Posted by med_empowered on November 7, 2005, at 21:32:00
In reply to Re: Atypicals for anxiety » med_empowered, posted by Phillipa on November 7, 2005, at 19:04:05
hey phillipa! OK, I'll try to get my babblemail to work..if it doesn't, feel free to post your email or whatever, and I'll get in touch with you.
Honestly, I dont know how to get a shrink to RX what works for you instead of trying all kinds of crazy crap. It seems that there's this "benzos bad" "atypicals good/antidepressants good" mentality that's kind of hard to breakthrough...I'm sure I come off as a drug seeker sometimes, but I don't really care. I tend to be really up front with my docs; if they say "try abilify/zyprexa/risperdal/lithium/whatever", I usually say "No, im not interested". I'm open about what's worked for me and what hasn't, and they sometimes seem to respect that (one doc did accuse me of being "manipulative"...if looking out for my own best interest is "manipulative," then fine. Personally, I think coaxing people to take over-priced, potentially dangerous drugs when there are cheaper and better ones available is both "manipulative" and completely counter-productive. But..that's just me).
I'm from the South, so if you want a good shrink (by my standards, at least), here's the formula I've found that works in the South:
1) female
2) a little bit older--not senile, just really experienced
3) Independent private practice, not hospital staff, unless you're feeling **REALLY** bad
4) In the first session, watch body language and language tone; if they come off as kind of arrogant, or unfriendly, or they talk more than they listen...don't go back. You want someone who listens, provides relevant insight, and seems interested in YOUR experiences.
5) It helps if they've published some--these tend to be better both at the bedside manner angle and the actual nuts-and-bolts of medication angle. If you can do some background searching on journal articles, try to do it.Good luck!
poster:med_empowered
thread:575976
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051106/msgs/576562.html