God I hate the Canadian medical system (long post, but please read)

[mrdevious]

well, yesterday it happened again, for about the 4th time. I was at work and I got hit with a terrible panick attack (chronic anxiety and all). I work at 7-11 and had to suddenly leave the customer and go to the backroom to get my shit together. suddenly I couldn't breath and was hyperventilating like a fish out of water. I collapsed on the floor and was there for a good half hour, all I could do was kick the door hoping somebody would hear, trying to get somebody to call an ambulance or get me some oxygen. instead my useless co-workers ignored it and kept working. finally somebody found me, got me some blankets (cause I was extremely cold and couldn't feel my arms and legs). they called my dad and he came and took me home.

why do I have the canadian medical system you say? because I've talked to a doctor about this before, and wanted to get some therapy. but, the only way our "free medical" pays for therapy is if I kill somebody, rape somebody, or try to kill myself! so since I have barely any money I can't pay for it, and the meds they've given me don't work worth a shit (and non have worked better than weed).

god damnit, i don't know what to do about it anymore. I've lived my whole life convincing myself it's weak to seek out help, but all that's gotten me is a few rides to the hospital. anybody have ideas/experience with anxiety or panick attacks? I just wish I had some idea what I could to fix this, I don't even know if I can keep working anymore.

[TasteTheRainbow]

I'm sorry to hear that you are dealing with anxiety attacks. I suffer from them myself, and they can really be debilitating at times. Have you ever tried relaxation breathing or meditation? I know that's not much help when your in full-fledged panic mode at work, but kind of like a preventative, say in the mornings when you wake up and before bedtime.

What medications have you tried? Xanax is ok sometimes when I feel REALLY bad, but it makes me so tired that I try to do without it. I know a person whose had good experience with klonapin (sp?) although I've never tried it myself. And you are NOT weak for seeking help, you're smart. You want to get better.

I'm sorry that the medical system there is failing you. :( Seems like no matter what country we're in there are always problems. I live in the U.S. and am uninsured, so it sounds like we're in a similar boat. I was denied help b/c I held a job and hadn't been in and out of state run metal health facilities. Feel free to email me, I'm pretty sure I still have some good online info saved somewhere on my computer. Take care. :) [email protected]

[mrdevious]

well thanks for that TTR :) . it is nice to know somebody actually is in my boat. I've actaully been getting into meditation recently, but it's been so hard to find the time when I'm always working and then exhausted all day from work. though I'll keep working at that. right now I'm stoned and listening to music, it's a very effective escape for me (though i'm running out of weed damnit :mad: ) .

meds are so hard to tell with which is the right one. I took paxil which is supposed to have no withdrawl effects. it made me like I was on crack for a week, then it stopped working, then I went off and had terrible withdrawl. I tried another, can't remember the name, about 2 years ago but it didnt' do anything. frankly I just hate having to mask it with a pill every day, know what I mean? I really wish I could actually fix it, or at least improve it.

heh, and yeah I know a lot of Americans believe we live in this Utopia medical society, but it's far from it and failing on many levels.

hope that all came out right, kinda out of it too being stoned. check out www.leaveseyes.com and see the video "elegy", so amazing. getting off track, so I'll just stop and post this now.

[ontariogrower]

I know how you feel. I've been waiting almost 3 years for a proper diagnosis. They tell me i have lupus, then they say i have other things and they say i dont have it even though they are treating me for it. they confuse the hell out of me. I just want to know whats making me sick. 3 years is too long to wait when your 20 years old and cna't work, can't go to school, can't sleep, can't go out with friends, can't do physical activity. Fuck them all. They are idiots. I spent 7 hours in the hospital this morning getting blood work and CAT scans done and getting examined by a new doctor. Iv'e been waiting 3 fucking years for some answers. I cannot lead a normal life. I get fevers all the time. I am in pain, i have mental problems, which could be from drug use. I'm confused i dont even know whether i fucked my brain or what. I just want some fucking answers as to why i have fevers, pain, problems balancing, photosensitivity, rashes, lumps in my neck, problems hearing, numbness in my hands and up my sides, confusion and all sorts of nasty things. THE CANADIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM SUCKS ASS! I"VE BEEN WAITING THREE FUCKING YEARS! I CAN"T GO OUT BARELY. I HAVE BEEN IN THE HOUSE FOR 3 fucking years almost. If i was in the u.s i wouldnt have waited 3 years to get help. Free healthcare sucks dick. IF i had cancer i would have died and it would have been because of their laziness. I have no life anymore. I have not even seen my friends or went out with them. I only go out to see the doctor and to grocery shop with my mom occasionally. Like once a month. The first doctor told me it was impossible that i was sick, the second believed me, and now i'm finally seeing a specialist after 3 FUCKING YEARSSSS!!! Now this one believes me but i have to wait 2 months to see her cuz she's booked until JANUARY! Iv'e never had to wait like this when i was younger. They give old geezers better care than me. I think they should fucking give me some real medicine and make me feel better. But nooo make me wait and wait and wait and let some old geezer with some petty little illness go in before me while i rott at home. If someone can go out to work, and lead a normal life, they should have their appointment given to me so i can get some friggin attention. I'm sick of people going in and complaining even though they can work and do basically anything anyone else can do. Then they get some doctor who prescribes them anything under the sun and they dont even need it and i do!!!! fuckkkkk


ignore the above rant, i'm just pissed off at this shit healthcare system

I have anxiety too. I dont' get any help for it either. Doctors don't know anything. They are idiots who think they are better than everyone else. They treat younger people like they are idiots and send us home to suffer and then they help some stupid 40 year old who's living a normal life and give them something to help them. It pisses me off. All the people who dont have life threatening or really horrible health problems shouldnt be allowed to go in front of people with real health problems....

[mrdevious]

I totally understand how you feel Ontariogrower, and as controversial as this may be to say, I really think the majority of people against an optional secondary privitized system haven't had to endure our failing medical system. I've actually heard many people against a 2 tier system because it's "american" way. what they dont' realize is that's it's not the American way, it's the WORLD way. Cuba is the only other country in the world to have a 100% public healthcare system. if we had one like in Germany we'd be a lot better off.

for almost 3 years I've had terrible neck pain, and 3 1/2 I've had back pain, and everytime all the doctors do is give me some painkillers and say "take these, get some rest, you'll be better in 2 weeks". 3 years later they're actually saying the same thing :rolleyes: .

This is a failing systen being supported by fear of the socialist system collapsing. but you have to have balance, big brother can't take care of you for everything.

[Krippysmoker]

This is a bit of help for anyone suffering from Severe Chronic Anxiety. First of all I totally understand the fear and embarrasment of having to seek treatment....then one day after being sick and misdiagnosed for years, figured that my life as it was then was just to crappy. To let my fear of what other people may think affect my ability to get help was just BS. I have had panic and anxity attacks for almost ten years. For a while the smoking made it WORSE so for about 6 years I didnt smoke. Then I tried drug after drug from the shrinks...some make it 10x worse. Finally I found something that made life at least liveable. for me it was Lexapro.. few side effects other than tired...and believe me I have tried at least 20 different pills. I never liked xanax....gave me a hangover the next day. Klonopin is more of a long lasting calming agent where xanax hits you peaks and then falls off.....Klonopin just gives a lot longer calm. I smoke almost daily now....it does help with the anxity. My advice is ask Drs if they work on a sliding scale....based on what you make. My drs appts cost me 10 bucks a month...and my Lexapro is free from the company...yes I had to fill out a lot of paperwork...but in the end its worth it. Never give up and there is help out there although its not easy to find. I wish you the best of luck and hope that one day your attacks stop as sundly as they started

[amsterdam]

govt. run health care aint that nice is it,.

[ScarlettCrush]

ask your doc to prescribe you some xanex. I take one when I feel anxiety attack coming on and it fixes me right up. I don't wait for diagnosis, if my doc seems unconcerned about looking into my problem I research it mysel and tell them what to prescribe me.

[mrdevious]

I still have a bottle of about 50 paxils I took over a year ago. I've considered just taking them as needed, since regular dosages make them stop working after a while. however, taking them over just a couple days will make me the super cheerfull crack addicts. IE. when I first took it I woke up at 6:00 sorta like "Hello world!" lol. my grades shot right up because my brain was working so overtime. probably bad for me though.

[potpimp]

"psychiatrists, who are trained medical doctors and may prescribe medication. Their services are covered by OHIP. You must be referred to a psychiatrist by your family doctor."





So you go tell your doctor you feel suicidal, and its free. Whats going to happen if you say that, and they wont refer you, and you kill yourself? It would be the mother of all inquests. Go from doctor to doctor until you find one who will refer you. Are you in college or university full time? If so your student health plan will cover therapy.
I can call my crazy ex GF and ask her, i know she isnt paying for it. You need to learn to milk the system.