GP accusing me of health anxiety

[veniceorna]

I went to see my Gp today - lump in breast. I've had a lump before but that was 2 years ago and a blocked milk duct. This one hasn't gone and it's been around for a few weeks. I thought the sensible thing was to get checked out

He agrees there's a hard lump as has referred me to breast clinic. Then, he said to me 'do you think you worry about your health? And probably look for things a lot that probably aren't really there?'

I said no... but I do get anything that needs looking at, looked at. As that's the general advice. He said 'yes but you have had a lot going on, are you sure you aren't looking for things?'

I wasn't sure how to reply so jusr said 'I don't think so'

In the last year I've had my gallbladder removed because of gallstones, (medically proven as seen), and investigations of my cervix due to heavy and irregular bleeding (again, proven as GP saw himself)

I also had a prolapse of the bowel sorted by surgery 18 months ago.

AIBU to think it's a bit unfair to ask me if I'm looking for things? they aren't in my head. Hence the bloody surgeries and medical evidence

I do not want people to think I’m talking about every GP but from mine and my friends experience it seems like “mental health” “health anxiety” are comments that our GP’s make if we go in for an appointment.

I would completely understand if you had been to quite a few appointments regularly with health concerns and they never found anything wrong and he asked that question but the fact that you have genuine reasons to see him and also found a hard lump in your breast for him to ask this I think is awful

See in this situation I would 100% call him out on it. Sit back in your chair, look him straight in they eye and ask "what exactly are you trying to say? You've asked me if I think I look for health problems; I've answered you that I don't. Yet you are persisting. I assume you have a point you wish to make, so why not tell me what it is plainly?"

He's trying to pressure you into undermining yourself - god knows what his motive is since he's referring you anyway but it's unacceptable behaviour for an HCP.

Sounds like a right twat and you should get another one!

I would be tempted to ask him if he's ever implied a male patient has health anxiety and looks for problems when every issue he's visited for has turned out to be medically confirmed as needing investigation or treatment.

This would piss me right off. I would ask for another appointment. Thus particular GP. And say what maybe said. Say you don't want it noted on your record any suggestion of anxiety and you find his comments incredibly insulting. And you want that noted ok the file.
I find that when I ask them the confirm that it's noted on the file they suddenly become quite uncomfortable.

I've had 2 episodes of this recently. One by a Diabetic consultant I'd never seen before. I'm in the process of writing a letter response because I'm that unhappy.

Does he think looking at your breast caused a lump to suddenly manifest?

Of course you were right to get the lump checked out. Your GP was being ridiculous, I mean you didn’t imagine the gallstones and a surgeon didn’t remove your gall bladder for no reason. Health anxiety my arse. If you can I would see a different GP in future.

The GP is completely out of line! Of course you should have your concerns investigated and it is job to that. Grrrr this would make me so cross

This is the sort of thing I would call the practice manager to speak about. It's not on if there's a lump in your breast which (obviously) needs to be checked out

Women are routinely dismissed, not listened to, sent away without diagnoses, and have worse outcomes than men.

Women are around 70% more likely to suffer adverse reactions from drugs because drugs are tested on men (and women are seen as a-typical).

Women are far less likely to be given pain relief, and when they are, they are given less effective pain relief than men.

WOMEN ARE LET DOWN OVER AND OVER AGAIN by our health service.

It's not you.
It's them.

I had a male doctor refuse to give me proper pain relief after a c-section because (in his very words) "a c-section is not that painful".

I mean he has referred you so it’s not like your care has been compromised. Maybe he was picking up on something else?
Not sure why other posters are suggesting another appt when you got what you required surely?

Health anxiety is a real thing which, if a doctor suspects it, should be broached in a sensitive, non-alienating manner. It can cause real, physical symptoms that can be very distressing, and it can be difficult even for sensitive, caring doctors to raise the possibility of health anxiety without sounding like they're dismissing the patient.

None of those symptoms manifest themselves as fucking hard breast lumps, gallstones, prolapses or random gushing blood. What a twat.

Anxiety (including health anxiety) is a medical issue GPs can diagnose and treat. I'm not sure you're being 'accused' when a doctor suspects a certain health problem.

Hi, OP -

On the face of it this attitude from your GP is a big concern. I have a couple of questions about the background. It is to do with possible bias from the GP.

First, I am no expert but I think there is some evidence that some male doctors take women’s concern’s less seriously, so keep that in mind. What is the age gap between you and the GP? Who is older?

Was your surgery done on the NHS, privately, or a mix of the two? I sadly know of examples where GPs have seemed to think that patients were running to private surgeons prematurely and those surgeons were being influenced by the profit motive. I have a hard time believing this. NHS wait lists around here are so long that private surgeons have more genuine patients than they know what to do with. (Most of them also work for the NHS anyway.). So if you had private surgery I wonder if your GP has some bias about that?

I don’t know the details of your conditions and the best practice treatments but I know they are all objectively verifiable and potentially serious. You are a statistical outlier to have had a group of them so quickly, but a doctor should understand such phenomena. So I don’t like his attitude at all. I would be concerned that this might affect your care going forward.

Is your GP a partner? If not, I would report this to a partner, emphasising the objective nature of your issues and the concern about future care. If so I might actually think about moving to another surgery although I hope that other Mumsnetters will have some less drastic ideas for both of us.

I would have gotten angry, that is so patronizing and condescending.

I’ve had this from my GP too. It’s very common. Was offered counselling for my ‘anxiety’. Went to a private doctor instead and got what I needed: two major surgeries for the problem the GP denied was real.

Imo GPs are the gatekeepers to antibiotics or consultants. They exist to refer you on. They are not good at diagnosis and are rushed, overworked and as a result can be patronising and dismissive.

None of those symptoms manifest themselves as fucking hard breast lumps, gallstones, prolapses or random gushing blood. What a twat.

^This. Can you switch to a female doctor? This one sounds like a patronising, potentially misogynist arse. Anxiety can't cause a breast lump

Mmmm, I had a gp like that. I started a pain on Mayday. Went to see him and was told I had IBS Told to eat less spicy food (I don't). Drink more water which I did. It got worse & worse. He refused me an ultrasound. Then he asked me if I was lonely or anxious 😡Patronising prat..

Then Oct 14th I collapsed with a necrotic ovarian dermoid the size of a grapefruit, lost an ovary and a tube. Emergency op, Spent 5 days as an in-patient.

Then he apologised. God spare us 'big doctors'. I have a female gp now. I don't bother her, but if I do call, she listens.

How can you treat it then? Tell me to ignore multiple worrying symptoms that have led to surgeries and serious investigation?

He may have worded it badly, but perhaps what the intended message was

"You've certainly had a lot of medical problems which I'm sure has been very worrying and stressing for you. No wonder you're scared now. So, while you're waiting for this new referral, do you need any extra support to help you cope with anxiety? "

It's the new 'hysterical' argument. Women don't get listened to.

www.northwell.edu/katz-institute-for-womens-health/articles/gaslighting-in-womens-health

He definitely wasn't offering a sympathetic ear over a difficult year. He was quite literally proposing I'm looking for things that aren't there

He was a locum anyway. He isn't usually there, the practice is very good and have been brilliant to me for years

I would too.

Stuff like this makes me livid. My DM was accused of hysteria after going to the GP with severe ongoing stomach issues because... wait for it... her DF was a known hypochondriac in the practice. The GP was taking out his suspicions on her rather than treating hre as an individual. Disgusting behaviour. Please don't let it put you off pushing and advocating for your health.

Absolutely this.

I’ve found this with my DCs too - when I take them in I’m an overprotective mother whose anxiety is making me paranoid. So I would send them with their dad for follow up appointments and he would be taken oh so seriously and the issue resolved. Arseholes. I don’t trust doctors one bit.