The ideal situation is to be able to comfortably talk with your psychiatrist. I’ve never really dealt with anyone who is thorough or showed real concern for me. I have a new psychiatrist who I do not have much confidence in because during the initial assessment and review of previous diagnoses etc. He made comments that I felt off putting and out of line, but It’s a personal trigger, not a universal one. He meant no harm by his words and I know that. But it makes me apprehensive.

Above all that, this depression is kicking my butt. I cancelled on my therapist because I just didn’t want to talk about all this anymore. I certainly don’t want to express it to my psychiatrist who I have even less Of a rapport with. My old psychiatrist directed the conversation — how is X Y Z, ok I’m doing {whatever}, give this to the receptionist. It took 5 minutes. This new one wants you to talk. That’s not a bad thing, most of the time...

I don’t really want med changes because I’m afraid tweaks or switch ups will only prolong my depression if I have to adjust to the med or worry about wide effects from higher dosages. This is something I do NOT feel I can bring up to him. If he makes changes he makes changes: I can’t really do much there. I’m in a bad place and he’s the doctor, his opinion should mean more than mine right now.

So, how to you deal with your psychiatrist? What kinds of things are pertinent to your medicine maintenance and what can you leave out? Any advice on where to start? I kind of thought I would make a bulleted list of depression markers.

I’m dealing with what I have right now. I don’t have time to find a new anything. So please, understand while that would be the best situation we’re dealing with what we have as it’s needed now.

It’s funny too, I realized something interesting. When I’m stable and feeling Ok, anxiety is an issue for me. When I’m depressed, there is no other issue. It consumes me. I just think that’s strange personally.

Anyway, that’s it.

[Soupe du jour]

Did your psychiatrist explain what you said that seemed "off putting" and "out of line"? Such statements should not be left vague, but explained thoroughly. You have the right to know what he was talking about, to a) give yourself a chance to explain , b) give yourself a chance to apologize, or c) give yourself the opportunity to let him know he totally misinterpreted "whatever it was". Sometimes that opportunity for more open communication can take away the heavy balls that seemed to be attached to a chain, in an initial relationship.

I have to go now. I'll continue later, when I can think of more.

[Victoria'smom]

PDoc: Hi how are you?
me: good but X (symptom) ,Y (symptom) ,Z (symptom) is going on. From there comes the conversation.
Ie. Good but I'm not real, numb, and want off medication.

I practice saying this before telling him. If it's not short I'll write it. But that gets my symptoms out of the way so we can talk about how to treat them.

[Scooter9]

Sorry you're feeling so bad. Depression is really awful because it gets into every part of your life. Hang in there, there is hope that things will improve.

I think the list of depression markers you mentioned is a great start because it's specific and that helps doctors a lot.

I do something similar with my pdoc: I tell her what symptoms I have been having and how they affect my life.

I try to be as clear as I can without getting bogged down in the details. I only go into detail when she asks me about something.

[FluffyDinosaur]

I think what's important is not just that I trust my Pdoc, but that my Pdoc trusts me. He trusts me to be responsible and he knows I read up on things like meds a lot before making decisions about that. Because of that, I don't see him ever forcing anything on me (except maybe if I lost all perspective, i.e. need to be committed immediately). Meds and treatments are always a mutual decision. He makes suggestions, I make suggestions, I read up on it some more, then we decide. That makes it easier to be compliant. And because I know he won't force anything on me, I really have no reason to keep important information from him. I also have my mood charts and notes, so I know in advance what I need to talk about and how I want to bring it up.

[bpcyclist]

I have never failed to do sthing he requested, even if I did not partic. wish to. He appreciates the willingness.

That said, he almost always is willing to try what I suggest, even if he puts himself in chg. of the timing of when we start it. Very, very open to my ideas. He is a genius.

Our goal is euthymia if we can and stay out of hospital and don't get arrested. Oh, I also promised him I would never try S again, he really liked that a lot.

Also, I tell him everything, including when suicidal. He told me he trusts me.

[ShaneG]

Originally Posted by MarcusAurelius

The ideal situation is to be able to comfortably talk with your psychiatrist. I’ve never really dealt with anyone who is thorough or showed real concern for me. I have a new psychiatrist who I do not have much confidence in because during the initial assessment and review of previous diagnoses etc. He made comments that I felt off putting and out of line, but It’s a personal trigger, not a universal one. He meant no harm by his words and I know that. But it makes me apprehensive.

Above all that, this depression is kicking my butt. I cancelled on my therapist because I just didn’t want to talk about all this anymore. I certainly don’t want to express it to my psychiatrist who I have even less Of a rapport with. My old psychiatrist directed the conversation — how is X Y Z, ok I’m doing {whatever}, give this to the receptionist. It took 5 minutes. This new one wants you to talk. That’s not a bad thing, most of the time...

How many patients you've killed over the last ten years!
I don’t really want med changes because I’m afraid tweaks or switch ups will only prolong my depression if I have to adjust to the med or worry about wide effects from higher dosages. This is something I do NOT feel I can bring up to him. If he makes changes he makes changes: I can’t really do much there. I’m in a bad place and he’s the doctor, his opinion should mean more than mine right now.

So, how to you deal with your psychiatrist? What kinds of things are pertinent to your medicine maintenance and what can you leave out? Any advice on where to start? I kind of thought I would make a bulleted list of depression markers.

I’m dealing with what I have right now. I don’t have time to find a new anything. So please, understand while that would be the best situation we’re dealing with what we have as it’s needed now.

It’s funny too, I realized something interesting. When I’m stable and feeling Ok, anxiety is an issue for me. When I’m depressed, there is no other issue. It consumes me. I just think that’s strange personally.

Anyway, that’s it.

How about how many patience you've killed over the last ten years!

[Soupe du jour]

Hi MarcusAurelius. I understand your concern about potential medication dose/change adjustments, but at the same time I would want some effort to be made to help you get out of your depression. Perhaps you can express this concern/dread with your doctor and he could think of something (or some medication) that may be "softer and friendlier" to adjust to. Or, there's always therapeutic tools that we can continue to use. Maybe a new therapeutic or lifestyle tool is in order.