To ask if you’ve had a positive experience with psychiatrist

[thedaywewillremeber]

Ds1 recently has had awful experiences with psychiatrist. He feels it’s because he’s diagnosed with eupd which unfortunately these a lot of stigma. This has caused a lot of upset to him recently.

My current psychiatrist changed my life, she was absolutely fantastic however I just didn't click with a couple before her, I didn't feel like they took me seriously.

Could you try a different one for your son?

To be honest I find psychologists a whole lot more helpful than psychiatrists

@Juniperandrage

To be honest I find psychologists a whole lot more helpful than psychiatrists

Same, I’ve only ever seen psychiatrists briefly and they’ve always been quite brisk and unsympathetic and dealt mostly with medication. I’ve had a couple of amazing psychologists who really did the heavy lifting when it came to my mental health recovery

It absolutely depends on the psych. I have seen a psychiatrist, as has my son, for completely different things, and they've both been fantastic. I've seen a handful of psychologists, and most have been great, one was positively harmful..

I would say the same about any doctor tbh. It's just worth mental health it's more difficult, and more important. Please try and find someone else, it's important he finds someone he can establish a good long term relationship with.

I’ve had a couple of amazing psychologists who really did the heavy lifting when it came to my mental health recovery

Yep me too. I've just come out of therapy with a brilliant psychologist who completely helped me untangle my brain. Life is so much easier now.

I've seen quite a few psychiatrists but I've always had the best experiences with prescribing nurses. In my opinion, they know so much more about the drugs, the way they work and the side effects due to all the time they have spent on the wards and the fact that their training is so much more up to date.

How do you get to see a psychologist? I have been on the NHS waiting list for counselling for nearly a year now.

Poor DS, I'm sorry he's had a bad experience. I saw a couple of psychiatrists when I had a mental health crisis. They had a sort of 'seen it all before - it's all perfectly normal and you'll be fine' attitude, which I did find very reassuring, if slightly patronising.

I've found that counsellors, my GP and psychologists were gentler.

Such a shame for your Ds! I can’t comment on psychiatrist but I did find it took me a few different GPs until I found one that was really proactive with helping me through a chronic health condition and I imagine the exact same is true of doctors who help with mental health.

Frustrating I know but it’s worth hanging on to find someone he feels he can work with.

As in all things you get good and bad including psychiatrists and psychologists. I have been seeing both for many years and it’s great when you get along but if I don’t I ask for I different one. Some I’ve had for many years, others one session and I knew I wouldn’t be able to work with them. One of my diagnosis is eupd, otherwise known as borderline personality disorder and sometimes I project my own dislike and distrust when it’s really not warranted so he maybe could be doing that. He’s right about some people in the mental health service not being great with eupd, I find taking my husband to appointments so I can get a genuine feel for if it’s me projecting or the psychiatrist is not up to par, my husband will tell me honestly. To be honest I always seem to get on better with psychiatrists as I like a no nonsense attitude.

4, all men to date.

1. Peri natal, told me "women like me get better on their own" and then told dh I had postpartum psychosis and to keep an eye on me.
2. Nice guy, diagnosed ptsd (from a prior trauma) and severe postnatal depression (by this point I accepted ds was a baby not a doll). Referred for therapy.
3. Great believer in medication and repeatedly told me I was a crisis waiting to happen as I wasn't taking any.
4. Keeps telling me how beautiful I am. He knows he makes me uncomfortable but I think it amuses him. On the plus side he prescribes whatever I ask for (sleeping pills) and on the negative he gives unsolicited relationship advice, asks questions about my rape that I'm exceedingly uncomfortable talking to him about and is fond of overly long handshakes. Trying to decide if zopiclone makes up for the above.

Can't say I'm a fan.

There is a lot of stigma around EUPD amongst some mental health professionals. There's also a tendency to resort to that diagnosis when you don't tick any other box.

There are good and bad psychiatrists. My current one is excellent, but trying to get an appointment very difficult despite being on her list. Others have been everything from ok to incompetent, one in particular was a manipulative liar.

@Stripesgalore Every area will have different guidelines, but you generally only get referred to psychotherapy when all other avenues have been exhausted.