Hey all....

I have a new Pdoc session/interview and I have learned a LOT from here. I was going to mention CrazyBoards, but then I was afraid he would get defensive. So here are some questions:

1. What have you said about CB to Pdoc? How did they take it?

2. Ever get an idea about meds/therapy and bring it up, citing CB? what was the response?

I know that CB is meant to be a support mechanism and not a replacement for a Pdoc. This i know. I'm just curious about how some of you talk about it.

any other funny stories about CB? I know right now that Velvet Elvis is gonna look at a thread of mine about OCD. VE's been through it, so it will be an opinion I value. Do pdoc's get huffy about this? For example, have you ever caught yourself saying in therapy,

"well Velvet Elvis says......"

and gotten a weird look?

I'm so curious......

I mentioned it once, and he was curious, not offended. Now I wish I hadn't. I doubt he lurks here, but I'd hate for him to figure out it was me.

My psychiatrist kind of knows, and definitely knows I research meds and conditions online, but it seems to be a bit of a nonissue. Though if I ever quote Cerberus on depression issues, I know from family experience I can expect a rather quizzical look. (Say the name aloud. Do. Do!)

My occupational therapist knows I'm a mod on a mental health support site, but I'm not sure if I've ever given her the URL.

My psychotherapist knows of CB and also the URL, but he's promised to not go poking around reading posts. He sometimes offers the URL to clients he thinks might benefit from a place which says "if it runs on batteries and isn't sold in sex shops...."


All professionals I've encountered are leery of any conclusions I draw from the internet. They seem to want to be the one to name something or come up with a course of action. This has led to me, six months after telling them what I think the problem is and being shot down, getting REALLY FUCKING PISSED OFF when it ends up being one of my official diagnoses. Would they make up their minds already? Yeah.

Have fun.

yup...this is what i am nervous about.... extending this diagnosis time further because of stupid egos...!!!

I mentioned it once during a group session when I was in partial hospitalization. The nurse's response was to remind the room that they had to be careful with sites on the Internet because not all of them were run by doctors or health care professionals.

I live in a very rural area, and none of my friends here believe I have an anxiety disorder, let alone should I be seeing a p-doc. So I need the support.

My p-doc loves that I come here. I have a very few close close friends that know me very well here. They don't let me get away with anything that would induce my anxiety. It's really great. When I'm down, my friends here are there for me. Without fail.

My p-doc thinks thinks I need support from outside and has kind of marveled at some of the things I have told her about CB. In the very early days, she took a look, but is far too busy to hang here to see what I have to say. I doubt she really cares as I am the same here as I am with her.

When you see the new p-doc, I would mention that you have recently found a great support group of people online. They are people just like you, and you have found friends that accept you unconditionally. Because, unless you have other motives for being here, that's what this place can be for you.

You don't have to tell your p-doc the name of the site. And if you have med suggestions you read here, you don't have to quote where you found them. All doctors know that peole read info. on line now. No big secret. I have told my p-doc things that were on Crazy Meds ( different site ) that she didn't know. No one can know everything. Conversely, she has told me things I have read here are not exactly true. So - it's really up to you, your health, and your needs.

I wouldn't start with a new p-doc with the attitude that all the information you have and need is here. Because it isn't. This is a great support site, and a great information site for meds. But read all the mods disclaimers. None of them are doctors.

Breeze

I wouldn't want to have my pdoc know. I already have a lot of trust/paranoia issues, and that wouldn't help any, to know that he would be reading everything I had to say. Although he doesn't strike me as a type to sit and surf the internet, anyway, so it may not be a problem. I just feel like this is my personal safety net, in a manner of speaking, somewhere where I can vent when I need to, laugh when I need to, and not have to pay $50 to do so. Which reminds me, I should be making a donation...

During a session with hubby's tdoc, I mentioned this place. She was very intruiged and I gave her the URL. Shortly after she became a caterer...LOL

i have mentioned it to my old tdoc and pdoc, in group at my old clinic and to my new pdoc. none of them have seemed the least bit interested. they'll listen to me when i talk about it, but they tend to just listen politely and smile at me like it's 'nice' that i'm doing this thing.

grouse.

oh, that reminds me. i printed out all the posts that i had made on my thread and gave them to my old tdoc and pdoc. they never gave any inclination that they'd read them. i don't regard this as a professionalism issue when i have given them the information for them to read. i regard it as a lack of motivation on their part to learn more about me. i guess it's like giving them homework.

grouse.

I've never told, never hinted at, nothing. I have never had great relationships with my doctors and I always felt that it was never a fact that they needed to know. It isn't something I try to hide. If either of my docs asked me if I ever went to an online support group, I would admit to it, but I am not going to go right out and say it to them.


::EDIT::

I lied. I mentioned it once, if I recall correctly. It was a very quick thing. mentioned an emergency coping mechanism of sorts...

I told my pdoc about it. But a) he's very unconventional in a lot of ways, particularly in that he's not threatened by self-educated patients; and B) I've been with him for 7-8 years and even if he did come here and someone managed to figure out who I was (which I realize is not likely), there isn't much here I wouldn't want him to know (if anything).

thats kinda how i feel about it. this is how i play tricks on my OCD...we have mini wars of tricks on each other.... i will mention CB and be therefore compelled to tell him everything... just in case....

I[m paranoid that my MI team would figure out it is me, especially since I have my pic posted, but it has not stopped me from posting. They know that I have an online mental health support group, and that i do a lot of med research online. But i have not given the URL.

While I[m at it, I[ll confess a partial crush on my tdoc! lol

Loon-A-TiK

holy crap....

My PDoc wants me to stay away from sites like this.. I never asked why but I am sure it has to do with my dx..

I would die if he came across my stuff here... I feel there are variant levels of disclosure..

If I said to DOc some of the stuff I said here( for release , group support, general whining)..He would freak..

So I say things here I never say to him. IE - I want to die (whine) I hate my SIS .. (rage,anger ect)He

would probably have the runs for a week and change all my meds and put me in a ward...

So there is a difference.. MY only safe bet is NOT to say anything...Others can soften the truth to fit..

Frosty

Neither Pdoc or Tdoc really were interested that I come to CB. Neither of them had an opinion or indicated they had any interest in a site like this. They don't visit places like this. I wouldn't care if they did, but they are too busy and have little interest.

One thing pdoc said, there are sites where people talk about their side effects so don't get hung up reading about others' side effects.

Lu

Apparently, I'm more messed up than I thought I was, so my psychologist asked me if I write down or discuss my thoughts and feelings in any way, or with anyone else besides her at all, and that if I don't, it would be a very good idea to begin doing so (I'm guessing so others could help talk me back to reality if I begin getting delusional).

I told her that I have a blog in an online mental health support group. At first, she was apprehensive because she was concerned about my safety. She thought that you guys might be the "We don't need no stinking drugs!" kind of crazies. She also thought that I was using my real name, or that I was giving out personal information about my identity and whatnot too.

"So what kind of people are online there?"

"Oh, you know, Bipolars, Schizotypes, Multiple Personalities, Depressives-those kinds of people"

What kind of advice do they give you?"

"Umm, like if I start wanting to jump in front of a bus again, I should probably check into a hospital, or if I start believing that I'm Jesus, I should probably tell you that"

So, my psychologist knows that I have an online blog in a mental health forum where I express my thoughts and feelings. However, I didn't tell her the name of the forum, or my username-I am paranoid that she would examine my activities here if I gave her more information.

She thinks that my expressing myself here is a good idea. In fact, she is encouraging me to keep annoying you guys with my blogs.

I've mentioned it to my tdoc, but never given the name. I don't think she'd come looking, but the idea freaks me out. Not sure why...don't think I've really posted anything in here I wouldn't be able to share with her...it's just the difference in the way you talk to friends and the way you talk to a professional, even one you feel close to. That make any sense?

Interestingly enough, I just told my pdoc about CB today. After a quick check that it was the "get off the ledge" sort of support rather than the "want to kill yourself? here's a cool way" sort of support, she was glad that I was doing something positive and active in my treatment. I just started seeing her recently after a long time of not taking care of myself, so hanging out here is a big step for me.

I told my therapist and he checked it out to see if it was safe and really like it! He had high praise for it!

I've told him it's really helped and he was all for it.

He doesn't know my online name but even if he did it wouldn't bother me as what I say here I would tell him anyway.

If things come up that I'm unsure of or want advice on I know I can ask him. But I know I can ask here too.

I see CBs as an added resource and as such always question who and where the information is coming from.

As stated on many a forum we're not medical professionals but we are people with experience, understanding, ideas and support

Haawk

My tdoc knows I go to online support forums and that I research everything. She doesn't know about crazyboards specifically, though. My pdoc I don't even mention the internet at all with him. He seems the type that would not want me to use the internet to research. I don't know why, but that's the vibe I get from him. Maybe a superiority complex, I don't know. I do like him though.

Ilike my privacy, so i wouldn't tell my pdoc or tdoc about CB. It's funny, though. My 7 yr. old son watches over my shoulder when i am on this site. So does my so. and I don't like it! I would feel exposed telling my shrinkers!

told my guy that i hang with a bunch of crazy people on a net board. he sez "you are not crazy". he went no further as far as stating an opinion on the matter.
he was however pleased that i had a decent working knowledge of some of the terms, lingo, crazymeds, etc. that i had gleaned from here.
i'll be seeing him next and probably last in a couple of weeks. i wanna lick his face. the man put me back together again.

i just choked on my friggin coffee - you owe me

i would lick the face of anyone who found the right cocktail for me, fwiw. and i don't mean a cosmopolitan.

I don't remember if I told pdoc when I was seeing him, but I don't think so. Mainly because I just didn't get into a lot of details of issues with him. Don't 'click' with guys, I guess! ( know!)

Definitely brought it up w/ tdoc.
I don't use it to offer dx or anything.
Mostly just to describe, sometimes, the interactions and the fact that I am interacting - sort of!
This is my only social life - aside from brief chats w/ grocery checkers!

But one of the things I've noted to her is when I read other posts that reflect some of my thoughts that I can't verbalize well and things that people on the boards indicate they have problems/issues with that I never mentioned beause I sort of thought they were 'normal'.
It has opened up some communication with her.

Also in discussing some of the social difficulties I've had with some "relationships" - even though they were just PMs.

Just normal discussions in yherapy are difficult. In a way, I wish she could go on the boards and see what I said. But if I knew she did it it would effect the things I did in the future.
I actually wish she could somehow watch me all day to see what I do (or don't) because I don't really trust my memory or objectivity and I'm just now starting to bring up things that I do - or don't do - tht I just took for grnted and never mentioned.

Boards are good.