I've had positive experiences but I am very particular about who I see and have good insurance, so there's a lot of freedom on that end. I also think they are not different from other doctors who in my experience can be awful whether they are an OB Gyn, GP, Orthopedist...

It's important to advocate for yourseld or have someone in your life who can help out with this (a therapist can be that person). If you you don't agree with them you should always question them and be firm in what you will and won't tolerate with side effects. If you really feel like your psychiatrist is awful or evil, then you should find a new one. Sometimes it takes a while to find the right fit, just like it does with a therapist.

They are hard to find, but there really are psychiatrists who really see the person before them and want to help improve your quality of life, not just drug you. That said, a pdoc's primary function is still to prescribe psych medications (they are psychopharmacologists), so if you're anti med, you probably shouldn't see one at all.