Comments on: Can doctors and patients be friends? http://threeringcircus.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/can-doctors-and-patients-be-friends/ Where chaos reigns supreme - Life, love and everything in between. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:10:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: WanQuixote http://threeringcircus.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/can-doctors-and-patients-be-friends/#comment-891 Sat, 13 Jun 2009 06:45:47 +0100 http://threeringcircus.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/can-doctors-and-patients-be-friends/#comment-891 After breaking down and crying with me over one of his personal problems, my doctor straightforwardly asked me to be friends with him and began having hour-long appointments with me. My first reaction was to be simultaneously frightened and flattered. The flattery should be understandable without explanation. The fear was because this doctor, a general practitioner, had been treating me for about three years for bipolar disorder. I was, and am, emotionally unstable, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to deal with this odd, new relationship with my principle caregiver -- who now saw me as a major part of his support system. He said he couldn't talk to his (beautiful, expensive) wife about his problems. After breaking down and crying with me over one of his personal problems, my doctor straightforwardly asked me to be friends with him and began having hour-long appointments with me. My first reaction was to be simultaneously frightened and flattered. The flattery should be understandable without explanation. The fear was because this doctor, a general practitioner, had been treating me for about three years for bipolar disorder. I was, and am, emotionally unstable, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to deal with this odd, new relationship with my principle caregiver — who now saw me as a major part of his support system. He said he couldn’t talk to his (beautiful, expensive) wife about his problems.

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]]> by: Tiff http://threeringcircus.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/can-doctors-and-patients-be-friends/#comment-484 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 05:43:19 +0000 http://threeringcircus.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/can-doctors-and-patients-be-friends/#comment-484 Thanks Rob for replying. It is so interesting hearing it straight from the doctors mouth, so to speak. It's not something that I have openly discussed with our doctors or our friends who are doctors. I understand what you are saying.; that you can be friends with your clients but with limits. Thanks Rob for replying. It is so interesting hearing it straight from the doctors mouth, so to speak. It’s not something that I have openly discussed with our doctors or our friends who are doctors. I understand what you are saying.; that you can be friends with your clients but with limits.

]]> by: Rob http://threeringcircus.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/can-doctors-and-patients-be-friends/#comment-469 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 03:43:54 +0000 http://threeringcircus.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/can-doctors-and-patients-be-friends/#comment-469 Thanks for referencing me. I would say that I have a friendship with my patients, but the number of rules in those friendships are quite high. I actually take care of people who are my friends - so it goes both ways. Yet when I am in the role as a physician, I must remain as detached and careful about externals as is possible. I cannot let myself think "No, it could not be cancer," if cancer should be considered. I can't take a visit that is focused on the care of the patient and turn it into a therapy session for myself. There are rules and these rules may exist in other friendships as well. They are just more obvious in this circumstance. Thanks for referencing me. I would say that I have a friendship with my patients, but the number of rules in those friendships are quite high. I actually take care of people who are my friends - so it goes both ways. Yet when I am in the role as a physician, I must remain as detached and careful about externals as is possible. I cannot let myself think “No, it could not be cancer,” if cancer should be considered. I can’t take a visit that is focused on the care of the patient and turn it into a therapy session for myself. There are rules and these rules may exist in other friendships as well. They are just more obvious in this circumstance.

]]> by: Kelley http://threeringcircus.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/can-doctors-and-patients-be-friends/#comment-467 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:18:38 +0000 http://threeringcircus.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/can-doctors-and-patients-be-friends/#comment-467 Difficult situation. My doctor has known me since I was a child. Even though I had high risk pregnancies I saw him for my checkups. He was shocked and called me at home when we moved away and Boo was diagnosed with Autism. He apologised for not picking it up. My parents have both been diagnosed with cancers via this man. I know him by his first name, as do my children. I know a little about his life. I went to his daughters funeral. However I don't consider us 'friends', intimate acquaintances perhaps? He is the only man that has given me a pap smear or any of that girly stuff. If I see him in the street it is a quick 'Hi' no chatting. I think he prefers it that way. I think I would find it difficult to socialise with someone who knows more about my intimate details than my husband! Difficult situation. My doctor has known me since I was a child. Even though I had high risk pregnancies I saw him for my checkups. He was shocked and called me at home when we moved away and Boo was diagnosed with Autism. He apologised for not picking it up. My parents have both been diagnosed with cancers via this man. I know him by his first name, as do my children.

I know a little about his life. I went to his daughters funeral. However I don’t consider us ‘friends’, intimate acquaintances perhaps? He is the only man that has given me a pap smear or any of that girly stuff.

If I see him in the street it is a quick ‘Hi’ no chatting. I think he prefers it that way. I think I would find it difficult to socialise with someone who knows more about my intimate details than my husband!

]]> by: Amy http://threeringcircus.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/can-doctors-and-patients-be-friends/#comment-466 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:43:41 +0000 http://threeringcircus.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/can-doctors-and-patients-be-friends/#comment-466 Some interesting questions. (Particularly because you are a nurse and so are supposed to just hate doctors as a matter of course, LOL!!!). Hope today went well, both with William's notes and Ivy's interview. xx Some interesting questions. (Particularly because you are a nurse and so are supposed to just hate doctors as a matter of course, LOL!!!).
Hope today went well, both with William’s notes and Ivy’s interview. xx

]]> by: Veronica http://threeringcircus.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/can-doctors-and-patients-be-friends/#comment-464 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 09:39:24 +0000 http://threeringcircus.blogsome.com/2007/11/12/can-doctors-and-patients-be-friends/#comment-464 I think knowing that they are having issues helps up to know that they are only human. However stuff that they have going on in their personal life should not affect their judgement, or treatment of their patients. I think knowing that they are having issues helps up to know that they are only human. However stuff that they have going on in their personal life should not affect their judgement, or treatment of their patients.

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