Imposter Syndrome

[Sunshine]

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Many of us go through this,
Doc #1 said I didn’t have MS, just stress
Doc #2 said my breathing problem was hypochondriac. Turns out it was pneumonia
Doc #3 said my chronic cough was just a bad habit. It was CVID creating lung inflammation.

[Virginia]

Yes BBS I hear you!

My long time (25 years) Doc said it was a seasonal thing with me, because I didn't see him enough for there to be anything really wrong. Then told me I had peripheral neuropathy. And on and on it went.

[Catdancer]

I'm sorry you had to experience this. In my case, back in 1983, I went to the neuro, he ran so e tests, I had a spinal tap, and when the results came back, it confirmed for him what he expected, upon watching me walk across his parking lot: I had MS. Unfortunately at a hat to e there was little they knew to do to treat it, except steroids...

[funnylegs4]

I absolutely hate when doctors write off physical symptoms as mental illness. Writing off people's biological and physical problems can even lead to the death of the patient when it is assumed to be mental. I know there is a mental aspect to things, I know about placebo, but it just seems to me that doctors tell us we have anxiety when they should be honest and say "I do not know the cause of your physical problem".

[agate]

funnylegs, I've been puzzled by that for a long time too--why doctors can't say they don't know. In fact, when I run across a doctor who does say that, I'm liable to decide right then and there that that doctor is one of the better ones.

I think it's that they get a lot of intensive training, and after they're out there being doctors, they feel they ought to have all the answers. Maybe they're even afraid their patients won't respect them enough if they don't at least seem to know all the answers.

So they never say they don't know. They always come up with an answer. If they said they don't know, they'd probably have to write that down in their chart notes on the patient too. Their colleagues would see it, their staff would see it. They'd look like ignorant fools.

To me this seems a ridiculous way to think but--let's face it--doctors are people with their insecurities. The intensely competitive struggle they've had to go through in med school probably feeds on those insecurities, makes them worse.

[Virginia]

My long time Doctor that I mentioned above told me one time that I was depressed. I told him I wasn't. He gave me 25mg amitripaline (sp). He said "You listen to me and take this". I took one on a Friday night and didn't get up until about 4:30 following day. I went out in the yard where my husband was working and he looked at me and said don't you ever take another one of those pills. He said you are not depressed. I would know if you were. I assured him he didn't have to worry. I think he told the Doctor because the next time I saw him he came in the room and was chuckling about him knocking me out. My legs remained weak until Sunday.

[Sunshine]

Better the doc floats the idea that patient is depressed and asks if they want a referral to a psychologist than reaching for Rx pad, IMO.

When I see my doc, I purposely now act upbeat. Last time I was sad at the crippling turn of events. Big mistake.