Miscellaneous

Weekend Wrap-Up

Ashley L. Peterson
wrapping paper, ribbon, and twine

Here’s what happened in my life over the past week:

  • Thanks so much to Sharon of Sharon Unfiltered for nominating me for the Sunshine Blogger Award!
  • My blog was followed by “BUY INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS.” Classy all the way.
  • Got a message vis my blog’s contact form from someone who thinks AA is just like Charles Manson’s cult.
  • It turns out my spazzy boy Butternut is a music lover. He sits on my chest and looks peaceful. He really likes Making Love Out of Nothing At All by Air Supply.
  • The disability clusterfuck continues. The government people contacted my doctor a couple of months ago requesting further information. My doctor got the idea stuck up his butt that they were expecting a recent psych consult (which doesn’t exist), so what could he do. After much under-resources freaking out on my part, I thought this was dealt with last month. But no, my doctor is too much of an asshole for that. I got a letter from the disability people that they still haven’t heard from him, and if they don’t hear from him by the end of next week, they’ll just go ahead and make a decision, aka decline my application. I called his office and freaked out his dumb as fuck receptionist, who said he’s working on it. I called a few more times until I got the slightly less dumb receptionist and freaked out at her that he needs to do it now. I then called the disability people and said I didn’t know what to do because my doctor is dumb. The person was going to request an extension of the deadline, but who knows if that will be approved since this fuckfest has been drawn out since August. Anyway, the next morning I took a handwritten letter and taped it on the front door so they’d have to see it when they opened. I have nothing left. I can go lie down on the floor in their office and make a scene, but that’s more likely to get me hospitalized than get the paperwork done. So I’m fucked.
  • A clinic in my neighbourhood has a couple of new grad family nurse practitioners who are accepting new patients. I’m fairly sure they’ll know fuck all about treatment resistant depression, but that’ll be someone to get my meds from other than Dr Jackass. Still, that doesn’t help me now with the disability application. So yeah, I’d improved a bit over the last month, but now that’s shot to shit and I can barely move. Fun times.
Some angry guy with road rage yelled "I'm gonna make your life a living hell!" I yelled back, "Thanks, but I'm not looking for a relationship right now."

Sometimes I stumble across things that continue to amuse me well past the point that I probably should have moved on. This gem comes from Jen at Brea’s Air.

guinea pig Casper with her hair fluffed up

This is a rear view of Casper with her fair fluffed up. She was not impressed.

How has your week been?

Mental Health @ Home Books: Psych Meds Made Simple, Managing the Depression Puzzle, and Making Sense of Psychiatric Diagnosis
Mental Health @ Home Books by Ashley L. Peterson

Published by Ashley L. Peterson

I'm the author of three books: Psych Meds Made Simple, Making Sense of Psychiatric Diagnosis, and Managing the Depression Puzzle. These are informed by my professional experience as a former pharmacist and mental health nurse, as well as my lived experience of major depressive disorder. My goal with Mental Health @ Home is to fight stigma and provide a safe space for open dialogue to empower others.

51 thoughts on “Weekend Wrap-Up”

  1. So sorry to hear that you are still having issues getting your doctor to provide necessary information for the disability people. How infuriating. You shouldn’t have to go through this stress.

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  2. Wonder why he is finding it so difficult to sort out for you?

    I have been lucky, I’ve had the same GP since I was a young teenager. But, she is so popular and good at her job that everyone wants to see her. Getting an appointment with her is so so difficult.

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  3. That’s really dreadful, and I’m so sorry you’ve dealt with such unthinkable stress. I’d find a new doctor now. That would just push me over the edge of sanity, and no one should have to deal with such flagrant incompetence and inability to even care enough to try. I’m so sad that you’ve been dealing with that. I wish you had a good doctor. It’s just awful. And I can’t imagine the stress of having to try to strongarm such an idiot. I wish I could think of a magic solution or something, but all I can say is that it’s just wrong and you deserve so much better. 🙁

    Ooh, I want to post the meme on FB! I love it! 😀

    My week has been… interesting. [Makes a face.]

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      1. Yeah, but I wish your doctor would at least make an effort! I get the sense that he just isn’t trying, and that makes me really mad. Bad, bad doctor.

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  4. Let’s all get together and go kick that doctor’s ass…Camp out on his doorstep? Stand under his window and scream “Fill out the damn paperwork”…I’m up for anything…

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  8. Ugh that sucks about your doc! Hope they respond to the note. That sign was hilarious and I can relate totally!

    My week was samey same. Nothing great, nothing terrible. Today is nice so far bc I’ve gone to the beach…

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  10. Having to rely on other people to just do the minimum to help secure your financial future doesn’t sound like asking too much. We would never treat you that way. May dr douchebag pull his ass out of his hat no later than the last minute. Thank goodness you have saved money. 💕❤️

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  12. Ugh your GP sounds awful, are there any mental health charities or organisations that could advocate for you? I know how stressful benefits applications can be, I hope it gets sorted asap!

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  15. What a whole saga you’re having with this doctor and the disability paperwork, just so frustrating! The lack of sense in it reminds me of my own seemingly endless disability benefits-related adventures from last year with the occupational medicine doctor Jacek, that was so much freaking fun. You really shouldn’t be dealing with this for so long, it’s crazy.

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  16. Sorry to hear your doctor is so useless. I swear doctors just get lazier when they think they know it and have seen it all. Fair play for not backing down and hopefully your disability will be sorted soon.

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  18. Bloody hell, he’s still not done it? That doctor sure does take his time. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, Ashley. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll actually get it done and sent in asap. Want me to try calling him, tell him I know someone that knows someone who might know someone in the Maffia?

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  20. Lol, “buy Instagram followers.”

    The disability stuff sounds so incredibly frustrating and stressful! I’m impressed with all the effort you have made, though. You have really done all that you can!

    I saw this article that reminded me a lot of your experience going to the ER (with heart pain I believe? I don’t fully remember) and mentioning that you had depression and the doctors thinking that that was why you were in the ER and not treating you… unfortunately (although maybe not surprisingly), it seems like it’s not unusual. https://www.cbc.ca/news/gopublic/hospital-patient-crawls-out-mental-illness-1.5871307

    Reply

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