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How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

Unknown userMember22 June 2016, 6:39 am AEST

How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

Hey, I understand that the Psychiatrist is there to help, but barely 30 minutes in, and they have a clipboard and pen, and say, do you have suicidal ideations? Do you ever use/ abuse drugs / medications? Etc.

I just feel that saying '"well, I think about wanting to die pretty much constantly, and I take amphetamines for 4 days and nights with no sleep, I barely eat, and I currently have about 27 different projects on the go varying from learning lock picking and programming to scratch building the ultimate Bluetooth headphones....."

without a little bit of context, ease in, lubrication, etc, that things might not end up particularly well for me.

Anyone get that/ do that?

Cos sometimes I'm not entirely sure it's the best approach. But then again, my previous 3 psychiatrists all ended up prescribing me what I told them to, without any useful contributions, even after all the cards were shown.

so I don't have the greatest faith....

27 replies

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In response to: How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

SehnsuchtSenior Contributor27 June 2016, 11:03 pm AEST

Re: How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

Also, I totally relate to the OP.

Diagnosis is so dependant upon OUR perspective. I totally agree that a psychiatrist wants the patient to diagnose themselves. But if we're struggling, and have lost perspective, or reality, or are just confused and scared and don't have anything we can say other than that, we're the ones best to defer to? Is it just because I am mentally ill that this scenario fries all my logic functions???

In response to: How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

SehnsuchtSenior Contributor27 June 2016, 11:06 pm AEST

Re: How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

@CannonSalt, I lose my words too. When I say I don't know, I am literally melting down, I do not know. 'I do not know' does not equate to 'I do not care'. I am NOT being evasive or clever or manipulative or 'ambivalent'. I just do not know. I thought it was their job to know, to guide us through it? But it's not. It's somehow OUR job to guide them.

In response to: How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

SehnsuchtSenior Contributor27 June 2016, 11:10 pm AEST

Re: How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

@hope77, that sounds incredibly frustrating. Massive hugs.

In response to: Re: How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

hope77Senior Contributor03 July 2016, 9:38 am AEST

Re: How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

it is frustrating, gets me angry sometimes but I just go back to what my Father said to me, They are not Gods they just go by what they have learnt at uni and their own observation and instinct, how many of us have got it wrong with our dealings with people. I know I have. I think we need a safe place to go when we desperately in the acute phase of our illness and proper support when we get home with support for our loved ones so they can understand what we go through. and it is a serious illness that impacts on our lives and how we want to live

In response to: Re: How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

CannonSaltSenior Contributor03 July 2016, 10:56 pm AEST

Re: How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

@Sehnsucht It can be exhausting to be constantly labeled and relabeled... I'm beginning to believe that the labels were made to serve people - if they put you in touch with people who are 'like you' in some ways, then that's awesome. They can form part of your identity, particularly if you've had some labels since before you can remember. Having all of my labels change in one meeting would freak me out. It kinda reminds me of science fatigue. https://theconversation.com/science-fatigue-keeps-us-clinging-to-bad-health-habits-49892
I'm learning to accept some level of confusion - that labels are kinda arbitrary and in some ways they depend on who's doing the labeling. (e.g. 'hysterical' and irritable women in the 20th C who were treated with vibrators.) Given, too, that your diagnosis was made as you were trying to get the hell out of the adolescent ward - it might be too strong. Maybe that's why he's going for the currently-trendy term 'personality disorder' rather than your previous label. Incidentally, I hate 'personality disorder' - it sounds like a character flaw or moral failing. Can you ask him what he means by personality disorder?

In a way, asking you to defend your own DSP could be a way of trying to get you to advocate for yourself, or a way of trying to get into your head, see where you're at. Theoretically, being at the therapist's office should be a safe place, so it's lower risk to try out your case there than at Centrelink. They shouldn't be playing with you, but there may be some personal issues on their part that they might be acting on when treating you. It doesn't hurt to know your rights as a patient.

It sounds like you're trying to look out for yourself, and do the right thing in talking to your GPs, various psychs etc. It's hella frustrating dealing with all of this, but ultimately it should help you live a better life. Hopefully. 🙂

I lost my words because I could not trust my psych as far as I could throw him, and I didn't know how to get outta there... he made me worse, not better. The formal complaint went well, though. 😛 It sounds like what you're describing is when the feelings get too big to know what's going on. Sometimes drawing helps me when I get like that. Pinning it down into words makes it feel smaller.

In response to: How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

SehnsuchtSenior Contributor04 July 2016, 2:40 pm AEST

Re: How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

@Canonsalt,

Thankyou for the practical advice to get past overwhelmed feelings. I used to do quite a lot, drawing/doodling, writing, long walks, but being a mum now means that I can't justify taking that time to take off for 3hrs in the middle of the night, and I get little alone time during day. Makes for so much overwhelming, everything. But you're right, I need to find a way.

In regards to the Psychiatrist and DSP...

I am not on DSP. Nor am I about to go asking for it. I am working, well as much as most can with two toddlers.
As such, the question seems to me to be just another leading one. Or if he wasn't deliberatley asking so many leading questions, a really confusing ridiculous one. Why would I be being asked to justify something I don't need? Or is he saying that he cannot treat someone who isn't on DSP? Or did he presume I am on it? Or wanted it? Does he presume all ill people are on it? Does he expect they should be, like, how dare I think myself sick if I work? Or how do I expect to be better if I work?

Honestly, why was it asked and how am I possibly supposed to answer.
Why was I being left to defend myself throughout the entire session. I feel like going back and pinning him to the ground until he can sufficiently answer to why he shouldn't be pinned on the ground. I am so hurt and angry.

In response to: How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

SehnsuchtSenior Contributor04 July 2016, 11:00 pm AEST

Re: How many people tell the truth on their first appointment with a new Psychiatrist?

My previous post sounds full of disgust for DSP. This is not how I feel, at times I feel I could benefit from something, whether dsp is appropriate or not I don't know. I've got nothing against dsp. I just really feel that question, in context, had ill intent.

I felt cornered into either coming across entitled and only after money, or not being 'sick enough'. I'm still feeling really defensive and angry a week later. He heard my mum is difficult and pushed me and lead me into the diagnosis he saw fit. He did not listen at all.

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