[Victoria'smom]

How do you summarize what has been going on since the last time you were there?

[BlueInanna]

She usually jogs my memory a bit by saying, "last time we talked you had such and such going on." My memories get jumbled, a lot of people say they bring journals and mood charts to pdoc.

[Moose72]

Keeping a blog helps me to remember.

[bluemountains]

My pdoc depends on what my therapist is observing since I see her much more often. Also, I call my pdoc when something is going wrong.

[hamster-bamster]

I bring a print-out. A bulleted list of my concerns and what not, basically.

[cool09]

I think it varies from Dr. to Dr., how long you've been seeing him/her and what type of person they are (ie every Dr. has a threshold for listening to complaints, etc.). Also depends on how severe your illness is. Bipolar is extremely complicated (ie. varies from person to person) and the medical community doesn't fully understand the illness yet. I finally have a great Dr. (after 25 yrs of treatment) and he doesn't have a full grasp of what's going on. There's really nothing he can do for me at this point and he knows it. I just repeat myself when I see him.

[Atypical_Disaster]

Right now my pdoc asks me questions to help jog my memory. But honestly, I need to start writing things down more often because my mind is a mess. I have a very hard time knowing what to say in sessions, thankfully my pdoc is extremely patient & doesn't mind.

[manicdepressive07]

I just saw my pdoc yesterday... our meetings are usually him just asking a bunch of questions in relation to how my moods have been, how my meds are working, then he gives me my scripts and sets an appoint for another 8 weeks or so. Pretty quick appointments, I'd say about 30 mins. I usually don't need to "summarize" how I've been since the last time I've seen him because he asks me a bunch of questions and my answers tell him everything he needs to know... if there's something on my mind i'll bring it up, but usually it's just Q&A the entire time I'm there lol

[~Christina]

My T and Pdoc are in same practice/building. He normally reads over the last few T notes before I even get in his office. He asks me whatever questions he needs/wants too . Then I voice any thing I want to bring up then we decide together if any medication changes are needed.

no fuss no muss

[BipolaRNurse]

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!!"

[bluemountains]

Originally Posted by BipolaRNurse

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!!"

Lucky you! One stop shopping. I haven't come across any pdocs who also do talk therapy. The three I have dealt with just want to hear the current mental status, and if a change in drugs are needed. The mention of mood problems is referred to therapy sessions.

[LymaBeane]

I have been seeing mine since 2004. The previous one I had was great but he retired. The one I have been seeing since 2004 is ok, but lately I feel he doesn't like me. I leave his office feeling worse. He wants me to get therapy but I work full-time and I would need a Saturday one and they are hard to find. I see him on Monday mornings since I work flex hours and it fits my schedule.

This past year has been extremely hard, was bullied at work to where I ended up in the hospital 3 days in Spring of 2012. I was moved to another division thankfully. I am in a much better place but then my daughter and I became estranged last summer and she had broken my heart and the crying spells were so bad they were uncontrollable even at work and it was a new job so I had to constantly run into the restroom to cry. The family dynamic is gone since my ex son-in-law moved in with another woman in Nov '12. I have 3 beautiful grands. One has autism and that is hard on my daughter. I worry about my family but feel I have been cut off from them. My daughter can't handle my MH issues anymore. She has had to deal with me for her whole life and back then I didn't know I had problems.

My Pdoc seems uninterested in me. I can tell. I want to find another dr but I don't know how to tell him without sounding rude. I have 2 very good friends that were so concerned about me when I recently turned off my phone they came to my door yesterday morning banging on it. They had told me they were about to call police because they thought I did something rash. I didn't, I just didn't want to get out of bed. But these 2 friends have been there for me more than family has. I have had profound loneliness since my relationship with daughter is no longer even though we are civil. Sorry to ramble.