"Useless and anxiety inducing"

Imagine you have an issue and go see the GP. One part of this issue is an increase in anxiety and focusing on things and making them worse and worse in your head. The GP tells you to starve yourself two days a week and then sends you off to get bloods taken. A few days later you get a text saying that not only do you need to get them retested later because of some issues that came up (including in one that relates to the heart) but the GP needs to talk to you about the results.

Now imagine trying to get an appointment and being unable to do so.

I called immediately only to be told that I could not go in on my only day off work that week. Call back next week when I happened to have another day off. They could call me for a phone consultation except I work and don’t get phone signal at my job. So that’s out. The times I work mean I can’t get home for an evening appointment. They continue to insist I can’t go in on my day off. Come back next week a. It before my next day off as they seem unable to book in advance.

So I do this. Only to find out the exact same story is being told. And they say I’m not allowed to go in for the morning same day appointments for this either.

I am scared and I am crying and this is unacceptable. It’s as if they expect everyone to work locally or not work at all. And to hell with the anxiety they cause in patients who don’t fit that group.

I will say I did have one positive experience of a male doctor who had no hesitation in giving me a birth control implant in my arm to manage my periods. Didn’t question my right to make choices about my own body or what any hypothetical partner may think. I’ve heard enough horror stories from other women on this matter that I was most impressed. Gave me the data, the options of an in arm one or IUD and how they compare for what I want them for and that was that.

It too often you’re sick enough to be off work and spend fourth minutes trying to get your call to connect. Or you go in and feel barely listened to. Or you feel dismissed.

Or they cause you unnecessary amounts of anxiety because you have a job and cant book you anything in advance when you first tried and keep repeating the same story over and over.