Posted by gardenergirl on December 8, 2004, at 19:15:45
In reply to Re: Struggle with pdoc -- thinking of GG (long) » Aphrodite, posted by Pfinstegg on December 8, 2004, at 18:29:35
I agree, great letter, and I think you were really brave to send that and to keep trying even though the first experiene was not so good.
In my case, I know she was a pdoc willing to prescribe MAOI's, which worked in her favor despite the rocky start. Also, I had called about 12 before I found one who was taking new clients. So that also was a good reason for me to go back even though I left the last time feeling poopy.
You know, I got mini lectures, too. I wonder if, like in psychotherapy, the modal number of visits is one. Perhaps the psychiatrists feel like they only have the one shot, so they have to learn it all and do it all in one session? And then if/when you come back, they relax a bit and get to real working WITH you? Just a thought.
I don't want to miminize your reaction in any way. It's real and valid. I know I questioned myself a lot after my first visit. But then everyone here helped me to calm down and also made me feel validated. I went into the second visit with the intent to just use her for meds, but then things got better. We don't do therapy the way I do with my T, but she does listen to what's going on recently, listens to and validates my theories about it, and offers her own. It's rather comforting, which is so not what I expected from her. Funny, my T still questions some of the things she says...I feel a bit like they are in some sort of competetion. But after that first visit, it helped to process it with my T. I still do process those visits with him at least at tiny bit. (Oh, and Dinah...my T says similar things how Dr. Bob is a psychiatrist the couple times I've mentioned Babble stuff. Only he uses an adjective before the word "psychiatrist" that I can't repeat here. :D)
I'm glad you wrote the letter. Her response suggests to me that she felt a bit defensive. Hopefully she will get over that and listen to you, and modify her style a bit based on your expressed needs. Mine did. It's possible, even from a pdoc! (Sorry Dr. Bob).
Good luck and let us know how things go.
gg
poster:gardenergirl
thread:426182
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20041203/msgs/426365.html