I think the Psychiatrists and "talk therapists" are pretty clear as to which one plays what role in our care.

From OUR side of the couch/comfy chair ... it's never quite as easy.

That's been my experience.

I hope it becomes nothing but a fading memory, and that you end up getting GOOD care, and MUCH help from this doc.

My pdoc is very gentle in manner but he avtively counsels as well as prescribes. and they are trained to know a lot by how we answer as mich as by what we say.... my first few visits to any doc i feel sorta edgy and defensive...

Just say outright you are analyzing the crap outta what you say and do not know how you feel, it may help the doc narrow down the questions or reword them. that has helped me a LOT.

hope you feel safer and more peaceful,
lep

Thanks leo,

I am not sure why direct and honest responses don't automatically come to mind....lol.

I am getting some good advice. Someone suggested a mood chart, Suncloud suggested bringing him my journal, I have emailed my therapist letting him know he should ask me about it. I still struggle to talk some days.

I email my therapist and pdoc my journals from here on DS, and print them out. sometimes it is easier for me to sit and have them read than for my anxieties to let my mouth work!

It would be nice if PhD's (talk therapists) and MD's (meds prescribers) in this business talked to each other and related to each other better. But we are living through a period in the history of health care in which that is not the case.

Not your fault, Cecil, how you feel. It's pretty common, I'm afraid. But for now we have to deal with talking to both, repeating ourselves about really painful stuff over and over. Sorry. I know from experience. Let us support you through this, ok?

I get tongue tied when I'm not in the best of shape and I know who I am regularly and who I am at the moment, and it gets confusing. I don't know which answer to give. I muddle through. I hope the experience gets better for you. They usuallly only do all that questioning the first time. After that it's only questions about how the meds are working. Hope you feel better. I've never felt molested after leaving a first pdoc appt. You said he's nice. Do you feel safe with him? Or is it just the open bellied exposure that made you feel molested?

Oh yes I understand too, Cecil.

It's tough enough to be talking to a complete stranger, nevermind that we have all this junk inside of our heads, then when needed, we are suppose to sift thru everything and give answers. I think the good, caring docs understand this.

Go easy on yourself Cecil. It's not like we have a manual to help us when beginning a new psych eval.

~Cindy

I had a rough start and some uncomfortable sessions with a couple of doctors over the years. It sucks. I completely understand the "molested" feeling you're talking about.

I started making notes before I went to my appointments. It took some practice, but it helps now. I get my head together and I have something to refer to in session if I start to get tongue tied or off topic.

It doesn't make it more comfortable though. At least not yet. I just get focused and centered when I open up and closely examine all my crap with the doc or the therapist.

I wish you all the best in cultivating a good professional relationship with your doctor.

Be well.

"I am not sure why direct and honest responses don't automatically come to mind"
Because we have been trained by pain to hide it, a hard habit to break, especially when breaking it, brings it back to visit , stay for days, and re-write our schedules.

I'll add my p-doc and therapist are in the same practice group, so they DO talk to each other, so I guess I'm a rarity. Lighting a candle of thanks for that today!

Leo, that's lucky indeed. I had therapists and psychiatrists who were actual rivals with me in between. Good for you that yours are in house at the same place. Wow.

Lilly, it must be difficult to be moved away from an established relationship with your doc to starting over with a counselor :-(. Hugs.

I emailed my therapist. I hadn't done that in a while because I didn't want to annoy him. He mentioned in our last session that i used to email him after sessions if I had trouble talking and though he wanted me to talk about things in session the emails helped him know how I was feeling. ( I had sent some emails that were me having an anxiety attack) So anyway I took advantage and he got 2 emails from me. The second one I explained the issue I was having at the pdoc's office and told him I would talk to him about it in session but I might need his help to get started. He said he would help me in any way he could. He has also said that he would be happy to work with the pdoc so maybe that will help.