As a woman with several common, but little known complex chronic illnesses, being believed by a Doctor is always a challenge. Getting actual Medical Care, an even greater one.
To better explain, let me tell you a Story. About a Woman, a Knife and a Psychologist. But first, some background.
Recently, during a visit with a new Gastroenterologist, imagine my excitement when the Doctor had at least heard of one of my conditions! She listened, was respectful, knowledgeable, personable! She understood some of the GI complications, was it too good to be true?
Yes. It was. Once a Psychologist entered the Story.
All women with chronic illnesses know, never tell your Doctor the severity of your symptoms. It’s always the same. They listen, then exclaim “I believe you.” You get excited until they add “But have you also tried some CBT?”
You are crestfallen. They continue “There is this Biopsychosocial Psychiatrist with AMAZING results. We even have a GI Psychologist that can assist you!”
Once again, you realise, they don’t believe you know your own body. Your severe chronic illness is well documented and researched by a dedicated few at Leading Universities.
But it affects predominately women. Not taught in Medical School, HealthCare Systems don’t even bother to hire Doctors to treat it. They reject outside Referrals because, surely us women are merely exaggerating.
What, you ask? Don’t be so cynical. Is it not nice that your Doctor promotes mental health?! Ironically no. Because in these type of situations, what the Doctor has done, is actually destroy it.
So, now to the story of a Woman, a Knife and a Psychologist.
Imagine this. A Woman walks into an ER department with a knife in her back.
A Doctor rushes over, seeing her in distress “Please lie down Miss. I believe you are having a Panic Attack.”
The Doctor does some blood work, everything negative. “You are in perfect Health!” He concludes, whilst muttering under his breath “ My goodness, yet another case of a Female Psychosomatic.”
The Woman, stoic despite the pain, calmly asks “Did you not see the Knife in my back?”
The Doctor, mildly irritated spins around. “Oh, yes. I see it now. But it doesn’t look too serious.”
She responds “It’s pretty painful, is there not a Surgeon on call who can get this Knife out of my back?”
The Doctor sighs, using his best empathetic tone “No. They are expensive. It is generally just Women who come in with Knives in their back. These Women tend to dwell on their pain. So unfortunate. You see, their perceived pain signals create a downward spiral into psychiatric distress. The pain isn’t really that bad, it’s mainly due to their thoughts. Surgeons are therefore not necessary, but we do have an amazing Knife Psychologist on staff.”
The Woman, unable to maintain her previous calm due to increasing pain, cries out “Please help me. This pain is real. I believe in the Mind/Body connection but could you not hire both?!”
The Doctor, sees her Anxious tears as confirmation that a bit of CBT will do the trick. “Healthcare isn’t cheap! Don’t worry, my dear. Our Knife Psychologist developed an Evidence-Based CBT course following the Biopsychosocial model. I haven’t actually read the Published Studies, but he tells me they show AMAZING results. You don’t need a Surgeon. Just a bit of CBT, Mindfulness and an App!”
So now I have to Ask. If you were that Woman, even considering JUST your mental health, which would you choose? The Surgeon or the Knife Psychologist and his CBT App?
Unfortunately, HealthCare Systems choose the Knife Psychologist.
Now Substitute: Knife for POTS and Surgeon for Autonomic Neurologist
As it turns out, this story of A Woman, A Knife and A Psychologist was True. In fact, it is a story that plays out thousands of times a day in real life. Repeating itself time and time again to Women around the World, desperate for a Surgeon to finally come and take that Bloody Knife out of their back.
