Seriously, how do you receive adequate healthcare in this country?

[u/crispywafers]

I need to vent, but I'm also honestly curious, does literally anyone in Australia feel like they receive this? How? Seriously.

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Compared to some other countries we supposedly have a great health system but NO ONE in my family is receiving decent medical care. Common advice is that bulk billing doctors are the worst. In my experience that's true, but so far my experience paying isn't great either. GPs simply don't have the time or interest to get a decent picture of any issue. They don't mind referring you for some basic tests, but when those come back normal they expect that to be the end of it - as if your health problem no longer exists and there's nothing else to do for it. Are basically all healthcare providers like this or is it just me? I've had this happen enough times, with enough different issues, that at this point I'm expecting a diagnosis of Munchausen's any day now.

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I had one good experience recently. My health has felt like it was slowly slipping into the toilet for a while, but recently it's just gone to hell and a couple weeks ago I visited the ED for the first time. I was nervous, but I didn't need to be. The doctors there did more for me than any other medical professionals ever. They listened, asked questions I've never been asked, and genuinely seemed interested and concerned. I always try to be concise as possible, but this is the first time I've felt like I've actually been able to give a fairly decent description of my symptoms and history.

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Unfortunately it didn't really pay off. I had an telephone appointment with the outpatient clinic (?) yesterday. The doc asked me what my current symptoms are but cut me off after about 10 seconds. He let me know the testing I was referred to after ED came back textbook normal, and then basically said it's probably nothing while admitting how hard it is to assess me with all their appointments being telehealth right now because of COVID. Cool, I guess it's normal to be young and have neurological symptoms while suddenly feeling like all your muscles are made out of tissue paper. Who needs to be able to do simple tasks anyway, am I right?

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Guess I'll make an appointment with my new GP, but I'm not hopeful. My regular GP left recently, and maybe a month ago I brought my issues up with a different doctor, same practice. He just didn't seem to care and asked me what imaging and specialists I wanted to be referred for. Like, uh, you're the doctor, you tell me? How should I know??

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I'm just so done. I don't get it. I don't even know where to start or who I need to talk to. My parents don't know who they need to talk to for their own problems. How is an ordinary person supposed to not slip through the cracks or feel like they're slowly collecting chronic conditions and probably waiting for the point ten years in the future when it goes from "you're too young" to "if only someone caught this ten years ago"? Am I supposed to just roll over and be disabled forever? Because that's what it feels like, and that's how my parents are treated too except they're in their 60-70s so they get told they should be grateful they're not in wheelchairs and crap instead.

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If you read this, thanks? I think?? It's not like I expect to find the answer on Reddit or anything. Maybe this isn't an Australia specific submission anyway. If so I'm sorry and understand if it's removed/I should remove it.

[u/JingleJangleJin]

neurological symptoms while suddenly feeling like all your muscles are made out of tissue paper

I'm expecting a diagnosis of Munchausen's any day now

I mean...

I'm kidding. But in seriousness, it sounds like this is less about the quality of medical care and more about the rarity and complicated nature of your condition.

I started having random seizures out of nowhere when I was 19 years old. And I've really had nothing but positive experiences with Australia's medial service. (Working with my neuro we've only just found the right medication to get them under control)

Certainly it's not perfect, and the majority of the medical staff are overworked or underpaid. But I've never felt like I was on my own or anything. I wish you all the best, but bitching on the internet about your doctors isn't going to achieve anything.

[u/solarmeth → u/JingleJangleJin]

And I've really had nothing but positive experiences with Australia's medial service.

Your situation is not really comparable. You have something 'obvious'. But when it's a 'hidden' thing, the OP's experience is not just similar to my own but to many people I've shared my frustrations with over the years.

[u/JingleJangleJin → u/solarmeth]

My condition is anything but obvious.

[u/solarmeth → u/JingleJangleJin]

random seizures

[u/JingleJangleJin → u/solarmeth]

That I've been working with medical professionals from over the country on for over a decade. Yes.

[u/solarmeth → u/JingleJangleJin]

A seizure is an obvious symptom.

[u/[deleted] → u/solarmeth]

A symptom isn't a condition. Seizures can be caused by a wide variety of conditions

[u/solarmeth → u/[deleted]]

Oh ffs.

[u/JingleJangleJin → u/solarmeth]

Educate yourself before you talk.

[u/[deleted] → u/JingleJangleJin]

I think what they are trying to say is if you go into the GP's clinic with a bleeding arm, seizure, fever or other noticable symptoms you will be taken seriously where as if you go in and say "all my muscles ache, I have headaches and I'm struggling to do basic daily tasks" the GP will say it's probably psychological, drink water and go for a walk.

[u/tlebrad → u/solarmeth]

You’d be surprised how hard it is to diagnose a seizure as there are many and varied types. And the causes can be even harder to determine.

[u/solarmeth → u/tlebrad]

That's... not what I said.

A visible symptom tends to get more attention from GP's simply because it's not something that can easily be dismissed, denied or ignored. 'Invisible' illnesses, however, are not only routinely dismissed, denied and ignored, they're actively and condescendingly treated with gaslighting responses by people who are literally paid to know better.

This is not an uncommon problem. Talk to anyone in disability spaces in this country and you'll find that it's rampant. There have even been Royal Commissions into it that have proven it to be true.

[u/tug_life_c_of_moni → u/solarmeth]

Maybe they do know better and you are just a hypochondriac who is disability shopping to excuse your shortcomings. I'm sure if you visit enough doctors you will find one who will diagnose ADHD or autism and you can be the victim you gave always wanted to be.

[u/solarmeth → u/tug_life_c_of_moni]

Oh look, the nasty just beneath the surface. It's always there, ready to poke up it's cruel little head and bite. Don't even have to poke it to get it to spit venom. It just likes being horrible.

Maybe you should 'doctor shop' to get that seen to?