What Is A Normal First Visit To A Psychiatrist Like?

[SimplyComplex]

My T has encouraged me to see a psychiatrist for medication management over my primary care doc. I have made an appointment for late decemeber but am dying to know what it is like? What kind of things do they ask? Do they ask about abuse? Or just about general symptoms? Do they examine you? Is it clinical or therapeutic? Any ideas?

 

[Innordinate]

They aren't medical doctors so no examinations. If it's just medication management it won't be much more than checking how you feel, your symptoms, improvements, set backs in regards to medication etc. Probably won't delve too deeply since you have a t.

 

[Srain]

Well, they are physicians but Innordinate is right, there is not physical exam. The psyche docs I've been to generally want an outline of your symptoms, how you are sleeping, do you hear things, your mental past, some family history, medication history, that type of thing. If you aren't on meds it would be a good idea to know what you DON'T WANT..as I have found most have a series of meds they would like to 'try' out first. It's good to have an idea what these are and be involved with the process.

If you are going because you have trouble sleeping: find out what meds you don't want pushed at you and which ones you are willing to try, check side effects and such.

If you are going due to something else I recommend doing the same, always check side effects. There are several great sites to check out, crazymeds.org being a good one.

I've lucked out and gotten some really good ones that really want to know how I am doing and work with me and don't have a problem when I don't want to take something. She likes me to be involved. I hope you find one that does the same with you. .

 

[SimplyComplex]

Thanks guys. Luckily I am on meds that are working for me so I hope he wont to too much shifting with all that. I am considering asking my t to talk to him first. Would that be an unusual request?

 

[Froggie]

They usually already have copies of your medical health history so that you don't have to go through all those already asked questions. They usually go by how are you here and now. They are most aware of what is new in the field and, the one I had, discussed with me a plan of action explaining to me the pros and cons of each solution. So I felt pro active in my own healing process.

 

[kris]

My inital visit with my psychiatrist was over an hour long, he asked questions about why I was there, what I talked about with my therapist. What my medical history was, family history, legal history, what medications I had tried in the past when and how long I had been on them and reasons of why I stopped them. Did I have any past suicida attempts, did I have any thoughts of self harm or hurting others.

My first visit didnt go very well with my psychiatrist, but I hope you have a lot better of a doctor than I did!

 

[maddog]

I think it's quite appropriate to have your T speak with the psychiatrist beforehand if all parties, ie, your T, your doc and you, are all comfortable with this. I have done this myself, primarily because I was extremely reluctant to engage with the doc at the time and was finding the prospect of having to tell my story from scratch to be extremely distressing... not saying that it's necessarily the right or wrong approach, but having someone else who knows you well paint a concise, instructive and up-to-date picture of your situation can cut down on the info gathering time taken at the beginning and can help to establish the relationship with the doc, at least to some small extent.

Every psychiatrist, like every T, is different in their approach, style etc. I have found sessions to be conducted much more from a talk-based, rather than a medical perspective. I have deliberatly avoided use of the term "therapeutic", as I've found that most of the talking tends to be done by me, and the psychiatrist has always tended to adopt a much more passive role than that of my T.

Personally I haven't found psychiatrists' intervention to be very helpful at all, and I have seen 3 of them in the past 18 months. Then again, I have an excellent T who has a stranglehold on my therapeutic needs right now, and I am currently medication free, so in some ways my need for a psychiatrist would be questionable.

Really hope you manage to fluke a good one - I'm sure they're out there!

Maddog

 

[SimplyComplex]

Thanks. My t is luke warm on this psych even though she gave me the name...I think she might be somewhat ambivalent on the entire profession to some extent but still thinks I should have my meds managed by one over my PCP. I guess because they will be up to date.

So I asked my t if she would talk to him ahead of time and got a flat out "nope". Argh. I think if I had phrased it differently maybe I would have gotten a different answer. I said "I don't want to...you know, talk to him. I don't want to answer questions. So could you call him and tell him stuff for me". I can't believe I got a flat out "nope" on that one. I might bring it up again in a little less "do it for me" way. Honestly, I am mostly worried that when I answer questions, he wont believe me.

 

[anthony]

They aren't medical doctors so no examinations. If it's just medication management it won't be much more than checking how you feel, your symptoms, improvements, set backs in regards to medication etc. Probably won't delve too deeply since you have a t.

They actually are medical doctors.

A psychiatrist has to first become a doctor, they then have to do their psychiatry training, then they have to do their residency. A GP is a doctor in 6 years roughly. A psychiatrist takes about 10 - 12 years, as they first become a GP then have to do psychiatry.

They're all vastly different. If its the first time your seeing them, then they will ask you lots of questions, because they must be sure you have what they are prescribing you, by law.

Some are very therapeutic and like to do therapy with you, some are purely diagnosis and med check. Most will extend a session with you if you're falling apart and about to kill yourself, in order to help you through an issue. They kind off have to by law... though no doubt some don't care about that.

 

[Starsy]

My Psychologist retired and between her and my GP they sent referrals/letters to a new Psychiatrist they asked me to see. It did help, but my Psychiatrist still needed me to tell her in my words as much as I was able, about all parts of my life. Yes....I didnt want to start my sad story all over again, but it helped.
I have been seeing her for just over a year now and I have finally come to trust her and see personally what a caring and amazing woman she is.
She is a medical doctor. She use to be an Obstetritian/Gynocologist, and then went on to become a Psychiatrist.
She sees me for a minimum of an hr and it is a lot like having sessions my old Psychologist, except medically she can tweak my meds and give me the better support with them, there and then as well as give me therapy. This also eliminates me from having to go to my family GP for meds...which to me, was another appt to remember to attend.
I have lucked it in to be able to find an amazing, caring person, to look after me. Right or wrong in peoples opinions.....She hugs me when she says goodbye and if during a session I am distraught (which is most sessions), she will hold my hand or even hold me. And I am really fine with that....hugs are so therapeutic as well.
She does meditation with me and because I am hopeless at it, she is close by and talks me through it to make me feel better. I feel ok now everytime i go to my appts. At first I use to have panic attacks.

 

[SimplyComplex]

So interestingly enough I ended up having to take my niece to a p-doc today as an urgent request by her therapist. So I got a little dry run. Impression *yawn* keep your expectations low and plan on going out for a glass of wine afterwards.

My niece was pretty angry after. I thought the lady was just fine, a lot of standard questions...but my niece felt like she didn't care and just wanted her to go. I am counting on the p-doc wanting not to spend too much time. Thats what my therapist is for.

 

[anthony]

Yer, psychiatrists typically do very little therapy nowadays. They primarily are for diagnostic and medication checks... psychologists and therapists in general typically handle the majority of counselling aspects.

Psychologists come into their own when handling more complex therapeutic concerns that another type of therapist cannot.