Tips for finding a good psychiatrist?
Tips for finding a good psychiatrist?
I know it's common we ADHD peeps tend to be constantly switching docs/psychs. I have been on SSRIs for more than 10 years now and don't know if my issues are due to untreated ADHD.
My previous 2 psychs haven't been that helpful.
I was going through a rough patch after trying Stimulants, and the doc started mentioning that I was extremely depressed, and that maybe I should consider a mental health institution. I commented multiple times that I felt anxiety and stress was my issue but she disagreed, but still tried to put me on Seroquel off label, which I never took.
I felt that my psych was treating me like a child, telling me similar stuff to "man up, grab the bull by the horns" etc.
I started seeing my current therapist due to feelings that my psychiatrist was exhausted from dealing with me.
Current therapist doesn't even see me for more than 20 mins, I am never able to ask enough questions or list my symptoms. I also had issues with her due to not refilling my prescription for multiple days even after calling her.
I'm currently on vortioxetine 20mg and gabapentin for "sleep". Current psych mentioned I might give guanfacine a try.
I don't know, i feel I should look for a new psychiatrist, maybe someone that specializes in ADHD? Or am I just overthinking and I'm the one at fault and not "listening" to the doctors?
I don't have a good answer for your direct question. It sounds to me like you're primarily in search of someone you can trust. If I were in your situation, I'd try to find a friend or family member that I trusted absolutely, then see if that friend was willing to talk through the psych plan/feelings/treatments. That trusted friend may be able to offer a different view point that will convince you that your psychiatrist's plan is good/bad for you personally.
I'd do it this way because then I could have 2 separate concerns. 1) I'd need to find a trustworthy friend. 2) I'd need to find a knowledgeable psychiatrist. I think that's much easier than finding a psychiatrist who can be both.
Meds are a personal journey. Only you can guage what benefits they are giving you. Meds also can't solve 100% of the problems. Listen to your doc about how long the minimum time to trial a med must be, because often it takes a while. Docs are also people. They are fallible, emotional, sometimes illogical etc. Finding the right medical professional for you might take a while, but do your best to give them a chance before moving to the next one. Also try other things to help you accommodate your problems. As an example I run to help with my mood.
Write down all your questions and send/say them at the beginning; fire shiity psychiatrists; keep trying med combos. it's rough, and it sucks, but keep trying.
I'm lucky because since I've seen psychs for so long, I've had time to find what works for me, and that usually helps them understand. Ymmv, but mood stabilizer, antidepressant, Seroquel, & Vyvanse do it for me. I resisted Seroquel for years but finally tried it this year. It helps me fall asleep and jfc let me tell you, sleep is nice. Hang in there.
I also switched a bunch of psychiatrists because they didn't help me almost at all. I decided that the next one I will be visiting is someone who specializes in ADHD but they're rare to find in my country so I'm not sure how it will go. I wish you the best luck.