Here we can all be heard for a little while. Part 2

Waves_and_Smiles

Afternoon all! I finally beat my heartburn into submission at dawn so have only just woken up. Still sulking about soy, I love soy.

HBS, this may work or may not. I get relief from bloating by using a teaspoon of bicarb and a peppermint teabag in warm water. However, in some people peppermint makes it worse so be careful if you try it.

Anyone ever tried acupuncture? My GP is an acupuncturist and has suggested that it might benefit me for tiredness and general anxiety. He says he has seen good results for correcting chemical imbalances. He would do it and it would be a free 6 week course, longer than that I would have to pay. I would have set appointment times, only see him so no scary people around and it would mostly involve just relaxing alone in a room while it takes effect. I know absolutely nothing about it and have never considered it. I am not even sure that I believe it works but if the placebo effect does then I won't complain!

elona

WAS

I had acupuncture some years ago for severe leg and foot swelling due to fluid (no cause ever found) and it helped a lot.

My middle dd had awful headaches when she was 17 and referred to a specialist who ruled out scary possible causes and suggested acupuncture so I took her to the person I used and it helped a great deal.

Waves_and_Smiles

Hello elona, thank you for sharing your experiences! I am tempted to try it, I don't have anything to lose. Wussy question, do the pins hurt as they go in? WaS no likes pain!

Izadora

My boyfriend, who is very skeptical of all things which he classes as 'new-age hippy !!!!!!' and terrified of needles, had acupuncture for really bad sciatica and reckons it's one of the best things he ever did.

elona

WAS

The pins don't hurt - the idea of it is worse than the actuality. It is like a sort of "tickle" rather than a "jab". I am the biggest coward going and could not have done it every week if it was painful.

piggles1

Hi all, I hope you're all getting through today ok I wonder if I could ask for some suggestions. This is quite difficult for me and I'll worry a bit I've posted it but I'm stuck with my doctors not really listening.

I had a previous doctor at my old place who didn't seem to take note of anything to do with my mental health except anxiety. I also mentioned to him that I have 'other people' (I think there are some on this thread who have them), and gave him my results from the pottergate centre initial tests and also the sheet for how to refer me to the place where they do assessments, but he put them aside and it was never mentioned again. But I know that having 'others' is something to do with early trauma and that would make sense why I'm so frightened all the time.

I now have a new doctor and my first appointment was good, and I explained the things I'm struggling with like going outside anywhere and I'm very agoraphobic, a lot of distress and anxiety, my fear of everything and how the world feels very unsafe, and the alters/other people do everything. I also have some beliefs that probably fall under paranoia.

I've had all this for most of my life and functioned just about but with several breakdowns. The new doctor agreed that counselling/CBT probably wasn't going to get to the bottom of it and said he'd refer me for an assessment/psychiatrist/psychotherapy so all was hopeful.

When I went to see him for my second appointment my notes had arrived by then and his attitude was different. He seemed to think it was no big deal that I'd have to go to a different town for an assessment, said well it's part of the therapy, and suggested getting the bus. Agoraphobia doesn't mean 'except buses' When I explained that it would be near impossible to get there he said well I can't help you then. In the conversation I also mentioned the 'others' and he dismissed it, said nothing and changed the subject. My medication now says 'anxiety' on it as if that's all that's wrong (I'm on an antipsychotic).

I suppose I'm not sure what to do now and why my new doctor has changed his view. I've been extremely distressed since then and in a way he's made the world feel even more unsafe and against me because he's not listening. The only thing I could think of was to write a letter listing all the things that are going on with me? Because maybe the previous doctor didn't write notes about all of it or has put 'just anxiety'. Or do I wait for the mental health team referral, except the receptionist said I haven't been referred.

Sorry that was really long

PS: WaS my cat had acupuncture and he laid still through the needles going in so they can't hurt else he'd have been all claws!

Pyxis

Hallo Piggles and welcome!

I think it would be a very good idea to write a letter listing all you symptoms. It might also be useful to explain how puzzled you were by the change in his attitude and how that has made you very anxious.

If all else fails, you have the right to view your medical notes, so that you could see what conclusions your previous doctor had come to.

Waves_and_Smiles

Thank you elona and Izadora! After what you have both said I am almost certain that I shall agree to it. My doctor said we would need an initial appointment to discuss what we both feel should be treated because I have a few conditions that he feels could benefit from it but as he can only offer 6 weeks free we need to prioritise. Apparently even my reflux problem could be helped by focusing on my digestion which surprised me.

Hello Piggles! What a cute username!No wonder you feel more distressed, it is horrid not to be understood or validated. I agree with Pyxis, try making a list of all of your concerns and then taking it to your doctor. Sometimes it helps them if they have something concrete to refer to. Are there other doctors in the practice that you could see? My GP is wonderful but another doctor I saw there was completely dismissive of me. It doesn't mean he is a bad doctor, my problems just aren't his field. Sometimes it can take a while to find the right one.

You might need to get a taxi to your initial assessment unfortunately but therapists will come to your home and work with you particularly for things like agoraphobia, I have had that myself. I have also had taxi's funded for me to go to appointments because of my fear of people but with all the cuts these days that may not be possible, it is worth asking though.

A little question for you to muse on only when you feel safe, do you know why you are afraid of being outside? Is it fear without any meaning behind it that just terrifies you or is there something specific that scares you about being out? I am not afraid of being outside at all, but I am terrified of being seen by others. This means that if I lived where there were no people I would go out anytime. My fear isn't of open spaces or anything like that, it is one specific thing. As I live in a busy town on one of the main roads this means I often don't go out for months and if I do it is under a blanket. For me, it all ties in with paranoia. Sometimes pinpointing the fear can give you a feeling of more control, I know specifically what my trigger is but I also know what it isn't. I can reassure myself that being outside doesn't scare me and therefore I learnt that I can go out sometimes when there are hardly any people around.

I have quite a few others with me and we have received therapy so that we can all live together relatively happily. Feel free to ask me any questions that you have about them or the treatment we had, it doesn't upset me to talk about it.

dragonette

WaS, I had acupuncture for several months to help with a physical pain (no cause found, but some sort of issue with my neck vertebrae). The pins dont hurt going in, and some weeks I had 26 of them! Hmm, the one place they did hurt was on the back of the hand between the thumb and forefinger. Its really effective, but they should be able to gauge pain levels and not use it if it'll be too sore.

Oh, they also came in halfway thru the appt to turn the needles. Just so your body doesn't try to heal around them


ETA: Piggles Is there another Dr at that practice you could see? I also have others and we seem to be fairly content with each other atm. That is mostly due to WaS and this thread tbh

Waves_and_Smiles

That sounds doable, thank you dragonette! My GP also mentioned that my neck problem could possibly be treated, as I said I have several conditions that he feels could benefit. So glad to hear you and your others are doing well together, you are so sweet but it's nothing to do with me, it is all down to your hard work communicating with them! How are your physical health symptoms?