First Therapy

[Miss Placed]

Well I took my second step today, I had my first therapy appointment, following on from my GP referral about 6 weeks ago.

I met with a general Psychiatrist who told me that he has decided to refer me on to a local Gender Specialist.

I am not entirely happy with his decision, as it was obvious that he had already made it before he'd even met me, and based mostly on a four page letter that I gave my GP six weeks ago... but a lot has changed since then.

He also claimed that I don't have Agoraphobia or Social Phobia, but that my ->-bleeped-<- is causing me to be wary and uncomfortable of public and social situations, which I don't really agree with.

Most of the appointment was taken up with us discussing his decision, I wasn't questioning it, just trying to understand why.

I guess overall the Gender Specialist will be able to form a better and well informed opinion as to whether I am TG or not, and then maybe if they feel that I am not TG then I can seek to have the aforementioned phobias treated.

[Cassandra]

Hi Lyn-Jean,

Sorry to here things did not go so well. Especially after waiting so long for the appointment. Hopefully things will go better when you see the GID specialist. It does seem like they should have sent you to the specialist in the first place. That's beauracracy for you. Good luck with your new appointment. Keep us posted.

Hugs,

Cassie

[Terri-Gene]

Hello Lyn-Jean.  I don't understand what bothers you about this.  apparently the Psychiatrist has determined that you do not have an alternative condition he can sussessfully treat or diagnose and simply referred you to a person more familiar with gender conditoins.  It is simple proceedure to refer a patient to a more specialised person when one is available and screens out those that would be wasting a specialists time.  I would have thought you would be happy about this decision.

If you were expecting to have this done with on one visit to the Psychiatrist, and so resent having to wait for another appointment, thats not the way it works in legitimate circles.  It generally takes at least several visits before hormones are perscribed and it could take longer.  If it turns out you do have an alternate condition which can be treated by conventional means, then the specialist will likely find and diagnose that quicker then the first psychiatrist.

Be happy, sounds like you are being worked with in your best interest.  Most here would much prefer to work with a specialist then someone who has no experience in the field. Be patient and keep the appointments.  What you are referring to is normal medical practice, If a professional recognizes his/her limitations in a particular field, and a more experienced person is available in the needed area, it is in the patients best interest to be referred to the more experienced person.

You don't seem to realize or appreciate that you got exactly what you really wanted so far and now are hopefully in the hands of someone who understands what they are doing.

Terri

[stephanie_craxford]

Terri is quite right,

Although we like to think that we are the only show in town, the reality is that we are not.  It's frustrating I know, I've been through that my self.  Finally when I thought that my doctor was going to prescribe my HRT, she wanted more tests to establish a base line to work from and then she wanted me to get my cholesterol under control, more delays.  But it fianlly happened and now I'm as happy as a clam.

Your therapist did the right thing by referring you to a GID specialist after all it's for your benifit not his.  I know you've probably been told this before, but you have to have patience hon, that's why it's called transition and not a change.  There will be other things that you will have to wait for such as a name change, and then the ultimate waiting for your GRS.

Chat later,

Steph.

[Dennis]

I am too the only show in town, Steph.

Seriously though, it does take time. I had three months of therapy from a therapist and then a referral to a psychiatrist, then an endocrinologist. And then, when all the results were in, my endocrinologist saw me again and prescribed T.

This is a pretty major decision in a person's life and it's better if all professionals take it seriously and do thorough checks.

Dennis

[Miss Placed]

Oh, I am in no rush, thats the whole reason why I am not too pleased to be referred on to a Gender Specialist at this stage.

I feel I need my Agoraphobia and Social Phobia dealt with before I can even start down any road to do with TG, as it may well be the wrong the road for me.

[Cassandra]

I need my Agoraphobia and Social Phobia dealt with

I see were my initial statement was off. I was thinking your disappointment stemmed from not having the TG aspect addressed. I can definetley see how dealing with the Agoraphobia and Social Phobia would be more important and you would want that dealt with first. I believe Teri suggested that they may be related and as such the GID specialist may be your best bet as they may all be rolled up into one.

Although I have to think wouldn't Agoraphobia be an exagerated version of Social Phobia. Also if you made it to the therapist would you not be considered a mild Agoraphobic? Did the therapist come to you? Was this something you had to conquer just to get to the therapist? I'm just curious. Just asking the question because I'd like to know. You don't have to answer if you don't want to.

Cassie

[Terri-Gene]

There are so many disorders which are created and feed by The GID condition.  Gender Dydphoric people tend to develop views of life and people that they likely never would have without it.  There are things you do for acceptance, searching for a feeling of security and belonging that would not normally be done and are filtered through the GID mind which may be strongly opposed to the things done.

This is one of the most important aspects of therapy.  I've always known of several things in my mental makeup that needed to be addressed, but somehow I always thought that by addressing the GID problem would somehow make the other things just dissappear, but over time, I realized how wrong I was and how dangerous it was to bottle up the self hatred and the guilt of things past which do not jive with my true feelings of what I should have done and had to get almost to the melt down point before allowing the psychs to enter where I didn't want to go.

Thats the nice thing about insurance, money is no problem for things like this, so I have been having several sessions a week at times with different therapysts with different specialties to address these issues and find it is allowing me to view things very differently then I did before and I'm becomeing more at ease with myself and my relationships with other people have been changing.  Im coming to terms with conflicts that are many years old and learning to appreciate things in a way I never did before.

One has to learn that therapy isn't simply about obtaining hormones, it's about healing ones self so as to be able to relate better as the mones do thier work.  Any phobias etc. should be addressed during the transitional process so the evolution can occur in a natural and pure form rather then being influenced by so many factors that hinder or influence the process.

Terri

[stephanie_craxford]

Sorry Lyn-Jean,

I too misunderstood your initial post, so please disregard my previous reply.  Transition will create it's own issues for you so making sure that wou are in the best possible frame of mind so to speak, is obviously the way way to go.  Another point to look at is that the gender specialist may also be able to help with your Agoraphobia and Social Phobia, just a thought, doesn't hurt to ask or discuss this.

Take care,

Steph