To be really offended by what gp said?

[Moivoi]

I had an emergency gp appointment as I was having extreme anxiety. 5 days of having anxiety at a 9/10 with no let up. Not even for a minute. Not able to eat. Bit scary for me as someone in recovery from an ED.

For context I am a high achieving, perfectionist with generalised anxiety disorder.

i see a psychiatrist monthly but haven’t seen a gp in years.

The emergency gp was perfectly nice but we started discussing what therapies I’ve had. At one point the gp said something like “you can get better. You won’t get a husband a child tomorrow and it will take time but you can get there”. Excuse me WHAT. At no point had I mentioned that was what I am aiming for. It’s not. I’m looking for peace and self acceptance.

It hit a nerve cause when I turned 30 last year I did feel like I had let myself down by being single. I’m a conventionally attractive woman but have zero interest in dating so avoid it. I used to give myself a hard time for being avoidant when it came to dating.

But I’ve done A LOT of work and have definitely accepted I am on my own path and what will be will be. I can and will live a very fulfilling life as a single woman if that is what ends up happening. I’m not going to judge myself in relation to conventional timelines. I’ve actually found that to be really freeing.

I’m 31 now and certainly not pining for a husband and kids. What a weird assumption. I’ve seen my medical notes it does not mention anything about this. The GP really just took it upon herself to make this highly presumptive statement.

She’s a middle class, educated woman in her 40s and I think really missed the mark. Maybe if the go was from a different culture I could accept that she has different norms re what success for a woman looks like.

But I just was extremely offended. It took a lot of introspection to come to peace with being where I am.

Honestly the comments diminishing the severity of OP’s anxiety are disgusting. Suicides are normally committed by people experiencing MH crises. OP is perfectly capable of making a determination for herself. My gp practice doesn’t give out those emergency appointments willy nilly.

OP was "really offended" by the comments. I agree there is subjectivity there, but objectively if OP genuinely believe the GPs comments were "really offensive", then a rational and reasonable response would be to report them to the GMC.

In reality, no one would ever think of doing this as the comment was not "really offensive".

Just stop, you labelling things from this post that are not there. No one has minimised how severe the anxiety is - I really don’t think it warrants an emergency appointment though based on information shared. There is no risk to self indicated.

There are no indications in the OPs post they are in a crisis. You can have severe MH difficulties/distress without being in a crisis. There is nothing to indicate they are suicidal requiring urgent support

A lot of people report suicidal thoughts but they are not actively suicidal.

Being in a crisis would result in a same day referral to a secondary home treatment team and they would be seen face to face that same day.

How on earth can you make that assessment? The OP has not said that she was not suicidal or elaborated past her initial post. She has said that her anxiety was 9/10 for five days with no let-up and she was not able to eat, which was scary due to her history of ED. This information is extremely serious in itself as it is dangerous to not be able to eat for several days. That alone would suggest urgency.

You were called out for your horrible and insensitive comments which were basically that anxiety is never an emergency which is utter bullshit (it’s the sort of shit people used to say decades ago before anyone knew much about mental health). People are hospitalised for anxiety and it can be very very serious. The NHS guidance itself suggests urgent GP appointments in serious cases (and sometimes even A&E https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/anxiety-fear-panic/). Surely if you claim to work in the field, you would know this?

You then tried to backtrack and explain but it just shows that you know fuck all about MH so clearly do not work in the field at all.

It’s not their own thinking that’s the problem, it’s the extent to which that thinking is irrational or harmful and is impacting their emotions, and in turn their behaviour. CBT doesn’t blame the patient at all. It seeks to make them aware of and understand the relationship between thought/emotion and behaviour.

Surely whether it’s inappropriate or not would depend on whether there is anything in the GP’s notes to suggest it’s relevant ? Mentioned or discussed during therapy or in previous GP consultations for example. It seems a pretty random thing to just pick out of the air during an emergency mental health consultation.

The OP’s post was made after the fact, so they may well have been in crisis at the time. OP indicated she was in need of medication and had no access to her own privately funded psychiatrist.

You are so full of it. People kill themselves when their anxiety is out of control so obviously emergency medical intervention is necessary. My cousin committed suicide due to his anxiety being so overwhelming. Someone who describes their anxiety as being “9/10” for 5 days with no let up to the point they are unable to eat absolutely needs to see a doctor immediately.

There is no information to suggest OP wasn’t in a crisis.

We all know you are making shit up as you go along and do not work in the MH field as you have already said anxiety never warrants emergency appointments. Categorically not true.

I won’t be responding to you further as you clearly are trying to cause a reaction.

Someone on Mumsnet faking experience and credentials? Well blow me down

Equally she has not said she is suicidal at all.

Ive not commented on the ED at all - I am not qualified in that area.

I doubt you are qualified either labelled heightened anxiety as an emergency is fanning the flames and any reasonable clinician would not reinforce this.

She didn’t say she wasn’t either. What a weird hill to die on

Oh bore off with the back tracking. People have rightly called you out for your ignorance. Maybe go back to telling people with depression to cheer up and think positive.

I think you are wholly ill informed about MH.

I have commented on the anxiety aspect from a qualified professional view based on the information that is there.

And…

LOL 😂 thanks for giving us all a laugh I guess

Give it a rest @Glowingup
You sound ridiculous

lol