Prejuicio/desprecio 'es solo ansiedad'.

Salud mental
1

Hey everyone!

I've had anxiety symptoms for a long time, but more recently I have suffered from panic disorder.

I feel like with CBT, I have really started to get a good grasp of my panic attacks and am more equipped to know when I am having one, and differentiate between panic attacks and other ailments. In short, I feel that I have improved greatly. Diet and fitness makes a difference, too.

I know from experience that with anxiety disorders, it is often a blurry line between physical medical conditions and mental health. Anxiety can cause a range of things from headaches to nausea to IBS to muscoskeletal pain. These conditions on their own can, in turn, cause anxiety.

However, in the last few weeks I have become rapidly ill with very real pain that is not related or linked to my panic symptoms. (My panic attacks barely visit me once a week nowadays). I have excruciating shoulder and arm pain/weakness and really bad digestive pain, as well as trouble breathing.

My doctor, based on my first complaint, seems to think it is a spinal nerve problem(getting tests!). However, each time I develop a new symptom in conjunction with existing ones, or something gets rapidly worse, I am treated like I am a befuddled, uneducated fruitcake, and gently told that it must be my anxiety causing the additional symptoms.

I feel like the doctor has decided what is wrong, and everything I bring up after that point is me being a hyperchondriac. It is frankly a little insulting, as I know my body, I know all the little things it does, I know when it is reacting in anxiety, and I know that this time, something really is not right, and the symptoms are changing. I know I'll find out, but I have a feeling that if I'd never mentioned my anxiety, I might be finding out much quicker and with much less doubt and dismissal.

Which brings me to this:

I feel like now more than ever, when a patient tells of an anxiety history, doctors are a little too quick to dismiss symptoms without real consideration or investigation, simply because a symptom happens to fit into the anxiety category.

On the flip side, I think the heightened awareness of mental illness in medicine is a great thing - but in some cases, it might cause patients who happen to suffer from anxiety to be overlooked, and wrongly dismissed when, in reality, there is something medical that needs to be addressed.

Does anybody else feel like they are brushed aside too quickly, and given a blanket treatment because of their history of anxiety? Have you ever tried going to a new clinic and omitting the fact that you suffer from a mental illness?

Sometimes I feel like I want to hack in and delete all my medical records (I jest).

Xx

2

Hola Vivie... Me diagnosticaron perimenopausia hace dos años tras una serie de ataques de pánico. Mencioné mis problemas con la ansiedad de por vida a la enfermera practicante. Desde ese momento, no creo que escuchara nada más de lo que dije, y la escuché más tarde riéndose de mí en el pasillo con una enfermera, diciendo que era "solo ansiedad" en un tono condescendiente. Así que sí, estoy de acuerdo contigo sobre sentir que te ignoran... definitivamente sucede.

3

I was wrongly diagnosed. My doctor thought I was a hypochondriac because I kept telling him I had a thyroid problem. Years later, I have Graves' disease, multiple nodules in my thyroid and I am very sick from it. I am on sertraline for my anxiety and I'm trying to cope with it all. The fact is, if my doctor payed attention to my symptoms instead of my "borderline blood test", I may have not gotten this disease.

4

i am going to reply as the type of person that I am, not to suggest what you should do. I am a strong, in your face person. If a doctor dared dismiss me like that, I would go to another, and not mention anxiety. Again, this is my personality type talking.

Do whatever you need to do to help yourself. I read your post carefully, and believe you when you say you know your own body. I feel exactly that way, and have had to make that point to many doctors over the years. I either convince them, or go elsewhere. When I move, and go to a new clinic or practice, I tell them when making the first appointment that I want a doctor who will listen!!!!!

I was told recently by a doctor that i was my own best advocate. i say to everyone here, we all deserve the best available care, and sometimes we need to move on to get it.

5

So sorry to hear you were treated like that - I feel like there are a lot of other people who get treated with the same dismissive attitude. It actually makes the anxiety worse - feeling like your problems are being completely ignored! Hope you are doing well x

6

Wow, that is so frustrating - totally a case of negligence. It amazes me how many people say the same thing about not being taken seriously because of a mental health issue. Hope that you are coping better with the disease, sending good vibes x

7

I think that's a great way to be - I'm sure your strong willed nature has gotten you results quicker than you otherwise would have. I'll definitely try to be more persistent, I really want to put an end to all the stuffing around! Thanks for the advice x

8

Thanks vivie! I am handling it as best I can. I certainly find this forum great and a lot of comments have helped me. I hope that I have also helped some people on here with my words. Support means everything!!

9

Rara vez, si es que lo menciono, estoy ansioso. Si lo hago, lo basaría en las dolencias que tengo. En realidad, después de notar inicialmente lo que me aflige, me quedo callado y dejo que el médico me examine. Sí, puedes y te perfilan. Aprendí eso estando del otro lado de las cosas, trabajé en una tienda óptica en mi adolescencia y el optometrista me dijo y me mostró en los gráficos donde hacen pequeñas abreviaturas. Por lo tanto, nunca caí en esa trampa. No había computadoras entonces para conectar todo, así que creo que podrías cambiar fácilmente de médicos y listo. Ahora, muchas compañías de seguros y médicos más grandes se conectan a través de Internet. Así que mi consejo es que, de ahora en adelante, no lo menciones en absoluto. No anotes una página larga de síntomas o quejas y no hables demasiado durante el examen. Puedes anotar que tengo la ansiedad bajo control, todos pasan por esos momentos, el mío está bien ahora. Escucha, ni siquiera tienen una maldita idea de lo que se sienten estos ataques de pánico en absoluto. Si lo supieran, te abrazarían al entrar a la oficina por tu valentía de vivir de esa manera. Así que esto se puede deshacer, lo ven como algo de locos... digan que pasó. Uf. En serio. Nunca he ido a un hospital en mi vida por un ataque de ansiedad, los míos son diferentes, pero sí los tengo, sin duda, solo sé de dónde vienen la mayoría de las veces, pero sé que muchos no. Esta información está en tus registros hospitalarios también. Te perfilan, pero es obligatorio por el juramento de la profesión y las reglas del seguro realizar ciertos exámenes. Así que recibes la atención médica que necesitas. Cuando tienes una dolencia, si crees que no es por ansiedad y sí, hay formas de saberlo, solo anota la parte y di qué pasa con esto. Ellos tomarán nota a partir de allí.

10

Gracias, Vivie. Me siento terrible por cualquiera que experimente esto al buscar atención médica!

11

It may be strong will, but it is also my determination to take care of the only person I will spend every moment of the rest of my life with!!!Really think on that, dear Vivie. It will change your life...for the better.    Big hugs.

12

Cia, no podrías haberlo dicho mejor, y yo también necesito reflexionar sobre eso... Doy por sentado mi cuerpo. Pensarías que tener una enfermedad crónica y pasar por todo lo que he experimentado en la perimenopausia hasta ahora (muchas visitas al médico, pruebas, procedimientos ambulatorios, cirugía) me habría enseñado... pero no. Pero tienes razón: ¡Yo soy la única persona que estará conmigo toda la vida! Nunca lo había pensado de esa manera antes. ¡Gracias por ayudarme a ver la realidad!

13

You are very welcome, Elizabeth. If I remember correctly you helped me when i first came to this forum?

I learned that lesson through a story about a man who came from Long Island into Mahatten (long haul) to return $1.19 to a store that had given him too much change. When asked why he came such a long way to return so little, his reply was, " I decided I didn't want to live the rest of my life with a petty thief."  True story!!

14

Sí, nos hemos ayudado mutuamente.  😊