Doctor

LegacyUser

In Dublin how long do you have to wait (roughly) until you are seen by a counsellor or psychiatrist? I know you are not allowed to ask medical questions here but someone else must have got counselling surely? Please this is important to me.

Thank you

Miaireland

I would think that it would depend on a number of factors.

1. Whether you are going private or not?
2. Where exactly in Dublin?
3. The type of counselling
4. Whether it is a counsellor or a psychiatrist that you are going to.

I would contact my GP if I were you. They would have a better idea of waiting lists (if any) in your area.

LegacyUser

Miaireland wrote: »

I would think that it would depend on a number of factors.

1. Whether you are going private or not?
2. Where exactly in Dublin?
3. The type of counselling
4. Whether it is a counsellor or a psychiatrist that you are going to.

I would contact my GP if I were you. They would have a better idea of waiting lists (if any) in your area.

I dont live in Dublin. I really need counselling or a psychiatrist and i have needed it for a long time but i am anxious about getting in my own town. i have had appointments locally before but never kept them.

I was thinking of moving to Dublin getting a doctor and then getting counselling. I have friends there so it would probably within 40 minutes of the city centre

I am not working so it wont be private

Victor

Unregistered wrote: »

In Dublin how long do you have to wait (roughly) until you are seen by a counsellor or psychiatrist?

It will depend on demand and the client's requirements.

Unregistered wrote: »

I dont live in Dublin.

I don't know, but this may move you down the list if you are seen to be "shopping around" to the detriment of local (Dublin) clients.

I really need counselling or a psychiatrist

Have you discussed this with you GP as both do quite different jobs.

i am anxious about getting in my own town. i have had appointments locally before but never kept them.

If this is because you might be embarrassed, then please be reassured that medical staff are bound by doctor-patient confidentiality. If you have difficulty attending appointments, ask for help.

I was thinking of moving to Dublin getting a doctor and then getting counselling. I have friends there so it would probably within 40 minutes of the city centre

I understand that people get assigned to local centres, so if you are in the catchment of, say, Beaumont Hospital, you will be referred there or to one of its outlying clinics.

I am not working so it wont be private

This means you would go on the HSE list, which depending on the location and the client's requirements would typically be in the order of weeks. I'm not sure if the HSE will normally get into counselling as it can be a long term process.

I would be wary of this course of action.

LegacyUser

Victor wrote: »

It will depend on demand and the client's requirements.

I don't know, but this may move you down the list if you are seen to be "shopping around" to the detriment of local (Dublin) clients.

Have you discussed this with you GP as both do quite different jobs.

If this is because you might be embarrassed, then please be reassured that medical staff are bound by doctor-patient confidentiality. If you have difficulty attending appointments, ask for help.

I understand that people get assigned to local centres, so if you are in the catchment of, say, Beaumont Hospital, you will be referred there or to one of its outlying clinics.

This means you would go on the HSE list, which depending on the location and the client's requirements would typically be in the order of weeks. I'm not sure if the HSE will normally get into counselling as it can be a long term process.

I would be wary of this course of action.

i hate the idea of people knowing i am getting help. I live in a large enough town but in some ways its still small enough people would find out.

Victor

Unregistered wrote: »

i hate the idea of people knowing i am getting help. I live in a large enough town but in some ways its still small enough people would find out.

You mean that people might, just might see you going into building X? And I presume building X has multiple uses? Claim you were at the dentist in the same building.

Could you have a reason to be going to help **that** person? For example, you do the dentist's accounts?

I think your worries are overstated.

LegacyUser

Victor wrote: »

You mean that people might, just might see you going into building X? And I presume building X has multiple uses? Claim you were at the dentist in the same building.

Could you have a reason to be going to help **that** person? For example, you do the dentist's accounts?

I think your worries are overstated.

Yes they are overstated but if i didnt have these worries i probably might not need help.

i know word will get back because i hear word about other people.

Also i know someone else who is often a patient there. She is VERY indiscreet. She might tell everyone she mights or get drunk at roar it at me in the pub(yes i have seen her doing this)

LegacyUser

Hi OP,

I understand where your coming from with the fear of being spotted by people while your going in and out of a psychiatrists. I live in a small town for college and my counsellor is there and I was really worried when I first started going that I would run into people. But my need for help far outweighed my own fears of people talking about me. At the end of the day it is up to you where you want to seek help and I don't think your concerns should be pushed away. BUT when I told my mother she said a couple of things to me which were, firstly that everyone has their own secrets/concerns/problems and that people are generally more concerned with themselves then anyone else! secondly she said that the concerns came from my own resistance to going to counselling and how afraid i was that people would think i was "crazy" I'm still really embarrassed when I'm leavin the counsellors and I see someone (even someone i don't know). So with regards not going in your local area if you can avoid it then its fine you don't want to go locally. But if you can't then I'm afraid you'll have to try the alternative. As other posters have said you should talk to your Dr. about missing appointments etc. because they will be used to this, rest assured you are not the only person to have gone to counselling, or attempted to go and pulled out.

I'm not too sure about the HSE paying for counselling as far as I know they won't support you financially going to a counsellor, I think you've to be either going to a HSE approved psychiatrist or psychologist, and as for the wait, I'm afraid there are a huge amount of threads on this forum alone that note the waiting lists for various HSE appointments and schemes. There are private counselling services that offer either a reduce rate or free of charge and some that just ask you to contribute whatever you can.

Here's just one in Dublin:
http://www.dctc.ie/

Best of luck with it OP, don't give up your not alone.

brassic

an apoinment with your local gp should get the ball rolling normally when you have discussed the situation the gp will take into account your needs and deem whether it would be wise to be assessed by a psychiatrist or give you details on contacting local counselling services if the gp sees it as urgent they will normally refer you to the necessary services
hope all goes well and you don't have to wait too long

Milky Moo

They will not pay for private counselling if you are on a medical card,you will have to wait for an appointment with a public counsellor.

Not to scare you but my own doctor didn't have a good word to say about the HSE counsellors and was very forthcoming in his reason why he thought that, I don't know maybe it is just the area I am in and there could be amazing ones working in your area.

From what i hear private counselling in dublin is up to 70euro an hour whereas away from the capital it seems to be more about 50euro.

The fact you seem willing to move away from home to get treatment seems you feel you desperately need it,so maybe it would be worth budgetting the money to go private...I know easier said then done in these times but it might just be what you need to do to help yourself.

LegacyUser

Milky Moo wrote: »

The fact you seem willing to move away from home to get treatment seems you feel you desperately need it,so maybe it would be worth budgetting the money to go private...I know easier said then done in these times but it might just be what you need to do to help yourself.

Yes i think i have needed it for maybe 20 years? i find it very hard to open up. i think i have OCD intrusive thoughts