NHS psychiatrist

[terminaleight]

My GP referred me to one after i told her i wanted to go on an MAOI since the SSRIs had too many nasty side-effects.

Anyway i have just a couple of questions to anyone whos been to one.

What do they do? I assume they just prescribe meds once the've listened to your problems, is this true?

Also, how long does it usually take to see one? My doc sent a referral about a week or so ago, will it take months?

Thanks.

PS I know the effects wildy differ from person to person but has anyone found a med that really 'agrees' with them?

[mad_shrink]

Hi.Mine took a bout 2-3 months to see after referral.
Yes,they will try to prescribe you some Poison,or Psychological help/Activity based thing.
All I can say is.I hope your local Mental Health trust is better than mine.Sh1t patient skills,careless attitude and wrong prescription of medicine.The more I go,the less I can trust them.
and I agree about the SSRi's.They can make Anxiety worse.I was also given Anti-Psychotics.Which should never be given for my condition.Panic and/or agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder and is therefore the "opposite" of psychosis. If this happens to you, please seek another therapeutic source.

[misslaura]

Went once to see a lady took ages to see her then when i did she gave me a few leaflets didnt refer me onto NHS list had to go back to doctor and ask myself. Not v.understanding or helpful.

[faeriefingers]

After the GP referred me i think it took a few months for me too, they first sent an appointment for an assessment then had to wait another few to get allocated a psych.

It did not work out as they left me to do most of the talking, i went twice, took bathroom breaks just to get out the room which was embarrassing but less so than sitting constantly ( think i took three or four in the space of an hour the psych was looking at me like a was bonkers the more i took lol) there was little interaction back i felt VERY uncomfortable and didnt understand what good talking to myself was doing.

I was recently referred back to my counsellor at the GP office who was very disappointed to hear it .She explained some tend to have an inactive approach where they let you do most of the talking but she will tell them i NEED active. I would suggest if you cannot cope with sitting for an hour solid with little input to request the same.

Also if not comfortable with the psych let them know/request another instead of dropping it like i did as my counsellor pointed out its our time we wait long enough so best to try and let them know if not helping.

Best of luck.

[pdjkeelan]

I've been to 2 psychologists upto now, my first psychologist was 17 sessions and my current psychologist is still ongoing and upto now has been 4 sessions.

A psychologist can make referrals for medication to your Doctor but they are not there to prescribe drugs, a psychologist is there to help you and hopefully get you off the neccessity for drugs.

The waiting time depends on your region and city, Manchester's waiting time which is where I live was 1 month on the first psychologist (because my Doctor had put it down as emergency), the second psychologist was 4-5 months, as it was not classed as an emergency that time.

A psychologist will help you by going over problems that you believe has caused the SA for you. Talking to you informally about how SA effects you and coming up with ways to solve your SA. For a time the suggestions made by my first psychologist helped alot, and helped with alot of personal problems, unfortunately i fell back, but I know the sessions do help alot of people on a longer or even permanent basis. Go there with an open mind and you'll be fine. There's no lying on couch's or anything like that it's just a nice informal chat with someone there to help you.

[mad_shrink]

^^^ On the last post,

From what I am aware of.A GP or Psychiatrist can only refer you to a Psychologist

[terminaleight]

Ive seen a clinical psychologist before, plus a couple of 'therapists'. I think my GP referred me to a psychiatrist, a doctor of medicine who specializes in mental illness and can prescribe just like a GP can. Ive seen one before and from what i remember priority was placed on medication supplemented by talking therapies (in which case your referred to a psychologist/therapist).

Ive got an idea of what medication i want to be prescribed, and since i know what im talking about ito an extent (im a medical student) im hoping s/he will prescribe me what i want. (moclobemide or another MAOI). If s/he sends me away empty-handed or with a useless SSRI script ill be a bit miffed, and i just wont consider taking any form of anti-psychotic.

Then again, the person im likely to meet doubtless has far more experience and knowledge than myself so perhaps i ought to approach it with an open-mind and just be honest without expecting anything other than what s/he suggests.

Thanks for the info guys, ill let you know how i get on

[incommunicado]

Hi terminaleight, i've been on moclobemide for several years now prescribed by a foreign psychiatrist and was supposed to go onto phenylzine if it didn't work. Unfortunately he left for a while and i got handed back to the British docs. They are particularly resistant to maoi's and tried supplementing moclobemide with an ssri which didn't work. They seem paranoid as to the side-effects regarding diet which has never been any problem nor any other side-effects unlike the ssri's.

Medication with therapy starting at the same time would be most ideal but the therapy never materialised, different health authority area so funding issues even if it were available.

Some anti-psychotics in small doses act only as anti-depressents, they require the higher dose for effect on dopamine, but were no good anyway.