Article: ‘You smiled at me so you’re not depressed’: What’s the most patronising thing your doctor has ever said to you about your mental health?

Arnie Pye

Arnie Pye

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Link : http://metro.co.uk/2018/04/02/you-s...said-to-you-about-your-mental-health-7418916/

A couple of anecdotes from the article :

Kat ran out of medication and ended up having to see a GP who she hadn’t seen before.

The doctor refused to prescribe her regular medication and seemed to think that going cold turkey would be fine, even though Kat knew that not having this particular medication can cause seizures.

‘When I asked her how I was expected to manage my severe chronic anxiety she said ‘Just cope’ and shooed me out the room.’
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Becky was berated after she sought help following a suicide attempt many years ago.

‘I was told: ‘How dare you take God’s will into your own hands’ and, by a nurse in a disapproving tone, ‘Was it you in here for the same thing last week?’ while rolling her eyes.’

More recently, Becky has also been given this patronising advice: ‘I was told by a nurse to wake up and decide to be happy, go for a walk and have some respect for myself.’
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There are lots more anecdotes in the article:

Link : http://metro.co.uk/2018/04/02/you-s...said-to-you-about-your-mental-health-7418916/
 
I suffered from severe depression (for very good reasons) in my teens. I was referred to someone - a psychiatrist who just saw me once - and I was later told by my GP that I had been diagnosed with "normal teenage angst".
 
I remember reading somewhere that in ESA assessments they asked if you about your dog if you had one. Apparently, if you smiled while talking about your dog it meant you weren't depressed.

Don't know if that is true but if so....:banghead:
 
I don't understand how someone can confidently make a judgement based on a single meeting.

Some people who are feeling depressed may well be the type to understate how they feel.

Others may well overstate -not to exaggerate but because that's how they express themselves.

Not everyone is comfortable or good at expressing feelings and emotions.

I know I would find it very difficult to be completely open amd honest about my thoughts and feelings with someone I had just met.
 
Shocking! It is as though some of these so called medical professions live in the Middle Ages. Actually if that were true they would have brought out the leeches. Personally I have found most medical advise given to me by close minded individuals to be completely useless. Commonsense doesn't always apply to PwME, because ME/CFS requires thinking outside of the box.
 
Invisible Woman said:
I don't understand how someone can confidently make a judgement based on a single meeting.

Some people who are feeling depressed may well be the type to understate how they feel.

Others may well overstate -not to exaggerate but because that's how they express themselves.

Not everyone is comfortable or good at expressing feelings and emotions.

I know I would find it very difficult to be completely open amd honest about my thoughts and feelings with someone I had just met.
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I had "good manners" drummed into me when I was a child, as well as the idea that I mustn't show I was in pain or in distress because I had to be "stoical". It is like a straitjacket on how I interact with people in all sorts of situations. Looking back I'm not surprised that I was diagnosed with "normal teenage angst". Trying to respond honestly was something I'd been trained not to do from childhood and if I really tried to overcome that early conditioning to show or explain how I felt it came across as bad acting. My parents' idea seemed to be that showing pain or distress was uncomfortable for other people, and that was bad manners. Absolutely bonkers!
 
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