[hopealwayz]

I need your opinion. What should I do if my psychiatrist is always reading his iPhone and iPad messages in my session. I want to say something without sounding rude. It makes it distracting. He’s always reading the texts on the devices. What should I do? Not go to my next appointment?

I mean he reads other people’s texts too.

[SlumberKitty]

Just curious. How do you know he is reading text messages? Maybe he is reading his notes that he made about your previous sessions? If it bothers you, bring it up to him. I brought up my regular T taking notes. I was paranoid that she was writing something bad about me. She instead read me what she wrote and it was so boring and mundane I never asked her again. Once in a while she will say, hold on, I need to get that in my notes. Mostly when we are talking about goals or something.

[ArtleyWilkins]

Not excusing this because he serves as your therapist, but isn't your therapist a psychiatrist also?

Here's my experience with my psychiatrist and why he would have been an awful therapist. I loved the man as my psychiatrist, but he was a medical doctor on staff at a busy inpatient psychiatric facility with a huge private practice. It was pretty normal for him to be on technology because that is how he charted my information, which because I was his medical patient, was absolutely required. Additionally, because of the type of patient he dealt with, there were times when he did get interrupted to handle a medical emergency in the middle of my appointment with him. It didn't bother me because I saw him as my medical doctor, not my therapist, and that kind of thing does happen with medical doctors.

All that said, since he has taken you on as a therapy patient, that is a different scenario, and during therapy appointments, he should not be on technology that is unrelated to you and your case.

Ask him to not be on technology unless it is to document anything relating to you as a patient. You are within your right to do so.

[hopealwayz]

The first ignored it but then it happened again.

[hopealwayz]

My psychiatrist is brilliant when it comes to me.

[SlumberKitty]

Yeah, my psychiatrist is on his computer the whole time I am with him. He is updating my file. He is sending my prescriptions to the pharmacy. He is notating differences since the last appointment (like he usually does a depression screening for example). He is making all those notes. He does this while he has an appointment with me. He does look at me sometimes and makes eye contact sometimes but 75% of the time he is on his computer. But he's a good psychiatrist and like Artley said, I am seeing him as a medical doctor.

[susannahsays]

I have never had a doctor, including psychiatrists, who messed with their cell phone when I was with them. That would really bother me. The iPad might be legitimately for taking notes and submitting prescription refills. But I see no reason he should be on an iPhone EXCEPT if he's refilling a controlled substance. I don't know if this is particular to my state, but I just remembered that my psychiatrist appears to get some sort of verification code on her phone that she then has to enter on her computer when she is submitting the refill for my Adderall. Some sort of 2 factor authentication type deal. But this happens exactly once and only when she is refilling that one prescription. Her phone is on mute so it never makes any noise.

If he is messing with his phone when he isn't doing refills, I can't think of a good reason why. I don't think you're being rude, I think he is. I mean, it would be rude if you kept messing with your phone during your appointment.

I would probably be petty and next time he messed with his phone, send him a text asking if this is a better way to communicate with him. Not saying you should do that, though.

[Under*Over]

This is a good time to practice appropriate communication into how this makes you feel.

Definitely go to your next appointment. You CANNOT hold your appointments over your psychiatrists head in the way that you are describing. That is avoidance and plus, you have a pattern of it and its not a good one.

Instead, sit down with him next time and tell him that when he is on his iphone and ipad it makes you feel... however it makes you feel (like he isnt listening, like you arent getting all of his attention, ect). Communicate with him like a mature adult. Give him the respect that you would want in return. If you practice all your relationships like this you will find yourself building relationships with healthier and clearer boundries.

Best of luck hope, like always.

[zoiecat]

I agree with under. My T used to always take notes on his computer during session. He would constantly be clicking through at other times and I was quite paranoid. I didn't know if he was playing computer games, reading emails or what. I finally came out and asked him why he was always clicking on the computer. He told me outright that he was reviewing old notes on me to try to find something that he could bring up that would help what we were talking about at the time. As soon as he found out this bothered me he stopped using his computer for my sessions and took notes on paper instead.

I also caught him looking at his phone a couple times when I was doing EMDR and I called him out on that too in a polite way. He agreed that he was in the wrong and he always makes sure that he puts his phone in a drawer during my sessions.

Don't cancel your session. That is not going to fix anything. Go to your next session and bring it up first thing. Tell him you were distracted or you felt disrespected when he was on his phone during session. Ask him what he was doing on the phone. It may be that he was taking notes for your chart. Allow his to respond and go from there.

[susannahsays]

My previous psychiatrist, whom I saw for 11 or 12 years was the medical director of the clinic and associated research institute. As far as I was concerned, she didn't even own a cell phone. I mean, I'm sure she did since I did have to call once or twice after hours, but I never saw it. Nobody ever interrupted our appointments in any way. She did have a computer, but she would talk to me first for most of the appointment. Then she would send refills in, write a paper prescription for the Adderall, and enter some quick notes I think on meds before walking me out. She had extremely good memory, so I'm sure she had no problem writing her notes afterwards. I miss her.

I think that your T will have greater respect for you if you call him out on this, politely. I don’t think it’s acceptable, he should be giving you his undivided attention.