GPs

From the posts in the forum and the other communications we receive, it seems that their GP is the first hurdle for many people who have had traumatic experiences, present with PTSD symptoms or have already been diagnosed as having PTSD.

Although there are some very good GPs who are very aware of PTSD and mental health issues in general, there are far more who are near enough totally ignorant of the condition. Perhaps some reasons could be:

1: They don't know and can't be bothered to find out.
2: They do know but don't have the resources to do much about it.
3: They are under pressure from government policies on healthcare.
4: They don't want to get involved in a mental health system that is on it's knees.
5: They have their own attitudes to mental health which influence the way they treat people.

Whatever the reason, many GPs need to wake up and do something. There is no reason why one practice can have very good mental health facilities and another does not. Many practices have a Community Psychiatric Nurse available, or counsellors (although they can also be totally ignorant of PTSD in some cases).

Here are some interesting quotes from the Summer 2005 issue of a magazine published by Priory Healthcare by Dr Gordon Turnbull (Consultant Psychiatrist):

"PTSD is a significant public health issue. NICE research demonstrates that PTSD prevalence is estimated
at 8 – 13% in males and 20 – 30% in females. The annual prevalence of PTSD is 1.5 – 3%, which means
that the prevalence in a PCT population of 170,000 is between 2,500 to 5,000 and the prevalence in a
GP practice of 5,000 is between 75 and 150."

"GP vigilance is crucially important to the early identification of PTSD.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) published
guidelines for the management of PTSD in March 2005. Patients known
to have been recently exposed to trauma need to be carefully evaluated,
especially those who only complain of physical injuries. If psychological
symptoms are identified and persist beyond one month, then it is likely
that further treatment will be required. If the patient does not respond
to treatment in primary care, he or she should be referred to a specialist
service as quickly as possible."

At those statements were made in 2005! Perhaps the situation is very different now.

Sorry, I just posted the guidelines in another topic section.

I don't think things have changed much to be honest. One of my main worries when discussing treatment for PTSD sufferers as you mention is GP's who have little knowledge. If people receive treatment early on then they have a much greater chance of recovery if the trauma is severe. If left the trauma can become entrenched and the body seems to adapt to living with nasty symptoms.

There are many other conditions other than PTSD that GP's are faced with on a daily basis, so I guess some could argue that other mental heath problems or illnesses are equally important. Although, I do wish that GP's possibly need to be aware of the possibility of PTSD if someone tells their GP of symptoms which could be trauma related. If there were some way people could be evaluated 'quickly' instead of having to wait months for therapy or an evaluation.
For example, if a person was to visit their GP and initially be sent to see a psychologist or psychiatrist for one appointment to make sure they dont need emergency treatment'/therapy for PTSD then I'm sure many people would benefit and their symptoms could possibly be prevented from becoming entrenched.

In my case for example I changed completely literally in one day, from being a confident outgoing person to being completely terrified of going out of my home. For months my GP stuck me on various medications telling me that I was suffering with some type of sudden anxiety. All this while my PTSD was becoming entrenched. Now I've lived with it for 10 years and wish I'd pushed my GP harder in the beginning.

My husband and I are planning to return to the UK and he is giving up his business as there is no treatment in the Netherlands. At least NICE to have treatment guidelines in the UK. before I moved away from the UK I used to think that things were terrible there with healthcare e.c.t, yet since living abroad and searching for treatment both in netherlands and Belgium I can only say that the UK is much more advanced than some other EU countries. It's certainly not perfect as we know, but at least there is an opportunity for treatment if a person pushes to get help hard enough.

My GP in the Eastend of London was brilliant. She did and still does everything she possibly can to help me and thanks to her I managed to get trauma counselling funding for outside of my Tower Hamlets Borough.


Beth.

I went back to my gp of late . Hed been very suuportative of the situation at work .Then all of a sudden he said,how long ago was it . I said ive been married 15 yrs ,so thats about 20 yrs ago this happened then,he said . It sounded as to me as he was saying i should be over it by now. Its not the sort of the thing you make as a topic of conversation is it.Oh by the way my ex tried strangling me,hit my head against a wall,and slapped me round the face. I didnt want to talk about it,and probably if the police hadnt been doing an investigation into something thats happened recently,i wouldnt have needed to look for a website like this.
As you have probably gathered somethings got to happen pretty soon.Its been since before xmas.Im on the waiting list for the counsellor,i think im down to a 15 wk wait now. I see my keyworker on the 11th,thats down to once a month now. However,i have improved at Maxillofacial.Ive now got an appointment card. I think its going to be once a month to monitor my Lichen Planus.Thats been really uncomfortable the last few days.They say thats due to stress.That appointments on the 12th,and my anxiety clinic is next month.Thats once every 3 months.
When i went to get a repeat of my mouthwash,my dr said hello.I said hi .He said oh youve got a cold. Did he study all those years to tell me,i had a cold .When i asked why id gone from a size 22 ,to a size 18,he said he didnt know. Still got healthy appetite,thyroid ok,for a change. No exercise,so cant be that . i did ask if it maybe reduction in lithium,but he didnt think so.Could it be the increase in lamotrigine,i ask myself.Why should i want to know.It only effects me .

I have obviously been extremly lucky with my GP. Following a period of six months of physical illness during which i was diagnosed with chronic fatigue my GP suggested I attend some counselling sessions with the practice counsellor to try to address my insomnia. After several weeks & a very distressing weekend when my symptoms became more intense I finally managed to talk to my GP about the trauma that was causing my nightmares. An hour later I left her office feeling very relieved, she had reasured me that i wasn't going mad, that it was treatable & that her door was always open for me to talk to her. Brilliant GP's are out there, they may not be experts but a possitive attitude goes a long way when you feel that you've hit rock bottom.

My GP has been brilliant. He saw me every week and was available on the phone whilst we were waiting for my therapy to kick in. He now sees me once a fortnight and always has time to listen and is very supportive. It makes such a big difference to me having him to support me.