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Substandard Psychiatric help in Washington State
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: Oct 23, 2019 | Replies (30)Comment receiving replies
Hi, @minneapolis123 - Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, a safe place where you can talk — even about the tough stuff. I’m so sorry you are going through this. Understandable how difficult it can be to deal with depression and the future possibility of multiple myeloma. If you are comfortable sharing, what is the diagnosis you've been given by the oncologist that makes it likely you will develop multiple myeloma?
It’s important to know you are not alone. I’m tagging @gingerw @parus @1nan @marvinjsturing who have dealt with similar issues and may be able to provide some support. @lioness @jakedduck1 also may have some thoughts for you. Members on Connect are here for you, and I'd encourage you to keep posting.
If at any point you start to feel like you may consider hurting yourself, please call or text 988, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline https://988lifeline.org for immediate help. Your safety is the most important thing. I believe that reaching out to talk to a professional shows strength.
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I'm not sure if the people who were kind enough to respond to my original message have received any further messages from me or not. But thank you all it was helpful. I got a brief tutorial from my son on how to reply to messages here so hopefully they go through. I don't mind sharing my diagnosis from the Oncologist which is Smoldering Myeloma likely to develope into Multiple Myeloma. I'm 10 years younger than the average age for that disease.
What has got me so depressed/stressed is I'm not coping well with all these stressors at once:1) Health, 2) my oldest son is a homeless Heroin addict which absolutely breaks my heart-- I did not see that one coming. I even had to do chest compressions in my home until Medics arrived after yet another OD, it is impossible to let go of that vision of him, 3) I have been working with an attorney trying to settle back taxes the last two years and still have a lien on my home, 4) My 82 year old mom is in failing health and I feel enormous guilt not being there for her enough because I can not get myself together.
5) This one is the most difficult of all-- I'm seen at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance every 6 months for progression and when I explained how badly I struggle with anxiety to Dr Martin ( Oncologist) he referred me to behavioral health within SCCA. The Psychiatrists told me to take a year long DBT class that is ALL that they offered. They actually said No to a Social Worker, Psychologist and a Psychiatrist. Take a DBT class in downtown Seattle and I'm not even Borderline Personality. These are University Of Washington Behavioral Health Doctors and have really crossed a line when they denied me access to people who might be able to help and I fully intend to continue working with the Attorney and challenge them.
Before I end this letter I do want to mention that I ended up in the hospital 9/27--10/6 and was feeling somewhat better. Now I'm feeling very down again and am considering ECT which I had back in 2004 and promised myself a long time ago I would never do again because of memory loss. Antidepressants do not work for me.
My best chance I have to live out my life is to make an appointment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and see what they have to offer. I have lived in Seattle all my life and this place really has little to offer anymore.
Sincerly
John J