need some serious help instead of saying 'oh the other kid started it'.

[Dragon_Dreamer]

There were only "group counseling" sessions at the summer school, which I did my best to avoid. The day camp never seemed to have any. The scary part is that the day camp was actually ATTACHED to a mental hospital, and yet I don't remember any counseling going on. The summer school I think actually shut down eventually, at least, they're no longer in that building.

Again, if anyone wants the names for places to avoid, PM me.

[Seshat]

A reason Anna no longer goes to (and we no longer trust) one of the major respite care/carer help/disability help centres in our area:

She was on a respite day. Basically, they look after her for the day, instead of her carer having to. It was also supposed to have counselling & other care, but largely she would end up using their painting or music gear and keeping to herself.

One of the other patients came up behind her when she wasn't looking, and started .. ahem .. rubbing himself on her.
(Semi SFW).

She complained - of course - and was told that she needed to be tolerant of his disability.

We rather disagree. And we're worried about what will happen when (not if) he does it to a rape victim.

[spark]

I seem to have lucked out. I took myself to a counselor for a while when I needed help, and although she wasn't perfect, she was pretty good, she helped me a lot.

I also got sent to have my head shrunk once. By my mother. When I was 25. She pitched a fit at me, basically, and insisted that something MUST be wrong with me and I needed help. Honestly I still see red whenever I think about it.

What was wrong with me? Well, in a culture where there is INCREDIBLE pressure to marry young, (including constant pressure FROM HER) I got engaged to a guy. With a disability. So obviously I'm broken because I would even consider shackling myself to somebody like that! Never mind that every single factor in my life was constantly beating "get married, get married, get married" into my head, and he was the first person who asked me. Nevermind that he was a geek who read all the same books as me and pretty much the ONLY person I'd ever dated at that point that I had anything at all in common with. There must be something seriously wrong with me if I could be attracted to a scrawny man in a wheelchair. I desperately need help, nearly ruining my life like that!

The guy turned out to be a complete psycho, and the engagement was broken off after about a month, mind. It was a silly thing to jump into, but at least I wasn't stupid enough to jump into a fast marriage, I wanted a long engagement to get to know him first, which worked out exactly like it's supposed to, I found out he was a nut, I broke it off, problem solved.

But his disability had NOTHING whatsoever to do with it, and it completely enrages me that I got sent to a shrink because of being able to consider loving a guy who wasn't physically perfect. Thankfully the shrink in question pretty much said "Yeah, you're fine, your mom is probably the one who's nuts. Don't come back again, you don't need help."

[Dilorenzo]

I'm in a similar situation to some here, only I gave up a long time ago on finding a provider who was interested in actually listening to issues rather than simply medicating from the getgo (including one form of medication that actually raised suicidal tendencies, I found out later).

Thankfully, whatever it is that I have is mild enough that I'm not a risk to myself or others, and I've found my own ways to deal with things as I get older, but I can only imagine how horrendous it would be to have something serious be written off because it can't be packed into a nice little box.

Only thing I kinda wish I could get over is my anxiety around crowds of people. Which is gonna make the Flogging Molly concert I'm going to in July fuuuuuuun...