[chicken_wing]

Hi peeps,
I have been in therapy for 1.5 years now. For a year of that I have been seeing a Pdoc; I am now on my third. The first one only asked about my general feelings. The second asked about my feelings and current events in my life. The present want asks about my feelings, current events, and past events.

Like, I am confused. I know they need to know my feelings and even to some extent what is currently happening in my life if it's causing me distress. But why would my Pdoc be interested in my f'ed up relationship with my family, for example? Does that somehow improve her ability to get the right dosage of my antidepressant? I wonder if this new pdoc is so interested in my life because she does therapy herself. She did say she didn't want to go "deep" into my issues because that's what I do with my T. But then, why does she need to know my life history other than that I sometimes have debilitating depression, anxiety, etc.?

[sugahorse1]

I think it helps them understand you better and allows them to determine how much of your depression is circumstantial, and how much is chemical.
But I do still believe that a pdoc needs to treat the symptoms as the are now, regardless of the history of a patient, or their official diagnosis.

[Perna]

Too, how you view things now, this visit and then next visit can determine how well the meds might be working. Your whole life history kind of gives a picture of your life and it's hard to get to know and treat "you" without knowing that. A primary care physician wants to know all of your medical history, the story of your body; it makes sense that a psychiatrist would want to know the story of your mind, what/how you think, what has influenced you, etc.