Can seeking medical attention become a compulsive behavior?
Someone I personally know makes 3 doctor's appointment each week for the hell of it. He is considered to be healthy and walking, but just recently had a minor muscle injury. After 8 ER visits later, 10 visits to the family doctor, 2 appointment to each specialists, PT, then cardio.. on and on..the appointments just keeps on rolling in. These appointments were mostly self scheduled..all within 2 months. Mainly to confirm what the other Doctor said, then to reconfirm, or double check. Sometimes, he asks the family to take him to the ER the minute something feels "weird", "not right". Or make a stat appt with the family doctor when he "hears a different med on tv".. you get the drift.. Yes, this is all covered by the government. Family members each take time off work to take him to the doctor.. and this cycle repeats, with each appointment taking up almost half a day. After months and months- he eventually recovered to 90%. Yet, the complaints were still ongoing and the appointments were still being made 3X a week. He spends his day waiting for the next appointment and having a new doctor tell him new information is like finding gold. I was compassionate and involved in the care, but after months and months of the same story, I find myself having an apathetic attitude towards the situation.
Can seeking medical attention become a compulsive behavior? It worries me that I'm a nurse, yet i'm slowly losing the compassion myself. I care for this person and so many times I've tried to help, but i can't stop him from seeking medical attention. i'm bothered by this type of behavior, and it boggles my mind that others are paying for the care.
It bothers me that I know people actually run to the ER at the slightest problem (at no cost), and never really consider the consequences of expensive medical bills..(eg. stomach ache).. I have these negative feelings and not quite sure of how to express them. I know we're taught to always be compassionate, but can you really give compassion 100% of the time when you know they're seeking medical attention for the hell of it? How do you adjust your own feelings when your patient rings the call bell for the 10th time for something minor? Any feedback is appreciated. I really feel the need to shake off these feelings before I enter the hospital.
Is this an older man? This seems to be common in many older people. Going to the doctor can be a social event for them as many of them are lonely. I'm sure this man might also fear other things being wrong if he's advanced in age and wants them caught ASAP.
How about if all of you arrange some fun time with him and see if that helps? Suggest going to lunch or playing cards. A senior center can be a life saver for people like this. Just having somewhere to go daily could really brighten his day. There is one here where they bring their lunch and play cards and games and watch tv and their life is some much more fulfilling.
Well done vivarn, your non-judgemental approach and exploration of the anxiety behind the patient's physical complaint may have prevented hypochondria.
In my experience the root of a lot of this behavior (in patients without social work needs - not homeless, are not on illicit drugs) is anxiety.
If a patient comes to me (I'm an NP) with a complaint that seems very minor or keeps coming in urgently for non-urgent things I start asking questions like "did something happen at home?" "you seem very anxious about this. Is everything alright?" "how are things with your family?" and lo and behold, the truth comes out. For example, Mom just got diagnosed with cancer and now the patient is concerned that her earache lasting for 1 day is a brain tumor. A little reassurance and redirection to mental health goes a long, long way!
Patients from other cultures may also have a lot of complaints that are very vague (ie, nonspecific abdominal pain, chronic pain "all over my body") because that is how anxiety and depression are expressed in their culture. Important to pick up on this or here come the expensive tests!
I'm surprised that your friend has gone to the family MD so many times without the mental health being explored, or perhaps it has and the he is not disclosing it to you. Either way, you can only do so much and it's not your problem to solve. As a friend you can maintain your boundaries - don't be sucked into the caregiving drama. I've learned a lot in nursing about meeting people where they are (wherever that may be ~) and putting judgments on the back burner.
yes! ^ this! so many of my patients seem overwhelmed with anxiety and stress. sometimes it takes just a little time with them (okay, sometimes more than just a little time) & the "right" questions for it all to come tumbling out.
& there's the loneliness aspect, too. it's less scary to divert the attention elsewhere than to admit one is lonely and/or depressed. some people are not aware of these emotions. they are suppressed, then arise & are expressed physically. not conversion disorder-ish, just suppression. our society can be quite focused on the looking-good, the being in control.
Batman25
686 Posts
Is this an older man? This seems to be common in many older people. Going to the doctor can be a social event for them as many of them are lonely. I'm sure this man might also fear other things being wrong if he's advanced in age and wants them caught ASAP.
How about if all of you arrange some fun time with him and see if that helps? Suggest going to lunch or playing cards. A senior center can be a life saver for people like this. Just having somewhere to go daily could really brighten his day. There is one here where they bring their lunch and play cards and games and watch tv and their life is some much more fulfilling.