So Many Appointments

[PTSDbegone]

Is it normal to be seeing your regular family doctor, a Psychologist, and a Psychiatrist on a regular basis? So many appointments. I have a hard enough time with one let alone three. How do others cope with so many appointments? I have no issues keeping track of them. I just hate having to walk in the door, and put so much focus on me. It's overwhelming.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Are there specific issues that your family doctor is covering for you? In terms of mental health, my family doctor has passed it all along to my psychiatrist because she doesn't feel comfortable prescribing the controlled substances that he is giving me. (Perfectly understandable.) But, if you see your family doctor for other reasons, then I can understand why he/she wants to see you on a regular basis.

At first, when you're becoming stable on medication, your psychiatrist will likely want to see you more often. I now see my psychiatrist once every 6 months or so for med check ups now that I am becoming more stable on my medications. (He occasionally adds a new one in, but I always end up sticking with the basics I've been on for the last few years.)

Is your psychologist your therapist? At one time I was going to therapy 2 times a week. It was a little crazy in terms of scheduling as therapy was my whole life! Of course, this waned as well, going down to once a week, then once every week and a half, and so on.

And since you're in Canada and I'm in the USA, there may be a difference in terms of care as well. (I'm not sure of those subtleties though.)

It can be a bit much, but as you progress, you won't need nearly as many appointments.

 

[PTSDbegone]

Thank you @itsKismet

Glad to hear the appointments may become less frequent. Up until now it's been my family doctor prescribing medication for my PTSD symptoms. The Psychiatrist is new as of last week, and I go ever 2 weeks right now. She adjusted the meds slightly last week.

The Psychologist is my therapist that I see weekly, and she wants to increase it to twice a week. Just seems like an awful lot. I know it's different for everyone.

 

[Nighthawk]

I have way too many appointments. I keep a google calander that reminds me about them and I still have over scheduled and had to cancel some to make others. It is overwelming

 

[Deleted member 1860]

If things go well with this new psychiatrist, it might be a good idea to switch over to him completely (for your PTSD treatment) so that you don't have two doctors handling your medication. (That can create conflict as no two doctors are going to agree about everything in treatment.)

 

[Sandstone]

How fortunate you are to have such an active professional support network. I know how hard it is to attend all those appointments - for me it was bing exposed in the waiting rooms that was the problem - but so long as they are co-ordinating and co-operating with each other I'd say having all three on your team can only be a good thing long term. When you need someone, you can be pretty sure one will be available.

 

[Friday]

I've only ever seen a handful of people for PTSD... But my son has pulmonary issues, and I am like white on rice for sorting those issues out. In the beginning it was something like 2-3 outpatient visits a week to 2-3 per day. More when he was inpatient, cause docs can just drop by the room, and the labs & tech are all right there in the building ;) Awesome. Literally hundreds of appointments the first year, where we convinced his lungs that, no, a strike is not going to be okay, here.

I'd probably be doing better off if I treated my brain with the same kind of no holds barred methodology. As it is, we don't currently speak to each other much, and what communication there is? Is a bit acrimonious.

Point being... A serious medical concern? Tends to equal quite a lot of appointments.

 

[greenleaf]

@PTSDbegone -- you are absolutely worthy of the attention of these folks; your life, comfort, well-being, and long-term happiness are worthy of many more appointments over time too!

It can totally be overwhelming for lots of us, for reasons related to the original injuries. Maybe, though, you would completely support safe, helping attention for other folks here -- does it help to sort of abstractly think of yourself, like you'd think of another person you like here, as deserving?

 

[PTSDbegone]

@greenleaf You got it. It's the attention I am having such a hard time with. I know others struggle to find the support they need. Here I am with way more support than I believe I deserve. I feel like I am bothering them, and their time would be better off helping someone else. Maybe that's why I am feeling so overwhelmed. Even by all your amazing responses I find it overwhelming.

Thanks again everyone. I will do my best to try and stick with it.