General Does Your 'sufferer' Have A Team?

[Wastinglight]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to post this question because I was wondering about other people's circumstances. I've read a few threads in recent months by 'sufferers' regarding their 'team' of professionals who are involved in their therapy/recovery. These seem to include doctors, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, natural therapists and probably lots of other professionals/specialists.

I'm asking because my guy only sees a psychiatrist once every 3-6 weeks. That's it. He said he used to see a psychologist, but it doesn't sound like he's seen someone in that capacity for a while. I actually took him to his psychiatrist's appointment for the first time last month, and the appointment lasted less than 15 minutes. And apparently most of that was general chit-chat about sports, etc. He's changing meds at the moment, so apparently all that happened is that they agreed that the current med wasn't working and it was time to try something new.

Is that common when someone is simply 'managing' their condition? Does anyone know what the scope of a psychiatrist's work is, exactly? I know that they are medical doctors who can prescribe meds, and his guy has expertise in PTSD in particular. But do they operate as therapists as well? I remember my guy mentioned doing a relaxation session with his psychiatrist once, but if most of his sessions are less than half an hour, how much of this work could they possible get done? I know for me, a one hour therapy session with my clinical psychologist is not enough - we seem to barely scratch the surface before my time is up.

I've asked him a few questions about what he gets up to, but my guy is for the most part pretty unwilling to talk about it in depth. I can get maybe a minute's worth of conversation out of him before he shuts it down. And fair enough, I suppose it's not really any of my business if he chooses not to share it with me.

Just wondered what other people's arrangements are.

 

[desiderata310]

I think it depends on the person and their needs.
I have a therapist I see 1-2 times a week, a GP and I HAD a psychatrist.

Actually my therapist and I were talking about this yesterday. GENERALLY, it's been my understanding that the psychiatrist is there for meds. They have a medical degree and have done stints in medical, psychiatric, probably even pediatrics. The DO NOT have a lot of back ground in therapy.

Actually my pyschatrist was OBVIOUSLY had little to no background in therapy/trauma/PTSD (even though her profile with my ins said she did) because of the line of questioning she took that triggered the poop out of me... but that's another story.

Psychatrists CAN to talk therapy but honestly they may or may not have background to do that line of work- especially when it come to trauma. It really is about taking a history, working with a therapist if there is one and managing medication.

That's my experience.

 

[falling_wave]

I see a therapist once a week and used to see a psychiatrist once a month before I realized that meds don't work for me. My general practitioner knows the basics and prescribes benzos as needed for sleep and panic. I think if you work with a county mental health or other organized care you can have a psychiatrist, therapist, support group, and outreach peer mentor. My therapist is private practice.

 

[Wastinglight]

Okay, thanks @desiderata310 and @falling_wave.

GENERALLY, it's been my understanding that the psychiatrist is there for meds. They have a medical degree and have done stints in medical, psychiatric, probably even pediatrics. The DO NOT have a lot of back ground in therapy.

Right, that's what I thought. It sounds like my guy has the opportunity to see a therapist (what I've gathered from what he's said is that Vet Affairs would pay for it), but chooses not to. His choice of course, but I guess I just worry sometimes that he's not talking to anyone when he's having a bad time of things. Last week, his dad said something that upset him and he became very distant and withdrawn, he stopped speaking to his dad, and barely even spoke to me for about 5 days. I may as well not have even been in the house all that time. He wouldn't tell me what it was about, but the incident had clearly triggered his symptoms. I still don't know what the hell went on, but I know better than to push him, it only makes things worse. I feel a bit helpless when this happens.

 

[Sighs]

@Wastinglight - I think it depends on who your vet is seeing. My vet sees a psychiatrist in Canberra who specialises in combat PTSD. If your guy is seeing him then he is in very good hands. My vet has not found a psychologist who has the experience of his psychiatrist and chooses not to see one on the basis that they have through lack of experience triggered him so badly that he was suicidal.

In an ideal world I would love for him to have a treating team but we just don't seem to have the resources available despite Vet Affairs being very happy to pay for it.

 

[ms spock]

My psychiatrist has extensive trauma and therapy background. She is highly skilled with medication, though I have had many challenges with them. Her main thing is the therapy though.

 

[Sweetpea76]

My vet had a team at the VA... but it has dwindled down to pretty much nothing since he can barely get appointments anymore.

 

[Owl.]

Oh boy, does he ever. He's got one of every doc under the sun trying to wrangle his mind and the endless (and ever expanding) list of psychosomatic side effects. Plus lately an oncologist who's constantly in touch with them all, but that's a barrel I'm not even gonna open now. :banghead:

As for myself...one psychologist, one psychiatrist specializing in trauma, plus one army-psych who's only in the picture because he's nosy as sh*t...and I'm currently not talking to any of them. How's that for a fun gang? lol

 

[holdenmonty]

Well the reason I have a team is because being in the military i have a PCM(primary care manager) basically my regular doctor for physical ailments and the such. Then I have my counselor that I talk to about my stuff my counselor isn't allowed to give me meds because she hasn't gone to medical school for it. My psychiatrist has his PhD and is able to give me meds plus he likes to just ask how things are going kind of like what my counselor does only not into as much detail. I know that my PCM has access to my records so she can see what my counselor and phychiatrist put into the system that the military keep our medical records on. I know my counselor and psychiatrist talk because with my psychiatrist being the rank he is and a PhD he is the commander of the mental health clinic.