Mental Health How do I tell my psychiatrist she isn't helping without making her think I'm crazy?

[oreocub]

So I have an upcoming medical check with my psychiatrist. I'm a pretty normal guy, I just have some ADHD, bad anxiety and occasional depression, my psychiatrist treats me like I'm not even human, I tell her about side effects of all these stimulants and anti-pyschotics she's putting me on, which just worsen my anxiety and do nothing for the depression, and she doesn't even acknowledge it. I had this bad ''brain fog,'' a couple years back and she didn't even consider switching or taking me off the stimulants.

Should I tell her her service isn't working for me? I'm not trying to doc-shop here, I'm actually looking for an actual solution to all this horrible side-effects and worsening health. I'm 19 and my physical health is obviously degrading, even though I'm in prime shape, I used to be way smarter even a year ago and it is much harder to remember or grasp new concepts or info. These SSRI's and anti-psychotics (seroquel and a few others) she's kept me on for years have done nothing for me and I'm not one of those guys who appears or tries to abuse prescribed medicine.

The only time she does something is increase or lower the dosage. I can understand the ''reputation,'' medical professions have to uptake to, but I don't understand why they won't give the help needed to people who actually need it. It took me half a year to convince her to something.

Should I just try to find someone new or be bluntly honest?

 

[GolemGolem]

Should I just try to find someone new or be bluntly honest?

Both, but coming off your meds cold turkey would suck all of the balls. Might wanna get an appointment with someone else for the next day or week now if you can swing it. If that's not a real option then just settle for complete, honest, non sugar coated truth and see what happens. You want to get better, what she's been doing is not working in fact it's hurting a lot, what now?

 

[Artificial Emotion]

A couple of weeks ago I said to my psychiatrist that I was concerned about her having some control of my thoughts. She said asked me if I wanted to end the session and we left it at that. It's really nothing personal at the end of the day.

I understand how hard it is because you are having personal contact alone with another person and regardless of their responsibility or position telling someone they're work is useless is difficult, especially if you've built up some sort of rapport with her. She is not there to be your friend, she will not take offence if you say what she's doing isn't working and to be quite honest how is she supposed to do her job well if you aren't being completely honest with her? This is your mental health at stake, so man up and tell her the truth! She won't bite, I promise

 

[Pretty_Diamonds]

Just be honest. Try to look around for other doctors on your own, or, if you feel comfortable, possibly get a referral from her? I don't know how comfortable you would be with this; I know I wouldn't... but it may be easier than finding one on your own. Or you could find one on your own and ask her if she knows him/her... and then say that you're thinking of switching doctors since you feel....

Another suggestion, maybe look for a psychologist instead? They are a lot more personable since they don't deal with the medication portion but work with a lot of psychiatrist for the medication portion.

 

[cj]

It sounds like you are on a lot of meds for a "normal guy". May I ask why she has you on the anti-phychotics? If it is just to control the stimulant side effects I would probably fire her honestly.

 

[herbavore]

A doctor--any kind of doctor--that is unresponsive and will not communicate with you honestly and like an adult is not serving you and you should take your business elsewhere. First course of action is to state your case respectfully but truthfully. Are you seeing a therapist as well as a psychiatrist? I would recommend this.

 

[oreocub]

It sounds like you are on a lot of meds for a "normal guy". May I ask why she has you on the anti-psychotics? If it is just to control the stimulant side effects I would probably fire her honestly.

I'm on about five meds. She mostly has me on anti-psychotics for sleep and to counter act the long duration of the stimulants. I really don't why anyone would put a rather passive guy on anti-psychotics when there is so much other options out there.

A doctor--any kind of doctor--that is unresponsive and will not communicate with you honestly and like an adult is not serving you and you should take your business elsewhere. First course of action is to state your case respectfully but truthfully. Are you seeing a therapist as well as a psychiatrist? I would recommend this.

I'm not seeing a therapist, yet. Delay in insurance coverage and other small things have delayed it by a few months. I'm just seeing a psychiatrist as of right now. I'm going to take my business elsewhere very soon.

 

[Felonious Monk]

She's the overmedicating type of psychiatrist. Once you've got someone else I'd make her aware of the full situation, tell her she was messing up your mental health with her reckless practices. Putting it in a letter might even be a better idea. People like this sometimes think they're helping, but they're really not--she should know she was having a detrimental effect on your life.

She could also just be a pharma shill and she really doesn't give a shit, in which case report her to the state Medical Board.

 

[GolemGolem]

I'm on about five meds. She mostly has me on anti-psychotics for sleep and to counter act the long duration of the stimulants. I really don't why anyone would put a rather passive guy on anti-psychotics when there is so much other options out there.

Same here, that's really kinda bizzare and unsettling.

 

[Erikmen]

She's the overmedicating type of psychiatrist. Once you've got someone else I'd make her aware of the full situation, tell her she was messing up your mental health with her reckless practices. Putting it in a letter might even be a better idea. People like this sometimes think they're helping, but they're really not--she should know she was having a detrimental effect on your life.

She could also just be a pharma shill and she really doesn't give a shit, in which case report her to the state Medical Board.

This!

 

[paranoid android]

I'm on about five meds. She mostly has me on anti-psychotics for sleep and to counter act the long duration of the stimulants. I really don't why anyone would put a rather passive guy on anti-psychotics when there is so much other options out there.

That is insane. Prescribing 5 different meds mostly anti-psychotics to treat someone who does not even have a condition that anti-psychotics are indicated for is mad in my opinion atleast. I would recommend finding a new psychiatrist first then ditching this one and possibly reporting her as well. I had a shrink who sounded much like yours except for the over prescribing and i can honestly say that i am way better off without her as i would have gotten better advice from my dealer on how to deal with such and such. Actually i have gotten better advice from my dealer on how to deal with things then i did from that quack . It didn't matter if i was discussing the weather with her or telling her that i was losing it and was about to blow my head off her response has always a yup while writing something down in her notebook and then telling me to come back a month or so later. She had all the empathy of a full blown psychopath.

When i finally had enough of her after having missed a few appointments due to having to look after my then sick parents and couldn't get back to see her in time to get a refill and she flat out refused to call in my prescriptions i ended up telling her secretary to pass on the message that she was less then useless she flat out dropped me. As i later found out she was not actually allowed to do this until i got into see another psychiatrist especially since i was on Clonazepam and other meds that you absolutely cannot go cold turkey from. I even apologized to her a week or so later on the insistence of my GP who wanted me to have a psychiatrist even if it was a shitty one and not only did she refuse to take me back but she didn't accept the apology which my GP actually found hard to believe and thought it was rather childish of her. She was rather touchy to say the least and i was damn lucky my GP was willing to prescribe me the meds that she was giving me.

So get a new psychiatrist and then drop this one as you may be left without any meds at all and withdrawal from some anti-psychotics and anti-depressants can be brutal to say the least.

 

[manboychef]

That is insane. Prescribing 5 different meds mostly anti-psychotics to treat someone who does not even have a condition that anti-psychotics are indicated for is mad in my opinion atleast. I would recommend finding a new psychiatrist first then ditching this one and possibly reporting her as well. I had a shrink who sounded much like yours except for the over prescribing and i can honestly say that i am way better off without her as i would have gotten better advice from my dealer on how to deal with such and such. Actually i have gotten better advice from my dealer on how to deal with things then i did from that quack . It didn't matter if i was discussing the weather with her or telling her that i was losing it and was about to blow my head off her response has always a yup while writing something down in her notebook and then telling me to come back a month or so later. She had all the empathy of a full blown psychopath.

When i finally had enough of her after having missed a few appointments due to having to look after my then sick parents and couldn't get back to see her in time to get a refill and she flat out refused to call in my prescriptions i ended up telling her secretary to pass on the message that she was less then useless she flat out dropped me. As i later found out she was not actually allowed to do this until i got into see another psychiatrist especially since i was on Clonazepam and other meds that you absolutely cannot go cold turkey from. I even apologized to her a week or so later on the insistence of my GP who wanted me to have a psychiatrist even if it was a shitty one and not only did she refuse to take me back but she didn't accept the apology which my GP actually found hard to believe and thought it was rather childish of her. She was rather touchy to say the least and i was damn lucky my GP was willing to prescribe me the meds that she was giving me.

So get a new psychiatrist and then drop this one as you may be left without any meds at all and withdrawal from some anti-psychotics and anti-depressants can be brutal to say the least.

subjectivity instead of objectivity at its finest. That psychiatrist should not be practicing medicine IMO.

I was overmedicated before. It will definitely make one feel crazy. When I finally came off Effexor 300mg, lexapro 20mg, abilify 10mcg?, and seroquel 300mg I felt so much better. I was constantly terrified, and my OCD became an unchained demon in my soul. I couldn't stop my invasive thoughts from overtaking my regular thoughts. I just sat on the couch clutching my knees to my chest staring into the tv not paying attention to the program that was on.