HSE Psychiatrist Adult mental health horrendous experience

corkman123

Hi guys,

after a referral from my GP today I attended my first Psychiatrist appointment in my local HSE mental health unit. Whilst I am very grateful to manage to get an appointment, I felt totally disregarded and belittled in the assessment. I was told ‘things aren’t adding up’ and ‘looking at you in front of me early indications are you don’t have an anxiety disorder’ . My job was constantly brought up basically insinuating I can’t possibly have an anxiety disorder due to the nature of my job. This is despite being on various medication for anxiety the last number of years and having to reduce my hours in work due to this only working two days a week the last two years. I’ve attended counselling in the past which I felt hasn’t helped and also currently attending a private clinical psychologist who is great. I didn’t know what to expect going in but I felt I was interrogated in a room today by two psychiatrists who simply didn’t believe me. I feel so down deflated and ten times worse then yesterday. I was prescribed an increase in dose of medication and have weekly appointments going forward which I am now dreading. Is the initial assessment generally like an interrogation? They also wouldn’t accept that nothing in particular triggered my anxiety of the last number of years. Any info / advice appreciated I feel so low after today

herbmeister

Hi

Sorry to hear this has happened to you.

I would have thought empathy would have been foremost in your assessment today which is awful it was not. Yet they still increased medication.

I would email one or both of these people you saw and explain how the visit has left you feeling..

The last thing you want is to dread the next one, as you said they are very hard to get with the HSE in thr state its in at the moment.

The best of luck with it all..

Dont give up.

Alexus25

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121830403#Comment_121830403

Sadly I wouldn't expect much empathy from psychiatrists, they're working under a medical model and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-5 - a little bit clinical and a little less therapeutic. Just a different kind of fish

Gremlinertia

Did you get two actual psychiatrists or were they people on a psychiatrists team?.

I've had some horrible, horrible experiences with the people on rotation through the department as part of training..

I know some with anxiety find it hard to advocate for themselves but see if you can speak with a receptionist there to ask about public health nurse to help you navigate

Mam of 4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121830636#Comment_121830636

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