I'm still going in every four to six weeks, and I'll probably have to continue this pattern for a while thanks to a recent new twist that almost landed me in the hospital last week. I had a succession of anxiety attacks due to extreme stress at work, which isn't necessarily a setback as far as the bipolar is concerned, but a separate issue that requires still another medication in addition to the four I was already taking.

What I do is jot down stuff during the time between visits and refer to my notes while my pdoc and I talk. He is very good about listening to me, but there are times when he does all the talking and that's a good thing too. He always asks me what's on the list so he can answer any questions I have, as well as direct the session.

Our appointments are ALWAYS a full hour.....he does therapy with me as well as med management, and then we chat about our real lives and trade 'war stories' about our experiences as healthcare providers. This is great for my self-image, because accepting psychiatric help was very difficult for me and when we talk like this, I feel more like a colleague and less like a patient.

It's hard to believe, but I actually enjoy going to my psych appointments because he's awesome and never allows me to walk out of that office without feeling better than I did when I walked in. The on-call providers I've dealt with are also very good....the psych nurse practitioner who RX'd the Klonopin for me was especially helpful, as she reassured me that I really wasn't going completely crazy: "Your job is too stressful for someone who's NOT bipolar!!"