Psychiatric Treatment: 7 Ways to Manage Your Psychiatrist

Any time you are undergoing psychiatric treatment, you have serious issues to address. You may be plagued with severe anxiety, phobias, or depression. No matter what form your problems take, it is important to hold your head high and demand effective treatment. Here are 7 ways to get the best from your psychiatrist.

1. Insist on your full time with the doctor. If you are paying for a 15 minute medication check, do not let the doctor rush you out in 5 minutes. That is rarely enough time for your psychiatrist to make an adequate assessment about how you are doing on your meds. You need time to discuss symptoms, side effects, and other needs. Make sure your doctor allows you that time.

2. Tell your doctor about your symptoms. First, tell an overview of the general types of symptoms you are having. This will give your psychiatrist an idea of the problems you are facing. Then get into specifics. You will not be able to tell about every single symptom, but you can give a few detailed examples to illustrate your troubles.

3. Tell your doctor about side effects of your medications you are experiencing. This is very important because if you suffer in silence with your side effects, you may be tempted to stop taking your meds altogether. Do not let your doctor discourage you from mentioning your complaints. They are as necessary to your mental health as information your doctor gives you.

4. Never go off a psychiatric medication without talking to your psychiatrist first. Not only can this cause you dangerous physical harm, it can also set you back in your quest for good mental health. On the other hand, if you consult your doctor first, you will earn his or her respect and be treated better in the long run.

5. Insist your psychiatrist changes your medication when necessary. It does not matter whether it is the latest drug on the market or a tried and true remedy. If it does not work for you, you should not be taking it. Refuse to be bullied into taking medications that are not right for you. However, do it the right way by talking to your doctor and working it out in person.

6. Bring in backup. Sometimes a psychiatrist will have trouble seeing through your symptoms to realize that you have a legitimate complaint about a medication. Other times, it will seem that you are being anxiety-ridden, depressed, or paranoid without reason when there is actually good cause for it. Bringing in a friend, parent, adult child, or spouse is a good idea if you need to show that you are not imagining the difficulties in your life.

7. When all else fails, change your doctor. Of course, it is counterproductive to get into the habit of going to a different doctor every time you have a disagreement. You should always try to work out your differences first. Yet, if your psychiatrist will not listen to you or treat you with respect, it is time to find someone who will. It is almost always better to find a different doctor than to drop out of psychiatric treatment.

It is easy to think of a psychiatrist managing patients, but the truth is that to get good care you must turn the tables. It is important to take an active role in your own care. The two other alternatives are to be a passive subject in your doctor's uncontested control or to avoid treatment entirely. For the best of all psychiatric treatment, you need to take a proactive stand on your treatment. When you can accomplish that, you can take real pride in your progress.