Mental Health Medical History Bias

[tackyspiral]

So lately i have had a couple experiences that have really frustrated me
When you go see a new doctor many times they want a very thorough medical history..... In the past I have always been totally honest.... they also ask specifically about drug history (especially psychiatrists and obsteterics (pregnancy doctors)......... well needless to say my drug history is quite extensive (iv heroin cocaine etc etc) but its all in my PAST that is NOT who I am anymore and I feel that I am sometimes (not always) being pigeonholed into the drug addict category and doctors dont see past it

When i see a doctor i want them to see me for me who i am today not who i used to be.... i really dont like lying (especially when i am clean) but i am to the point that i am questioning if i should lie about my drug history and blame the hcv on a bad blood transfusion as a baby or something..... i really hate lying though i like to be honest but when they put my history down on paper i must admit it does sound bad

Its just soooooo upsetting to me when I get a dr that only sees that stuff.... and let me reiterate i have had doctors who do see past all that and do look at me for the person i am today..... the problem is its a toss up and when i get the wrong doctor its really upsetting

 

[laugh]

imo be straight up honest and if your not satisfied and comfortable with the docs response find another one. there are plenty of docs out there with drug history themselves, or at least sympathetic and open docs. dont waste your time on dickheads.

hope you're well, hows bubs?

 

[tackyspiral]

i am doing well .... everything is coming along good i am huge ....

i guess part of the dr problem has to do with the OB practice i go to has 6 diff docs and you have to see all of them because you dont know who will be on call when baby comes anyway i have seen two of the docs so far and one was awesome the other really really judged me based on my history

the other issue is i would like to get in to see a psychiatrist but there is a 3 month waitlist in the entire state to get in..... and i cant wait much longer than that.... so i need to see the the right one first

 

[Z-girl]

As a medical student and a past drug user/abuser, I have to agree with Laugh - if you're not satisfied with the doctor's response find another one, and there are plenty of doctors out there with a drug history themselves.

The one thing I really want to say is please don't lie to your doctors. What most people don't realise is that every tiny bit of information you give your doctor feeds in some way into how they piece together your case, and impacts on how they decide to treat you. You may think that certain things that you tell them won't matter, but honestly, by changing your story, you are changing how your doctor decides to go about treating you, and you will end up not getting the best result for you.

Be honest with your doctor, tell him/her about your past drug use but that you're now clean and doing ok. They are trained to listen to, and deal with, such stories, and to evaluate people's mental state also, so by being honest about your current state they can simply make notes on your history, rather than using it as a reason to judge you now. If you think they are judging you, then I wouldn't go to them again, if I could help it. You could always tell reception in the practice you go to that you don't want to see a certain doctor, and that you would rather wait for another one to be available.

 

[herbavore]

I think that part of being seen for who you are today is embracing where you came from, holding your head up high and being a part of de-stigmatizing drug addiction. I recently heard a very inspiring interview with a law professor who also happens to have schizophrenia. She said that she spent the first part of her life trying to hide that fact because of the stigma, how people would view her only through that lens, etc. She credited her ability to manage her symptoms so much better now with her refusal to hide her illness from anyone. I can see a parallel with drug use/abuse. I know sometimes it gets exhausting to deal with other people's prejudice but it is always a good opportunity to check in with yourself and see if you have internalized some of their judgment. I had quite a few friends that I met as a new mother that had had IV drug use in their pasts. I had nothing but admiration for them for being open about it.