I tried virtual sessions with an experienced psychiatrist and felt it was nothing but a scam. Every session cost me $215 cash and she didn't know what to do with me because of all of the multiple symptoms and diagnoses I have. During the first session she definitely knew I was in distress because I broke down (and she ended up telling the office staff who could have cared less). She said "I don't believe it's right to just throw a lot of pills at you right now so I'd like you to get a NeuroPsych test". Later I told her I heard of thyroid augmentation in the hospital for mood disorders and she quickly researched it during one of my "visits" and concluded that she didn't want to do it so she haphazardly decided to give me pristiq and after 4 wks I felt so horrible I had to be hospitalized at Johns Hopkins. I didn't get anywhere with her after 3 months of virtual visits! So I will never try telehealth with any mental health professional ever again!
And maybe a yr later I finally got a NeuroPsych test and that was an awful experience because the psychologist gave it to me over the computer and she didn't show an ounce of emotion when I told her what I've been thru in my life and she could have cared less. I received her 5-page summary of the test and all she did was point out my problems and said I had avoidant and schizoid personality disorders and she didn't analyze what was causing my problems one bit even after I told her I dissociated very badly in my teens/20s/30s and also developed a severe mood and anxiety disorder in my teens and that I possibly had asbergers. Her report said that I "ruin my attempts at getting better due to negative thoughts and self-doubt and that I had to rely on people and that I didn't want to be independent and that therapy failed because of lack of pleasure and motivation". Well, yeah! That's what happens when you have a severe mood disorder for most of your life! You develop anhedonia and poor energy and can't do or enjoy anything anymore! Then she went on to say that I needed to confront and challenge my anxiety with my therapist and in social situations and that I would most likely fail at doing this. So the conclusion is the report served absolutely NO purpose for anyone! Not me or any health professional involved with me. So I'll never get another one done and never go back to this place that gave it to me! The mental health system doesn't work and it's even counterproductive at times!