I have my first appointment with my shrink tomorrow and I'm (for want of a better phrase) cacking my pants about it
What can I expect to be asked during this appointment? I absolutely HATE going somewhere and not being prepared for every eventuality and I can feel myself getting more and more anxious and worked up as the appointment looms.
Will he just ask some general questions or will he dive straight in and try and find out why I feel the way I do? It's making my head ache just thinking about it all. I haven't been able to sleep for the last few nights because I'm going over and over what he might ask and what I should say. I just don't want to be in a position where he asks me something I'm not prepared for or my brain will go on a complete meltdown.
I don't know whether to prepare myself some notes or just play things by ear, I'm frightened that if I'm not prepared enough that I will forget something important.
HELP!
I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not - Kurt Cobain
I totally understand, I was shitting myself with the first appointment too. Basically he'll just sort of ask you about yourself and how youre feeling. Ask about who you live with and what your relationship with them is like.
This is what mine did anywho...
Then sort of get on to your worries and stuff.
The first apptmnt isn't about one thing in particular it's more finding out what your life is like.
My family was there so it was hard for me to say anything really, but I did tell him about the man I had heard and that I see figures in the dark.
The nest session will sort of be about what you want to talk about and what's been going on and basically why you are there.
Serously DONT WORRY, the shrink is there to help you and treat you, not to gudge you.
It's more a general meeting-to find out exactly why you're there and what can be done to hep you. There will be some questions about how you're feeling currently, and how you felt.
When I went I brought a list of all my symptoms and a basic timeline of whenever things started. It helped especially since I forget things when I'm anxious. I took some questionaires, and was asked about any risk behaviors I participated in. This included my SI and ED, and was of course asked about any sucidal thoughts/plans/attempts -all that stuff. My mom wasn't there with me, my psych interviewed me first, and then my mom came in and basically repeated my story from her perspective. There was some discussion of any past medication I'd taken, if it had worked, and i I wanted to be on medication at all (because I'd been with a psych before), she didn't perscribe me anything the first time, so I wouldn't worry about that.
It's ok to be anxious-actually it's better than appearing apathetic. Just try to remember they are there to help you.
Well they let me go and I didn't see any rapidly approaching men in white coats ready to whisk me into a straight jacket
Hmmmmph. Maybe I was expecting too much but I'm not particularly impressed. The psych was about 12 years old and seemed distracted and disinterested (including answering his mobile during our session and making furtive glances at the clock) I just felt like he wasn't listening 100% because I'd tell him something and then a couple of minutes later he would ask me something I'd already answered
The appointment lasted an hour and I don't think very much was achieved, I don't feel he "gets it" to be honest, although he has referred me for some counselling and has put me on the 6 MONTH waiting list for psychotherapy
He wants to see me again in about 3 weeks but only to review whether he needs to increase my meds or not.
Bit of an anti-climax really considering how much I had wound myself up about going. Hopefuly the counsellor will be better at her job than he is.
I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not - Kurt Cobain
*hugs* oh hun i'm so sorry he wasnt really paying much attention. not to make you feel any worse but my psych would have never answered his mob, i remembering him turning it off once and thats about it.
i'm sorry i bet you dont feel too great? but maybe he'll hopefully be a bit more with it next time. personally i think he needs his priorities straight. tbh.
I guess I just expected him to be more on the ball than he was, I really felt like exploding at him tbh because his mind was obviously elsewhere, and there is nothing more frustrating than trying to open up to someone who is clearly thinking about something else. I just couldn't help thinking that he wasn't following the conversation at all, he just ummed and ahhhed and nodded at regular intervals but I didn't feel that he had actually heard what I had to say. I found him to be easily distracted, he kept losing his train of thought and forgetting what he was talking about (and here's me thinking that I was the one that was confused!) then he would ask me stuff that I'd just told him about, such as how old my children were when I'd just told him seconds before. He didn't instill me with any confidence at all, he just seemed completely inept.
Fair enough, when he answered his mobile, he only told the person that he couldn't talk because he was working, but that was enough to make him completely forget where we were up to and what we'd been talking about. I just thought it was rude and ignorant - two of my biggest pet peeves!
I started to lose interest in the conversation, even though there was so much more to say because I just kept thinking that he wanted to bring things to a close and there just wasn't enough time to say all the things that needed to be said, so we barely scratched the surface of it all. I just found the whole experience to be a huge disappointment and I feel let down again. He discussed mood stabilisers but I'm loathe to take any more meds so he just agreed to see me in three weeks to assess whether the dose of Sertraline I'm on needs adjusting. He pointed out that he won't be delving any further with our conversation on my next visit, that his speciality is the medication side of things and so he has passed the buck to a counsellor and the psychotherapists. I just feel like I'm being given the run around and can't help wondering how many people I will have to see before I find someone who will listen and actually absorb what I've said.
So, rather than feeling relieved that I'm getting some help, I just feel pissed off and irritated and left wondering why I bothered in the first place.
GRRRRRRRRRRR!
I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not - Kurt Cobain
My very wise GP said to me after a similarly frustrating 5 minutes with the psychiatrist I saw [my initial appointment though was a full 90 minutes and he was fairly good then] that not to expect empathy from the psychiatrist. That, like the man you saw said, they're skilled at sorting medication, but leave the empathy to psychotherapists. [I am lucky enough to have been already in ongoing private psychotherapy prior to needing an expert medication evaluation.]
I know it's hard, and you want to be understood and heard completely, that's entirely understandable, and that you're disappointed. But try to hold the whole perspective in mind - including that it's New Year's Eve and just after Christmas, and to be honest a pretty cruddy time to be having a first psychiatric assessment.
I'd write down anything that you feel is essential to your getting the appropriate medical treatment you need from this man, and if need be give him a copy as you tell him.
