"You don't need to see a surgeon, you're just depressed!"

[Cheryl]

After months of physical therapy, injections I went to yet another spine docotor Here's what he said:

"Sometimes life throws us curveballs, I can't play volleyball anymore and I've learned to live with that. You need to do the same. Here's the name of two mental health professionals" - Dr. in Charlotte

Yeah if I didn't need a mental health professional before him I sure did afterwards!

It sucks looking "normal" and feeling so bad.

[martyusa]

Originally Posted by Cheryl

After months of physical therapy, injections I went to yet another spine docotor Here's what he said:

"Sometimes life throws us curveballs, I can't play volleyball anymore and I've learned to live with that. You need to do the same. Here's the name of two mental health professionals" - Dr. in Charlotte

Yeah if I didn't need a mental health professional before him I sure did afterwards!

It sucks looking "normal" and feeling so bad.

Let me tell ya what you do with that curve ball. You crack that damn thing 450' dead center field with the bases loaded. That's what you do.



I had a very good client give me great advice one day, And yes he was a shrink. This was about 10 years ago.

He said ,"Marty, you're not your chipper energetic self today"?

I told him that I was having some problems at home and would probably be getting divorced.

He asked me if it could be saved?

I told him NO. And explained what happened.

He asked if I felt bad.

I said very much so.

He asks me if I like to feel that way.

I looked at him kind puzzled and said NO.

And he said, "THEN DON'T".

It took a couple of days for that to sink in and realized that I had made a choice to feel that way and I could make the same choice not to feel that way. Our brains are very powerful tools once we learn to control it and not let it control us.

Keep swinging for the fence, eventually you'll get a hold of it.

[Jim M2]

Or maybe: It sucks looking "normal" and being in pain so bad.

[mmglobal]

I can't tell you how many time's I've been approached by spine patients who've been told that "they just need to quit focusing on their back problem"... yada, yada, yada.... when you can look at their films from across the room and see huge structural problems that cause excruciating pain.

Marty... I appreciate the sentiment and there is no denying that how we deal with things may be a huge component of our problem. I don't know if you are suggesting that we have the power to not let our pain bother us... or if you are saying that we have the power to not let insensitive doctors bother us.

In any case.... the person who belongs to this xray, probably does not have the power to not let it make him feel bad.


Note, this picture comes from www.ChiroGeek.com. Douglas Gillard, DC is a
spine patient himself and graciously contributes extensive amounts of time
and energy. I've seen him post for many years on the Braintalk Spinal Disorders
forum and have watched ChiroGeek.com grow into one of the most useful patient
info sites on the internet. Thanks Doug!

[martyusa]

It's like the doctor that tells the patient he'll never walk again only for him to be driven and determined to walk. Although the pain is severe, he finds the right people who actually care about his situation and does not treat him like a number. Then he walks out 8 months later...

All I am saying is don't take for granted what the doctor tells us. Sure the pain is severe, I know that for certain. I have learned to modify my movement to make less severe. And with not doing anything for the past 6 month I am going insane. But, if I let it get the best of me, it will.

I guess my whole point is to never give up and don't let anyone take the drive from you. I'm sorry if that was construed in a different manner.

[fireyangel76]

My new take on the whole "it's in your head" notion.

First I know of very few if any people who like going to the Dr. It is a huge stress for me and not the least bit enjoyable. So if I or any one else continues to go to the Dr. with complaints of pain, limitation of activities, ect...it should be assumed it is a body telling you something. Pain is not normal. It is a warning sign that something is not right. You can ignor it, but then it just gets louder and stronger because your not hearing! Sometimes things are not so obvious on Mri's ect what is really causing the pain. But lets get real...pain that lasts for 3 months to years is probably not "muscle strain" which is what I usually got passed off as.

My new view is it is not what's in my head that is the problem Dr. It is "what is not in your head" that is the issue. Your failure to diagnos the problem and offer a real solution is the issue. So instead of me getting therapy, may I suggest some continuing education in to spine issues! I think that would help me a great deal.

My depression is greatly related by difficulty to finding Dr.s who, after doing tests, and are unable to find the problem, assume there is no problem. Why do they not assume that a problem exists and they are for whatever reason unable to identfy the defect? God forbid if you still have pain after they do surgery and think it should be fixed, then it's either in your head or Fibomyalgia....ahhhhhh that's a whole other way of saying "it's in your head" for some Dr.s!
I'm just getting far to worked up over this whole topic!
Really unless I am being paid to work there I just don't like Dr.'s that much to keep making appts. Infact most of my follow ups appts do nothing for me it just fills their little box of "standard of care".

[mmglobal]

Marty... no worries about your post... it's just a different take on a touchy subject. Nothing but healthy discussion... we can all be adult here. I agree with much of what you said... in some context. Depression is a huge part of the chronic pain syndrome and while, "just pick yourself up and move on" is possible at times... it's not always possible. As Betsy said... sometimes doctors fall into assuming that a huge part of our problem is our psych status and they may be right. However it may also be true that the underlying cause of all of it is the source of the pain.