Gal Argggghhhhh!

klmno

Active Member
Last week the psychiatrist said the gal had called and left a message for him and he looked at me strangely when he said it. The gal called me at work today and said she wanted to meet with us next week. I assumed all this was to prepare for difficult child's court in 2 weeks. I had a funny feeling about things though since I never heard anything from her when I left a message a week or so ago asking if there would be any problem if we changed psychiatrist or therapist. She only left a message back asking what hypomania was. I faxed her a lot of info about BiPolar (BP) and still never heard anything from her, until today. She did something like this last year and I learned that with her, this could mean she is out making rash decisions. She went to see difficult child at school today and difficult child said she just asked the same old questions and why he had gone to psychiatric hospital a few weeks ago.

So, difficult child and I had an appointment with a therapist today. therapist said he got a message from gal asking him to return her call and something like "so, I understand the treatment plan is changing". Now, I never said the treatment plan was changing- I asked if there was a problem changing therapist or psychiatrist. Really, there was no therapist name listed in court order so we were not ordered to see any specific one. But what really bugs me is that it isn't exactly like I had gone in there telling all of them that I was considering changing. I wanted to discuss things with them that I felt we needed from treatment and determine if we would ever be able to get it from them. I don't think that is the "plan" changing, I think it is changing people if they can't or won't help with the plan. I called and left a message for her when we got home asking if the treatment plan was changing because I wasn't aware of it and saying that I hope she didn't misinterpret anything I had said. Really, she probably thinks the treatment plan is the person. Never mind the fact that neither one of the tdocs we are seeing WROTE the treatment plan. The MDE team psychiatrist wrote the treatment plan. It was consistent with what regular psychiatrist had told us. Why doesn't this woman just call and ask me about her concerns before doing rash stuff then basing her recommendation to the judge on this?

Then, this therapist appointment- well, I won't even get into it. It is just more frustration. Just more "well the medications should be taking care of it all". Well, they don't, ask psychiatrist, and if they did we wouldn't be here. These are the ones that leave me convinced that they do not know as much as they lead me to believe when I asked multiple times "do you have experience providing therapy for individuals and families with BiPolar (BP)"? Of course they do- they say. I guess all the people with BiPolar (BP) before my difficult child had all their symptoms disappear once on medications. There's more- I will save it. It is probably just me expecting too much again.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
I am sorry about this mess. medications do NOT fix everything for anyone. They help you be able to use coping skills.

This woman sounds like an idjit. And a very very manipulative one.

I am sorry the therapist visit was awful. Is it the same therapist who may have told difficult child that a little bit of alcohol or drugs would not hurt?

Hugs, honey, we are here for you!

Susie
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
I agree, maybe if she had called you to ask what you meant by your message to her, she wouldn't be "guessing that the treatment plan is changing." How is it her place to "guess" about anything? She's an idjit.
 

klmno

Active Member
Thanks for the support, Susie & Smallworld & Witz! I am just frustrated because I testified in court, with letters from psychiatrists for proof, of the recommended treatment plan for difficult child and that I wanted to pursue it. The judge approved that. I also testified that if we tried a therapist and he wasn't following or couldn't provide that, I wanted freedom to change it (the therapist). The judge approved that. So, to me, the only thing that should be remotely questionable is changing psychiatrists- judge did list him by name because I had been taking difficult child to the same one (only one he has been to ) for 2 years. I thought about changing because psychiatrist wouldn't respond to anything between appts. anymore. If all psychiatrists in the area are this way, then fine- no reason to change. But the tdocs- if they haven't even had ONE conversation about the issues that need to be addressed, then why can't we change to a therapist that does? And, if she took issue with that- why would she call each one up saying she understands that the treatment plan has changed. I just don't get it. How did the plan change? The problem is that the tdocs can't/won't follow the treatment plan. I have tried to double-check things- I do not think the treatment plan is unrealistic- heck, I didn't write it. A psychiatrist did and furthermore- it is consistent with what I find online for kids with problems like this. I'm sorry- I guess I should understand- maybe I just have a mental block on this or something.
 

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
I'm confused ~ our GAL for wm communicates by phone. AND she also follows up with written letters. Always.

She never calls psychiatrists, tdocs or SWs behind my back or foster mums back ~ she is always very straight forward with us.

I guess my confusion lies with the fact that she isn't required to use the written word to communicate; to clarify, etc.

And I know each state is different. I'm sorry for all the anxiety that you're going through with difficult child & the system right now.l
 

klmno

Active Member
Thanks, Linda. I don't understand it either. It's going to get worse, I'm sure when she makes her home vivist next weeks and sees the holes in the walls that difficult child has put there over this past year during rages.
 

busywend

Well-Known Member
Is it possible she needs the treatment plan spelled out differently? She does not sound like she understands it all, so maybe fewer words and bulletized would be best for her.
Perhaps next to each one you can show how it is being fulfilled or if it not - put it in highlights to point out that it still needs to be accomplished. She just is not getting it yet.

Can you get a different GAL?
 

klmno

Active Member
I have a call into her- hopefully she'll call back today so I can review the main points. (It would have been nice if she'd done this before taking the approach she did.) She alsways seems to assume I have done something wrong whenever she doesn't hear what she wants- when I testifdied in Jan, I told them that this would not all be solved (ie difficult child "cured") by June. Anyway, I also have a call in to defense attny- maybe he can talk to her about it.

If she wasn't comfortable taking my word for all this, I would have thought she would call psychiatrist and asked questions about what should be happenning. Then, she could ask tdocs questions to determine what actually is happenning.

Oh- no I can't change GAL's- boy, I wish I could. I was hoping she would be out of the picture once difficult child went to court in 2 weeks. I doubt the courts will remove themselves from the picture at this point.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Sheesh. She's a winner. NOT. I agree, she doesn't understand the treatment plan or that you can switch psychiatrists and it's not up to her to call people in that regard. What a moron. What a mess.
I feel for you.
Stay calm and organized. That's all you can do.
 
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