# feedback



## Guest (May 20, 2001)

I wrote the following for a popular magazine. I'm not sure how understandable it is and would appreciate feedback on this and on whether or not you agree.tomAre You Crazy! ï¿½Are you crazy! Iï¿½m not crazy.ï¿½ Ever say this to your doctor? Or think it and not sayit out of timidity? Thatï¿½s not what your doctor meant unless he or she is ten years out ofdate. Times have changed and if you have a chronic health problem a referral to apsychologist is to help you with your problem, and these days a psychologist shouldknow how to help. This help is in two general areas. The first is depression and anxiety. Anyone with achronic health problem is going to suffer these, and the questions are how bad is it andthe chicken and egg issue of what causes what. This is complicated as the mental canlead to physical problems and the physical can have mental effects in addition to thesimple fact that having a chronic problem is depressing. Itï¿½s best to get an expertopinion. This is why your doctor sent you to a psychologist and this is something youshould expect to get from a psychologist after an hour if he or she is competent. The other area concerns specific help in the treatment of specific aspects of thedisease itself. This of course depends on the illness and aspects of the illness, butirritable bowel syndrome and the advances there can serve as an example. Research hasshown that hypnosis, cognitive therapy, brief psychodynamic therapy, biofeedback, andpoetry therapy are effective in treating specific aspects of the problem. Recent researchhas led to the realization that there are specific aspects of ibs, such as motility (speed ofmovement in the gut), hypersensitivity, and muscle tension and, if correctly identified,these aspects can be modified. An example might clarify this is in lay terms: Research has identified at least twotypes of irritable bowel syndrome. The are IBS-D (or diarrhea predominant) and IBS-C(or constipation predominant). There are ne medications which have been developed andsoon will be released to treat each type. These medications deliver chemicals to the gut,much the same way that anti-depressants deliver medication to the brain. One typespeeds up action in one section of the gut and another slows down action in another areaof the gut. The mental treatments mentioned earlier can do the same sort of thing in nanalaguous fashion. Itï¿½s not all in your mind; itï¿½s not all in your body. Itï¿½s you. http://www.med.unc.edu/wrkunits/2depts/med...tion.htm#stress and http://www.mbcrc.med.ucla.edu/ are two of the many websites that give up-to-dateinformation on this


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Tom, Definitely understandable! (Yes even I understood everything you wrote the 1st time I read it!







)I whole-heartedly agree! Glad there are people like you out there to make it easy to seek help. You have written a winner in my book! Anything that puts people at ease with seeking help from a Psychologist is critical. I believe that is what your article does in a very non-threatening way.Just MHO.







BQ


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## denise.bradley (Jun 7, 2000)

Good job Tom;I once a a fight with a doctor who incenuated that it was all in my head that going going to the john 20 times a day was nothing the pain was in my head and the dropping of 28 pounds in 3 weeks was caused by my head problems. Needless to say hes not my doctor anymore. I hope thee jerk develops my head problems it will teach him a good lesson.Denise >


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