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Stress from Stressful People (Doctors)

I get extremely anxious around stressful people. People with no humility, too much need to be right, too much intensity... they annoy me.

I am currently reading Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. In the book, he mentions that the doctors most likely to be sued are the worst doctors: they are the ones with poor interpersonal skills. They don't listen to patients. They sound condescending. They even hold patients in contempt, at times.

The quality of a doctor, in terms of his or her knowledge and skills, had no correlation to lawsuits. Jerks get sued, nice people do not.

As parents of "challenging" young patients know, those of us with stimuli sensitivities and other unique characteristics have a low tolerance for "aggressive" behaviors. We tend to become defensive or flee. Those are our two general options: flight or fight. In my case, I prefer to run away from conflicts.

I had to deal with an aggressive, annoying doctor today. I will not be seeing her again — I will seek out a different doctor or skip following up on this particular issue. A doctor shouldn't make you feel sick to your stomach.

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Comments

  1. UnknownApril 14, 2009 at 12:11 PM

    I think it's that way for everyone. There are so many doctors to choose from that all of us can find someone else who makes us feel comfortable.

    That said, the family allergist comes across as cold, but I really like her. I personally don't find her cold as much as I do "reserved". She reminds me a little of my mom's family, who are Filipino. Not all Filipino's are reserved, but mine are, to a point.

    My point is to take care of your health and find a doctor who you are comfortable with.

    I enjoy reading your blog.

    ReplyDelete

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