diabetes Depression Compounded

[geb]

Hello, this is my first post here.

I have been treated for depression for a little over twenty years now. I have had various success with therapies and medications and have been essentially stabilized for the past five years.

I left the USAF in '87 and was subsequently diagnosed with chronic depression. I was attending a large and prestigious state university at the time and had the opportunity to be diagnosed and treated by many of the most reknowned mental health and specifically depression-research clinicians in the country. While in college I took the opportuntity to learn as much as possible about my condition.

Approximately ten years after graduating college I found myself unemployed, alone, withdrawn and without many resources. I enrolled in the VA outpatient clinic in my area and was seen and treated by many fine clinicians in the past five years. I was essentially stabilized. The service related aspects of such mental health conditions are, understandably, open to much useful debate -- I'd rather not engage in that here.

About five months ago my primary doctor within the mental health section moved on and I was assigned another. Soon my depression was compounded. This has been the most disspiriting and demoralizing experience I have ever had while dealing with this condition -- and now it seems far from over.

As I noted, I've been diagnosed by some of the most highly regarded clinicians in the country at a world reknowned facility devoted specifially to the purpose of researching and treating depression.

I now found myself under the care of a doctor who took it upon himself to entirely overhaul my profile - in a disturbingly aggressive manner. He told me that I didn't need medication. Fine. I was fully willing to hear him out.

In the course of the next four months he proceeded from one enthusiastic declaration to another -- I was obsessive/compulsive. I was traumatized by something awful in my upbringing. My descriptions of some past experiences suggested to him evidence of manic behavior. I would benefit significantly only (in his opinion) through "two chair gestalt" therapy. I asked what benefit 45 minutes of "gestalt" therapy once each month would do for me and he responded that it was all he could offer. He just made the diagnosis, the rest was up to me.

He was so enthusiastic and excited that I kind of went along for a bit. He finally had me so twisted in the wind that I'd had enough and decided to change doctors. The last two visits with him were actually testy exchanges of wit and sarcasm in which he finally derided me for being stubborn. I was absolutely shocked and astonished by the exchanges I was having with a mental health professional. Im not exaggerating to say that he frightened me a bit. I havn't mentioned yet that he is the head of the unit that comprised approximately eight other doctors.

Now my depression is compounded. In my records now is a diagnosis for Obsession/Compulsion - suggestion of childhood trauma/abuse - manic behavior - and finally, given the testy challenge of wits that concluded our visits, god-knows-what suggestions on his part that I might be dangerous.

This is all complete nonsense from someone who very likely needs a good deal of psychiatric intervention himself. But right now I am truly worried. I have spoken to the patient representative at the clinic and have decided that this mental health unit is compromised enough to me by his presence that I'm moving my primary care to a neighboring city sixty miles away.

I was ready to go back to the patient representative tomorrow and request that any notes and comments contributed to my files by this doctor be removed. This, it seems to me, is only reasonable if I could make a clear case to the proper VA authority. I did some research online and have discovered that this is unlikely to happen. It seems that medical files may be amended but under no circumstances wholly deleted.

This is pretty unsettling. Diabetes, cancer, xrays, major surgeries, medication, etc.. Clearly such concrete and discrete information cannot be amended. But I am now labelled by some loose cannon with an oddly inspired mental heath diagnosis that will stick to me for the rest of my life?

I cannot believe that I have no recourse here at all. If anyone can help me with similar past experience and subsquent success at a remedy I am at your mercy. I am so dispirited by these events that don't know which way to turn.

Thank you very much, sincerely, for this forum.

[cowgirl]

Goofy, by the way, love your avatar! I too wish you could get support - meanwhile, let me add that during my career "personality disorder" never came up either. I did find other "probable" diagnosis's and terminology regards mental health issues in my SMR though. I am preparing to "merge" the data for possible rating clarification. Best to you in finding help, cg

quote name='goofycow' date='Oct 9 2007, 04:37 PM' post='64080']

I can find no one in the VA organization to takem my side. I have written to my congressmean & senator. They defer to VA's spin. Surprised?

The issue of personality disorder never came up during my 20 year navy career.

[allan]

>Something sure does not sound kosher here the way this doctor has changed the diagnosis and your treatment.

For goodnees sake. I had the same thing pulled on me by a VAMC Dr this last June.

What is this, part of the employee training?

Allan

[yoggie2]

Here is what I did to move my care to a Heath Care provider close to home. If you are far a way from VA facility as am I, request you be treated locally due to financial hard ship no car or gas no money this type of issues if you are service connected should not be a big problem. Let doctors say what they may. Loose cannon, I 'm sure you've been called worse we all have.......... Good Luck get the care you need. RC

[Tower_Rat]

Theres a highlighted box that comes up on mine but, they said it was because i used to work for the VA. You can get your records changed if you can prove with prior records that the doctor giving you different (bad) notes. I had to do this when they tried to leave off the fact that I had PTSD. They were slowly taking it out of my files and eventually it wouldve been gone had i not noticed it. I had them amended by the adjutant officer at the VA. Very nice people and helpful to my doctors notes. They told me the Doctor usually will add a note amending them in most cases but, the originals would still be there. I always explain to anyone reading them to turn the page and see the admin notes :). They switched my psychiatrist after that which I was happy. So i know it can be done.