See a psychiatrist.We did

GOOOOO!!! There is a confidentiality, i think about 99.9% of us on here have been, tell her why you're there and you give her honest truthful answers to her questions! Its not nearly as bad as you think, I went in terrified too, its not a big deal.

Almost everyone of us has or is seeing one. A pdoc is actually better, in my opinion, because they specialize in our disorder. They have a patient/Dr. confidentiality. I have not opened up as of yet, but the time is coming. They are not there to judge us b ut to help us. The thing I was most afraid of was being commited. I wasn't... Don't stress hon, they are better than seeing a regular DR. :O)

i like my psych dr shes nice we talk and i dont get the feeling see is secretly judging me dont be scared you will be ok

You probably won't be seeing an actual psychiatrist-- Psychiatrists are MDs that (these days, at least) specialize in diagnosing mental illnesses & prescribing medications.

More than likely, you'll be seeing a counselor. Counselors generally complete Masters-level coursework, and attain licensing credentials through on-the-job-training.

I'll be frank: becoming a therapist is NOT difficult, and the field generally attracts those with personality issues of their own.

There is confidentiality, but only so far as the therapist feels that confidentiality would lead you to act irresponsibly or harm yourself/others...needless to say, this is a slippery definition, and one that your therapists can bend & twist to fit his/her preconceptions of your psychiatric condition.

I'll close by saying that the only one with a vested interest in seeing that you remain "sick" is your therapist. It butters her bread, after all.

You have a mental illness...so does 60% of the rest of America. You're not abnormal; you are AVERAGE. Embrace it.

The more you tell the more the pdoc can help. Bring a pen and paper and go with questions prepared.

Not completely true, I see a pdoc, M.D. She does both my meds and therapy once a week. She is so sweet and caring.

It just depends on the facility and your insurance coverage.

I see my talking therapist every 2 weeks and my perscribing doctor about every 3 months, or more often when I need to. They talk with each other about how the meds work, but my talking doctor is confidential and I tell her things I can't believe leak out of my mouth.
very helpful. Don't be scared.

You might be denying yourself help, if you deny there is a problem. Trust your doctors. They went to school for this. If you can't trust them, then who do you trust? But believe in yourself too. Follow your insticts. If a psychiatrist gives you a bad vibe, try another. I went thru quite a few.

As a psyche RN I have worked closely with pdocs and have only good experiences to share. First of all we've seen or heard everything so don't be embarrassed at sharing stuff. I do encourage you to make a list and to let them know ALL of your symptoms however trivial they may be to you. The more information you can give then the greater chance of getting an accurate diagnosis. Just pretend I'm holding your hand and am right beside you. Good Luck

Psychiatrist are medical Dr's, they went to med school and can prescribe medications. Psychologist and counselors cannot prescribe meds. Psychiatrist are medical doctors and take the medical oath. They are sworn to uphold the same oath as your general practicioner. Psychiatrist analyze and evaluate you to get you diagnoised and get you on proper meds. Many will put you through testing and questioneers to help them in their diagnosis. Some psychiatrist will put you on a drug therapy, then refer you to a psychologist, group support or counselors for counseling. Some psychiatrist offer counseling you need to ask if they do psychotherapy as well as drug managment. Their is nothing to be afraid of. In order for your records to become public it would have to be subponed by a court. What you tell them is confidential. They can legally only relay what you allow them to. If you sign a medical records release form their records can be sent to other physicians and insurance co's. Discuss all of this with the Dr. they send you to. Most Dr's are happy to explain the process to you, so you aren't afraid of them. If you can't open up to your psychiatrist, then it does no good to go to them. They must have your trust to properly diagnoise and treat you. I personally prefer a psychiatrist that counsels as well as prescribes meds so I don't have to go to a number of different people and repeat my history to everyone over and over again. If you Dr is referring you, he/she probably feels their is a need for drug intervention otherwise he would have just suggested counseling or psychotherapy. Good luck.

Don't be afraid! I was terrifed but it's OK. You have to right to "interview" pdocs. Ask what their treatment plan is for someone with your disorder/s. It's a good thing that your MD admitted to not being able to treat BP. Some try & fail.

of everyone i've seen... i really like my psychiatric nurse practitioner. she can prescribe meds, and do therapy.

in the past i have gone to psychiatrists. you spend time talking with them the first visit.. and it seems like each follow-up is med tweaking, with little talking. i found when i had a psychiatrist, i also had to have a psychologist/therapist to talk to as well.

i just personally found having a psych nurse practitioner easier.

Relax, as a psyche nurse I have worked closely with pdocs and quite honestly we have seen or heard it all so there is no need to be embarrassed or anxious about anything. I do suggest you make a list as it's easy to get talking and then realize you forgot a key piece of information. The majority of mental health providers really want to help and get a great deal from their jobs helping people so therefore you are fullfilling our desire to help it's a win win situation. Your confidentiality is covered by a government organization called HIPPA and has very strict rules that maintain patient confidentiality and has powerful sanctions against people that don't follow its rules. And finally, quite honestly I would get a little nervous evaluating a new patient as I didn't want to miss anything and wanted to give accurate information to the pdoc. Let me know if I can be of more assistance.

Nothing to be afraid of. Chances are you will only have a short, medication oriented appt. with the pdoc and another therapist to talk to on a weekly basis. I managed to get out of the therapy part, only see my pdoc every 3 months for med checks. I told them I was agoraphobic and would never make any therapy appts. Plus I've been in so much talking therapy over my life that there's nothing else to TALK about.
Good luck! xxoo