Oh yes. Ever had a tdoc tell you this one? I heard it today. In fact it's the 2nd time that I've heard this from this tdoc that I see. She says that I'm "too unstable" for regular trauma therapy.
Well gee....now I wonder what could be contributing to my severe depression and therefore to my instability...lets see....trauma? Bingo!!!!!

I've written all about in my blog on here.....It's absolute craziness.

Anyone else ever heard this from their therapist/psychologist?

purple,
Sorry you're having it so rough there.
Ths closest I've come to this is several MH professionals
have stated I am not stable enough to handle the
residential ((in house) MST - PTSD program at Bay Pines.
One psychiatrist practically begged me to go there.
carlie

Hmmmm........lessee......does she tell you WHAT she's gonna do about your "instability"?

This sort of reminds me of one of my "recurring" dreams............of me being off-loaded from the chopper and triaged, INTO THE PILE SET ASIDE FOR THE ONES THAT CAN'T BE HELPED!
That dream will wake me up, every damned time, guaranteed!

But, getting back to yer purdickamint:
If I heard that from my regular sickiatrist.....I'd be for walking down the hall, catching the elevator, and going to the ER......not that it's ever happened to me you understand......but I was kinda talking back to the voices that I kept hearing, to the point that I was pre-occupied and forgot to not pee in my pants.
I got some attention, and a NEW sickiatrist.

Of course, when the two armed fellows showed up to help me outta my wheelchair and kept hanging around, I just KNEW that something was, how you say, "amiss"!


....and, beer for my horses.

She sent me over to the regular mental health clinic to begin seeing one of the "suicide prevention coordinators" until I'm "stable". LMFAO. So this means starting over with someone new again, someone who already told me today that they don't have anything to do with PTSD counseling...they are crisis-centered only.

Obviously none of these idiots truly understand what it is like to be suicidal. It's not something you feel for a few hours/days/weeks and then *poof* you're cured of it. Wow, if they think that, then I have really, really bad news for them. It can come and go at a moment's notice--at least that is how it works for me. One day/hour I can be somewhat OK; then the next....really, really bad. So "stable"?.....she's funny.

Purple, that is probably the most unprofessional action I've heard of, yet...by the VAM C MH dept.

That makes no sense...I truly feel for you. But I also beg the question that Larry asked...What is SHE going to do about getting you stable? I read your latest post but that appears to be a "passing the buck" response on her part. She should be fired.

I don't suppose you could move to some other location?

I'm being put in touch with the Dayton Vet Center. I've put this off for a very long time because of the whole thing of starting over, I kept thinking that things at the Dayton VAMC would work out....but the events of the past week have just blown my mind.

And it's funny you should say the words "passing the buck" because those are the exact words my tdoc used yesterday. She said "I hope you don't think I'm just passing the buck with you"...LMAO. I just shook my head. I wasn't in the mood to get into it with her as her mind was made up, the appt with the other lady had already been made prior to me even getting there.

At the Dayton VAMC, the PTSD clinic functions completely separately from the main mental health clinic. They are in different bldgs even. The PTSD recently lost their only psychiatrist and now they have no one to prescribe meds for their pts. Now they have to "refer" pts over to the mental health clinic. The two clinics need to be co-located and work together...it's almost like they can't stand each other.

Purple,
The tdoc I saw for years at my Vet Center was great.
I never has a starting point at any of my appointment's.
Hope your's goes well.
carlie

Yeah, I was so pissed at the appt with this new lady yesterday. She didn't know squat about me. So why then does the VA bother with this fancy electronic record-keeping system when no one bothers to use it? A few minutes of reading on her part would've saved us much time.
The only thing she knew about me was my name.
Here she was, one of the suicide prevention coordinators....had no idea about my past suicide history. Still doesn't...she never asked. In fact, we talked very little about about my suicidal feelings. She only asked if I was feeling suicidal...I said yes.
That was it!
Wow....she really helped. I feel soooooo much better now (insert sarcasim here)...

Still waiting on a reply from the Dayton Vet Center. A lady (therapist) from another vet center is contacting the Team Lead there for me and that person hasn't replied to her yet. *sigh*
My patience runs extremely thin these days.

Go to your congressman's office and tell them you went to your local VAMC and told them you were suicidal and they turned you away. Take a bag with you and your toothbrush.

Darn, Purp, they sure are giving you the old "run-around".

Here's what I've found about the words "suicide" or "suicidal".......these "Mental Healthcare Professionals" just can't quite STAND those words. It scares the bejesus out of them. NONE of them want a "suicide" on their watch, ya know? So, they operate upon the old adage "just ignore it, it'll go away" and, fer gosh sakes DO NOT MENTION those two words OUT LOUD.........'cause you might put the "evil-eye" on yourself and the patient in question just might go pin a note on themselves, blaming YOU (said Mental Healthcare Professional), just before they step out on the train tracks to await the arrival of the 4:15.

I just spent this whole morning (and afternoon, mostly) going to the Dallas VAMC for my every three months regularly scheduled visit with my psych PA. Well, it didn't TAKE that long, just to see him, to see him took a couple hours..........the rest of the time I spent visiting with a couple of dudes IN the hospital. Got a buddy of mine, diagnosed with Parkinsons just a few months ago, not doing to well. I've got him on my morning prayer list and if any of y'all have a spot on yours put ol Doug on there, too, please.

Anywho, I got by, this time, without having to have any change of medication, or any changes TO my medications. Thank G-d......I'm now runny on a good dosage of dope that seems to be keeping me from any of those "suicidal ideations" (heaven forbid) and it's also helping to keep me from beating the livin crap outta fools.

I, personally, endorse John's advocated course of action vis a vis the Congress Critter.

I so wish this wasn't happening to you. You have been through so much already.

Free

That is an option...the Congressman's office. I've contacted also the state-level vet's office at the Govenor's office (did this yesterday) and am hoping someone will contact me.

Meds. They started me back on Wellbutrin (100mg x1/day) last Friday. The new lady on Tuesday asked me how it was working...LMFAO....are you kidding me? The lowest possible dose and only been on it for 5 days? Duh. I know from experience it takes weeks for these types of meds to kick in.

I saw a sign in Dallas VAMC that requested any Veteran who felt suicidal to call the 888 number and promised immediate help. For Larry it was about 10 Steps South of Valet Parking Desk. I should have taken a picture of it with my cell phone I will try and do that next time.

*sigh* still waiting on the Vet Center to get back with me....

as for calling the 1-800 "talk" number...no. did that twice before, was hung up on twice before. plus i know what happens when a vet calls that number. they have caller id. they immediately access your personal info as well as your va medical records as the people answering the phone have access to VISTA. this is so wrong. the majority of the time, cops will end up at your door when maybe all you needed was someone to talk to.

You can block your number from showing up on Caller ID

As Pete and I can attest to, if you mention the "S" word any where in or within a 2 mile radius of the Dallas VAMC-------you WILL get a response (seems it has something to do with the 3 or 4 suicides AT the Dallas VAMC within a couple of months last year or year before last (my short-term memory, alas, is lost and I can't seem to remember where I......).
I told the psychologist that was performing a C&P eval on me, when he asked if I had thoughts of suicide, that yea I did..........PANIC ensued.
I kept trying to tell him that I was NOT thinking about suicide at that particular moment, but that I had in the past and probably will into the future.
He never heard me, or maybe he did.
Hours later (I lost track of time but it could be numbered in double digits) I look up to find my wife coming down the hall. What's up with this?
Come to find out, they were NOT going to let me go home, until she promised to come get me and take my home and stay with me (she, fortunately, is an RN and she pulled the proper strings in the medical department).
So, now when I go to the VAMC I appear with a smile and a "devil-may-care" attitude...............in fear, literally, of being "locked-down" in a mattress-lined room!
But, looking on the bright side..............that's one way, at the Dallas VAMC at least, of aceing a mental C&P, I guess, although I didn't plan it that way, I was just being truthful with the dude.

Larry:

Actually after becoming very annoyed by the question, "Have you had thoughts of hurting yourself"? I blurted out why don't you ask me if I have had thoughts about hurting you and glared at the poor woman who asked me the question.

Sometimes I get very annoyed and try as I must I try to be nice but when your pain is a 7 or 8 and I am tired and grumpy I can be mean.

Anyway after that episode I noticed that they always asked me both questions.

Well, Dayton doesn't give a crap. Hell, they even know I have a plan. That question cracks me up...I tell them...duh, I have several previous suicide attempts, you think I don't have a plan?

As far as the Vet Center goes...got a call from a lady there...the soonest they can see me is the 15th! And yup, they know what's going on. *sigh*

Do you ever have those weeks that you are convinced that the entire world is against you???...And you just figure...why bother??