Disappointed in psychiatrist | ADHD Information

This is my pet peeve!!!

If it's ONE THING I UTTERLY DETEST, IT'S SOME HAIR BRAINED, IDIOT OF A "THERAPIST" WHO CALLS HIM/HERSELF A """"""PROFFESSIONAL"""""" that sends people away with the wrong info and absolutely NO HELP!! My guess? that nut job is probably just in the proffession for your money!

It makes me mad that you spent your money on this nut, and came away with absolutely nothing...

I would say FIND SOMEBODY ELSE!! I know you probably don't want to start from scratch, but I would say find a second opinion. Are you able to find some one that specializes in Adult AD/HD? I don't know how hard it was for you to find that nut job whom you thought you could go to...I don't know if good psychs are few and far between in your area or not.

But I would say, go get a second opinion. That's probably the best thing you can do right now.

I REALLY HOPE YOU FIND SOME ONE BETTER AND MORE HELPFUL THAN THAT FIRST NUT JOB. You deserve better than her!!

Your problems sound EXACTLY, WORD FOR WORD FOR WORD LIKE MINE!! I tend to be moody and unstructured, but if I had ONE SINGLE OUNCE OF MOTIVATION more than I have, I would be able to work around all of my other problems...my lack of motivation is my BIGGEST AND LARGEST PROBLEM. I can totally relate to you.

YOU DESERVE A BETTER THERAPIST THAN THAT. A PSYCH OR A THERAPIST IS SUPPOSED TO HELP YOU, NOT SEND YOU AWAY WITH NOTHING, TAKING YOUR MONEY.

please search for a second opinion.

I had gone to an ADHD clinic in Vancouver to get formally diagnosed. As a follow up to the Psychiatric Nurse interview who said "yes, you are classic ADD", I was to further see the psychiatrist for further evaluation and help. I went with my significant other and spent an hour waiting for her. She quickly perused my file, the form that my hubby filed out and said I had borderline mood disorder and also ADD. She said I needed to see a councillor about the disorder first and get motivated on my own before she would help with the ADD. She said no meds for either...the motivation had to come from me and that I needed to create a structured environment and stick to it.

So I go home..confused how I could create and maintain structure for myself and by myself. ( hell that why I went to her!) The lack of motivation in my case is actually from when I get so overwhelmed I get stressed and almost paralysed to do anything. It happens every time I get up to do a task and suddenly my brain is everywhere and I become overwhelmed, frustrated at being unable to focus on one thing and then I just get very fatigued, tired trying to fight my brain to stay on course and inevitably, I have to sit down and nothing is done!

So then I search for what borderline mood disorder is and holy sh*t...did that psychiatrist miss the boat! I have never wanted to commit suicide, I like being alone rather than being afraid to be alone and a whole lot of other stuff that I cannot relate to. None of it resembles me, I don't understand how she arrived at this and now I don't know what to do.

I agree I should be more motivated and that I need structure..but that is the issue with ADHD isn't it? How do I do this for myself without any assistance, meds or professional guidance? She attributed lack of motivation to the other disorder she feels I have, not to ADHD! She seems to feel I should be able to create and follow structure in my day, so what do I believe?

She said " if you didn't have your husband to rely on and you had to eat...you'd find a way to get a job and take care of yourself. Maybe your husband should stop enabling you." I struggled for years working in as many as 6 jobs a year, constantly being late, forgetful and disorganized. I'd hardly call that taking care of myself. I call it barely getting by. I went to her for help to stop alot of the major ADHD symptoms or at least manage them better and now I am disappointed, confused and scared. Where do I go from here?

Thanks for listening.

Karen N38488.7590277778[QUOTE=Karen N]

[/QUOTE]

Sorry, but I must write some more here....UHHHGG!!! I HATE """PROFFESSIONALS''''' LIKE THIS!! YOU WENT TO HER AND LOADED HER DOWN WITH YOUR PROBLEMS BECAUSE YOU FELT YOU COULD GO TO HER AND RECEIVE MUCH NEEDED HELP, AND SHE TELLS YOU THAT "YOUR HUSBAND NEEDS TO STOP 'ENABLING' YOU"????????

SHE OBVIOUSLY HAS NO BUSINESS IN HER PROFFESSION AT ALL!!

SHE DOESN'T KNOW THE FIRST THING ABOUT AD/HD, BECAUSE IF SHE DID, SHE WOULD NOT HAVE SENT YOU AWAY LIKE THAT!!

SHE DID NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO GIVE YOU SOME HELP IN THE WAY OF TEACHING HOW TO BETTER MANAGE YOUR SYMPTOMS!!!

THIS PERSON DOES NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT AD/HD.

KAREN, YOU NEED TO FIND SOME ONE WHO KNOWS WHAT AD/HD IS AND WHAT IT CONSISTS OF, AND PLEASE, NEVER GO BACK TO THAT HAIR-BRAINED """"THERAPIST"""" AGAIN!!

So Sorry for fussing, it's just that I hate proffessionals that do this type of thing. If they don't know something, they need to admit that they don't know, and help you find some one who does, not get self righteous, and start putting you down like this. it just makes me SO MAD when people like you get treated that way...

The reason why, is because lot's of times adult ad/hders are struggling to figure out if they actually have a problem that they can HELP, or is this something that they do subconciously. And we FINALLY get to the point where we realize that WE CAN'T HELP WHAT WE DO, and we go to a proffessional to get help.

For a proffessional to send some one away like this, makes a ad/hder feel low, because in effect, the proffessional is telling the ad/hder, yes, you COULD help it if you just wanted to, and your problems are NOT subconcious. PRETTY BASICALLY, that really simplifies down to "oh, you don't have any problems. you just need to try harder."...

So where does that put the confidence of the ad/hder? The start feeling low, because they feel that they are causing all the problems in their life, and feel like they are the ones to blame for it.

FOR A PERSON YOU PRESUME IS A "PROFFESSIONAL" IN KNOWING AD/HD TO COME AND TELL YOU, <OH, YOU JUST NEED TO TRY HARDER. YOU COULD JUST PUSH HARDER AND BE BETTER> PUT'S A REAL DAMPER ON THE SELF ESTEEM OF THE AD/HDER. WE KNOW WE CAN'T HELP WHAT WE DO, AND FOR SOME ONE WHO WE THINK UNDERSTANDS THIS TO COME AND TELL US, <YES, YOU CAN CONTROL YOURSELF, YOU'RE JUST NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH> DESTROYS US. IF WE COULD JUST TRY HARDER AND BE BETTER, WE WOULD NOT BE SITTING IN YOUR OFFICE HERE TODAY!!!!

TO GET A STUPID """"PROFFESSIONAL"""" WHO DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT AD/HD AND SEND SOME ONE AWAY LIKE THIS DESTROYS THE CONFIDENCE AND SELF-RESPECT OF THE AD/HDER!!! THEY START FEELING THAT IT IS SOMETHING THEY HAVE BEEN DOING WRONG ALL ALONG, WHEN REALLY IT'S NOT, IT'S JUST AD/HD!!

AND NOT ALL POSSIBLE AD/HDERS ARE AS EDUCATED AS THE ONES THAT COME TO THIS FORUM.

WHAT IF THIS "THERAPIST" SENDS AWAY SOME OTHER AD/HDERS THAT ARE NOT AS WELL INFORMED ON AD/HD AS KAREN IS, AND THEY NEVER GET THE HELP THEY NEED????

THAT COULD DOOM THEM TO A LIFE OF HARDSHIPS THAT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THAT WAY, YOU KNOW? IT JUST MAKES ME SO MAD THAT THERE ARE """PROFFESSIONALS"""" THAT DO THIS!

ok, i'm done now...

sonya_h38488.7996412037

AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY "MOTIVATION" TO HELP YOURSELF, THEN WHAT IS IT THAT FORCED YOU TO CALL AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND GET YOURSELF READY AND DRIVE TO HER OFFICE THAT DAY???

SOME OF US, (me personally,) HAVE TROUBLE EVEN GETTING UP THAT MUCH MOTIVATION!! I HAVE BEEN MEANING TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW, AND NEVER SEEM TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO JUST GET UP AND DO IT!!

HOW MUCH MOTIVATION DO YOU NEED???? AS AN AD/HDER, THE FACT THAT YOU SAVED THE MONEY TO GO THERE AND ACTUALLY REMEMBERED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, AND REMEMBERED THAT APPOINTMENT AND ACTUALLY GOT THERE ON TIME SHOWS A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT OF MOTIVATION ON YOUR PART TO ME!! ESPECIALLY FOR AN AD/HDER!!

AM SURE I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO FEELS THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY SHOWN TONS OF MOTIVATION HERE!!

ok, really. i'm done now.

Thanks Sonya

I really appreciate your words and support. You show the rightful anger in your thread that I could not voice to the Psychiatrist. The sad part is, is that it is the only ADHD clinic approved by the government. They were exclusively only working with children until last October when they finally included adults.

My feeling on reflection is that they treated ADHD symptoms in children based on their performance in school etc as relayed by their parents. ADHD Adults, unlike children can voice feelings and concerns about themselves as a functioning person, to a much more indepth and greater degree. No child discusses ADHD or even just motivation in emotional terms, understanding and being able to specifically identify what it is . I wonder if the Psychologist who is so used to prescribing meds to kids based on "outward" ability to do a task or lack there of, can ever dialogue with an adult who will bring feelings and introspective to the table aside from "tasks" that cannot be done? As an ADHD adult, how I feel is very much apart of ADHD symptoms and not to be confused as another "disorder". If I was clinically depressed..I could express that. If my moods flew all over the place, I could recognize that as an issue. I'm just totally frustrated most of the times stemming directly from the ADHD symptoms. She sees this as a "mood disorder". Who the hell wouldn't be frustrated, sometimes depressed and even angry trying to deal every day with ADHD and knowing That the battle is rarely won?

Thanks Sonya...I'm beginning to uncurl out of the fetal position that that woman's opinion temporarily put me in.

Karen N38488.9154976852I agree with some of the doctors points, but they seemed regurgitated. I have to admit she did a poor job of explaining her position and diagnosis. I also don't like how she left you hanging without a clear plan of action.

Karen, do you have any health insurance? Maybe, if your health insurance does not cover psych care, sometimes it will if you go to a doc and the doc refers you to a psych....

OR,

If you happen to have an understanding family doc, then sometimes they can help you by writing you a prescription for meds, if that is what you want.

Does this place HAVE to be approved by the government in order for you to go?

It hurts me that your options are so limited and the one place you thought you could go to treated you this way and sent you away with absolutely no help. Where else could you go? I really don't know your circumstances, but maybe you could find a good place, and they could help you with some type of payment plan or something?

You really need to find some one else that you could go to. Don't dwell on anything that """""""""therapist"""""""" said. She did not know what she was talking about. I know it's hard, but try not to let what she said affect you. YOU KNOW what ad/hd is BETTER than she does, and in your heart, you know that you can't help what you do. You just need to find a compassionate psych some where that understands that. BELIEVE ME, THE RIGHT PSYCH FOR YOU IS OUT THERE SOME WHERE. You just have to search for him, that's all.

PLEASE don't let what that idiot said depress you. You have enough on your plate without having to stress over her thoughtless words.

Doctors really like generalization. I had a doctor once tell me straight out. "What's common, is common." That basically means "You *probably* have such and such, so let's just assume its that until our treatment program fails." Karen, are you in Vancouver, WA, or Vancouver, BC? I'm assuming BC because I recently heard that BC Children's Hospital opened an Adult ADHD clinic (I haven't checked it out or anything though). It is very disheartening to hear that people who supposedly specialize in ADHD are treating you so badly.

Why do you need to go to this clinic? Your family doc, or any walk-in clinic doctor, can refer you to a good psychiatrist. My doctor referred me to a psych at Royal Columbian Hospital, and he was great. He even agreed that the standard neurological testing done to children is not necessary in adults, because they are capable of giving an effective verbal history, unlike children.

My family doc is great - she hadn't had much experience with adults with ADHD, but she is trying to learn more. She even told me she would go out and buy her own copy of Hallowell's Delivered from Distraction so she could understand the condition better! If you would like her or my psych's names, send me a PM.

Good luck!
bcgirl197838489.3700578704[QUOTE=sonya_h]

This is my pet peeve!!!

Or perhaps that KoOk of a so-called, "doctor" (and many others I'm sure) also suffer from ADD. Maybe they just forgot where they left their COMPASSION!

Peace,

Mark

[QUOTE=sonya_h]

Karen, do you have any health insurance? Maybe, if your health insurance does not cover psych care, sometimes it will if you go to a doc and the doc refers you to a psych....

OR,

If you happen to have an understanding family doc, then sometimes they can help you by writing you a prescription for meds, if that is what you want.

Does this place HAVE to be approved by the government in order for you to go?

[/QUOTE]

Sonya....I'm very lucky to live in Canada ( Port Hardy B.C. exactly) and we have excellent medical coverage. Each Province has their own but basically its the same for every one, although in the last few years the governments have been trying to unload our health care into private hands and eventually we may not have it so good.

But for now we do. I heard Provinces like Ontario have several outlets for ADHD treatment since they have Toronto and generally alot more people live out there so they get more "new" thinking doctors etc. In B.C. there is only one Adult ADHD clinic at Children's Hospital. I was excited and optimistic about my future getting in there. However they have 1 psychiatrist, 3 small offices for her, the receptionist and the Psych Nurse. This is the sum total of the Provincial ADHD Program. But now I'm thinking outside the box and am going to see if I can force my way into UBC (University of B.C.) into their Neuropsychiatric unit. They don't advertise work with this but they appear to do studies on like kinds of issues so wish me luck.

[QUOTE=busgirl] Karen, are you in Vancouver, WA, or Vancouver, BC? I'm assuming BC because I recently heard that BC Children's Hospital opened an Adult ADHD clinic (I haven't checked it out or anything though). It is very disheartening to hear that people who supposedly specialize in ADHD are treating you so badly.

Why do you need to go to this clinic? Your family doc, or any walk-in clinic doctor, can refer you to a good psychiatrist. My doctor referred me to a psych at Royal Columbian Hospital, and he was great. He even agreed that the standard neurological testing done to children is not necessary in adults, because they are capable of giving an effective verbal history, unlike children.

My family doc is great - she hadn't had much experience with adults with ADHD, but she is trying to learn more. She even told me she would go out and buy her own copy of Hallowell's Delivered from Distraction so she could understand the condition better! If you would like her or my psych's names, send me a PM.

Good luck!
[/QUOTE] Yes, I'd like your help here. I live in Port Hardy on the north end of Vancouver Island. All Doctors in a 3 hour drive are unaware of ADHD beyond occasionally prescribing meds as outlined in some book and only if you tell them you have it. They cannot determine if you do...they don't know how! In this town of 4,000, we do have a Mental Health office.

For everyone who would like to know this is a government office and employs alot of Mental Health workers across Canada. Its free to go to...covered by medical. However I was shocked to find that ADHD is something they do not deal with. They have basically all the types of professionals most Canadians see for mental health issues and THEY DON"T EVEN INCLUDE ADHD!!! I searched their web site..nothing. Not even ADHD children. I called them and asked about it. They said they don't have it as a part of their mandate and were unable to help me. They knew about as much as I did initially..its something kids get and are given Ritalin for...seriously!!! The office in my town has only general counsellors, addictions and family counselling services. I can't even find one of them to help me as a motivation worker..helping me with time management etc from an ADHD perspective.

But the fill in receptionist remembered reading an article by a doctor in Vancouver who specialized in ADHD and had it himself. I called..he was not doing it anymore but suggested Children's hospital and now you all know how that turned out. It cost me 0.00 for travel.. 1 ferry ride and 7 hours of driving... both ways...TWICE...to get that help. But I'll do it again, BCgirl...I'm not very motivated but I sure am stubborn once I get onto something! All help is gratefully appreciated.

Karen

Karen N38489.4412037037 I am not sure I understood what this psychiatrist was saying...I am assuming she was saying that you have mood swings that she felt needs to be addressed and she thinks that needs to be addressed first before addressing ADHD. Of course, it is hard to separate what causes ADHD versus what causes depression. Often, some mineral or nutrient lacking for whatever reason can naturally cause both. I think some psychologists are helpful when they are empathetic, but I frankly find a good homeopath more useful, because they can help me on a cellular level which gives one the biological, physical tools to handle things better.... Services in general for adults who have ADHD don't seem to be that great.... There is not enough awareness out there.... I would have no idea where to get diagnosed as an adult for dyslexia and ADHD. So I am basically just shoring myself up mentally with my supplements, meditation, certain kinds of music and physical activities.....