Are you satisfied with your overall mental health care? If so, what is so satisfying about it? If not, what could be improved?

I'm somewhat satisfied. I have a great therapist who listens to me and understands me. (Compare that to my old therapist who did nothing but talk about herself the whole time.)

My pdoc, on the other hand, is not exactly the nicest person. He's very accusatory toward me for no reason.

[cincidak]

I love my therapist also. Not sure about my pdoc though. Only seen him once and his receptionist is very gruff and thinks she's qualified to give me medical advice. I plan on talking to my pdoc about her next month.

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[Ndscisyv]

I'm very happy with my current care. My pdoc is great. She listens to my and understands my goals regarding work and seems to really care that I don't feel over medicated. Any changes are slow and well thought out and discussed.

My therapist is good too. It takes me a while to open up to anyone, including a therapist so we are still in the beginning stage at this point, but I like him.

[JustJace2u]

So far I am happy with the way things are going. I feel like everyone involved in my treatment has been willing to listen and give me options based on what I've told them. That being said, I'm still a bit shy and quiet, but it is something I'm working on within myself.

[st0psign]

even with my treatment (meds, individual therapy, group therapy) I still can get pretty high and pretty low, though maybe not quite as often, but things still get bad from time to time. I'm just disappointed that this is the best that is available for people like us.

[JustJace2u]

Originally Posted by st0psign

even with my treatment (meds, individual therapy, group therapy) I still can get pretty high and pretty low, though maybe not quite as often, but things still get bad from time to time. I'm just disappointed that this is the best that is available for people like us.

I notice you are in the Pittsburgh area. Just out of curiosity, have you checked with the Legal Services office? I only ask because I know people that work there and part of what they do is help those with mental illness seek benefits and services they may need.

[wildflowerchild25]

I have a great therapist who is very helpful. My psychiatric nurse is very nice, but doesn't seem to know much about treating bipolar. She also doesn't listen or seem to understand that even though I present well, inside I'm a mess (at times). For instance, she put me on Brintellix and it did absolutely nothing to help the depression. I had to have another round of ECT to get out of it (which she suggested). Yet a couple of months later she said "well the Brintellix seemed to be helping". Um what? You don't remember me crying in your office saying I was afraid I was going to drive my car off the road?

But she's nice enough and listens when I have my own led suggestions. So I stay with her. My other Pdoc was kind of stern and very eager to hospitalize me when things got tough. I'll stick with my nurse.

I love my pdoc but I no longer have a therapist. I was in therapy for years and reverse transference shattered a several year relationship with what I otherwise had with an excellent therapist. I've tried three therapists since then, but none were a good fit.

I hate the idea of giving my full trust to a new therapist and spending the time and money on a new therapist, that may or may not work out. I have so many issues and MI...and I am living as a single mom on SSDI.

My pdoc wants me to see a therapist...I'm on the fence.

Any suggestions?

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I am so fortunate to have both an excellent therapist and an excellent pdoc. I've been seeing my therapist 10 years and my pdoc 13 so we hav good, solid relationships in place. Both are very "safe people" and know me and my symptoms very well. I can't imagine getting better care.

It took a lot to get to this point but I'm glad I reached it. I couldn't have survived the last 2 years without them.

[Travelinglady]

Yes, I'm satisfied. No one is perfect, but both my therapist and my pdoc listen and are pleasant to work with.

Mostly yes. The biggest problem in caring for my mental health is me, not my doctors usually. But it's not perfect and they have made mistakes.

[Anxiousvalkyrie]

I'm not at all satisfied. We have socialized healthcare and it's a complete nightmare. I've been waiting months and months to see a Pdoc and no one can help me with my mania in the meantime. At the ER they just give me one or two benzos (if I'm lucky) and tell me to go see my primary care doctor. My primary care says he can't treat me for bipolar since he's not a psychiatrist and tells me to go to the ER for help until I can see the outpatient Pdoc (whom is the only one who can treat me for bipolar. ERs aren't allowed to give prescriptions or actually treat you for mental illness.)

I've gotten sent home from the hospital twice when I should have been on suicide watch because the doctor didn't want to deal with me, and another time because they said the wars was full. It's been a total nightmare.

For the most part, I am completely dissatisfied now, just as I was with treatment earlier in my life. I do better when I do things my way, which is why I haven't taken meds in three days straight. I have two and/or three major, positive, life changing events lined up for this week. I will never seek treatment again, at least not in the states.

Sometimes I have paid a high price for doing things my way, but it's always been better on my mental health. Now, if I can figure out a way to have it all expunged from my medical records.

[Nammu]

Oddly enough I'm ok with the care. It's though a county mental health unit and the Pdocs change quite a lot. (Average of 8-8 months so I'm luck if I see the same one 3 times) but those I do see are competent. The T I found is nice. But were I in a bad situation I'm not sure it would be good enough.

[xRavenx]

Originally Posted by bluebicycle

Are you satisfied with your overall mental health care? If so, what is so satisfying about it? If not, what could be improved?

I'm somewhat satisfied. I have a great therapist who listens to me and understands me. (Compare that to my old therapist who did nothing but talk about herself the whole time.)

My pdoc, on the other hand, is not exactly the nicest person. He's very accusatory toward me for no reason.

I am mostly satisfied as of now. However, my pdoc is now only in the office once per week. I hope that isn't a sign that she will leave soon. I don't like changing doctors, and I've been with her for a long time. She is very good at what she does and on point with suggestions when meds need to be tweaked. Plus, she doesn't over-medicate and gives feedback on lifestyle changes to help me cope better. I'm currently not in therapy, because of insurance issues, and I have difficulties committing to therapy due to my work schedule, but I admit that it's probably time for me to go back.

[Unrigged64072835]

I'm currently satisfied with my treatment. My pdoc and T work with me and have been very helpful. My only complaint is that I wish my pdoc and PCM would work together. I got in a situation where they butted heads and I was monkey in the middle.

[OctobersBlackRose]

As of right now yes I am satisfied with my treatment, I have a team that cares about me, psychiatrist, case manager, therapist etc. I'm currently in DBT therapy (I hope it helps with some of my symptoms/traits), but for community mental health, it is actually pretty good, more wrap around services than private mental health. Glad I live in my area of Michigan, where I have access to this type of services.

[pirilin]

Very satisfied.

[Ripose]

I don't have any mental health care. My GP gives me med refills and that's it.
So I guess all I have is PC.

[Bipolarchic14]

Nope. I had to search elsewhere to get help when I was in a mixed episode. Now I am, was actually but did not tell anyone I got off it, latuda. It made me nauseous and I was vomiting at least twice a week. They did not try to find something else. So I went off of it. Hopefully the mixed episode does not come back.

Absolutely satisfied

[raspberrytorte]

No. It has failed me numerous times.

It's expensive, I can't find a good therapist (my current one does not know how to help me and gives bad advice), my last pdoc ****ed me up and I had a sui attempt, it's almost impossible to find a new pdoc in my area and once you do it takes months before you can see them, a pnurse I had failed me when I was psychotic which led to another sui attempt, numerous therapists have failed me.

It's all been one big fail.

no.

started off pretty poorly (though i suppose i imagined that whilst everything was figured out), but it's just a real mess- even now

Originally Posted by raspberrytorte

No. It has failed me numerous times.

It's expensive, I can't find a good therapist (my current one does not know how to help me and gives bad advice), my last pdoc ****ed me up and I had a sui attempt, it's almost impossible to find a new pdoc in my area and once you do it takes months before you can see them, a pnurse I had failed me when I was psychotic which led to another sui attempt, numerous therapists have failed me.

It's all been one big fail.

Sorry they all suck.

My first therapist refused to acknowledge my mixed episode. She told me I wasn't depressed even though I felt like killing myself. Then she said I "should do a sleep study" to figure out why I was too energetic to get sleep.

My current pdoc (who I will no longer be seeing, as of 2 weeks from now) accused me of being a druggie even though I gave him 0 reason to believe I was a druggie.

I don't know how these "mental health professionals" can call themselves mental health professionals.

[raspberrytorte]

Originally Posted by bluebicycle

Sorry they all suck.

My first therapist refused to acknowledge my mixed episode. She told me I wasn't depressed even though I felt like killing myself. Then she said I "should do a sleep study" to figure out why I was too energetic to get sleep.

My current pdoc (who I will no longer be seeing, as of 2 weeks from now) accused me of being a druggie even though I gave him 0 reason to believe I was a druggie.

I don't know how these "mental health professionals" can call themselves mental health professionals.

They do suck. I don't know what my problem is with mental health care professionals and why I can't find anyone that actually helps me! Maybe it's where I live? The only people who have helped me are inpatient doctors. And the doctor who put me on lamictal wasn't even my own. My own had put me on sertraline! After being like: Oh, I think you might be bipolar, but let's put you on this antidepressant and see what happens.

That's what she said!

I've given up. I'm going to my current doctor just so I can keep on getting med refills because I'm not putting myself through a ****** withdrawal right now.

I don't know why your current pdoc is convinced you're a drug addict. Maybe he thinks that everyone is a drug addict? It's funny he wouldn't prescribe you adderall but is totally okay with benzos.

It's good you got in to see a new person... and fast it sounds like.

Seriously. Maybe I just need to move somewhere else. lol