the Bitterest Pill

I had a shrink appointment yesterday. 

Nothing of note exactly. Most things are status quo - though this clenching of my jaw thing that has been going on for months and months is tiresome. I attributed to stress and anxiety as one normally might. We've talked about many times and I've practiced ways to counter it - all unsuccessfully. 

This time I axed him a question 710 axed me:  could it be medication related? 

Short answer is: it's possible. Maybe even probable. 

Nice to know...............now!

At my dosage of antidepressants it can be a side effect. Along with sexual dysfunction and weight gain. I won't tell you if I have any of the others. 

It becomes a glass half empty / half full scenario, I guess. 

Go crazy, be thin, get it up and not have TMJ-like symptoms. Or be sane. ....and possibly be heavier, flaccid and have jaw tension. 

Knowing how I was beforehand, I guess I'll take the jaw thing. Or maybe we try different meds. I'm not fucking around with anything like that for at least two months. I got other things about which to worry. 

Oh - and I'll ask Dr. Spo, but in this practice - which is a multi-state entity - the providers are required to reorder your medication each time you see them. 

That is great........................if calendars aligned.

My script is for a 90 day supply. I see my therapist at least three times in 90 days. So each time, later that same day after lying on his couch* I get a call from my pharmacy to tell me that I'm not due for a refill. 

I will then go to my pharmacy app and tell them to cancel the order, which they never do. I continually get reminder messages that they cannot refill at this time. 

The powers that be at this practice are wasting the doc's time, the patient's time and tons of pharmacy time. To what end? 

Any Electronic Medical Record is going to prompt the provider to order when necessary. But mine manually / electronically submits the reorder before I even leave my session. I literally get a call from the pharmacy on my way home. 

This is not the fault of the doc. He's doing what his overlords tell him. I just don't understand the rationale. I get it for the patient's who don't come in but want a refill. They do have a duty to those patients to evaluate them for the correct medication for the current behaviour. But for the compliant chaps - like me - it tiresome. 

Not enough to change docs, because for all I know they all do it. But I worked for a major pharmacy chain - they are SO understaffed, that this additional work is stifling to them. 

The U.S. healthcare system - a joke.  

However, there is no punchline. 

*there isn't a couch per se. There is a leatherette love seat with a box of tissues next to it. I've felt the need to dab my eyes. The love seat is much to teeny for me to stretch out upon. 

Song by: the Jam