Tag Archives: Doctor
Putting Our Lived Experience on the Record Can Help Build a Sense of Safety
I started bringing a printed page to my pain specialist appointments because I needed a way to communicate that worked for my nervous system and his. Each page bears the date and his name, plus brief status updates on regional … Continue reading
Posted in Healthcare
Tagged continuity, Doctor, IPNB, notes, pain specialist, records, Regulation, safety
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I Can’t Trust a Doctor Who Doesn’t Trust Me
I Can’t Trust a Doctor Who Doesn’t Trust Me The biggest barrier to my health has been the practitioner’s refusal to trust me. They don’t believe what I say about my body, experience, or reality. They can’t take in what … Continue reading
Survivors in the Lurch: How Doctors Disregard Their Role in Resolving Medical Trauma
Recently, I heard the same line I’ve been hearing for years. A prominent pain specialist told me that doctors don’t have the time to help me recover from medical PTSD. The conversation always drops straight into the same rut: “Are … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Healthcare
Tagged attunement, Doctor, doctor-patient relationship, doctors, Empathy, IPNB, Medical PTSD, MPTSD, pain, pain specialist, relationship, therapy
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Dear Doctor, Please Pause and Take a Breath Outside the Door
Dear Doctor, please pause and take a breath outside the door. It’s good for both of us. I know the system you work in demands too much, too fast, for too little. It rewards efficiency over empathy, billing codes over … Continue reading
Posted in Healthcare
Tagged breathe, connection, disconnection, Doctor, dysregulated, healthcare, IPNB, Medicine, mindful breath, pause, presence, safety, stress reduction
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Rupture and Repair: How Breaks in Trust Can Be a Doorway to Something Better
Recently, I had a rupture repair session with one of my most trusted healthcare practitioners. About ten days before, we had a misattunement rupture when he dismissed what I said about my lived experience. I told him I was struggling, … Continue reading
Posted in Relationships
Tagged attunement, connection, Doctor, IPNB, practitioners, relationship, rupture, safety
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Real Care is a Relationship: The Power of One Patient to Change the System
I’ve had to fight harder than most people can imagine just to be treated with dignity in medical spaces. I’ve been harmed, dismissed, ignored, and treated like a problem to manage instead of a human being to care for. But … Continue reading
Posted in Healthcare
Tagged authenticity, change, connection, Doctor, IPNB, learning, Medicine, pain, SGB
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F’ing Insane: Maltreatment by Health Data
I had my annual checkup with my primary care provider. She said all my numbers are good, because they collected the wrong numbers. No sleep data. No tracking my pain over time. No questions about PTSD or Complex Regional Pain … Continue reading
Posted in Healthcare
Tagged charts, data, Doctor, health, healthcare, lab results, Medicine, primary care
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Why a Doctor Visit Can Increase Our Pain
For someone with a chronic condition, going to the doctor can increase pain because the body is already in a heightened state of sensitivity. When pain persists over time, the nervous system adapts by becoming more responsive to potential threats, … Continue reading