tips on getting pdoc to listen?

My appointments are 15 minutes every other month. He refuses to see me more often, and seems to believe that because I'm not locked up somewhere, I'm fine and everything is in my head... He had me seriously questioning my Dx and considering giving up meds, until I thought about my life & past (yikes!)

Anyway... I think he's kind of a pompous ***, but I don't have much choice to but to stick with him, and wouldn't really want to start all over again anyway, since he's #3 in about a year and a half...

When we first started meeting, we discussed changing my meds because they aren't working, and he wasn't comfortable with what I was on. He wanted to switch me to Lithium or Depakote & valium. I was completely on board, and we agreed to lower my lamotrigine to prepare. Then, at my next appointment, he said nothing about switching my meds, and had a med student present, so I wasn't comfortable *****ing him out then... Um, I mean bringing it up.

When I try to bring things up with him, he doesn't seem to get it. He seems to think, like I said, that if I'm not locked up somewhere against my will, that I'm fine and don't need meds at all. I feel like he isn't listening at all. Just a few days ago, I got into a verbal altercation with a total stranger in the grocery store. I clearly need medication, and more of it.

How can I get him to listen to me?? I just want to be stable enough to go back to work so I can have real insurance, and go back to pdoc #1, but he seems to think there's nothing wrong with flying off the handle 20x a day and SI for 6 months straight. I kind of want to stop taking all my meds and just go in and rage on him!

What do I do??

I do feel for you, it's the same in my country. Pdoc don't take a lot of time to listen to you, they are taking you as something not worth dealing with unless your in a mental hospital, maybe then they give you more attention, though I doubt.

FOr example, I am suppose to see my pdoc today but she's not at work (as always). I've been put on check up with every pdoc there is and of course nobody takes enough time to talk to you.

I advice you to change your doctor, if you have money, to go to a private pdoc, that will take time, talk to you for more than 15 minutes. I was thinking of doing the same. After all it's your health. ASnd the easiest thing to do is to give you meds but doesn't care more about you.

Go to private pdoc, tell him/her about your problems, eventually he will see your clinical picture in the past and present and will help you with your future. Try it. I am sure it will work.

Best of luck! You are not alone in this mess

Is this guy a psychiatrist? He sounds like he has no idea what he's doing which is why I'm asking. You say you don't want to change again but tbh this guy sounds like the worst.

You need to be assertive with him about what your needs are. Maybe try telling him that your quality of life is being affected by not having meds/not having the right meds. He needs to do his job and right now he isn't. If he says he doesn't want to change your meds, challenge him. Ask him why when he said last time he would. Get him to explain his reasoning beyond the locked up bullcrap. In fact if he does say that I would suggest saying something like "so you're not going to do anything until it's too late and I'm even more sick than I am now?". If he keeps denying a med change then ask him what your options are. Keep bugging the crap outta him with questions.

hearing this kinda treatment of patients makes me so mad, I really feel you on this one.

Thanks for taking the time to reply to me. Unfortunately, a private doc isn't an option for me. The doc I want to go to would make arrangements with me, but I wouldn't be able to afford my medications without coverage and my insurance doesn't cover him, so it wouldn't cover his scrips or anything he ordered.

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If it is so, then change the doctor. Check up on different forums which doc is concidered as a good doctor and then you will see how it goes.

But the thing is that if you don't pay you don't get treated well most of the time. It's horrible what money does, I agree.

Wish you all the best!

I think I'm gonna be a lot more in his face about things and if nothing happens still I'll talk to his supervisor about switching docs. And yes he is a psychiatrist. I have insurance it's just not good insurance.
Hoping for functionality so I can have that back (my job).

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wouldn't cover his scrips or anything he ordered. If your in US it doesn't mater who the prescribing Dr is to fill the script through insurance. Do your own research and walk in and say you want x, y, and z @ x strength because your having issues with symptom a, b, and c or if he has any better ideas. You have to be that assertive and word it like that because you have 10 min. To make your case and for him to give you his opinion and script.

Make a list of medications you tried and why you don't like them so you don't have to repeat things that didn't work.

Can you not go through your family doctor? It appears that it doesn't matter where you're from, the mental health system sucks and fails so many people. DON"T GO OFF YOUR MEDS. All you're doing is hurting yourself. Believe me, he's not going to lose sleep over it.
I'm really sorry you're having such a tough time

Miguel'smom, I wish that were the case for me. I'm on Medicaid and if they don't cover the Dr, they don't cover anything he does, either. This is why I need to go back to work... Then I'll have real insurance again and the choices that go along with it.

Plzsti,
Unfortunately, my family drs office will not prescribe psych meds or anything narcotic (for example, my alprazolam). I'm not sure Medicaid would pay her if she was able to. They have a lot of very strict rules.

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I have medicaid too and I have not had a problem with getting scripts filled that are preferred scripts. In preferred scripts my Dr has to get pre approved by calling and telling them the previous preferred meds. Your in Indiana right? I can get you there list of meds they're willing to pay for.

Miguel'smom, I'm in the Seattle area, but any help at all is greatly appreciated.

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It's really awful to read all this sad stories. In my country we have so called "basic" health insurance and another health insurance that you pay extra (about 30 € per month) but then you have everything "for free", from meds to operations etc. Call it a social kind of health system. True, you wait for operation for months, even years, but you don't have to pay for it.

As for mental health, well, it depends. Usually nobody takes enough time to talk to you. They just give you the pills so that their soul is clean but nobody really talks to you. When you have a mental problem your confused and you want desperetaley someone to talk to and someone who will help you understand what's going on. But pdoc usually don't really do so UNLESS you go to a private pdoc.

At least here it is like that. If your willing to pay extra then you get the best treatment, the best advices, you don't have to wait in long lines to get some treatment, either that's mental or any other illness.

I do hope something opens up for you, it's horrible that nobody cares how someone is suffering. You don't have to have cancer to suffer. Mental problems are (as far as I am concered) the worst, cus you have to fight a battle with your psyche, and your psyche is ill, so it's even harder.

I do wish you all the best for you usehername.

Do take care