True story: my seriously manic son seeks med care; told to come back in 9 days.

[DebJ]

This is the kind of stuff you never hear about behind the news headlines where someone with
mental illness ends up hurting himself and/or others.

I just can't understand this. When my husband or I have a sudden illness requiring a doctor's
attention, our GP's make room in the schedule to see us either that day or the next, depending
upon the time of our call.

But for some reasons the psychiatrists who are treating indigent patients in my son's city
don't feel any need or obligation to do this, nor to even return your calls....they SAY they will,
then they just don't. It didn't used to be that way when he was blessed for over 10 years
with a wonderful psychiatrist who would always make room. She even would talk to him beyond
the 15 minutes Medicaid allows her to bill for. She CARED about her patients.

If my son doesn't get his meds tweaked like immediately, he could continue to escalate, and either
he is going to end up hurting himself or god forbid maybe for the firs time someone else. He should
not have to go to the hospital and be admitted for this; he is proactively seeking help now that it has
been pointed out to him that he needs it. The hospital charges not only rack up the public expense for
medicaid, what the patient has to go through being locked up for days on end is just hideous. And all
completely unnecessary, when his meds could be tweaked through a ten minute or less phone call.

If this jackass doesn't get back to my son today.....and based on past experience, there is no reason to
think he will....I need to start calling people and finding out how the heck this kind of crap can go on.
If the issue however is that there just aren't enough psychiatrists to handle the Medicaid patient load...
something still needs to be done. It makes NO SENSE to pay for hospitilization and for my son to go
through that when it is not necessary. Maybe after I find out the back causes here I should write the
White House, or Biden...want to prevent gun violence by the mentally ill? Then damn it get some docs
into the system outside of hospitals who can make a damn 5-10 minute call.

[cyberswede]

1. Ridiculous situation...

I'm sorry your son has to go through this (and you, too). I wish I had wise words to share.

[Wait Wut]

2. I'm so sorry.

I just had a two hour long conversation with my best friend last nite and her almost identical situation with her son. It DID escalate and became a very dangerous situation for her, her family and her son. She had to resort to having someone call the cops. The outcome was very positive due to some very understanding officers, jail personnel and a county prosecutor with a heart. They got him the help he needed immediately.

It's like this everywhere. Funding for mental health has been slashed to pieces here in AZ (especially my county). An amazing guidance clinic received threats constantly from their neighbors. We have an enormous homeless population and the only solution you hear about is shipping them to CA.

My advice, start making phone calls to the county health dept., local clinics, anyone that will listen. Someone will hear you. Do an online search for support groups in your area. They may be able to find you some immediate assistance.

My best to you and your son. It's heartbreaking.

[dawg]

3. I'm so sorry.

We are still living in the Dark Ages as far as mental health care is concerned in this country. It's a national shame, and we could do so much better.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

4. How we treat mental health

in this country is going to be another big issue very soon. The time has come to get out of the dark ages and recognize that we need to be more aware and responsible.

[orleans]

5. good luck with things--keep us updated. i hope the doc gets back to you today. n/t

[OregonBlue]

6. I've been there so many times I can't even count. I'm so sorry this is happening to you too.

Mental Health is so hopelessly underfunded in this country. My son usually ends up in Jail. At least there, they manage to get him psychiatric assistance and medication management. So sad.

[DebJ]

8. I am fortunate in that my son will go to the hospital on his own accord

many times. Twice I've had to call the police and have them take him there.
By the way, he doesn't live with me; he is in his 30s. We are 90 minutes
apart in two different states.

The problem is the ER can't really do anything except admit you to the psych ward, and the psych
ward won't do anything until they make you stay several days. There is no communication between
the regular psychiatrist and the hospital psychiatrist, and that's not good either.

[OregonBlue]

10. Yes, sometimes the police take my son to the hospital but when he gets very out there, he can

sometimes get aggressive. I know when it's coming and alert his mental health people but we don't have a mental health ward in our small hospital so there is no where to put him. So they just pump him full of drugs and let him go. I can see it coming for a couple of weeks but since the only option is to have him committed to the state facility and since they are already overwhelmed, his doctors can't get him in there either. It's just a disgrace how bad mental health treatment is in this country.

[riderinthestorm]

7. So awful and scary. Like you said, it just doesn't have to be like this

[DebJ]

9. Thanks everyone. THIS time, the doctor called back and a med change was ordered! n/t

[fizzgig]

11. so happy to hear that

med emergencies are awful.

[Wait Wut]

12. So glad to hear!

You deserve a big sigh and a cup of tea.

[libodem]

13. Thank the Goddess

It should not have to be so darn hard to get help. Happy for a reasonable outcome. I worry so about an escalating situation where law enforcement might be required. The outcome can be so unpredictable.

[2pooped2pop]

14. call them back every ten minutes

Perhaps they will get the point that way and take the ten minutes needed to help you.

One time the doctor would not see my son who was hurt. I took him in anyway and demanded he be seen. He was.

[DebJ]

16. My son is good at that....with the bipolar he just CAN'T let go of anything

and he often gets success where no one else would because of that.

After he called the doc office the first time, and they said the doc would call after
a few patients, he knew they'd change their tune 'after a few patients'. So he drove
to the office and sat there, in their face. Then they did change and said at the end
of the day. Wasn't much he could do at that point.

[2pooped2pop]

19. lol

only the squeaky wheel gets greased. Gotta be squeaky sometimes.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

15. I'm through with the American healthcare system

although I don't think it deserves to even be called a system. There are a very few doctors who have patience and a good attitude towards their patients. Those doctors should be highly cherished. By the way, I have never run into an American doctor who will make an immediate appointment, and that covers every kind of specialty. Just this morning I tried to have a word with the nurse in my mother's doctor's office. I asked for 30 seconds of time on the phone. This was at 10"00 o'clock in the morning. I was told to call back at the end of the day because they were busy. Fortunately, I didn't ask for the doctor, as he only is in the office 2 days a week, as he serves on various medical boards of hospitals in an effort to increase his profitability as he attempts to slide his way into hospital management. And he's much better to deal with than my mother's other doctors. Her urologist is truly the asshole of assholes, who barely answers questions when I bring her in and who is one of those many doctors who seems to loathe the sight of the human body after spending many years in practice. Again, cherish those doctors who treat you like a human being and not just a problem to get rid of. But at 64 years of age, having been the caregiver of my mother and other members of my family through innumerable hospitalizations and health issues, I have generally run into asshole after asshole. The first chance I get I will go back to Europe, where I've lived and had experience in their systems, which are much more responsive to the people and in fact afraid to earn the wrath of the people. You can report the doctor to the State Medical Board. The AMA as I understand it doesn't accept complaints but exists for the promotion of physicians and the assumption is always that the physician can do no wrong because they are sacred. It is my experience that in most cases, doctors are no more sacred than attorneys, architects, or engineers and are nothing more than businessmen in white coats.

[DebJ]

17. Seeing a specialist around here does take a few weeks, but our

GPs are outstanding. In fact, one time my husband's GP came in at 10am when his office hours began at 11am
and then spent the entire hour from 10-11 talking to us, answering questions, etc. We were only charged
the usual $25 copay too. We LOVE our doctors.

And they hired two additional people for their staff who do nothing 40 hours a week but fight with insurance
companies who deny coverage on claims for patients. Example: doc tells patient to get a blood test at the
lab right away to see if enyzmes for stroke or heart attack are present so as to immediately administer proper
care. Insurance company: denied....because you are claim number 3 of 3 and that's what they do every 3 claims.
Nurse asks doctor: do we send him to the ER where the insurance co WILL pay or do we fight? Doc said try
a quick fight first so she could take care of her 70 some year old patient herself ASAP. They got the insurance
co to change their minds. This costs my docs a fortune....2 full-time people to do nothing but fight BS.

[DebJ]

18. Hubby was treated at an ER near Juan le Pain (spelling?) in France.

Wonderful. 3 guys in the back of the ambulance chatted about ER and George Clooney who they
loved, using perfect English. Laughing, smiling, making the patient relaxed.... good medicine.

In the ER: what is your name and condition? Okay let's get you to a bed. What meds do you take?

Instant service. Zero people in the waiting room in the middle of the summer at a resort.

After his care a nurse who had been on duty til midnight drove 25 km out of his way to take us back
to our hotel (trains had been stopped due to fire on the tracks...during the drought/heat in 2003).

No bill. Just treated like a human being with dignity and top notch care. Surreal.

[grasswire]

20. suggestion: write Mrs. Obama or Mrs. Biden.

The chances of getting through seem higher.