ISSUE #48 cont'd -- Commentary

THE WOES OF FINDING

A PSYCHIATRIST

Caer Weber

So, here’s how my story goes. I have Dissociative Identity Disorder, or multiple personality. I was treated by a psychiatrist for 17 years then she closed her practice in 2007. However, I thought I still needed more therapy so I went on a search to find another one. Tried one guy who was kind of okay. He saw me three times so we could figure out whether we could work together. I thought we could but he didn’t feel qualified. Well, whatever that meant. I have worked with counsellors and therapists who have had little training or didn’t know anything about multiple personality and they were more than capable. But some therapists have certain ideas about it so ... he didn’t want to work with me.

Skip a few years forward. I did work temporarily with a counsellor but focused more on issues on my present life and depression. But she was only temporary so it had to end sometime. Now forward to November 2010. Okay, I’m going to find myself a g*()&&dam psychiatrist. In fact, I want to find psychiatrists who are willing to work with multiple personality. So I begin a search. A serious one. Here’s how it goes.....

November 2

I’m pissed off that I can’t find a psychiatrist to work with me. So I email CTV to see if anyone might be interested in doing a story on the lack of psychiatrists here to work with DID. I also email the Canadian Psychiatric Association [CPA] too.

November 3
I email UBC Psychiatry, asking them if they know of someone I can work with and also why it’s so hard to find a psychiatrist. Their reply – not always able to answer questions promptly for the next few weeks. Gives his assistant’s name and email address.

November 19

I email my NDP representative. Does she know of any governing body to contact? Email CPA again, I feel stigmatized and discriminated against because two psychiatrists say they won’t work with me because I am multiple. I’m also pissed off that there’s so little information as to how to find a psychiatrist.

I also email Vancouver Coastal Health. Can they help me? They say to contact my local community health centre. They also forward my email to “Mental Health”. Whoever that is.

Sigh.

Okay, keep on. Don’t give up.  Time to try the internet. Maybe I’ll have more luck there. I go to help@bc211.ca a special referral and help line. Contact them via email and a nice woman responds, an Information and Referral Specialist. She writes that I have to get a referral from my GP and my GP should be able to refer me to a specialist. I email back that my GP has no more info than I do, that she did refer me to someone who turned me down because I am multiple. She emails back and suggests the College of Physicians and Surgeons who are the provincial licensing and regulatory body for physicians. She says they have a list of all physicians eligible to practice medicine in BC and they have a website listing general/family physicians accepting new patients. Well, not quite what I’m looking for but maybe they have some information ... I’ll try it.

November 20

Reply to Vancouver Coastal Health’s reply about the bigger problem – how difficult it is to find a psychiatrist. Did I mention that already? I also ask who is my nearest community health centre and who is Mental Health?

November 22

Time to try the phone. I call BC211, just dial 2-1-1. A woman answers, I tell her what I’m looking for, she looks for a bit then .... hangs up on me. Excuse me?

Back to the internet. Google list of psychiatrists in Vancouver. I get ...

A psychologist, counselling services, psychiatrist online, one doctor listed as a psychoanalyst (does this mean she’s a psychiatrist?), UBC Department of Psychiatry (but no specific list), a list of Vancouver area doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists (clicked on it and got one psychiatrist ---- ONE!! – who treats ADD.) Okay I did get a list, asking only for Vancouver, and get psychiatrists in Vancouver as well as Great Britain, Toronto, etc. Well, this is better than anything else so far. So I click on a name and get address, phone number, and a space to put comments about her. Hmm. I would like more info than that but ... still better than anything else so far, right?

Try the Red Book online – no list of psychiatrists. I ask for “psychiatric service” and get two hospitals psychiatric services.

I go to the UBC Department of Psychiatry. It says you have to see your GP or go to the hospital’s outpatient psychiatry program for an assessment and recommendation.

I’m not even bothering to put the dates anymore. Just the list of things I try online. SURELY SOMEONE HAS A LIST SOMEWHERE!!!

The College of Physicians & Surgeons suggests and I try

> the BC College of Family Physicians

> the BC Medical Association

> the BC Ministry of Health

> the Canadian Medical Association

> the Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada

> Health Canada or was it Mental Health Canada?

> the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada

> the Provincial Health Services Authority (for BC) whose primary role is for BC residents to have access to ... health services including Mental Health & Addiction Services

Then I try ...

> www.yelp.ca – they give the psychiatrist’s name, address and other psychiatrists in the same area

> www.ratemds.com – well this is better. More info about the psychiatrist, name, address, phone number, if accept email, website if they have one, and comments people are willing to enter

Still, I’m starting to get frustrated and rather pissed off. I want their specialties and whether they are taking new patients. Otherwise, I have to phone every one of them on these lists. What?  about 150? You must be kidding. Don’t they know I’m “mentally ill” which means I don’t always function well, and don’t always think real straight, etc. etc. Moan, moan, complain, complain.

Well, I’m not going to go on here. I do investigate these different agencies to find out what their mandates and missions are. So many of them say they want to provide the best services and accessible to all, blah, blah, blah. Am I becoming cynical here?

Okay, I don’t think I’m willing to play David against Goliath. I mean I would love to take it on and make a huge fuss about there not being any information but I don’t have the energy. But ... just before I run out of steam I find some hope. A database called CHARD (Community Healthcare & Resource Directory). Right now it’s only for mental health and addictions but they will be adding more therapists in time. However ... it’s only accessible to GPs. But you can ask your GP to go to it and find a therapist for you ... if you have problems with addiction. Sorry. Not anymore.

The end of the story? I tell my GP about CHARD. She says great. Later looks it up. Months later I see her and she tells me it’s not exactly user friendly. Oh.

Hmm. I think I’m back to square one. Pretty much.

In summary, you can find a psychiatrist if you are lucky. If your GP happens to know of one who is available. Or maybe you know someone who sees one ... who is available. You can try the website Rate MDs – www.ratemds.com. That’s where I’m going next. And I’m getting ready to call. Not for me anymore though. I give up. Besides I go to a great support group which has been awesome therapy.

Now I’m going to see if I can find some psychiatrists who are available in the Lower Mainland. That’s by phone. Sigh. I wish there was a better way.