My new doctor said, “you don’t look sick”

Wanted to put me on antidepressants

Mind body spirit - is this a 'regular' practitioner?

Mind body spirit said...
Yes, regular.

I’m trying to go on disability and just got turned down. My other worthless doctor just retired. Trying to get functionality forms.

Hope someone here has some helpful ideas for you.


I’m very fortunate to have a supportive Dr.
But I’ve not even tried to go on disability.
Lyme wouldn’t be accepted as the Canadian test was negative.
Igenex isn’t recognized here.

No specialists have said I’m disabled .

Our debt is growing by the month.

Good luck to you - hope you are able to get on disability soon!

Ask them if appearing sick is part of the diagnostic criteria for Lyme. 🙄

When this started years ago, most everyone thought I had "lost it." And why would I go from being a person that handled any bad situation, ran races tops nationally in age group and never was depressed or had anxiety to a guy who couldn't handle anything?

Put me on anti-depressents, therapy, and was treated like I was crazy. Took 11 years for diagnosis.

Hang in there and don't let ANYONE stop you from looking for the right answers to getting better.

I ask for everything in writing. If they can tell me something, then they can put in writing -- or it isn't true. In this case I would ask the doctor to write down "I am giving you a clean bill of health with just a visual review and not based on lab test, SIGN X/Date". Record it and then when they refuse, make sure you let them know you do not think that is medical-science based and if the medical review board would endorse their methods.

Also it is an ethics violation to recommend antidepressants without a psychiatrist review or something. I forget the law/regulation. But it came up when no-name psychiatrist (psychologist?) around the country were basically saying so-and-so was mentally ill in the newspaper, without ever meeting or interviewing the individual in question, just as a quote in a news article. It's a violation somewhere I forgot how to look it up.

Thanks for all your good advice and support!

I decided to take my new drs comment that I ‘don’t look sick’ as a compliment. Instead of having it push my sensitive buttons. People don’t know how you feel unless you politely explain. Most people are not educated in proper bedside manner or how to connect with the chronically ill.

I told him while I may look fine, I’m not feeling well and it’s impossible to tell by looking at someone is suffering on the inside.

Lately I have told people to please do not ask ‘how are you doing?’ Or ‘are you feeling better today?’ there were times that I could not hold it together when asked that. It would send me in an immediate tailspin.

I am not a malingerer and try to not talk about my symptoms. Usually whenever anyone asks how I’m doing I just automatically say with confidence, ‘wonderfull.’

I am sadly in the same familiar situation.
My insomnia and irritability is so bad that I can't work or sleep if someone is snoring loudly 20 feet away from me in the next room, which I have the misfortune of having a family that doesn't really care about my health or future unless I have money or energy to be their knock-around or punching bag, which I don't, it doesn't stop them from trying! So after already not being able to sleep, and none of that rejuvenation happening, my cognitive ability and mood deteriorates daily, and life quickly becomes chaos. Most interactions, everyday are tinged with me almost sometimes not being able to handle it. I wear ear plugs because my hearing is annoyingly sharp. I'm broke (more than broke if u count student loans). My car barely works. I wear a sleep apnea mask to try to get much-needed sleep which rarely comes. Last year I was focused on filling out forms for disability, which were denied (American SSI and the SSDI that I don't qualify for because I haven't worked up enough credits yet, tho I'm able to do some online things..poorly). I'm barely scraping by... How do you go to the state agency or whatever and get qualified as disabled while still being desperate to survive this way? "I can still do some things.." well so can homeless people, maybe just walking around barely maintaining life... and yeah you still look good, you don't look sick, so it's so much easier to deny your claim(s) ... it's a weird catch-22 to ask for help, and be told you can still help yourself, and no, and be living in your skin and know something's wrong and well nope the system doesn't recognize this. I'm literally in the nightmare of cognitive dissonance and it hasn't changed much since being referred to a psychiatrist by a very old man/doctor. Sorry but I just relate to this, it's so frustrating.

I'm looking into filing attempted manslaughter charges against my MD doctor
I'm sure the charges won't be able to stick due to some weasel wording from lawyers but perhaps it'll put these Doctors on notice that they can't write off our symptoms, and screw the Medical Board if they lose their license. I'll file charges against the State's Medical Board as well. If you go to medical school with all intent and purposes to cure and treatment people, then when you go out of your way to do the EXACT opposite -- try and screw around with Lyme people and specifically ignore their symptoms/specifically try to make them sicker/try to recommend them useless drugs like SSRI as a treatment/etc, then that isn't just wrong it is a felony.