Every few years I get a new psychiatrist, just because that’s how it is at the outpatient hospital I receive care from. I don’t have a choice in this. My last two pdocs were great, they seemed to really take the extra time to listen to me, to be compassionate, and go above and beyond.
My newest pdoc, however, feels the opposite. Our appointments feel brief, and seem to end more abruptly. The compassion doesn’t “feel” like it’s there. They are more business-as-usual if you well, instead of treating me as someone who’s dealing with a serious illness.
I’ve talked to my dad about it. He thinks I should talk to my Dr. office about switching pdocs. I don’t know if that’s the right solution. Maybe that’s just how some pdocs are? Maybe I just got lucky in the past. Maybe I’m looking at this too personally and should accept the changes and differences in personality with my new pdoc. After all, they haven’t harmed me, or neglected me, or said anything hurtful or negative. They just seem to be less empathetic on the surface.
Oh definitely getting the right pdoc is very important. I just spent 6 months with one that was awful, he made the tiniest changes to medications that weren’t even working, and never considered any suggestions on my part.
My new pdoc is a miracle, she put me on the med i asked for right away, with the caveat that I call her if anything goes bad with the interaction. I am feeling better than I have in awhile. The first pdoc though, that was always a short session where I feel like he didn’t get any of my input. It’s reversed now which is so great.
It’s pretty common to have a psych doctor that you’re not happy with. I could think of a lot of reasons as to why I should have switched mine about three of them in the past but I was too vulnerable to do anything about it looking back at it now I would have switched in a heartbeat
How long have you been seeing this pdoc? It takes time for both of you to get to know each other. Is this pdoc’s gender different from the other two? Some people prefer male pdocs to female pdocs and vice versa.
It’s evident that an empathetic relationship between you and your pdoc is an essential factor for you to achieve your full potential, so give it some time to see if the empathy develops.
PS: I haven’t chatted with you since your gaming convention in Iceland (I was @kindness). Nice to chat with you again.
@Wave I’m with you on that. It’s just a stark contrast from my last pdoc. But at the end of the day they are not therapists, they are psychiatrists, and some of them are clear to stick to that distinction. Still not sure how I feel…
@anon12381882 I hear you. I feel like changing but I’m not 100% sure if I’m judging this based on what I perceive they think of me, or what is really going on.
@anon17132524 Iceland was absolutely amazing. Probably the best thing I’ve ever done in my life, going to a beautiful, exotic country alone and just soaking up the culture and fun. It had it’s challenges, but I felt very comfortable abroad!
I like how you point out what seems to be important to me and a relatioship with my pdoc. Maybe that should weigh more in my decision making about possibly switching. This pdoc is the opposite gender of me, female. Although my first real pdoc outside of in-patient was female, and we had a great 2 year long relationship. She was one of the best you could ask for. My last pdoc was male, he was also great. Maybe a male however would be a better fit for me.
Thank you for taking the time to read and give me some great feedback, everyone.
I have had some pdocs that i didn’t jive with at all but the one i am seeing now is really top notch. She takes the time to listen to me and is very thorough and knowledgeable. I think it’s important that you feel comfortable with your pdoc. Maybe it will just take some time to get used to this one’s style. However, if it’s really bothering you you can always ask about seeing someone else.
It’s really bothering me. I think I’m going to follow my dad’s suggestion to at least try and schedule an appointment with her supervisor, the person that pops in our appointments and oversees everything. Just letting them know how I feel and seeing what they think is best would make me feel a lot better.
You made me realise that we to have more saying in what med we should take.
I mean the pdoc should say the options we have and how it affected other people and what are the side effects then we should choose. And when we want to change medicine we should be alowed it
Because we take the meds, we’re ill, we’re dealing with side effects.