MedNexus is a search engine; specifically designed for medical information. It began as a website only accessible for medical professionals, but has now been made available for patients. What sets it apart from other search engines (Google, for instance) is that it only displays accurate and reliable information. The user does not need to sift through pages of irrelevant information in order to get the answers they need. As a chronic illness blogger, I like to keep myself informed on various things to do with the medical conditions that I talk about; whether it is how the condition is diagnosed, treatments available, new research developments, or anything else that may be useful for myself and my readers. I decided to test the MedNexus website, to see how well it delivered on its promises.
Home page
The layout of MedNexus' home page is a very clear one; with easy to read sans serif font. The search box is right in the middle of the page, and I find my eyes are drawn to it straightaway. If you want to go straight to common, chronic, seasonal, or recently searched images, suggestions are available on the same page. They are clearly laid out and organised into columns.
As you scroll down, there's a short description of what the website does; i.e. its purpose. It also states why it is the ideal search engine for medical information specifically.
"For all levels of expertise". This quote implies that there are different ways you can search; depending on what you need to find. It shows how this search engine can work for you; regardless of your level of expertise.
The information on the homepage is laid out in a clear, concise way. It is separated into small, easy to read paragraphs and columns; with a clear subheading for each.
Testing the search facility
I decided to try out a general search then a more specific search, to see how easy it would be to get the exact information I desired. As you may know, one of my medical conditions is Fibromyalgia. I wanted to see how accurate the results would be, if I searched for information on this.
General search
To start off the search, I simply typed in "Fibromyalgia". I found that as I began to type, a drop down menu was displayed; giving search suggestions. Some of these suggestions included "What is Fibromyalgia?", and "How do you treat Fibromyalgia?". I found this a useful feature, as it allowed me to narrow down my search even more; so was more likely to result in quickly finding the answer to a particular question about the condition.
The results could be ordered by relevance or most recent. They are also categorized into "Health topics", "Published research", and "Forum discussions".
Specific search
For this search, I typed in "What are the risk factors for Fibromyalgia?". The same categories as the general search were displayed in the results. The first result I came across was entitled "Fibromyalgia causes"
Looking around the results page, I noticed the left hand side displayed sections entitled "Common risk factors", "Previous searches", and "Explained". I found that these broke down the results and explained them in a less scientific way.
Other links
Other links available on each page include "Home", "About", "FAQ", "Blog", "Privacy", "TOS", "Contact", and links to MedNexus' Facebook and Twitter pages.
I was disappointed to find that when the Facebook or Twitter link is clicked, it opens in the same tab. This could be an inconvenience for people who want to keep a particular page open on the main site. It would be better if these links opened in a new tab or window by default.
Overview
Overall, I find this search engine a very useful one. It cuts down the time taken to search for the information I need, and I do not have to pore through medical jargon in order to obtain accurate and informative answers. On the whole, this appears to be a fairly accessible website; in terms of its clear layout, the font it uses, and how it can be navigated. I am very likely to use MedNexus in future; as I feel it meets my needs much better than other search engines.
What do you think?
MedNexus are looking for feedback, and suggestions on how they can improve. They would like you to complete this short survey to share your experiences on this. I recommend giving this website a go, and seeing if it works for you!
Resources
1. MedNexus Homepage: http://www.mednexus.io/
2. MedNexus Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mednexus.io
3. MedNexus Twitter page: https://twitter.com/med_nexus
4. MedNexus Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2D5ZR58
Friday, 26 February 2016
Thursday, 18 February 2016
We Are Struggling
I seem to be in a constant daze right now, and I'm getting frustrated that I'm unable to concentrate much. There is so much going on, and so many worries, that I'm struggling to cope with it all.
Both my parents and I have various long term illnesses and disabilities. Mum and I can't work, and it looks as if my dad may have to consider giving up work soon too. I feel so guilty that my dad has to do so much around the house. I do try so hard to do more, and I'm nearly always pushing myself too far (out of necessity!). It's getting to a point where we are worrying about the future. How will we manage around the house? Can we afford to keep up with bills? Will any of us be able to do some sort of work?
We have appointments coming up that may/may not provide answers; but in the meantime we are left trying to figure out what kind of support we can get (social care, benefits etc). If anyone thinks a life on benefits is an easy one, they seriously need to sit down and listen to people's experiences. It. Is. Not. Easy.
My parents, friends, and my boyfriend are all so supportive and understanding of my health problems. I don't know what I'd do without their support. They see/read about my good and bad days, so mostly understand how much I struggle and why I'm not able to work. I so wish that certain other relatives could understand that too though. I'm so tired of being asked if I'm back in work yet, why can't I do *insert completely unreasonable job here* etc. They seem to believe that I will recover at some point, and the idea of me never getting better seems impossible to them. I'm sick of having to explain over and over. It's taken me a while to get to a point of acceptance, and I still have times where I get so angry, frustrated, and upset that nothing is improving. I'm just trying to manage the symptoms I'm able to as best I can, and do what I can to enjoy life. That is my way of coping. Of course I read up on any new research I come across, but I need to be realistic and accept that right now all I can do is try to manage my conditions.
Support from loved ones is so important. Educate yourself, listen, do not judge, know that you may not fully understand but you need to accept what we are telling you. It is hard enough to deal with the daily struggles of having a chronic illness.
You may have noticed that I now have a donate button on my blog. If mum doesn't get any more help from her current specialist, we may have to travel to a hospital with more facilities, funding for new treatments etc. This will of course mean more expenses, and I'm not sure how we could come up with the money. I'm terrible at asking for money but I may need to soon. In return, I intend to blog more often and if there's anything in particular you'd like me to write about, give advice on etc, then leave a comment.
Both my parents and I have various long term illnesses and disabilities. Mum and I can't work, and it looks as if my dad may have to consider giving up work soon too. I feel so guilty that my dad has to do so much around the house. I do try so hard to do more, and I'm nearly always pushing myself too far (out of necessity!). It's getting to a point where we are worrying about the future. How will we manage around the house? Can we afford to keep up with bills? Will any of us be able to do some sort of work?
We have appointments coming up that may/may not provide answers; but in the meantime we are left trying to figure out what kind of support we can get (social care, benefits etc). If anyone thinks a life on benefits is an easy one, they seriously need to sit down and listen to people's experiences. It. Is. Not. Easy.
My parents, friends, and my boyfriend are all so supportive and understanding of my health problems. I don't know what I'd do without their support. They see/read about my good and bad days, so mostly understand how much I struggle and why I'm not able to work. I so wish that certain other relatives could understand that too though. I'm so tired of being asked if I'm back in work yet, why can't I do *insert completely unreasonable job here* etc. They seem to believe that I will recover at some point, and the idea of me never getting better seems impossible to them. I'm sick of having to explain over and over. It's taken me a while to get to a point of acceptance, and I still have times where I get so angry, frustrated, and upset that nothing is improving. I'm just trying to manage the symptoms I'm able to as best I can, and do what I can to enjoy life. That is my way of coping. Of course I read up on any new research I come across, but I need to be realistic and accept that right now all I can do is try to manage my conditions.
Support from loved ones is so important. Educate yourself, listen, do not judge, know that you may not fully understand but you need to accept what we are telling you. It is hard enough to deal with the daily struggles of having a chronic illness.
You may have noticed that I now have a donate button on my blog. If mum doesn't get any more help from her current specialist, we may have to travel to a hospital with more facilities, funding for new treatments etc. This will of course mean more expenses, and I'm not sure how we could come up with the money. I'm terrible at asking for money but I may need to soon. In return, I intend to blog more often and if there's anything in particular you'd like me to write about, give advice on etc, then leave a comment.
Sunday, 24 January 2016
Big Changes
It's been a good couple of months since my last post, and I did mean to talk about my progress with the physiotherapy sessions! Truth is, there have been some big (and quick!) changes recently.
My parents and I moved house at the end of last month. Thanks to the letting agent rushing us along, we had less than a month to confirm we wanted the place, come up with deposit, and move in. Even without all of our disabilities, this is a very stressful thing to do! We are still surrounded by boxes, but we are much happier in this new place. It is easier to get round the house, the area is flatter, and the shops, GP surgery etc are nearer. It is a much quieter area too.
I only managed to have one physio appointment before the move, and am planning to ask to be referred to the physio place next door to the new GP's. Hopefully the wait won't be too long. I just want to be able to do a bit more (especially with my dad's health worsening).
The prospect of so many changes has been very daunting, but I'm getting a bit less panicky about it now. Things such as changing doctors, contacting various companies (including the Jobcentre eep!) to change address, the mental and physical exhaustion (not to mention the extra pain) from the move itself, have been very hard to cope with. So many things to consider, my mind has been racing. It is a change for the better, but it has involved pushing myself to my absolute limits in order to help out as much as I can.
Thankfully some of my uncles helped with the move itself. We had removal people come too. Without them, I don't think we'd have managed it!
Since my last post, I've noticed new and worsening symptoms. I put some of it down to overdoing things, but other symptoms have just been strange. I have a couple of nurses appointments, but I do need to make a doctor's appointment at some point. I did mention them to my previous GP, who has referred to them in my notes (hopefully). I'm finding that nearly every time I move my head, especially if turning to the left or right, I get a huge wave of dizziness. At the same time as this dizziness, I get pins and needles as well as weakness in my right hand. This has caused me to drop things suddenly, and has really started to bother me. My co ordination has been off too, and I'm tripping over more often. Now and again, when I get the dizziness, I feel & hear a sort of scratching in my head. It's very unnerving! This may be unrelated, but I'm getting more headaches & my eyesight is getting worse too.
As for the physio appointment, it went pretty well. There were a couple of things I wasn't happy with, but generally I think they understood the kinds of problems I had, and took that into consideration. I've not been able to keep completely to the exercise programme (the move, flare ups etc) but it is at least doable.
I'm sure there were more things I wanted to mention in this post, but I think I'll have to leave it here. I do want to blog more often. I've even wondered about vlogging, but I don't think I could cope with the mean comments.
My parents and I moved house at the end of last month. Thanks to the letting agent rushing us along, we had less than a month to confirm we wanted the place, come up with deposit, and move in. Even without all of our disabilities, this is a very stressful thing to do! We are still surrounded by boxes, but we are much happier in this new place. It is easier to get round the house, the area is flatter, and the shops, GP surgery etc are nearer. It is a much quieter area too.
I only managed to have one physio appointment before the move, and am planning to ask to be referred to the physio place next door to the new GP's. Hopefully the wait won't be too long. I just want to be able to do a bit more (especially with my dad's health worsening).
Thankfully some of my uncles helped with the move itself. We had removal people come too. Without them, I don't think we'd have managed it!
Since my last post, I've noticed new and worsening symptoms. I put some of it down to overdoing things, but other symptoms have just been strange. I have a couple of nurses appointments, but I do need to make a doctor's appointment at some point. I did mention them to my previous GP, who has referred to them in my notes (hopefully). I'm finding that nearly every time I move my head, especially if turning to the left or right, I get a huge wave of dizziness. At the same time as this dizziness, I get pins and needles as well as weakness in my right hand. This has caused me to drop things suddenly, and has really started to bother me. My co ordination has been off too, and I'm tripping over more often. Now and again, when I get the dizziness, I feel & hear a sort of scratching in my head. It's very unnerving! This may be unrelated, but I'm getting more headaches & my eyesight is getting worse too.
As for the physio appointment, it went pretty well. There were a couple of things I wasn't happy with, but generally I think they understood the kinds of problems I had, and took that into consideration. I've not been able to keep completely to the exercise programme (the move, flare ups etc) but it is at least doable.
I'm sure there were more things I wanted to mention in this post, but I think I'll have to leave it here. I do want to blog more often. I've even wondered about vlogging, but I don't think I could cope with the mean comments.
Thursday, 19 November 2015
Exhausted
After months of trying to contact our landlord to get the tiles sorted in our bathroom (they were cracked and falling off), he finally sent someone round! I knew it'd cause some disruption to my sleep pattern, but I didn't expect it to be quite so bad (silly me).
Over the past week or so, I've had to get up and dressed before 8.30am each day. I've not been getting to sleep until 5am on average, so have been struggling so much on so little sleep. I decided I'd get up and dressed, take my meds early and maybe try to have breakfast before going back to sleep for a few more hours. It's been difficult, because of the hammering, drilling etc noises in the bathroom, and my anxiety about having a stranger in the house. I've been drifting in and out of sleep, and have felt even more exhausted than usual. I feel like I've lost so many days, because I've just not had the energy to do much at all. Even conversation has been too much for me, as I've not been able to process well what is being said to me. I doubt I've made much sense when I've replied either.
Thankfully today has (hopefully!) been the last day of this disruption, so I'm hoping I'll be able to catch up on sleep soon. I never feel rested after sleeping (the joys of Fibromyalgia!) but having my, already terrible, sleeping pattern being disrupted, puts me in a whole other level of exhaustion.
Just when you think a symptom (such as fatigue) can't get any worse, it always manages to surprise you!
Over the past week or so, I've had to get up and dressed before 8.30am each day. I've not been getting to sleep until 5am on average, so have been struggling so much on so little sleep. I decided I'd get up and dressed, take my meds early and maybe try to have breakfast before going back to sleep for a few more hours. It's been difficult, because of the hammering, drilling etc noises in the bathroom, and my anxiety about having a stranger in the house. I've been drifting in and out of sleep, and have felt even more exhausted than usual. I feel like I've lost so many days, because I've just not had the energy to do much at all. Even conversation has been too much for me, as I've not been able to process well what is being said to me. I doubt I've made much sense when I've replied either.
Thankfully today has (hopefully!) been the last day of this disruption, so I'm hoping I'll be able to catch up on sleep soon. I never feel rested after sleeping (the joys of Fibromyalgia!) but having my, already terrible, sleeping pattern being disrupted, puts me in a whole other level of exhaustion.
Just when you think a symptom (such as fatigue) can't get any worse, it always manages to surprise you!
Monday, 2 November 2015
Yay!
This is a very short post, to point you towards a blog post I recently wrote for a website. "The Secret Illness" shares people's experiences of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. These submissions really show the various forms OCD can take, and how complicated it can be. This is the first time I've been asked to write something for a website, so I'm very excited about it!
Here you go: http://thesecretillness.com/2015/11/02/amy-25-west-midlands-uk/
Here you go: http://thesecretillness.com/2015/11/02/amy-25-west-midlands-uk/
Thursday, 22 October 2015
Referral and Mental Health Updates
Not a huge amount has happened recently. If I'm honest, I've felt a bit ignored by doctors, therapists etc.
In a way, I've preferred not having therapy at the moment. For many reasons I suppose. Sometimes it's because I've felt able to try and do things on my own. I felt as if things were do-able. Other times, I've not felt ready to go back into therapy. I suppose I've wanted to be left alone (which is strange; considering how hard I've tried to get more support!)
Maybe I worry too much will be expected of me? I'm trying to do things at my own pace, and accept that it's going to take a while. Even on days where I'm feeling more able to go out of the house on my own (for example), my physical health vastly limits what I can do. It feels like a balancing act.
(TW meds & self harm) I'm now on 150mg Sertraline a day, and it seems to be the right level for me right now. I'm having less crises, and even have days where I don't feel strongly suicidal! What I am doing more of though is self harming. It took me a while to realise that it is a form of self harm. I don't want to go into details about it. I tend to do it for different reasons, and I think that it has become a compulsion as well. I've been trying to find distractions, even buying one of those fidget toys on Amazon, but once I start, it is extremely difficult to stop.
It's been 3 months since I was sent a referral letter for physiotherapy. My original post about the Orthopaedic assessment is here . The letter told me to ring a number, and give my name, hospital number, and any dates I'd be unavailable for an appointment. So I rang. The automated message told me to press 1 to book an appointment. I did so, and was told to leave a message with the details they required.
I finally got up the courage to ring the hospital to ask why I hadn't heard anything yet. It turned out, that they hadn't got the message, and I was supposed to wait to speak to a receptionist to book the appointment! I wish this had been stated more clearly in the letter. I also wish they'd sort the damn phone system out! I find it difficult enough to use phones (because brain fog & anxiety). I'd been discharged because they hadn't heard anything from me. I was told to get in touch with my GP, and get re-referred. I said thank you, and hung up.
After the phone call, of course I became panicky. I've been needing physiotherapy for so long, and it seemed to be so hard to obtain an appointment! Mum rang the GP surgery for me, and passed the phone over when she got through to my GP's secretary. I was still panicky and confused, but I had to take the call. Thankfully, the secretary was lovely! I explained my situation, worried that I wouldn't make any sense, but the secretary understood & got it sorted for me. She warned it would be a long waiting list though.
I was expecting another few months wait, but I had a hospital letter come today, with an appointment for the start of November! There must've been a cancellation. The physio place is close to my house, so I should be ok getting there. I've been to that place for blood tests too, so know my way around.
My next post will probably be about my first physiotherapy session. In the meantime, thank you for reading :)
In a way, I've preferred not having therapy at the moment. For many reasons I suppose. Sometimes it's because I've felt able to try and do things on my own. I felt as if things were do-able. Other times, I've not felt ready to go back into therapy. I suppose I've wanted to be left alone (which is strange; considering how hard I've tried to get more support!)
Maybe I worry too much will be expected of me? I'm trying to do things at my own pace, and accept that it's going to take a while. Even on days where I'm feeling more able to go out of the house on my own (for example), my physical health vastly limits what I can do. It feels like a balancing act.
(TW meds & self harm) I'm now on 150mg Sertraline a day, and it seems to be the right level for me right now. I'm having less crises, and even have days where I don't feel strongly suicidal! What I am doing more of though is self harming. It took me a while to realise that it is a form of self harm. I don't want to go into details about it. I tend to do it for different reasons, and I think that it has become a compulsion as well. I've been trying to find distractions, even buying one of those fidget toys on Amazon, but once I start, it is extremely difficult to stop.
It's been 3 months since I was sent a referral letter for physiotherapy. My original post about the Orthopaedic assessment is here . The letter told me to ring a number, and give my name, hospital number, and any dates I'd be unavailable for an appointment. So I rang. The automated message told me to press 1 to book an appointment. I did so, and was told to leave a message with the details they required.
I finally got up the courage to ring the hospital to ask why I hadn't heard anything yet. It turned out, that they hadn't got the message, and I was supposed to wait to speak to a receptionist to book the appointment! I wish this had been stated more clearly in the letter. I also wish they'd sort the damn phone system out! I find it difficult enough to use phones (because brain fog & anxiety). I'd been discharged because they hadn't heard anything from me. I was told to get in touch with my GP, and get re-referred. I said thank you, and hung up.
After the phone call, of course I became panicky. I've been needing physiotherapy for so long, and it seemed to be so hard to obtain an appointment! Mum rang the GP surgery for me, and passed the phone over when she got through to my GP's secretary. I was still panicky and confused, but I had to take the call. Thankfully, the secretary was lovely! I explained my situation, worried that I wouldn't make any sense, but the secretary understood & got it sorted for me. She warned it would be a long waiting list though.
I was expecting another few months wait, but I had a hospital letter come today, with an appointment for the start of November! There must've been a cancellation. The physio place is close to my house, so I should be ok getting there. I've been to that place for blood tests too, so know my way around.
My next post will probably be about my first physiotherapy session. In the meantime, thank you for reading :)
Thursday, 3 September 2015
Latest Psychiatrist appointment
I had my follow up psychiatrist appointment on Tuesday, and it went a lot better than expected! I'd used all the relaxing techniques I could think of & kept telling myself that if it was as bad as the last time, I didn't need to go back.
I usually find the place quite triggering; especially when my Depression's bad. It's probably because (most of) the times I've been there, I've felt as if the staff weren't taking me seriously. I'd had psych assessments there with the Crisis Team a couple of times, & it'd only made me feel worse. No matter what I said, how honest I was etc, the response was always along the lines of "We can't help you. Keep taking your meds, keep doing CBT". It takes a lot for me to ask for immediate help, and you can guarantee I've tried everything else (in terms of self help, self care etc) so to get that response makes everything feel pointless.
If you read my post I'm trying. I'm really trying you'll know that my first psychiatrist appointment wasn't exactly brilliant. I was expecting to see the same person this time, and I suppose I presumed he wouldn't listen this time either. My main aim was to get my words out and at least talk about how the Sertraline was working for me.
My neighbour was giving me a lift to my appointment, but she had to take me there 30 minutes early because of an appointment she had to get to at the same time. This sudden change of plans, although small, made me so panicky & even angry. I managed to pretend everything was fine. I hated myself for the way I'd reacted though. When going anywhere, I have to have a specific plan in my head as to what I'll do, in what order etc. It's supposed to be so I have as little stress as possible, but a change to a plan can have the opposite effect. The psychiatrist's waiting room is quite small, & the chairs face each other (which is really anxiety-inducing when it's busy!) but thankfully the main waiting area in reception is a lot more relaxed; with chairs quite far apart and a toilet that was easy to get to. I worked out the plan that I would wait in reception for 15 mins, I would then give myself 5 mins to use the toilet, and then I could slowly walk round to the psychiatrist waiting area and be there just in time. That way, (if he wasn't running late) it would only be a very short wait. I wore a necklace my best friend gave me, which I used as a sort of "lucky charm". I also brought a bottle of water & my anti-sickness tablets (I tend to get very nauseous when I'm nervous). It turned out that the psychiatrist's waiting room was very quiet, and there was no one in the seats opposite mine. I only had to wait a couple of minutes before I was seen.
The psychiatrist who saw me was a different one to last time (to my relief!). She was friendly, welcoming, and patient with me. It was clear that she had read my notes too, so I didn't feel as if I had to tell her my life story. She asked a few questions about how I'd been finding the medication, what therapy I'd been referred for, how my mental health had been etc. She gave me time to open up about other things (including the self harm) too.
I managed to say a lot more this time! I spoke about how the Sertraline took a bit of the edge off the anxiety and suicidal thoughts, but I felt that the effects wore off very quickly. I also spoke about how I have Diazepam to take as needed. She was happy for me to stay on both meds, and decided to up my Sertraline dose from 100mg to 150mg.
I then spoke about how I'd been finding CBT. It had helped very slightly with some things, but I'd been through my third round and didn't think it fit with my problems. The main thing was that CBT is very much focused on the present, and the past is barely touched upon. The different types of Anxiety I have, the OCD, the paranoia, and I suppose the Depression too tend to go right back to when I was at school. Two major triggering events were the bullying I experienced, and the traumatic abortion that I had, and I needed a type of therapy that would address these things so maybe I could get to a point where I can deal with them better.
The psychiatrist agreed that CBT wasn't really working for me, and she asked if I'd had any other form of therapy. I told her how I'd been told that (with my diagnoses), CBT was the only therapy available to me on the NHS. My therapist would be training in EMDR, so that was something I might be able to have in the future, but I'd not been offered anything else. She seemed surprised about this, and said that she believed I should have Psychodynamic therapy.
We spoke about the self harm in depth, as well as the OCD. She asked me some questions about rituals, and agreed with the diagnosis that I'd been given.
After discussing everything, the plan was that I'd be prescribed 150mg Sertraline and I'd keep taking the Diazepam as needed. She told me that she would write a letter to my GP, and that she'd also get in contact with my therapist to see about other types of therapy (preferably Psychodynamic). She also wants to see me in 3 months time, to see how I'm getting on.
Overall, this was a really good appointment! This psychiatrist made me feel at ease. She was understanding, compassionate, non-judgmental, and I really felt listened to. I have no idea how long the wait will be for more therapy, but to know that I may not be completely limited to CBT is a great feeling!
I usually find the place quite triggering; especially when my Depression's bad. It's probably because (most of) the times I've been there, I've felt as if the staff weren't taking me seriously. I'd had psych assessments there with the Crisis Team a couple of times, & it'd only made me feel worse. No matter what I said, how honest I was etc, the response was always along the lines of "We can't help you. Keep taking your meds, keep doing CBT". It takes a lot for me to ask for immediate help, and you can guarantee I've tried everything else (in terms of self help, self care etc) so to get that response makes everything feel pointless.
If you read my post I'm trying. I'm really trying you'll know that my first psychiatrist appointment wasn't exactly brilliant. I was expecting to see the same person this time, and I suppose I presumed he wouldn't listen this time either. My main aim was to get my words out and at least talk about how the Sertraline was working for me.
My neighbour was giving me a lift to my appointment, but she had to take me there 30 minutes early because of an appointment she had to get to at the same time. This sudden change of plans, although small, made me so panicky & even angry. I managed to pretend everything was fine. I hated myself for the way I'd reacted though. When going anywhere, I have to have a specific plan in my head as to what I'll do, in what order etc. It's supposed to be so I have as little stress as possible, but a change to a plan can have the opposite effect. The psychiatrist's waiting room is quite small, & the chairs face each other (which is really anxiety-inducing when it's busy!) but thankfully the main waiting area in reception is a lot more relaxed; with chairs quite far apart and a toilet that was easy to get to. I worked out the plan that I would wait in reception for 15 mins, I would then give myself 5 mins to use the toilet, and then I could slowly walk round to the psychiatrist waiting area and be there just in time. That way, (if he wasn't running late) it would only be a very short wait. I wore a necklace my best friend gave me, which I used as a sort of "lucky charm". I also brought a bottle of water & my anti-sickness tablets (I tend to get very nauseous when I'm nervous). It turned out that the psychiatrist's waiting room was very quiet, and there was no one in the seats opposite mine. I only had to wait a couple of minutes before I was seen.
The psychiatrist who saw me was a different one to last time (to my relief!). She was friendly, welcoming, and patient with me. It was clear that she had read my notes too, so I didn't feel as if I had to tell her my life story. She asked a few questions about how I'd been finding the medication, what therapy I'd been referred for, how my mental health had been etc. She gave me time to open up about other things (including the self harm) too.
I managed to say a lot more this time! I spoke about how the Sertraline took a bit of the edge off the anxiety and suicidal thoughts, but I felt that the effects wore off very quickly. I also spoke about how I have Diazepam to take as needed. She was happy for me to stay on both meds, and decided to up my Sertraline dose from 100mg to 150mg.
I then spoke about how I'd been finding CBT. It had helped very slightly with some things, but I'd been through my third round and didn't think it fit with my problems. The main thing was that CBT is very much focused on the present, and the past is barely touched upon. The different types of Anxiety I have, the OCD, the paranoia, and I suppose the Depression too tend to go right back to when I was at school. Two major triggering events were the bullying I experienced, and the traumatic abortion that I had, and I needed a type of therapy that would address these things so maybe I could get to a point where I can deal with them better.
The psychiatrist agreed that CBT wasn't really working for me, and she asked if I'd had any other form of therapy. I told her how I'd been told that (with my diagnoses), CBT was the only therapy available to me on the NHS. My therapist would be training in EMDR, so that was something I might be able to have in the future, but I'd not been offered anything else. She seemed surprised about this, and said that she believed I should have Psychodynamic therapy.
We spoke about the self harm in depth, as well as the OCD. She asked me some questions about rituals, and agreed with the diagnosis that I'd been given.
After discussing everything, the plan was that I'd be prescribed 150mg Sertraline and I'd keep taking the Diazepam as needed. She told me that she would write a letter to my GP, and that she'd also get in contact with my therapist to see about other types of therapy (preferably Psychodynamic). She also wants to see me in 3 months time, to see how I'm getting on.
Overall, this was a really good appointment! This psychiatrist made me feel at ease. She was understanding, compassionate, non-judgmental, and I really felt listened to. I have no idea how long the wait will be for more therapy, but to know that I may not be completely limited to CBT is a great feeling!
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