[jennao10]

I have a talk therapist and a psychiatrist. I need a good psychiatrist who knows bipolar 2 and can treat it properly!

I do not care for my psychiatrist whom I have seen 2 times. She says I don't have bipolar. I have taken multiple quizzes during different moods with positive results for bipolar depressive/hypomania. I fit all the symptoms of major depression with hypomania and my family agrees. I don't know what to think any longer.

My psychiatrist changed me over to wellbutrin, zoloft and buspiron. One or more of these has caused me to have tinnitus. (I suspect the wellbutrin) When I brought up the side effects she had no idea that it could happen and does not want to change my meds.

I have tried multiple anti depressants as well as the standard bipolar meds. The bipolar meds kind of work and Effexor was effective but I had more hypomaina events while on it.

Where do I go from here and where do you find good mental help without hospitalization?

[Skeezyks]

Well... unfortunately... based on my own experience... I'd have to say your experience with your psychiatrist is pretty typical. My own psychiatrist (whom I no longer see) at one point put me on Lamictal & never even mentioned the possibility of Lamictal rash which can sometimes morph into a life-threatening condition. I subsequently developed the rash. And when I called in to his assistant to ask if she thought my rash could be related to the Lamictal, she told me she didn't think it was anything to worry about. It was my general practice doctor who recognized what was happening & sent me right away to a dermatologist who took me off of the Lamictal "cold turkey". (Fortunately I had only been on it a short time.)

I'm afraid I don't really know how one goes about finding good mental health help without hospitalization. Actually I've been hospitalized twice in the past. And, based on the experiences I had those times, I'd have to say that being in the hospital didn't really result in any improvement in the level of care either. Having said that though, here are links to 3 articles, from PsychCentral's archives, that may be of some help:

https://psychcentral.com/blog/how-do...-psychiatrist/

https://blogs.psychcentral.com/bipol...dium=popular17

https://psychcentral.com/blog/9-habi...psychiatrists/

My best wishes to you...

[Unrigged64072835]

I would definitely get a second opinion, and a new psychiatrist if possible.

[*Laurie*]

Do you know what it is that your pdoc is looking for when she denies that you have bipolar disorder?

[jennao10]

My talk therapist says she never dx anyone with bipolar. That combined with lack of knowledge of medication side effects makes me wonder if ahe knows what she is doing.

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by jennao10

My talk therapist says she never dx anyone with bipolar. That combined with lack of knowledge of medication side effects makes me wonder if ahe knows what she is doing.

Um, if I were you I would change pdocs immediately.

[Blueberrybook]

Find a new pdoc...also, ask to be re-evaluated completely for your diagnosis. I was misdiagnosed for 10 yr with major depressive disorder until I showed up super manic at a pdoc appt. Many of the docs were like “diagnosed with major depression in college, I will treat for major depression” and did no re-assessment. I think 10 years on SSRIs was very detrimental to me and even changed my brain chemistry and fundamental self. Also, yes, I had awful tinnitus when I was on a Wellbutrin and Effexor combo. I too think it was the Wellbutrin. Funny, Effexor seemed to help me more too, but antidepressants tend to lead to more manic events for me, so now I am only given them short term, when all else fails, never longer than a 3 month span.

Finding a good pdoc is HARD. If you don’t like your pdoc, definitely find another. Read online reviews if the pdoc has them. My pdoc of 10 years just retired (she was great), and even though I am fortunate to be seeing another highly rated pdoc, he is not nearly as good as she was. I got SO lucky finding her. She twisted strings to get me in with this other pdoc after I tried a pdoc I hated and don’t believe should be allowed to practice ANY type of medicine, let alone psychiatry.