Finding A Doctor To Treat Agoraphobia At My Home
I started having really bad panic attacks in June and by October the shock had worn off and I had an idea of what was wrong with me. So, I thought then was as a good of time as any to find me a doctor. I only had one problem. I have agoraphobia and I cant go to a doctor. I started calling psychologist in the phone book and one by one they all told me that Id have to come to them and I even had a few tell me they felt sorry for me. I got discouraged fast and decided to call a lawyer for some reason. She asked me if I was signed up for SSI (social security disabilty)and I told her no. She said that Id have to go see a doctor and all that and I told her my intent isnt to get SSI from social security but to get help some how. She said no one could help me unless I could see a doctor and finally she put me on hold and never came back to me.
I felt real bad so I called West Virginia Mental Health because surely to GOD they could send me in the right direction and no luck. I called a christian counseling center and the first thing she asked was if I had insurance and after I said no she seemed to not even be listening to me. She finally said they couldnt help me unless I can go to them and they dont do house visits. It seemed as if my luck had ran out in thirty minutes.
On January 2nd 2007 I was sick and really needed to see a doctor and couldnt avoid it. I put it off for a week and finally made myself go to a clinic about five minutes from here. I waited until thirty minutes before they closed and went and it payed off. I told the nurse taking my blood pressure I had agoraphobia because I read that I should give them a heads up and she said "have you been to a doctor over it" and I said no and she said "then how do you know thats what you have?" what a great way to start this off I thought. Anyway, I just hang my head down and didnt say a word and after thirty minutes they called me back and I waited about five more minutes and finally the doctor came in. I told him about my panic attacks and he just said he doesnt know much about panic disorder and the most he could do is prescribe me Paxil 20mg and send me on my way. I didnt take the Paxil because I have a pill fear also but a few people with panic disorder I talk to say theyre weird about taking medicines and especially Paxil and anti-anxiety medication.
After a month I was still sick and had to go back again. I thought this time it would be better since I knew what to expect and I wasnt there long last time. But this time it was packed and I waited for over an hour and thirty minutes. He prescribed me some anti-biotics and sent me on my way. He didnt do anything for the panic attacks this time because he already referred me to a psychologist and I couldnt go so theres nothing he could have done. So, my luck ran out with the clinic and I knew a family doctor would do the same thing so I felt like I was at square one again.
I tried the internet also and found no psychologist who dealt with people online or local psychologist I found online that would com to my home. They would all tell me Id have to come to them in order to get treatment and of course Id always say to them, thats like telling someone afraid of heights that youll treat them but they have to do it in an airplane. Finally, in November 2007 I started calling psychologist in the phone book. This time I called everyone and left messages and surprisingly a few called me back. Most told me they dont do in-home treatment but a few directed me to other psychologist who may do so. After two or three days of calling around I finally found a psychologist who said she'd treat me at my home and I was excited.
She was a professor at Marshall University and had been a psychologist for 29 years. She came and my first day I was so nervous and I actually called her twice and tried to cancel and she said Id be fine. She finally came at 8:30am (she was 30 minutes late) and we got started and almost instantly my anxiety melted away and she was here for two hours. I called her the night before she came and asked if shed just stay for one hour and Id pay her for two and she laughed but I was serious! I didnt think Id make it for two hours. I made it and felt a lot better. She diagnosed me with A.D.D, Generalized Anxiety, and Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia and maybe something else but those are the major ones.
It didnt last with her and I and I only seen her twice because I couldnt afford $150 and hour because the second time she came she stayed for three hours! I tried to get a medical card through D.H.H.R (Department of Health and Human Resources) at her request. Mainly because I hate D.H.H.R and that took two months for them to turn me down because I have no job. Even though she sent them a letter saying Im disabled at this time and listed my impairments and how they affected me.
In early March of this year she emailed me and said shed come see me for free and because my anxiety is so severe Id make a good case study for her. Now that sounds ideal but her treatment methods are weird and experimental in my opinion and she need a guinea pig and I have other reasons as explained in the "Social Security And Me" section and "Things Ive Tried' section. I detail some of her methods which arent conventional to say the least . Thats why she offered to treat me for free. Ive talked to two other psychologists who laugh when I say her name because they know "shes crazy" is about to come out of my mouth. That being said I dont have a doctor right now but her techniques arent right for me for sure. The moral to this is that you more than likely can find a psychologist to come see you if you try hard enough.
I had people tell me that if I lived in a bigger city or another state Id have more luck but I didnt let it get me down. You never can shoot yourself down before you try and if you havent already then you need to pick up the phone book and call every psychologist in the yellow pages and Id bet anything youll find one who'd come see you.