3 Weeks Until I See A Psychiatrist

[Underdog]

I seriously can't wait! It's been day by day, moment by moment. Sleep has been rare, my heart pounding in my chest, lots of disassociation, etc... While I hate meds, I also know I need something to calm me down and help me sleep at night.

In one week, we will be leaving for Hawaii, what would normally be something I would be looking forward to tremendously, but I find I just don't care one way or the other yet. Thankfully, I do have some Xanax to assist me until I see the psychiatrist, although I try not to take it unless needed as it is habit forming.

I'm curious what to expect from my first visit. I know my psychoanalysist and this psychiatrist are professional friends, and that they have discussed things already so he understands the psychoanalysis part as needed for his line of questioning/analysis. I've never had a psychiatrist before. What was your first experience like?

 

[Lucycat]

My psychiatrist has never prescribed medication for me. I do have medication but that was at the suggestion of my therapist and prescribed by my GP. The psychiatrist spent more time working out the nature of my childhood and establishing attachment problems. It was not at all what I went in expecting to hear - but it has helped. It sent my therapy thereafter at an unexpected tangent. ( My therapist went with me to the appointment with the psychiatrist - which was really helpful as I completely spaced out)

 

[Friday]

Psychiatrists perform a lot of different roles. Most recently, the ones I've had were 15minute once a month med check-ins (although it was by phone up to 3x a week on a new combo of meds, just 2-5 minute phone calls... After things settled it was 15 min face time monthly). They were purely for medication management. I did my counseling with my psychologist, she'd summarize my case notes for him, and then we were strictly meds.

My very first one was extremely atypical. I was supposed to report to the Flight Surgeon (who was a psychiatrist, all different kinds of FlightSurgeons) for eval... And ended up spending a couple days with him. I'd had no idea what to expect and finally, after a few hours, asked if we were almost done. Heck no, let's go grab some lunch! Okaaaaay.... And then I just winged it. We even went out drinking, out to the beach,, PT'd, range, flight line, urban course with a friend of his... All over. I crashed on the couch in his office. By the end of those days I was diagnosed PTSD & cleared for duty.

I knew not to expect that (although I didn't realize how outside of the box it was at the time, I was only 18) from a civilian psychiatrist... But I did expect at least an hour long appointment or something. Nope! Some do counseling, others do med management, others diagnose, etc. It's really extremely variable, depending on what kind of practice they run.

 

[Deleted member 27845]

I hope you may find a 'good' shrink. Try to stay away from the pill pushers!

 

[Underdog]

Thank you everyone. This particular person listens to what you don't want and needs at the same time. He is known for not being a pill pusher and will actually listen to you when you say you hate meds. That being said, I also recognize I need something or somethings to help me calm down. I don't want meds, but am willing to do whatever I need to get my baseline back to normal without harming myself. I react terribly to all medicines and always have. I don't want to be in a yet another scenario where the medicine that is supposed to help actually causes me physical harm.