I've seen several psychiatrists and finally have one I trust. In my opinion, before you commit to the medication game (experimenting with meds until you find what works) you MUST have a doc you trust. This doc doesn't need to have the perfect personality; you just need to trust their judgement and with your life in their hands. Remember they aren't gods, but just educated humans.

One of my first pdocs started me on lithium only for Bipolar type 1. It works to stabilize mood but it doesn't treat hallucinations. Personally, I didn't like it. I felt like a robot, too flat of an affect, and I gained a lot of weight. But it did keep me from going up and down. I was on the dose you are.

The doc I see now does start one med at a time. This is because any reactions need to be singled out. If they throw you on a bunch of meds and you get anxiety or a bad side effect, he/she won't know which drug caused it. The medication regiment I take now works great for me. It also works well for my sister. Seroquel (antipsychotic for hallucinations and delusions) with Lamotrigine (Lamictal for mood stabilization) is a great combo. It's becoming popular because they work well together and Lamotragine has little side effects that are minor.

I tend to have anxiety with depression so when my depression is properly treated it's gone. But when it temporarily shows its face, he gives me an antianxiey med. These tend to be narcotic (addictive) so it really isn't best to permanently take it. Antidepressants can ease your anxiety long term but you have to watch for a trigger to mania.

It can take awhile to find what works and the dosage too. Make your priority to find a pdoc you trust then start experimenting with meds.