I think your Pdoc sucks to be honest.

You lowered your dose for a legit reason.. her scolding you ? Nope that’s ridiculous. But you went ahead and tried your best .. Abilify just isn’t for you...

I know you don’t really have any options right now ( call the other price office and get an appt it’s likely weeks to months away anyway)

I think I’d go to see her and open up with something like....

Hiya Dr X.. I know your were angry I changed my doseage before but I felt I had to and of course it happened when you were not available. So I now have really tried to take it, it just isn’t working for me , I’m not sleeping and that is going to really cause me to deteriorate quickly. So i really want US to work together to find a good medication that will help me and I can tolerate any side effects.

If you guide the conversation in a way like this it might get her to swallow her ego and focus on the next course of treatment. Make sure “ work together” is emphasized.

I also go to our county mental health services because well it’s a rural town only one other Pdoc in town.. my providers are both stellar !!! they don’t care if you have Medicaid or penthouse top notch insurance. They treat a person not a insurance company.

My Pdoc covers 3 counties !!! But he is available by phone if I need a change during the week , office hours.. usually he responds through his nurse in 24-48 hours if not sooner.

But ... he does not have a 24 hour service to cover nights and weekends. Hell I wouldn’t want some unknown Pdoc on call to fiddle with my meds..

That said ..... if a medication is causing me unbearable side effects I would indeed lower it or more likely I’d just stop it. Also half life of meds needs to be taken into consideration. Just because you stop Med X on a Friday night doesn’t mean it’s out of your system right away.

If I am really a mess? If I can’t stay safe then I’d be referred to the Er anyway.

I think you need to ask about a PRN you can use in an emergency. It’s usually a Med that typically snows someone under.... Seroquil, Zyprexa, Haldol, Thorazine..

In the past when I haven’t slept for 5-6 days and I’m shattering I have fallen back on taken Thorazine and just slept a day or 2 away until I can get ahold of my Pdoc.

Call any other Pdoc’s available and get an appt set even if it’s a couple months from now. Maybe your Pdoc will stop being a shyt human being and start working WITH YOU to find something that you benefit from.