Psychiatric referral, secondary care experiences?

[WillWorkForFood]

I'm waiting for a psychiatric referral appointment to come through and I'm wondering what to expect. I've been advised that the first appointment will be part review and part screening process, before eventually seeing the psychiatrist.

I've been referred as the standard issue SSRIs have not worked and have caused intolerable side effects, hence my GP referred me having tried several of the usual suspects.

For those that have been referred, what drugs where you prescribed that were not available initially from your GP and how did they work for you?

I'm just trying to manage my expectations.

I've already had therapy which rearranged the piece of the jigsaw for me, but the picture remains the same and it hasn't lifted my low mood, lack of energy/motivation, or coping capacity/mechanisms. I just have a better understanding of 'why' I feel the way I do etc.

Any experiences of secondary care?

[tierraJ]

I'm in the Standard care plan & see a Psychiatrist regularly- it's supposed to be 2-3 monthly but in reality it's more like 4 monthly.

I can also phone the duty worker or the crisis team at the cmht.

I've got schizo affective disorder & take Aripiprazole (anti psychotic); I also take a good anti depressant - an SNRI called Venlafaxine MR (SSRIs didn't work for me either). I really recommend it. I take 300mg.

[WillWorkForFood]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

I tried Venlafaxine and had a terrible reaction to it, sent me absolutely crazy and the GP took me straight off it, the effects lasted over a week and were dreadful. Some kind of rare reaction to do with noradrenaline, I forget the details.

I appreciate many have had a positive result though.