I suppose this question has been asked before, but I couldn't find any old threads on this topic in the search. Also, I'm wondering about frequency not just now, but in various states, like periods of:

* Stability

* Depression - mild to more severe

* Hypomania to mania

If you live outside of the US, please mention that.

I'm asking because I wonder if my frequency of every 3 weeks (stable to mildly anything) is usual. I see my psychiatrist every other week during significant medication adjustments or moderate episodes. When more severe, sometimes more often until my mood stabilizes a bit.

I saw my psychiatrist yesterday and he asked me if 3 weeks later was OK (implying he'd see me in 2). I adore him, and would see him every week day, if I could afford it, but I didn't think a 2 week later appt was necessary. I wonder sometimes if he thinks I'm hypomanic. Even if I am, a 3 week later may be fine. I've been seeing him for 14 years, most of the time on disability. I wonder if he maintains minimum every 3 weeks for that reason. At times, years ago, when I was fairly well and working, I saw him as little as every 4 to 8 weeks. For several years now, I only see him less than every 3 weeks when he's on vacation.

[Blueberrybook]

It depends on how I'm doing. I have gone anywhere from 3 days (after a horrid manic episode) to a week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, a month, 3 months. Right now, I'm seeing my current pdoc once every 3-4 weeks. He had me seeing him every week the first 3 weeks or so because of my having a long psych history/lots of meds.

My last pdoc and my new one as well have asked, "How long do you want to go between appointments? 4 weeks, 6 weeks? a month?" They will throw a couple suggestions out there, I guess along the timeline they felt I needed to come back to choose from. I didn't get a choice on the bad manic 3 day one though.

I'm in Canada. I dont even see a psychiatrist anymore unless I require a med change. My family doc prescribes my meds and evaluates how I doing every 3 months. I've been relatively stable since October.

[Guiness187055]

6 weeks to 3 months depending on stability.

[Moose72]

My pnurse sees me once every 2 months when stable and once a month when adjusting and once every two weeks when im in an episode- mania, hypomania, psychotic.... Maybe even every week. Depends if I go IP too and for how long. In these appointments she ajusts meds or readjusts what they changed IP. Also, she watches for side effects and changes meds if need be. (I've gone through lots of psych meds!)

[hexacoda]

Canadian and I see my Dr every 5 months or so. Have been stable for 7 years now.

[Tucson]

Every three to four months.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Every 4 weeks no matter where I am, the same for the entire 15 years I've been seeing her. If anything comes up between it is very hard for her to get me in because she does an administrative job and has limited patient hours so when I get worse between visits we handle it via email.

[Daonnachd]

I go in every 4 weeks, but that's mandated by the ECT. My regular pdoc has to send in a letter of concurrence to my ECT pdoc and she's got me on a 4 week maintenance schedule.

[wildflowerchild25]

I just started seeing a new pdoc in January. I was seeing her every four to five weeks but often got in earlier as I was very unstable in January through April. Since getting back to her after my IOP program ended I’ve only seen her once, then we scheduled out six weeks after that. I imagine it will be another six weeks after that as I am still stable, but she might push it to three months. I’ll be fine with that because I know I can get in to see her earlier if I need to. She’s pretty good at squeezing in emergency appointments.

Every 4 months.

Once every 2 months usually. I had to look at my calendar to be sure, and also noticed some 1 month spans. IIRC, I wasn't doing very well at the time. I'm always encouraged to call if things go sideways, but fact is, I don't. Phone phobic and always feel like I'd be bothering someone and don't believe I'm worth it (yeah, issues). It's one of my worst things as a patient -- I let things get really bad before reaching out.

I go to a place associated with the county. I don't know about response between appointments as, well, see above. But they do encourage me to reach out.

Back when I went to a private practice (with a PMHNP, so both my prescriber and therapist), it ranged quite a lot. For a long time, it was every couple of weeks, once a week in trouble, but started to get further apart (like 2-3 months) as my financial challenges increased. It was policy that you had to see her at least once every 3 months for prescribing of certain medications.

[cashart10]

It varies with mine as well. Times like now, when I am stable, I see her every 3 months (that is the longest). When I’m depressed, once a month, suicidal, once a week or every other week, manic, once or if really extreme twice a week. She doesn’t take insurance though so it costs me $150 a visit and as a result we try to do anything we can over the phone in between appointments.

[rwwff]

Between 1 and 3 months between appointments, depending on how I'm doing. Its almost a rating scale I use; if she lets me go three months, I must seem somewhat OK for now.

At one point, it was every 2 weeks because I was unstable. APs work pretty fast, so if they weren't working after 2 weeks, then it was time to try a new one or increase the dose, hence the 2 weeks thing.

Now, it's once a month. Not sure how often it's going to be in the future. This pdoc is not the same pdoc I was seeing before, though. Different guy. So I wasn't seeing him at a 2-week frequency.

[Nammu]

When stable every 3 months
When manic I didn't bother with appointments
When depressed varied between weekly and every 2-3 weeks
When mixed I camped out begging for relief....no about weekly

Currently tho, I've seen a pdoc once for a baseline assessment after moving states and the PCP does my meds I see him about every 5-6 months and he just keeps everything the same. I've been stable years on my current meds, thank god cause mental health where I live now is almost nonexistent.

[annielovesbacon]

Once a month, but if I have a med change, I see him two weeks later, and maybe two weeks after that if we need to reassess. Once I am stable on the meds it's back to once a month.

[Travelinglady]

It's been every three months for a good while. I am thankful I've been stable for seven years now.

[scatterbrained04]

Depends on where things are. If I'm mostly stable, I see him every 3 months. If I'm having significant depression or doing med changes, I see him once a month. If I am in a mixed episode or very severe depression, I see him more like every 2 weeks.

[bpktvikesfan]

i go every 2 months

[Gabyunbound]

Every 3 mos if I'm really stable. Every 3 weeks if I'm mildly unstable, even if it's situational (because that can turn into an episode). I saw a previous pdoc every 3 weeks if I was stable, and every 1-2 weeks, if I was not. Really depends on the pdoc.

It's supposed to be every 4 weeks but because of how screwed up the office is, it's usually every 8-10 weeks.

[otroo]

I have been pretty stable and I see my med manager about every 3 to 4 months.

[Mountaindewed]

I see mine every 3 months. I’ve been stable for 3 years.

[Scooter9]

Every 3 months when things are stable.

I've been depressed for 10 months so we see each other about every 4-6 weeks but we keep in touch by email about each week.

I'm in Canada