Your experience with a public psychiatrist?

bubblebear

Hi guys,

basically just what the title said. I've had mixed experiences with psychiatrists before, some pretty good and some pretty atrocious, im curious about what your experiences are? Sometimes i leave an appointment and i am annoyed at how the session went, but i don't really feel like i can complain about anything. after all, it's public.

also i know i read situations wrong sometimes and i doubt myself a lot Sometimes in appointments barely anything was discussed, prescribed medication is not discussed i dont even know what it is half the time and im in and out in a few minutes. once i got really upset and started crying and literally was out the door in less than two minutes. i was just leaning against the wall at reception while waiting for my appointment card, no one said anything to me and i was still half crying on the way out. the receptionist just asked me if i was having an appt for next week and that was it. nothing else. it just doesn't feel right


bear xx

Ramon1000

lol - that's the public system in a nutshell.
You're another item on the conveyor belt.
That being said - yes, it's free. And the cost of private psychiatrist consultations is atrocious.
Private system, appointments are normally a half hour, not including the reviewing the doctor will have done of your case previous to the meeting.
You get what you pay for.
No private health insurance though?
Forget about it.
Personally I'm an advocate of self study and research into your condition, and working WITH the shrink - not having him do all the work solely for you - cause like you said, half the time you don't know what pills you're putting in your mouth.
There's no neuropharmacology forum specific to Ireland, but the bluelight forum is fantastic for literature resources and links etc.

OCEANIC FIZZY POP NINE

bubblebear wrote: »

Hi guys,

basically just what the title said. I've had mixed experiences with psychiatrists before, some pretty good and some pretty atrocious, im curious about what your experiences are? Sometimes i leave an appointment and i am annoyed at how the session went, but i don't really feel like i can complain about anything. after all, it's public.

also i know i read situations wrong sometimes and i doubt myself a lot Sometimes in appointments barely anything was discussed, prescribed medication is not discussed i dont even know what it is half the time and im in and out in a few minutes. once i got really upset and started crying and literally was out the door in less than two minutes. i was just leaning against the wall at reception while waiting for my appointment card, no one said anything to me and i was still half crying on the way out. the receptionist just asked me if i was having an appt for next week and that was it. nothing else. it just doesn't feel right


bear xx

Do you ask about your prescriptions? Seems abit crazy you don't know what you're taking? Wtf are you taking it for if you don't know whats its for??

Do you write down what you want to talk about before you go in? How can you come out with nothing discussed?

I don't get it...


Why are you crying a minute in the door? Did you get up and leave?

I don't know you obviously or your story but I don't know, you have to help them help you, they don't give a sh1t, they're waiting for 5 o clock.

Maybe go for a run or box/scream the sh1t out of a boxing bag or something before you go there next time to get rid of the pent up energy.

oneilla

Almost all of my experiences with them were poor. Much like yours things are rarely discussed. I have however questioned the prescriptions - what are they? how do they work? side effects etc- and have often been fobbed off. I had one who wanted me to go on Lithium. I asked him how it works and his response was "well, we don't know, it just does". Unbelievable.

Psychiatry since around the 1970s has been trying to implement the 15-minute appointment yet it just doesn't seem to be working. You're left waiting for an hour plus in a waiting room and leave the appointment feeling worse for it.

I've extensive experience with seeing doctors (born with a congenital disease). Doctors are supposed to keep you informed of your condition, make you aware of the prognosis, your,options and so on but psychiatrists seem to be making stuff up on the fly.