Ocassionally when my brother Tom is experiencing a physical ailment (not related to his emotional issues), I sense that the doctor is skeptical of what he is telling him. Why, I think to myself, does the doctor seem to attribute his ailments to his mental dis-ease? Afterall, people with mental illness can also suffer physical ailments aside from their mental diagnosis! Unfortuanatley some doctors don't seem to view the world this way. Well, my brother did end up with an acute appendicitis and spent 1 whole week in the hospital. He had been complaining about this pain but nobody seemed to listen. Shame on us and let this be a lesson about the nature of doctors and perhaps families alike to gloss over complaints from people struggling with mental illnesses.
I am always grateful for the people like Beth Mchugh who take on the medical establishment for the way they sometimes treat and mistreat people who are already diagnosed with mental illness. In her article "Does Your Doctor Not Understand Mental Illness", Mchugh lets us know this is NOT ok to be treated like a "mental case" when there are real ailments lurking behind, despite the diagnosis of mental illness.
In this day of HMO's and hurried care, be aware that this may happen to your loved one and don't buy into it. Advocate for your family member and don't believe that "it's all in her head". Change doctors if necessary. Above all, don't ever settle for a doctor who is not respectful, open and willing to suspend judgment to give you the best care your loved one deserves.
So the challenge for this week is to really listen and tune in the next time your affected family member is telling you something. It could be life saving!
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