Psychological Eval-

[LOA]

Hi everyone, I had a psychological consult yesterday, my first. I was diagnosed with depression by my doctor several years ago and have been on antidepressions but was never sent to the psych. It is/was believed that my depression is due to my medical conditions and poor health. My psych did a history of my life and then talked about treatment.

Here is my concern: She had me read about Energy Medicine by Donna Eden, and said this will be the bases for our treatment when I see her next time. Has anyone ever heard of this and If so can you please give me some insight on it. I have read a lot of material on it and It appears like witchcraft or it is all in your head medicine. I am thinking about not going back because of this. I know none of us are doctors ( or at least most of us) but I am not asking for medical advise, just friendly advise as I know alot of you have been dealing with issues like this alot long than I have and have been very helpful to us young veterans. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[LOA]

Yes Larry, I have Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lower Back Pain (DDD which resulted in a disc replacement) with radiating pain, IBS, headache syndrome and several other illnesses which cause me pain daily. They are all service connected.

My doctor wrote the depression is due to these illness and this is what I told my psych. and I thought she was going to help me through this and maybe this Energy medicine will help but I am really worry about it. The more I think about the treatment the more depressed I get. Kind of like every time the doctor said he would send me to a pain clinic to learn to live with the pain. It has taken me over 10 years of treatment to finally be diagnosed and begin treatment for some of my illness.

[john999]

99% of medical doctors treat depression with medications. Depression is very treatable with medications and I can't see why the VA should be using this weird treatment method. You should be seeing a psychiatrist at the VA. Even people with chronic pain are often given an anti-depressant. Are you trying to prove a connection between the depression and the service connected chronic pain?

[LOA]

John I am trying to prove connection between chronic pain and depression, the service connection is already in my SMR. I am also trying to get a correct diagnosis (mild depression, moderate, severe or anything else). I am on medicine and for the most part it does help, but I thought understanding and trying to get a handle on the depression would also help.

Larry, what you are discribing is what I am afraid of-- someone asking me to close my eyes and focus on the bad energy, Like yoga and telling me to focus on liking myself. I like me just fine, I just hate feeling like I am 80 years old when I am in my 40's. I want to run and play and have fun like all the other kids. I guess I was expecting something else from the psyc. I don't want to go to an AA meeting disquised a "Pain Management Group" and tell everyone I am a veteran and I am in pain.

[Pete53]

I used to walk by the pain management clinic on the way to mine in Dallas until we got Valet Parking. B) Now I don't but there were never more than 2 or 3 people there and they were almost always in wheel chairs or walkers.

I doubt if I would be up to a weekly visit to the VA to play in a fantasy world just to get pain meds. For those that need them its a shame that they have to do a VA tap dance to get them.

My clinic always asks what I rate my pain at and I always answer 7 and they put it in the computer. I hurt in the morning and if I sit or lay down it takes me a little time to start moving again. My back hurts most of the time and sometimes my neuropathy in my legs and feet hurt like hell. I take gabapentin which really helps me and 1 oxycodine when I go to bed. I don't think the children's aspirin I take for heart helps but I take that at night.

If the VA won't give me the meds I need I will get them somewhere else but so far I am satisfied with the fact that my Doc has always either given me what I ask for or explained to me why not and I was ok with her explanation.

As far as the people on this Board who need more pain medication I say why not? Its not like we have a job that would put other people in danger if we took some pain medication.

Sorry for my rant and I apologize to Larry especially cause I really don't see why you have to go to the VA once a week to listen to some airhead. I have never seen my pain leave out my fingers cause I imagined it but I do know that one oxycodine relaxes me and I feel it within seconds of taking it.

[tssnave]

LOA - you said you were going to an Army Psyc. at Army hospital for your VA claim. Did you mean psychologist or psyciatrist?

Either way, the book that is the "basis" for your "treatment" was written my a massage therapist!! Yea, her psychologist husband helped out with the book but Amazon.com considers it "alternative" treatment. I'm like Larry - if I have any "energy fields" that I have a headache I pull out the Excederine and not "For instance, if your head aches or feels clouded, energy may be stagnating there, so do the "crown pull" to release it. The book gives a detailed description of how to do this and other energy-fixing exercises, and provides time estimates and illustrations for doing the maneuvers."

I'd be for getting another shrink.

Just my opinion.

Good luck with your claim, keep us posted on your progess.

Thanks,

TS

[cowgirl]

Are all the VAs going to whats'yer'pain ratings of 1-7? used to be 1-10, just curious. cg

I used to walk by the pain management clinic on the way to mine in Dallas until we got Valet Parking. B) Now I don't but there were never more than 2 or 3 people there and they were almost always in wheel chairs or walkers.

I doubt if I would be up to a weekly visit to the VA to play in a fantasy world just to get pain meds. For those that need them its a shame that they have to do a VA tap dance to get them.

My clinic always asks what I rate my pain at and I always answer 7 and they put it in the computer. I hurt in the morning and if I sit or lay down it takes me a little time to start moving again. My back hurts most of the time and sometimes my neuropathy in my legs and feet hurt like hell. I take gabapentin which really helps me and 1 oxycodine when I go to bed. I don't think the children's aspirin I take for heart helps but I take that at night.

If the VA won't give me the meds I need I will get them somewhere else but so far I am satisfied with the fact that my Doc has always either given me what I ask for or explained to me why not and I was ok with her explanation.

As far as the people on this Board who need more pain medication I say why not? Its not like we have a job that would put other people in danger if we took some pain medication.

Sorry for my rant and I apologize to Larry especially cause I really don't see why you have to go to the VA once a week to listen to some airhead. I have never seen my pain leave out my fingers cause I imagined it but I do know that one oxycodine relaxes me and I feel it within seconds of taking it.