Assigned New Mh Physcian.

[Mcafee]

Hello All Hope All Is Well. I need your Help on this one I have been assigned another Mental Health Specialist.For reason i do not know why and would not be explained to me.To Start a new is very taxing on oneself to explain yourself all over again because they just do not review past history and it is very cumbersome. However my concerns are this are the two of us going to sit there for thirty min .and stare at each other. This is a difficult subject for me to speak about.Your Thoughts?

[carlie]

Southern,

This is what I found out about her:

1) Where were you born --- She was born and raised in Tampa, Fl.

2) Are you married -- She is married 1X for 25 years

3) Do you have kids - 2 grown children, 1- 20yr, 1-22 yr

4) Where did you go to school -- USF Tampa Campus not Bayboro Campus

5) Why did you go into the Mental Health field - Family member committed suicide when she was a teenager

6) Are you a veteran -- No but her father is

7) Why have you come to work at the VA -- Doing 1 year residency here

8) How long do you anticipate working at the VA -- 1 year and may extend

9) What is your caseload here -- Dormitory inpatients and 4 outpatient clients

10) Who is your supervisor -- Dr. Hay - Female Phy D in Sexual Trauma Program

11) Does it bother you to see so many people crying, FKD-up and depressed - No, states she is very empathetic and wants to help

12) Have you even read our my FU*^#ng records ! -- Some

I also found out:

Her step father who she was very close to died recently and two weekends ago she and her mother took his ashes to the everglades to spread them in his old fishing grounds just as he wanted. It was hard for both of them but the worst part was Misquitoes bit them up terribly and they both had welts. She has just recently finished school and the reason for this is that she had her children first raised them and then she started school. She enjoys yoga and knows that I do not. I will only have sessions with therapist out doors not in their office because I feel it is video and audio taped - no I am not paranoid I just want to ensure my privacy.

As long as it's not raining or too terribly hot she is will to do this - if it is raining I will cancel my session - she said OK.

That's about the extent of our four weeks - oh last week.

We were sitting out by the bay at a picnic table and she asked me to think about something before I answered.

She said lets suppose you are in the middle of the woods and after awhile you got tired of being in there but were afraid to venture out too far so instead of walking right out of the woods you take one little step at a time to see what's out there.

I thought for a moment and told her, no I think I will just stay in the woods and enjoy the safety and quiet of the woods, after being in the woods for a while I realize I will stay longer because there are no people here I am alone and no one can hurt or bother me in here.

If I stay in the woods I can keep control of my life.

She told me she hadn't thought of it that way.

I'm sure ther is some psyco mumbo jumble to her question - but that's as far as we went.

carlie

[rentalguy1]

I hate going to the MH docs. I see a different one nearly each time, except for when I have my regular counseling and pain clinic. I usually just stare at the floor and keep quiet. They wouldn't understand what's going on in my head even if I told them.

[Wings]

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I haven't been back to MH in 2 years, and it hurts, but I just can't seem to get past my fear and mistrust. I'm a non-combat vet, and my experience with the VA shows there is no "glory" in treating female, non-combat vets. ~Wings

[Rockhound]

Ive had four psych docs since being treated continuousy at my VA Hospita. First one went on maternaty eave and didn't come back. She wanted to work part time but the VA said no. Second one turned out to be just a fill in, just to update my meds. Third one also left on maternity leave, but when she comes back, is transfering to gariactirics, working with the elderly's psch problems. I think she is just an intern and is only rotating out from her present type patients. Have had only one visit with my current psch Dr. and I nearly got a 72 hr. forced hospitalization for evaluation when I opened up myself, talking to her about my parnoid thoughts and idealations, telling me the VA is out to harm me, that I should do something to them first. When she started asking pointed question as to any spacific plans or person I wanted to harm, I clammed up like a clam shell.

My next visit with my psch Dr. may well end up with me saying nothing. If they ask me one more time is I think or make plans to commit suicide, my answer may well be yes I think about suicide, but no I do not have any current plans to do so, however if I ever do, I know I won't be going alone, since it will probably be the VA that drives me to it. They have already shown me that they don't care as to the cause of my mental problems, nor have they shown me that they care enough about my past problems, to write down anything definitive as to the relationship with my psych problems while in service and since getting out to give a reason/nexus for my current problems.

Sorry, starting to ramble on. Just don't think your alone about having had several psch Dr's. If it weren't for the fact that I knew two of my psych Dr's were pregnet when they left, I would have believed this was some sort of consperacy the VA Hosp. people had cooked up so they can really screw up our medical files with so many interpretation as to our problems, that any continuity of symptoms would be hard to find and justify a proper diagnosis. Do I need to remind anyone that I believe I am paranoid, but my psych Dr's have yet to believe it themselves. I know the VA system is out to get me so messed up that I will eventually end up locked away someplace, just as assuridly as I know I need oxygen to breath, water to drink, food to eat, and shelter from the eliments in order to survive.

I think I need an extra dose of psych meds tonight, to many voices telling me what to write.

Rockhound Rider. ;) ;) :P :P

[Pete53]

If I don't trust a Doc I am a great conversationalist about the weather, my family and the current cost of pigs and that is about it. For me the best strides I made was in Group Therapy and using the internet,

Anything that you tell a VA shrink ends up in your medical records unless you ask them to speak or talk outside of the record. If the Doc agrees than why not tell them everything that is buried that you remember.

This is my opinion and experience probably not good medical advice but I am tired of dealing with amateurs at the VA

[john999]

I was enrolled in a private group therapy for many years. That is where I got better. I have no idea what VA group therapy is like, but I don't really want to find out since it is a long drive. I was there in ear shot one day of a PTSD group and the cops had to come and drag one of the guys away for screaming. There is a vet center group not too far from my house but it is for PTSD only. I want to talk about my life today, and not relive something 37 years ago. My private group died because the psychologist could not get people who could pay to attend. For people with depression and anxiety group is great. We even had people who were psychotic and they benefited. I did get accused of flying over a person's house and dropping bad Karma on them, but I would live with being the focus of a delusion.