Are psychiatrists generally understanding?

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I am seeing a psychiatrist tomorrow and I’m worried that they will be ignorant and won’t listen to me.

I think I have some insight now thanks to some nice people here… I am questioning some of my beliefs but I cannot see how they’re not true.
I sense some people out and about are murderers and I can’t shake that feeling, especially when they stare at me. I am 90% sure my brain has been hacked by the same group of people/beings who used to spy on me through my laptop and phone camera. People’s thoughts float into my head. The hackers send signals to my head. People around me are programmed by the hackers to make me feel bad about myself and life.

But I’m worried about saying this out loud to the psychiatrist because it sounds daft. I’ve wrote it all down on a long list but they might not be bothered to read it.

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They are generally understanding and don’t worry, these beliefs may sound daft to a normie but psychiatrists deal with these things everyday. :slight_smile:

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Good luck and report back if you feel able to share your experience.

I find psychiatrists are a bit hit and miss, you get some really good ones and others that just spend 10mins with you and ask daft questions…

Like do you want to attack anyone… Opening question great!

The one that works for the local EIP is pretty good mind, it’s just she was on maternity when I first became unwell so got passed around A LOT!

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Tell your psychiatrist what you just told us. That will get you somewhere.

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My experience has been generally positive with psychiatrists. Apart from the drug pushing…

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I’ve always felt like the psychiatrists I saw on my own terms were super helpful and good people wanting to work their hardest to help their patients. This is not everyone’s experience, but I’ve been lucky, and most people wouldn’t go through the near decade of schooling if they only half cared about helping people. However three out of four that I was assigned during my various hospitalizations were unhelpful, condescending, and one even outed me as gay to my dad when I was not ready to come out yet and told him specifically not to. Hospital doctors who have the responsibility to oversee the forcible holding of another person as well the use of demeaning restraints often get lost in the power trip and really enjoy playing hard into the shrink to nutjob role.

So it can be a hit or miss. But usually, they are helpful.

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Thanks, and I will do :slight_smile:

The last one I saw seemed really bored and then she kept asking if it was safe for me to go home on my own… I managed to get to the appointment in one piece so why not on the way back?!

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Yeah I guess there’s not much they can do besides give you medication though and they want to feel like they’ve done something to help you in some way.

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I think they do a risk assessment to see if you are a danger to yourself or others. They asked me the same question in the hospital, whether I was ‘safe’. At least that is what I took it to mean…

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It’s important to be honest with your psychiatrist.
Write down things that you want to talk about, then read it to him during the session.
You should be fine.
Good luck @Jesspresso :slight_smile:

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It’s kinda a maybe. I have had some good doctors and i have had some crummy ones. Two were awesome they answered my questions and i answered theirs. They were able to make time for me when i was in crisis.

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If a psychiatrist doesn’t work out for you, maybe you should look for another psychiatrist. Shop around. I’ve come across psychiatrists I just wasn’t compatible with. It doesn’t make sense to pay money to someone who can’t help you.

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I’ve had no good experiences with psychiatrists. I like seeing the psychiatric nurse practitioners through tele-meds. They are so much more down to earth. I feel like I can actually develop a relationship with them. Their “bedside manner” is so much better. Unfortunately I have no access to them in an emergency so I use the ER.

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I think pdocs don’t really understand what we really go through. You have to experience schizophrenia and these drugs themselves to really understand. One pdoc asked me if I liked Invega sustenna? Is she nuts? Sure I really enjoy emotional flatness and that bla feeling. Oh yes I really enjoy not having a libido as well and the weight gain and the fact that this drug makes me sleep 12 hours a day. Oh yeah and I really enjoy anedonia.

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I think that’s it’s best to feel a doctor out a little before springing a bunch of weird thoughts on him. I think you know what I mean. Have you seen this doc before or are you just meeting him? Because first impressions can stick with someone. If you walk in and tell a bunch of delusions on your first meeting it may not be a good way to approach it. It might be better to hold back and not tell him the whole story right away. Go slowly and get to know him a little. Just stay kind of polite and vague and as a little time goes by you will see his style and you can sense what’s good to say at first and what you should save for later. If you are in a crisis that changes the game. If it’s an emergency you can tell him serious stuff even if it’s weird.

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I would be damaged or dead if not for modern psychiatry. While there are a few bad ones, most would like nothing better than to give you wings and help you fly.

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