In a message dated 5/28/2004 10:39:33 AM Central Daylight Time,
jenbuzz72@... writes:

<< but maybe you haven't been to some of the quacks that we have. I am in my
30s and I have definitely left offices before in the middle of an
appointment. Many of the psychiatrists out there should not even be allowed to
practice
medicine. >>

Jennifer:

No, I probably haven't been to some of the "quacks" you have. But I have been
to people who have not given me the treatment that I thought was appropriate,
I've also been accused of trying to score speed, etc. I have said things that
were taken out of context, etc. And I got mad and frustrated. And that helped
no one, especially me.
I have also been to people who knew nothing about ADD and I had to educate
them. I never went back, but maybe they learned something that helped the next
person who walked in. It really doesn't matter what they think. The Chicago
area is filled with doctors who know about ADD and are willing to treat new
patients. Picking someone out of a phone book or out of an insurance company
list
is the only sure fire way to be disappointed in treatment. The patient has to
be the one to do the research into the doctor; where did he/she go to school,
what professional organizations do they belong to, are they published, are they
affiliated with a teaching hospital, do their peers "know" them? The list of
questions that need to be asked, and answered, is long. But it will save a lot
of misery in the long run. Resign yourself to the fact that you may have to
pay, and pay dearly, for treatment. If you don't pay much, then consider it a
bonus.
I have been a human guinea pig for every available type of medication it
seems, from those so called "natural" treatments like St. Johns Wort to
Methamphetamine. Try telling a doctor that you'd like to try Methamphetamine
after
he/she's been inundated with newspaper articles and TV commercials about how
"bad"
that stuff is for people if you'd like to see what frustration really is like.
But yet it's an approved treatment for this condition.
Only after 10 friggin years did I finally find the medicine and dosage that
works with little or no unpleasant side effects. I have spent well over $25,000
out of my own pocket to get a bottle of pills that cost me $180 a month.
Looking back, there was an enormous waste of time involved and I could have done
things differently but hindsight is very clear. But the feeling, the clarity,
that one has when the proper treatment and medication is achieved makes it all
worth it.
Because someone doesn't know something about a certain condition does not
mean they shouldn't be allowed to practice. Psychiatry is not an exact science.
Diagnosing ADD is even less so. I was required to bring in report cards from
grammar school which was 25 years before I saw the doctor, luckily my parents
kept them otherwise I'd still be looking for them, and my diagnosis was 10 years
ago.
Part of determining a condition is based on what the patient tells the doctor
about his/her history and how the patient acts in the office. Being polite
and respectful in spite of how one may feel about the doctors ability to
practice goes a long way towards achieving the end result, which is treatment
and or
medication.

I think it's unreasonable to expect every doctor to know everything about
every condition. That is why there's organizations such as CHADD, this list,
etc., etc. We are here to help weed out the unnecessary setbacks that are bound
to
happen due to a wrong choice in doctors.
Because someone is allowed to practice medicine doesn't mean that they know
anything about ADD. Nor does it mean that they shouldn't be allowed to practice
because their specialty is not ADD.
Setbacks are a way of life when trying to get help for this condition. And
there can be few other groups of people that are less able to cope with the
setbacks and frustrations than us. Been there, done that, supported both the
profession and Walgreens.
Kind Regards,

Ron