Dear Starznight,

It has been several hours since I read your post and I am still reeling about how you were treated.

I sure hope this is an isolated incident and not a prelude of what is down the road for any and all patients that present to a medical professional and facility in pain.

Is everyone going to be assumed to be a drug seeker if they are in pain, dismissed as such, and guilty until somehow the patient can prove their innocence?

There are many people that are on prescribed pain killers (NOT addicts) due to chronic pain as many here are. Does that mean that everyone will be suspected of seeking drugs in the future?

It appears that the attitude being taught in medical professions is that ALL patients lie. Whatever the patient tells you, it is only partially true at best.

For instance, if a doctor asks how many cups of coffee one drinks per day, or how many glasses of wine, .... if the patient says 2, then they assume it is 4 or more, that the patient is answering not truthfully, but in a manner to avoid being chastised.

The patient is now always assumed to be untruthful about everything. This pattern is very disturbing and upsetting and will only interfere with getting proper care.

Personally, I am not going to waste my time going to a doctor seeking medical care and then tie their hands by lying to them. I am going to be direct, full disclosure, good or bad, if I want them to be able to treat me in the proper way for whatever my condition.

If they chastise me about something, I speak up or I change providers. Their job is to provide care, not judge. I won't try to count how many times a provider that was not my normal physician, will attribute my extra pounds to whatever is ailing me. They will totally ignore the fact that it is a chronic condition that began when I was a tiny little thing of normal weight, a super low BMI, very "fit", could take them down easily if needed, but some will say, if you lost weight, you wouldn't have this condition. I want to go ballistic. I politely say that I know that excess pounds are not helping any condition, but it did not cause the condition, nor will the condition disappear if I lost weight. I had it when I weighed about 105 pounds. Then I turn the tables and chastise THEM, saying if you would "fix me" than I could and would be more active and I wouldn't have these extra pounds. (Yes, I am now VERY sedentary, not by choice, and hence, the added pounds.)

This is not a very good example but there are only two things I get chastised for and that is one of them.

Most members here know that I can not drink anything alcoholic at all as it puts me under the table and almost in a coma. My body just can't handle alcohol of any kind. I tried to have a "before dinner" drink at a family gathering for a holiday many years ago and my head almost fell in my plate when we ate. I felt terrible. THAT is why I don't drink.

I am guessing now, after your experience with that doc about drugs, that docs probably don't believe me when I say I NEVER drink anything alcoholic. The assumption is the patient never tells the truth. It doesn't matter what the topic area, they just don't take us seriously when we respond to their questions. It is assumed we are not being honest.

All that ramble to say I am still EXTREMELY upset about how you were treated. Someone needs to put a halt to the attitude in the medical profession that patients are dishonest. Maybe some are,... but that is far different than assuming everyone is dishonest, whether it be about drugs, alcohol, diet, pain, or anything.