Question: Was there ever a time where you felt that your psychiatrist was more focussed on pills rather than working with you to get better?

[insertaname]

Hi

I have been diagnosed with bipolar since 2011. Up until now I have been reflecting on how I have treated as a patient on the public system. I have had experienced wonderful psychiatrists and some that should not even be in this profession. My question is above, because I remember being told when I was first diagnosed that the"pills will make you better". But it didn't - I was discharged, couldn't sleep with all the cars passing the street and the train on the train tracks. It sort of zombified me too but i had all these emotions I couldn't process or even handle.

I had a registrar yell at me for not having the blood nurse take my blood at 8am exactly while in a ward. I panicked and asked every medical person whens the blood nurse coming that doctor wont stop telling me off. The blood nurse also lost my blood twice in a row.

I don't know..i think only in the last two years have i actually had a psychiatrist try to work with me with hypomania. It's been hard - since i did not like him at the start. I don't really like registrars, That Dr made me have a nurse check my mouth and he overdosed me with the meds too. His supervising doctor took over from there.

[monkey_magic]

Hi insertname,

Sorry to hear that you were overdosed. I believe i was given too much medication as well.

I agree that some shouldn't be in the prefession and just want to give you pills.

I too have had a bad experience with a registra. He was on a power trip and said if I didn't take the depo I'd be forced. I actually wonder how the system is regulated and think more people need to make official complains. When I was in the hospital there was a lot of complaining about medication going on. In a lot of cases they don't even explain about side effects or what the pills do. We are left in the dark.

I have found docs or psychologists easier to talk to then psychiatrists.

MM

[quirkywords]

Insertaname and Monkey,

I am sorry you both have had experiences with the medical system that were not satisfactory.

Insertaname, to answer your question I would say no. For me after being in denial for over 16 years and resisting medication I realised when I started taking medication that for me I needed the medication before I could start working on my life choices to make myself better.

The vast majority of doctors are trying to help their patient and the process of finding the right balance of medication can take a long time.

I have regular blood tests to make sure I have the correct dosage.

I think doctors are trying hard to communicate better with the patient and patients are becoming more educated in their knowledge of medication.

I hope you both can find a doctor or psych you can trust and will help you.

Thanks insertaname for this interesting question,

Quirky