I can't find a doctor

**Inura** · 03-29-2011 09:11 PM

On my previous posts, people on this forum suggested to me that I try and find some type of therapist for my symptoms. I hear voices in my head, hallucinate all sorts of people, creatures and landscapes, and have violent, horrifying nightmares. All of these symptoms are pretty much constant; I'm seeing things right now as I type, for example. Functioning day to day is close to impossible, because often I have no idea what is real and what isn't. My quality of life is very low to say the least.

Anyway, I've been trying for years to find a therapist/psychiatrist/psychologist that will listen to me and help me. I've traveled hours in each direction of my house, going everywhere from clinic to clinic. But they all say the same thing: that I'm making my symptoms up, that there's nothing really wrong with me, and they're not going to do anything for me. But people keep telling me I need to find a doctor.
I know I do. I get it.
But what do I do if I can't?

**CHANDLERS WISH** · 03-29-2011 11:09 PM

Hi Inura,

I did a google search and found more than a handful of people stating exactly what you are stating, that it does exist, it does happen.

Below is what an older gentleman whom has the same symptoms wrote.

It appears that is possible that your brain is tricking you to sleep, whilst you are actually still awake...

Have a read and see if this helps you at all, not sure where you are from but you can Google - hallucinations whilst awake and find the same material.

CW

narcolepsy. The brain and body are supposed to awaken and go to sleep the same time, but once in awhile no one knows why there is a lag so one is dreaming with ones eyes open, they can be very vivid and you may be unable to move. However just knowing this is normal phenomenon can make it better. Sometimes even after you are up an hour after you still are so frightened. You should avoid 3 hours before bedtime the following tea, coffee, caffeine, caramel colored soda like coke, pepsi, gingerale, or chocolate all this make for restless sleep. l5 minutes before bedtime drink a glass of warm milk. Milk when heated contains tryptophan a natural amino acid sleep induceer.

You should try calling Stanford university sleep unit perhaps they can help you shed more light on it at 415-723-2300 ask to speak to someone at the sleep center. Now you can also email the following doctor with your question it will take about 3 days to get an answer. He is the top researcher on narcolepsy and answers many questions for me. His name is Dr. emanuel mignot, email him at mignotleland.stanford and the last place to call which a physician will get back to you and now is the place where all the research goes through is called. Narcolepsy research, University of Illinois, College of Nursing, 845 South Damen ave,chicago illinois 60612. their number is 312-996-5176, but for a quicker response fax them your question at 312-996-7008. Go to sleepnet.com for more tips on narcolepsy another website is called NAPS new abstracts in narcolepsy and research at web sciences / bibliosleep with no spaces and www in front.... . What you do is go into the archives and click on keyword, then hallucinations and you will find every abstract written on sleep and research, you can sign up they update them weekly as mds abstracts get published round the world and you can research it yourself.

**Seeker_Advice** · 03-30-2011 06:32 AM

Keep trying! Start with medical professionals that deal with the brain/mind and work from there. Eliminate all family practice or general practice physicians. Seems like a psychiatric evaluation of some sort may be helpful as well.

While your situation appears to be a real challenge, it's certainly not one that can't be figured out. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to kick over a thousand stones until you find the gem of an answer.

**ItsASecret** · 03-30-2011 08:46 AM

The thing with doctors is if you do not present with the way that a condition is supposed to present, like in a true hallucination, they will not regard it as a hallucination and there will be no diagnosis. It is all done in a branched tree fashion, you present with A then it gets branched into A,B,C and so on for whatever ailment a person has. If that person does not fit the criteria in whatever way it will not be diagnosed. All you can do is see a therapist, a medical doctor will not listen if you do not present with the symptoms correctly. A therapist will allow you to sit there and talk about things, that is what they like to do.

**Inura** · 03-31-2011 08:49 AM

Thank you Chandlers List for the information and phone numbers. I'll be sure to search Google also.

Thank you Seekers Advice also. I have seen nuerologists and sleep doctors, but they didn't find anything wrong with me. I've also seen many psychiatrists, but none of them think that it is necessary to do any sort of evalution, so unfortuantly I haven't gotten any done.

I have seen many therapists ItsaSecret, and they also said the same thing as every other doctor. When I say doctor, I mean therapists, psychiatrists and psycologists also.

**CHANDLERS WISH** · 03-31-2011 03:08 PM

It's good that you want answers and that you don't intend to stop until you find them

Things that aren't as common, get overlooked in my opinion, as they don't hear about them.

As, I stated when I googled I read the exact same problem from other people asking the same question so it has to exist, talk to them as well, join what ever they are on and see if you can gleen answers...

Don't stop until you work it out and what to do, because you can't keep living like this...

Let us know please what you find out and where you are at

CW

**Inura** · 04-17-2011 08:30 PM

Chandlers Wish

I know it has been a couple of weeks since I have written on this post. Lots of things came up. But you had written that you wanted to know what I found out, so I am updating you.

I called a few of those #'s that you gave me, the Stanford one and the University of Illinois. It took a couple of days to actually be able to speak with a professor/doctor. I told them my situation. They said it would be solved better if I went to another nuerologist to test for narcolespy. So it took several days for me to get permission from my insurance company to make an appointment. On the 2nd appointment with this nuerologist I had a sleep study done, just as before, and it came up negative for narcolespy, just as before. So now I do not know what to do.

Things did not improve much during the weeks. Most of the time I have lost all sense of reality, I sorta go through out my day in la-la land, not sure what is real and what isn't. My classmates and co-workers think that I am a freak because I constantly talk with people that aren't really there and interact with things that don't exist. One of my neighbors evidently called the cops, because every other day or so 2 officers come by to my place. They say that many neighbors have seen me acting really weird, so they thought I was on drugs and/or dangerous. I don't say anything to them but it is very inconvient and embarressing.

Sorry if I was rambling but I needed to say what was on my mind. If anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

**evilgothicjenn** · 04-17-2011 10:00 PM

Of course they don't believe you, you're nuts! XD No, really though, I had weird stuff like that going on with me too a few years ago... It's scary and weird, and you keep wondering if someone slipped you drugs... But honestly, when no one can help you, and you can't seem to fix yourself, just f-it. Seriously... When I told my (ex)boyfriend what was going on with me, and that I wanted help, he just laughed and said, "it's alright, just try to enjoy it! People pay good money for the same thing, ya know! (see also, acid. Lol)" It's annoying, it's not like drugs where it goes away eventually, but it won't be there forever... So really, try to enjoy it for the moment, cause now that it doesn't happen to me, I almost miss it :/ reality sucks anyway. Besides, being crazy gets you great friends later in life! Lol