[gayleggg]

I am having to change pdocs and it's a little scary. I've been seeing the same one for many years. The thought of starting over with a new one scares me. How do I learn to trust a new one. I know that it will take time, but in the meantime, do I just trust their judgement? What if they don't take me seriously? When I first saw my current pdoc I was in crisis and didn't care about anything. Now I'm not in crisis and it seems scarier. I know I should just take it one step at a time but I can't see a new one for four months and I've been going every three months. Anyway, I'm just anxious. It's what I do.

I find psychiatrists scary too because the stuff they prescribe us can change our personalities (maybe that's a good thing in my case) or we can become addicted to it.
I've tried to be more cooperative due to my attempt. I know that I have a certain amount of paranoia about trusting the intentions of institutions who profit because of my illness but I still have to guard against a second attempt. I am still sane enough to know that it is a balancing act. Unfortunately, many of the things psychiatrists prescribe just cover-up symptoms but never really get to the root cause. Plus, some things can't be fixed.
So the fact that you are anxious about going just tells me that you understand the consequences of all the medications that have and will be prescribed to you. You would sleep better at night if you were an ignorant, uninformed consumer!

[BipolaRNurse]

I feel for you, gayleggg. I recently had to change psychiatrists due to insurance reasons, and the differences between the two of them are like night and day. That doesn't mean I don't like the new one, who reminds me of Mister Rogers and is very knowledgeable about bipolar. But my former pdoc had studied me at length, and there was a lot of good-natured banter between us along with the serious stuff, and I miss that. I can't imagine my new guy teasing me about the stupid toucan shirt I bought during a manic episode sometime back. But I think eventually I'll be able to give him my trust, and I'm going to give him a good chance to earn it.

I know how scary it is. I recently had to change pdocs. I also had to change therapists before.

Besides being scary, it is indeed frustrating. You build up a lot of trust over time with your pdoc/therapist, only for you to have to start all over again. Grrr. You also have a previous pdoc/therapist to compare to, so you have a set of expectations in place.

I think those expectations definitely cause anxiety. They did for me. I kept asking myself, "what if this?" and "what if that?" Also, "my old pdoc did this and that. Will this new guy do this and that?" and "will he believe what i say?" etc etc

The best thing I could do was go with the flow because that's what I did when I had my very first pdoc appointment. I trusted my new pdoc's treatment, but with some skepticism. Basically, once our session was over, i would always google what he said to make sure he actually knew what he was talking about. Then I'd compare his treatment to my previous pdoc's treatment to assess how "good" it was. It helped me gain trust in him, and he took me seriously when I showed that I honestly reported my symptoms and mood changes to him.

[xRavenx]

Originally Posted by gayleggg

I am having to change pdocs and it's a little scary. I've been seeing the same one for many years. The thought of starting over with a new one scares me. How do I learn to trust a new one. I know that it will take time, but in the meantime, do I just trust their judgement? What if they don't take me seriously? When I first saw my current pdoc I was in crisis and didn't care about anything. Now I'm not in crisis and it seems scarier. I know I should just take it one step at a time but I can't see a new one for four months and I've been going every three months. Anyway, I'm just anxious. It's what I do.

I have been in your shoes only about a month ago, where I changed pdocs and worried about whether my concerns would be taken seriously and if I could trust her. I can also relate to my old pdoc not caring or even listening much to what I had to say. The only difference is that I was in a crisis situation.

It turned out everything went just fine and I'm so much happier with my new pdoc. I came prepared with notes for her, just in case I forget to tell her certain things. Sometimes getting a referral from someone you trust can
help. In my case, it was my therapist who gave me the referral. If you are able to choose between different pdocs, maybe look up reviews or their profile on Psychology Today, which tells you something about their style. It can help put you at ease.

Regardless, just know that it is completely normal to be anxious, and it sounds in your case it is definitely time to try someone new since you were not satisfied with your other pdoc. Sometimes change is the best thing that could happen. You may find that once you get the initial appointment over with, you'll feel so much better knowing the new doctor now has your history, so the hardest part is finally over. Of course, remember it's also natural to not immediately trust a new pdoc, but being open to what they have to offer is important. If after the first appointment you get a bad feeling and have reasons that they may not be trustworthy, you can always try someone else.

[gayleggg]

Thanks for all the support. I know it will work out. It's just getting through the anxiety until I see the new pdoc.