Ignorant doctors and nurses?

[Frogs88]

So, I've recently been in hospital, I've had chronic throat problems over the last three months and my throat swelled up so badly I couldn't breathe or talk.

The thing is, I had panic attacks when at the hospital and I have to say that people in the medical profession seem to have no idea how to handle them, I was shouted at, because I was curled on the floor after having uncontrollable shaking a nurse threatened to call security. Then when I'd been in for a few days I had a panic attack whilst waiting for a diagnostic, the doctor said she'd be back in 20 minutes and that I could have some propranolol to calm me, 2 hours later no propranolol and no doctor, so I panicked. I agreed with a nurse that I'd calm down and try again, but this doctor came in and did this whole speech about them not being able to accommodate my limits and that my throat problems were all just related to my anxiety. Given this I tried to leave, but another doctor wouldn't sign me out because they thought my throat was in real danger of closing up again, and that there could be permanent damage to my voice box. So - first Dr had basically just been throwing a hissy fit, I left hospital in the end with a load of antibiotics and follow up appointments, but they caused a fuss, and the doctor shouted at me as I was trying to get my prescription, my partner had to walk her into a different room and tell her to calm down.

My point here is,
Has anyone else felt discriminated against and badly treated in a hospital, I'd love to know your stories and points of view.

 

[Deleted member 44517]

Yes. And I'm a nurse.
I think that makes it worse sometimes. I know what staff should be doing and I know I am being judged incorrectly.

If I explain my problems too well. If I use clinical language people suspect that I'm drug seeking. If I explain that I have PTSD, they assume EVERY symptom is psychosomatic. Even allergic reactions to many drugs. "That rash all over your chest and the ringing in your ears, that's just anxiety."

I f*cking hate healthcare sometimes.
Doing what I can to change it from the inside.

 

[bento]

doctor came in and did this whole speech about them not being able to accommodate my limits and that my throat problems were all just related to my anxiety. Given this I tried to leave, but another doctor wouldn't sign me out because they thought my throat was in real danger of closing up again, and that there could be permanent damage to my voice box. So - first Dr had basically just been throwing a hissy fit,

That is really awful Frogs88, I am very sorry you had to experience that. Some doctors end
up causing more harm than healing. It makes it hard to reach out and seek help for health
care needs.

And *Sigh* Oh yeah. I can relate unfortunately. Not with strictly PTSD expressed symptoms,
rather just with expressing anxiety and asking one or two sentence questions surrounding
that anxiety. For instance, I had major surgery and when the surgeon came
in to change dressing, I was faced with a drainage tube and fluid everywhere(I'll avoid describing
but gross). I had no idea I still had a hole in my abdomen and a tube (thought I was sewn up) and so
expressed some shock. The surgeon was completely furious and very angrily told me everything looked "beautiful". I was 12.

Had two very esteemed Drs throw bonafide temper tantrums before invasive procedures. I was
asking some very straight forward questions they didn't want to deal with: one about whether
my physically demanding job was possibly a factor in some concerning symptoms during
pregnancy, which was being angrily denied by Dr. (I ended up being hospitalized with pre-term
labor and almost lost daughter) and two about whether injesting some indigenous
hallucinogen could have caused a severe digestive issue. This Dr. was a rabid just say no
anti-drug type and pitched a very scary conniption fit. Never really answered my one sentence
but somewhat anxious question, instead he stated I deserved all the pain and distress I was experiencing. And that he predicted I would likely have condition forever. Nice.

So without even stating PTSD, showing anxiety and "non-compliance" (i.e. asking unwanted
questions) led to abusive behavior on part of Dr.s My impression is that Dr's are so busy
and that some of them have such inflated egos, they expect a supplicant/master relationship
instead of a client/service provider relationship.

As for emotions? Anything running the gambit from nonchalance to stoicism will do. Anything
else you're feeling you might want to check at the door. I have invariably been blown off when
I bring up PTSD and symptoms. It's like the twin boxes of psychosomatic and crazy get
checked off simultaneously and once that filter gets snapped into place, everything gets fed
into check with mental health.....Next!

So don't blame yourself or allow any toxic shame to creep in. You've experienced a lack of
professionalism and empathy. Their lack not yours. So sorry again you had to go through
that. :(

 

[Deleted member 541]

Yes, many times. But the truth is, we do need them, so we have to find a way to work around this. Find a new hospital, find New drs, do what you have to do.....

 

[Deleted member 37085]

So sorry @Frogs88 you experienced such indifference, apathy, and unprofessionalism. I have experienced same and although I know that there are caring and healthier docs, etc. I do not trust any of them. No. I check, double-check, and triple-check their dx, rx, and overall care of me now. I have reason not to trust them and there is not enough time and space for me to share my horrific and harrowing medical nightmares here. I care. So sorry.

 

[bento]

@Frogs88 I should add that don't give up though. I've also met a bunch of really lovely care
providers as well. They're out there. When it comes to health care it really pays to be a picky
consumer. Good luck with your next doctor!! Hang in there.

 

[biaaw677]

So, I've recently been in hospital, I've had chronic throat problems over the last three months and my...

This kind of in-patient experience, where doctors, nurses and other allied healthcare professionals treat people with CPTSD badly, has been a common reoccurance for me for my entire life.
A few years ago, I had an ocassion when my t was specifically funded to both support me with my in-patient triggered CPTSD symptoms, and to explain to the hospital staff how best to handle my triggered CPTSD symptoms. The outcome of this additional support was mixed. The problem is that either most hospital staff did not want to hear the therapists recommendations, or the hospital staff were so ignorant or bigotted about mental health conditions they ignored the therapists advice.
Nowadays, most UK NHS hospitals have a liaison psychiatrist service whose role it is to help the hospital staff deal with patients, who besides having a physical condition that is the reason for them being hospital, also have a mental or psychological disgnosis. The problem with liaison psychiatrists, in my experience, is that they too have little knowledge and awareness of CPTSD. So the result of input from a liaison psychiatris just makes matters worse.
Certainly in the UK NHS system there is little compassion, even for those who have only one physical condition. There have been staff training schemes to improve this, that were initiated after terrible poor care incidents such as where staff attitudes and insufficient staffing levels caused numerous deaths. In one hospital trust, in Staffordshire, staff were so neglectful that elderly patients had to soil their beds and drink water from flower vases because nobody bothered to either answer their nurse call buttons or give them fresh drinking water.
What you experienced about how your CPTSD condition was seen, is a similar experience that many with additional physical conditions experience. Few acute general hospital wards have the the compassion, understanding and time to properly consider longstanding needs such as Multple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone Disease, Spinal Injury paralysis, Congenital Blindness etc.
The lack of compassion, knowledge, and time in NHS services to consider a person's comorbid other diagnoses such as people with CPTSD or many other mental health conditions is just part of the same thing. The problem for people with CPTSD is that the lack of compassion, professional ignorance and lack of time, is rightly identified as us being exposed to new trauma injuries - ones which we have not yet been able to process into words, but which we feel emotionally, and which also trigger re-experience of our other past trauma injuries.