Confessions of a GP

[elainegem]

I recently downloaded this book onto my Kindle having read some positive reviews. Essentially it is a series of anecdotes about some of his patients and how he delt with their problems. As he is still a practicing GP, the authors name is a pseudonym.

I settled down for what I thought was going to be an enjoyable read but soon realised the opposite! His manner & the way he describes some of his patients borders on arrogant but the chapter about one of his patients disagnosed with fibromyalgia made my blood boil. He said this lady had sufferred from SLS (s**t life syndrome) before being diagnosed with fibromyalgia.She was a single parent and had not had an easy life from childhood. He went on to describe all the tests & examinations she had in order to explain her pain had come back with normal results, hence the fm diagnosis. He then waxed lyrical about fm being a condition only suffered by people who have had a s**t life! and implied that all the symptoms she suffered would disappear totally if she sorted her life out! He said he had never seen a person with fm who hadn't been affected by having a S**t life, whatever that means.
What a dinosaur, I was diagnosed with fm in my 30s & I am now 56. I was brought up by 2 loving parents and married at 23 to a lovely man who I am still married to. I held down a senior position in a high street bank until my illness took over & I had the leave on health grounds. I don't consider my life to be s**t even now. Difficult yes but certainly a life worth living. How dare he generalise in such a way & get away with it. Don't we have enough problems with the medical profession? Idiot!

[FluppyPuffy]

Can you write a review for it elaine?? If so, you could mention the chapter about FM as well as other bits that are memorable for all the wrong reasons

[elainegem]

For Lindsay,
I wouldn't waste my money if I were you. Reading it would do nothing for your blood pressure!

For Fluppy puffy
I would be happy to write a review of this book when I've calmed down a bit! Thank you for asking.

[FluppyPuffy]

It would be good if you post review on the site you downloaded the book from, it could help others looking to get it see what he's said about things.

[lrgatrell88]

Was just wondering if any of you had read this book? I have just read a chapter called "sh*t life syndrome" which goes on to describe a woman who lives in a council flat with 3 disastrous children who suffers from fm.

It goes on to say that fm has no known cause but unofficially to GPs it's known as sh*t life syndrome and all the the patients he has seen his had the same thing.

He says in his opinion it only manifests in people who have had tough and troubled lifes who cant express this pain verbally so it manifests itself physically instead.

He then says that by doing more tests and giving more drugs positively reinforces the idea that the sufferer has a physical illness that the medical profession should treat.

The years of out patient and specialist appointments encourage that the person Is actually sick. It is a role that they subconsciously fill and become dependent on. Being labelled as ill is a distraction from the social and emotional problems which are the underlying cause and he goes onto say that some people enjoy being ill to have control over people!

Makes u wonder whether other gps think the same really. I downloaded this book tonight because I couldn't sleep and now I'm fuming. I don't no what my deep psychological scars could be but I'll let you no if I find out. ;) x

[Roseofsharon]

What the ........? Ok I haven't read the book, so cannot really comment, but what a way to talk about people who have very real and very serious problems!!!!! There is no excuse for rounding on us for being ill when they cannot find out why we are ill! Somehow one is left to wonder how they would cope if their life was taken away from them in the way that we have lost ours! I'm too angry to really know what it is that I am even wanting to say!

[Bellalina]

One question sorry: I keep reading GP in the forum, what does that stand for? I'm a German living in the US and have no idea, sorry

[Roseofsharon]

Bellalina GP means general Practitioner - basically the GP is your family doctor who deals with everything from your repeat medication to your specialist referrals etc.

[Katblack]

[sjc]

Hi there,

Very interesting to hear this.....Now, I gonna tell you something now, which I think you find interesting.....I believe that most medical specialists or GP's show this kind of terrible attitude towards patients, especially those patients that have conditions like fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, autism, etc.....despite these conditions being geniune disabilities from the patient's point of view, most medical staff do feel that some patients with these conditions are malingerers or have this s*** life syndrome thing....I know this to be true, as I have had some medical professionals/GP's/Mental health workers to treat me like I am a patient with very little problems and that there is nothing wrong with me, despite displaying significant impairments with my hidden disabilities......

For example, I had a middle-aged/female social worker come to see me in October 2011 to my home - basically, she told me that apparently my so called-man of a clinical pyschologist told her that he feels that "I am playing into the sick role...." As you can imagine, that comment didn't go down well with me at all, as people like me withs fibro/depression/autism do not play into the sick role....When I confronted her manager about this comment between her and the pyschologist, both of them suddenly denied the comments.....but I know that it was said.....So what I am saying folks is that I know first hand that medical specialists do say such false or silly things about their patients......

Also, because conditions like fibromyalgia/depression/autism/anxiety, etc.... cannot be diagnosed via blood test, scans, etc....doctors sadly make stupid assumptions as say things like "oh, it because your stressed and have got issues in your life that causes you problems with your health." My mum who has fibromyalgia/depression as well, gets this comment all the time - she was left widowed at her young age and then had to bring me and my sister up on her own...then she has weight problems and financial difficulties....so the doctors automatically put her feelings down to her lifestyle, not the illness itself....

I fear that doctors do make assumptions about their patients....some are not willing to truly understand their patients....this is obviously very frustrating........I think it will be interesting to have some more medical professionals to come out and speak more about what truly goes off behind closed walls in their little offices.....I bet you be quite shocked, if you know the full truth on what they do or say.....

Take care folks. All the best.

[lrgatrell88]

The rest of the book is light hearted most of the time. So it really surprised me when I read this bit. It's just a shame really that fm and other illnesses are thought of like this. I might ask the next gp that dismisses me out right if he thinks I suffer from sh*t life syndrome and see what he says. 

[sallybramald]

I try so hard never to get angry but the SLS syndrome (his name for Fibro) had steam coming out of my ears. Just because he has one or two patients with awful lives diagnosed with it, he assumes the condition is purely an escape from a bad life. I have been trying to find the author online so I can tell him, I have a wonderful life, a loving family and am successful in my field, I would just love to be pain free enough to enjoy it.

[denys]

Because these 2 topics are obviously about the same book I have merged the topics together in a hope it will be easier to find

[wee_g83]

Im so glad that i wasnt the only fibro sufferer to feel complete and utter rage after reading this book. My new kindle nearly suffered because of it, the urge to throw it at the wall was so great!! I found his comments vile and highly offensive. He knows nothing about me or my life to be able to make such sweeping generalisations. I do not suffer from 's*** life syndrome'. I have a university education, a wonderful husband, a very caring family and, before my pain forced me to give work up, a wonderful job. He seemed to imply im choosing to live like this every day, which is complete nonsense. Its this complete lack of understanding within the NHS that is half the battle with fibro these days and unfortunatly many of us on here have encountered a doctor like him at some point our lifes. Its wrong, very very wrong.

[lala1626]

i read this book when i first got my kindle to cheer myself up, the rest of the book is quite light hearted and in some points funny, however when getting to the sh*t life syndrome part it angered me so much that the book was immediately deleted and a review of it was put onto amazon about how the book was not sensitive to the people who are actually suffering with some of these illnesses.
The book made me feel very alienated and made me doubt the drs who i have seen and made me wonder whether my gp (who doesnt listen to a word you say) is one of these gps who refers to sh*t life syndrome.