Posted by CareBear04 on August 20, 2004, at 13:45:32
In reply to Re: exactly what do these psyciatrists get paid fo ?waki, posted by iris2 on August 20, 2004, at 13:24:48
it's been about a year and a half since i first saw a psychiatrist. since then, i've had some hospital stays, and i've been treated by about a dozen pdocs. some of them have very nearly killed me in various ways (e.g., prescriptions for large amounts of potentially lethal meds when i was actively suicidal, not returning phone calls in emergencies, not listening when i talked about awful side effects to the point that i just took myself off all meds, etc.) in this context, i've learned the word "iatrogenic," meaning doctor-induced and have been told by later doctors that most of my problems were just that. but amidst all this, i've also had some wonderful, caring pdocs who have gotten me through rough spots and one who i can say genuinely saved my life and got me turned around from hospitalized and hopeless to back in good form and in school full time within a month.
i've never had a good experience with pdocs who only prescribe meds without much talking to you. the best pdocs i've had are the ones who have received analytic training, so they do mostly therapy and analysis but usually do prescribe drugs, too. when i go to one person for therapy and drugs, i feel like the doctor has a better idea of what i'm like and what m yproblems are and can make a better guess as to what meds would help. when i comes down to it, i think it's all a guessing game, anyway, with some probability and experience thrown in.
there are a lot of unworthy pdocs out there, but if you look hard, you just might find a great one. if you're not satisfied with the care you're getting, i would look around some more to the extent that your finances and insurance allows you.
poster:CareBear04
thread:379501
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040817/msgs/379975.html