Help finding help?

Hey,

After years and years I've finally fallen hard. I have been thinking for quite some time to seek professional help, but I (in my opinion with good reason) don't trust any 'professionals', doctors etc. Over-prescribing, lack of information, false treatment, and simple human errors have led me a long time ago to the same conclusion as in Vanilla Sky: you have to be your own doctor. So I want to be sure that the psychiatrist I choose is there to help me, and not me being under his/her mercy.

I'm currently living in the UK and I want to see somebody over depression, anxiety and drug abuse, stress, suicidal thoughts. For now I just want a diagnosis. But where should I go? And what should I look out for? Should I go to a psychotherapist or psychiatrist? And do I really have to read into all the schools to decide what kind of professional I want to see? (sounds like religion to me) The NHS is out of the question btw.

Also, what kind of power do they have over me when I go voluntarily? I don't want to suddenly end up in rehab against my will, or forced drugs because of sucidial thoughts.

There is one in my area who costs me £40 an hour. How long does it usually take for an assessment? (So I can calculate the cost) And is that an acceptable price?

I know I'm probably asking a lot already, but these are all important aspects to me and I don't know where else to get an answer from than directly asking it.

Hi, Slabasdas, welcome to PsychCentral (PC).

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have specialized in psychiatry; they can prescribe medicine but usually do not do psychotherapy. An assessment/diagnosis would be made by the person treating you, might vary depending on the person you chose and there orientation.

A therapist works over time with you to help you change or manage thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They run the gamit between counsellors, social workers, psychologists, and, sometimes, psychiatrists.

Were I you, I would pick one of the three conditions you know you have; depression, or anxiety, or drug abuse, and decide how you wanted to proceed for that one problem that bothers you the most.

I would choose drug abuse and get clear of that monkey on your back as it can exacerbate the other two. Your reasons for drug abuse probably contain problems with the other two and working on that behavior could help with the other two. Drug treatment is likely to be a bit less expensive than a psychiatrist or therapist also as it is a behavior and treatment is less likely to be as complicated as it could be for the others. Success in a behavior arena would give you some self confidence that you could succeed in treatment and also might give you more of an idea how treatment operates and who the players are and maybe give you some references for further treatment that you would already know and trust.

That is true in the US, at any rate. Do they do psychotherapy in the UK?