My doctor speaks?

Update: my research obsessed husband just discovered by researching the board this post came from that this is not my doctor. This particular “JM” is a woman. My doctor is a man. Nonetheless, this post has provoked a most interesting comment thread. So I will leave it unchanged.

One of my friends happens to have been mistreated by a doctor in the same practice that my long-time doc who is mostly responsible for the massive cocktail I ended up on. For this reason she knows who he is and lives in the same town he lives in still today. She was wandering through some online posts in a local chat group for psychiatric costumers and came across the below question by someone who is having gross side-effects from the psychiatric drugs that have destroyed so many of our lives. It seems it’s my doctor who responded to this person. His initials are the same and we’re dealing with the same city.

Now everyone can see what I was dealing with. It was devastating for me to read this because I was under what is probably the very misguided idea that my emails to him in which I share my story and my blog might influence him.

This note in response to this poor suffering person shows just how profound his ignorance, callousness and insensitivity was three and a half years ago. I suppose I can hope I’ve made some sort of impact since then. But the likelihood is slim. And now I feel sickened and saddened and wonder if my secrets are even safe with him. He very likely has dismissed me as someone  with anosognosia–a manufactured diagnosis to put people who question psychiatric diagnosis in their place. The definition being: impaired awareness of illness (anosognosia) is a major problem because it is the single largest reason why individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder do not take their medications.

Convenient little diagnosis, huh? The Treatment Advocacy Center claims they can see this “brain damage” in scans. What a load of bullshit propaganda. The cure of course is forced medication which can improve our poor insight.

What a crock of shit, huh? We’d rather not be poisoned by toxic meds so that makes us even sicker than our counterparts who are willing to take them.

Here is the exchange in the email forum.

The “patient” writes:

Not liking the meds for Bipolar II
Sept 2005

I was diagnosed with having Bipolar II a few months ago. Since then I’ve been on Depakote ER and Celexa. I have had it with the side effects that these meds are causing! I’ve also tried Wellbutrin and Topamax both of which I was allergic too! I talked to my Nurse at Kaiser and told her I’ve had enough and want to get off them and try a natural approach, of course she was skeptical about the idea. I have gained 21 pounds in 2 months I’m dizzy all the time and my mind just doesn’t work like it used to I have no energy for anything, it’s all I can do to just get up in the morning. I wasn’t like that before! Frankly I feel worse now then I did before I started taking these darn drugs! I was wondering if anyone knows of a good Holistic Practioner that can help me figure out what do naturaly and safely. I’ve never sought out one and I don’t know what to look for. Also if anyone has Bipolar and are being treated the natural way I’d love hear know what you are taking and how it’s working for you. Thanks, Anonymous

The psychiatrist writes:

“It would be akin to medical malpractice for a doc or nurse practicioner not to strongly recommend meds for you. The problem is that bipolar is a cyclical illness and sometimes when it comes back it can lead to serious life problems ( dropping out of school, relationship problems, incapacitating depression, loosing jobs, suicidal thoughts or attempts) These problems can lead to BIG TIME redirections in your life that you might not want, so it would be best to continue to work with your nurse practitioner to find something that works but isn’t intolerable to you. Maybe ask for a second opinion or a review of your case by a psychiatrist.

Bipolar disorder is a serious illness. Consider it like diabetes- it can kill you.

By the way, even with the best of treatment some folks have recurrences of the depression but these are fewer and milder than they would be if you went untreated ( or used only alternative treatments).

Just my 10 cents and, yup, I’m a psychiatrist. Good luck, JM”

I would argue it’s medical malpractice to assume anything based on such a brief description from the person. Playing doctor in a chat room is more egregious. And thinking your limited experience is all that pertains to someones reality is even a more gross ethical lapse. One paragraph and you’re willing to assume they are better off taking meds that are making them horribly ill? Dooming this person to believing that toxic medications are their only hope is the crime.