How to snuff out a good psychiatrist from a bad one?

Post Reply New Topic

Ha - LOL. They won't section me.

I did have a lot of fun watching my BMA-registered GP cringe when I mentioned FTAC though. The flash of anger on his face was priceless.

lol when I was sectioned in hospital the staff crapped themselves cos the patient rep was a Mormon friend of mien

I completely understand what you mean. I went to see a psych when I was younger and they didn't seem to really want to listen they just kept asking silly irrelevant questions.

But from the other side, as a doctor you need to get a set (in psychiatry's case, a long set) of questions answered before you can come up with a diagnosis and treatment plan. If they had all the time in the world and no other patients, I'm sure they would rather just have a chat- taking a formal history can be very stilted- but that sadly is impossible.

The reason for the direct questions is that they need direct answers to specific things that, if you were just having a normal chat, probably wouldn't come up in conversation. It's probably best to go in with the mindset that you are not going to have a chat, but are going to fill in a verbal survey.

After that, I think it gets a little more personalised.



Ick.. creepy

Good stuff!

I'll do it and I'll be OK with it. It's the feeling that they're out to judge me and my life and my opinions. It's lead to a mixture of saying reckless things/making an idiot of myself and then being quite worried/paranoid.

Like I said, she's fine but a bit scatterbrained. But like I say, I would worry about the lack of privacy despite the loud protestations to the contrary.

Oh, and I covered the experience with my former GP some time ago. I almost shut down during the appointment - it was scary.

That's fair enough. I think doctors don't appeciate enough that patients are in a vulnerable position when they're peppering them with questions.

Don't worry about making an eejit of yourself. I can't speak for everyone, and I'm only a noob,but I know when I take histories, the only things going on in my mind are 's**t, what was the next question I was supposed to ask? and 'oh god, does the patient think I'm a complete moron?'. I don't think I've ever thought of a patient as an idiot, no matter how unusual their beliefs (and I've met some very interesting ones )

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I'm not talking about people in the medical profession thinking I'm an idiot, or difficult - in fact I relish it.

I'm talking about real life.

And thanks for the reassurance.

you're welcome Go in and make their day interesting

I was referring to this (http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt156755.html).

Now I look back on it I think about it slightly differently but it was still quite a frightening experience.

And yes, I will. Thanks for the encouragement.

The last shrink I saw turned out to be a real jerk. Trouble was that she was "nice" seeming and I'm an idiot about people's motives. I saw her for several years and had discontinued therapy when I found out some egregious things she had done- like giving my insurance company a diagnosis for me of PTSD and never telling me (or in fact treating me for it). Plus other stuff. I'm so soured on the profession now I don't know if I would ever go back to another one (not her, for sure). But if I did, I would ask them this:
What is the hardest thing you have ever had to deal with in your own life? How did you get through it? What is the hardest thing you struggle with now? How do you cope?

Then I would watch and listen closely for signs of BS and an attitude like "I've resolved all my own problems" and run if I saw that.

I would also look closely for signs of compassion. Does the person look genuienly sad or concerned when you tell them about something tough you have been through? I know we types have trouble with "empathy" but look for signs of it in the other person. Give it a few sessions before you get in too deep if possible and DON"T be afraid to move on if something doesn't feel right.

The thread caught my attention for the same reason.

I knew that my college psychiatrist was full of it when he kept asking me if I was still depressed then chose to up my dosage each week without caring to listen to any details as to why I was still depressed.

What? Urgh! That's terrible! That you could even think that is probably signs of some irrepairable damage to your mind! Everyone knows babies go best with mustard!

*It should be noted that the above is a joke.