Which would you rather have:

(1) the best pdoc in the world who is a BP expert, but you can't reach him or his nurse outside of an appointment.

(2) an average pdoc who knows some info about BP and you can reach him any time you want, 24/7.

I guess 2, but I'm lucky to say that I have an expert that is easy to reach.

The first! Psychiatrists are not meant to be contacted outside of appointments anyway, I would consider it inappropriate unless it's to discuss appointment times in some way. They are not a therapist by any means. I believe the 2nd option would just lead to blurred boundaries and a dependence on the psychiatrist for most people.

[Victoria'smom]

First one. I can always make an appointment if I need her/him.

[99fairies]

I do have the best pdoc in the world. I can't get ahold of him outside of my appointments, but I see him every month, so it's not a big deal.

[Trippin2.0]

I’ve never contacted a service provider outside of my appointments, unless I’m rescheduling, and even then it’s their assistants I’m contacting, not them directly.

So option one would definitely be for me

[Zigy]

Originally Posted by scaredandconfused

The first! Psychiatrists are not meant to be contacted outside of appointments anyway, I would consider it inappropriate unless it's to discuss appointment times in some way. They are not a therapist by any means. I believe the 2nd option would just lead to blurred boundaries and a dependence on the psychiatrist for most people.

That's not true. It may depend on pdoc. Mine encourages me to send updates via email and he often responds too.

[Guiness187055]

I have the first one already plus I have his cell phone in case of emergencies. I am very lucky to have such a good pdoc.

[bluemountains]

I would say #2, although I have a great pdoc who I can contact through email outside of appointments. She will even call me if email contact is not enough. I feel pretty lucky because my sister deals with similar mental issues, and she sometimes has to wait up to two months to see a pdoc where she lives in another state.

[Northchild]

I have an excellent primary care physician who knows a little about bipolar disorder, but who is also very accessible. Plus, if things ever get beyond what he feels we can handle, he has no problem referring me to an experienced psychiatrist and/or asking a psychiatric hospital to admit me.

This GP successfully got me off of Zyprexa and on Geodon, which was much better for me. He also helped me to navigate one of the most difficult times of my life and was my primary advocate when I applied for SSD.

My well-being has increased quite a bit since I started seeing this GP, so I'm going to go with option 2.

[Tucson]

Number one. A very good pdoc will quickly get you to stability, therefore, much less of a need to reach him after hours. I do think it is inappropriate to contact doctors outside of an appointment unless it is an emergency. Even then, there are other options. The doctor is not there to cater to their patents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are not getting paid for that. They have a life too. Boundaries are important here, but I imagine many patients have boundary issues. This is a good reason for the doctor to assert boundaries by not permitting contact between appointments, perhaps except in emergencies. Many doctors have a call service after hours. Calls can be screened in this way.

[Nammu]

Number 1
..

[Teddy Bear]

I would say number one

[tecomsin]

The second choice.

My psychiatrist is an old fashioned type who schedules 45 minute appointments to talk about symptoms and coping. It's a kind of therapy. He's not the greatest when it comes to proactively adjusting medications and doesn't seem to know about the latest ones. It is me who asked for instance about rexulti and it turned out he had samples sitting in his desk which he had never given out. I can also contact him on his cell even on weekends if I were having a crisis although it has been years since I did that. in retrospect I do think I was crossing boundaries when i would call him because he's in other appointments and in any case not getting reimbursed for phone calls. On the other hand he also has bipolar disorder, so he is a good role model in that sense.

[Rose76]

I'll take #1. I'm fine with sticking to planned appointments. I think less expert docs have exaggerated notions about what meds can do.

[Pookyl]

I’ve always been able to reach a dr in a crisis so hard to pick.
I have set appointments with my pdoc. However if something happens that I can’t fix then I can leave a VM and she will get back to me later on the same day.
I know what to do if my mood goes off - take Seroquel, so i rarely call her.

Boundaries are a big thing. My sister works in mental health and once had to go to court and take out an AVO against a patient who was stalking her.

[seoultous]

Number 1 for me. I have the best pdoc in my area and he is amazing at adjusting my meds so that I can have a happy and productive life. And he is available, just not outside of business hours. If it is an emergency, he directs his patients to call 911. Same with my T. I can't imagine a time when I would try to call my pdoc after hours and expect a response. I don't have his personal cell or his email and he has an answering service so Its the ER or nothing. Luckily I haven't had to use it.

[Moreta]

I already have #1 but I can email him now. wooooooo. I don't do it a lot cause I hate bothering drs/t's between appts/sessions even when having a meltdown. My pdoc has been ranked in the top 100 for several years now. The office now has a texting service too. I'm not sure if my pdoc takes new clients anymore since they keep adding psych NPs, so I'm glad I got in when I did in 2010.

[annielovesbacon]

Definitely the first. I'd imagine that if s/he were an expert in BP, I would not need to go so often -- by appointment only is totally fine with me. My current pdoc is not a BP expert, and I can only reach him by appointment... I have no need to call him 24/7.

[*Laurie*]

#1. For sure.

[bioChE]

Number 1.

Originally Posted by bluebicycle

Which would you rather have:

(1) the best pdoc in the world who is a BP expert, but you can't reach him or his nurse outside of an appointment.

(2) an average pdoc who knows some info about BP and you can reach him any time you want, 24/7.

the average one.

it's more important for me to be able to reach someone, and talk to them, than it is for them to be an expert in the subject

[rwwff]

I'd have to go for the first, a therapist can fill the role of an easy contact more readily I think.