What to expect from a psychiatrist?

I've always struggled with psychiatrists @Ruby26 . I've always felt that they just wanted to 'fix' me and send me out the door with meds and more meds (this is just my experience).

On the other hand, I've had amazing support from consultant psychiatrists. Wow. I can't even begin to explain the difference. They were so human and so 'normal'. They seemed to look at the whole person, and not just the medical deficit.

So yeah, that's my experience. The psychiatrists I saw didn't really have the time or day to hear me out.

I really hope the one you see is helpful for what you need. Sometimes, writing some points down beforehand is helpful.

This is their job and they hear about this stuff. All the time. It really won’t be a surprise to them.

To be honest I’m sure they have heard everything and I don’t think that anything you say will shock them.

Just go in with an open mind and if you do feel like you’re being judged or they have a strange reaction just try and shrug it off and continue. Easier said than done I know but I have said some wild shit and I have never been judged.

Hey @Ruby26

Just wanted to jump in and say that not every psychiatrist will be the right fit for you. It’s a really weird relationship. Almost as intimate (if not more) as a partnership but you don’t really know much about them. It can take a while to find the right one. Go in with an open mind and see if you vibe with them. If you don’t that’s okay, there will be someone out there for you. You deserve someone who is the right fit for you. The relationship is honestly more important than the therapy type you do.

Psychiatrists are professionals and should know how to respond to most things you say. I doubt they’ll find anything too shocking. Mine has responded well to pretty much everything I have told her (and there have been a lot of things that most people find disturbing to say the least). I think he’ll make sure you are safe and ask in depth questions about the symptoms of depression and psychosis you’re experiencing. Don’t worry too much about trying to word things perfectly, just do your best.

@Lapis_Anteater thanks for your help. It has been really hard to even find a psychiatrist who is open to treating me. A lot of them have an issue with treating someone who has a history of psychosis, so I can't afford to be too picky about the relationship. If they are uncomfortable with me, they tend to be very quick to end things themselves, so I don't have to worry about making a decision myself. In my case it is really just about having someone to monitor medication and fill out paperwork, rather than being a therapeutic thing.

Hey @Ruby26 , how are you? Have you had your appointment yet? Thinking of you.

@tyme thanks so much for checking in, that was really kind and thoughtful of you. My appointment is on Wednesday. I'm actually feeling a lot better, I've been going on long walks and using a meditation app, which has helped settle things now. I'm not sleeping well, so I'm feeling pretty tired. I'm hoping that I'm stable enough now that there won't be any major concerns during my appointment on Wednesday. Thank you for your support, I really appreciate it.

@tyme @Lapis_Anteater @Shift83 thank you all for your help. I went to my appointment today and it went well. My psychiatrist had done all the paperwork before the appointment, which I was really pleased about because it meant I could use the full appointment for talking about symptoms. I thought he was well balanced with being open to talk about stress management and physical health, rather than just about medication. I'm happy that he is realistic about the limits and side effects of medication. He seemed relaxed and non-judgemental.

@tyme writing my points down first was very helpful. I got through them a lot more quickly and effectively that way. Thanks for the advice.

That sounds great @Ruby26 . Glad you got through more by writing things down. I found that to be the most helpful strategy between appointments. Whenever things came up for me over the 2 weeks before my next appointment, I would write it down. And when it came time for my appointment, if that issue was still important, I'd raise it.

That way, I made the most of my appointments.

When I was in a recovery centre, after each psychoeducation session, I would also write notes after. I've still got my folder of notes!!!

No pressure to do anything of course. These are just some things I found helpful 🙂

I'm really glad to hear that this psych was able to listen to your needs and it was a very balanced conversation!

When is your next session?