the day before I meet a new P-doc

[bluebandaid]

mmmmmm

The day before I meet a new P-doc. What shall I say to him? Let's see... I am afraid of being flash-diagnosed. I am afraid of being over-prescribed. I am afraid of being judged. I am afraid of incompetance. I am afraid of being bossed around by an authoritarian figure. I am afraid of wasting my time. I am afraid of getting my hopes up. I am afraid of being failed by another psychiatrist and being told that past bad psychiatrists weren't really bad, I was just too crazy to see reality. I am afraid of his "help" making me worse.

I am wary.

But I need help. I need hope. I'm tired of trying to figure this out on my own.

I feel back-wards and up-side down in facing this new encounter. I have to expose myself in order to be helped, and yet, I almost do not dare.

So much power.

Every safe gaurd I might put up could be seen as symptom.

I'll go, of course, and I will hope. I just don't know what I'll say, how I'll say it. How to describe things in the right way so that I'll be helped.

I'll let you know how it goes.

[Woody]

Hope you have a good first meeting Blue Band Aid!
Tell him what you are afraid of. Tell him this concerns me.
Most doctors if you tell them what concerns you have they will make the effort and work with you.

[AJ]

I went thru the whole new P.doc thing in January. On the first Appt. she did a complete history of my illness. All she got from my previous P.doc was a request for her to take me on as a patient. This was a good thing. Then there is no bias. She did get my medical records from my hospitalizations. That was a good thing too. When you're sick enough to be in the hospital, it's all a bur initially.

My first impression was whew! She has helped me and worked with me more than any other P.doc I've seen over the years.

I understand your apprehension. It can be very worrisome and down right scary to meet a new P.doc. I can tell you that in spite of all my concerns, I was fortunate enough to finally have a P.doc I could work with.

The what ifs can be difficult. If you can, imagine the possibilities of this being a positive encounter.

[paul m]

Hello BBA. Meeting new a shrink is scarey even after you've meet a few. Most are pretty good and do not prejudge you. For some irrational reason I'm always afraid that they will find that there is nothing wrong with me because I'm having a good day or I gave the wrong answers.(I should be so lucky )

Just be yourself and be honest even when it hurts. Back in the old days I had a habit of not really telling the whole truth as I felt it would make me look bad or he might put on meds or he might change my meds etc. I just hurt myself. Take Care. paul m

[leila63]

Hello Bluebanaid

It is very scary to meet a new pdoc for the first time. The thing I would suggest is to really let your hair down and be very honest about your history and current situation and what you hope to attain from your medication.

I know what you mean Paul about being worried about the pdoc not seeing that you have an illness. In the past I was ashamed of my illness and I would get all dressed up (even though at the time my personal hygiene wasn't the best) and I'd really be trying to put the best face on that I could. Counter productive I know. My vanity, or whatever it was, prevented me from getting properly treated for too long.

My current pdoc has seen me enough now to know that sometimes I present well and other times not so well. Hiding your illness to your pdoc is definitely not the way to go.

Good luck at your appt Bluebanaid. It's scary but it could be a good opportunity too.

[Woody]

Alright Blue Band Aid ...

We are all here waiting to find out how your first appointment went!

[bluebandaid]

whew

it went well.

I just wrote a very long message and lost it by clicking somewhere by accident. I had it previewed, is there any way to get it back?

Anyway.

Thanks so much for your kind advice. It really helped. I'll write more later when I don't want to throw my computer out the window.

[uni]

Hey bluebandaid, how great to hear that things went well! I look forward to hearing more, and hope that having that first appt finished has helped you feel a little better.

And as for losing that long - and no doubt interesting - post, trust me, I had exactly the same thing happen to me not five minutes ago and am steamed!! It said to press the back button, which I thought I did, but is there more than one back button? Grrr

Anyway, here's to better days - and to lucky computers with compassionate owners like us!

[paul m]

Hello BBA. I have lost more than a few posts on different forums. When you can though let us know how you are. Take Care. paul m

Hello Leila63. I thought I was the only one who got dressed up to see a shrink. It would be really stupid. I would go a wk without shaving and then shave for my appt and then go another wk without shaving again.(we won't talk about washing or lack thereof ) Take Care. paul m

[AJ]

I've lost posts accidentally closing the browser window instead of some other window I wanted to close. Now if I write a long post, I highlight it and R click copy, that way it will be in the clipboard. If it gets 'lost' you can start a new message and R click and paste.

[leila63]

Hey BBA

Glad to here the good news. Look forward to hearing all the gory details.

[Woody]

Good to hear Blue Band Aid ... well not about the long post.

For normal posts, I will do like AJ and use the <ctrl> +A and <ctrl>+c just in case. For longer post I will use word to write it up in and then copy and past it in the message box.

Depending on how you lost your message, sometimes you can just go <ctrl>+z and that will bring it back. Other times you can click on Go Back One Page and that will bring it back.

My problem is that sometimes I will swear I replied to a post and when I go back the next day ... it is not there Grey moments ... what can you do!

[A.E.V.]

glad to know your initial appointment went well!!

myself, I know it's not the first time I go, but tomorrow I go see the pdoc that I am not particularly fond of. I know I shouldn't complain because I do have one following me now, but I do hate being treated like a number. get in, talk about two minutes, prescribe meds, and out the door with the darned "good luck" I hate so much!
just knowing I have to see him brings out anxiety!!
I'm also hesitant to find out what he will prescribe me next...

Anne.

[leila63]

Anne

I hear you about the new pdoc that you're seeing now. I had the same pdoc for 9 yrs and had to go to a new one after pdoc #1 took his own life. Awful, awful awful.

The new guy didn't appear to remember me from appt to appt and would ask me the same questions that I answered the previous appt. He would also mess up my medication dosages so it was a good thing I knew what I was taking.

After 5 yrs now he does remember stuff and keeps my meds straight (but not always ) and he seems to have developed a liking for me and I guess I have come to like him. I really liked my first pdoc so it was hard.

I've come to the conclusion and pdoc #2 is just really bad with faces and being a pdoc at the hospital with a psych ward he is just really distracted all the time. I don't know how long you've been seeing this pdoc and he/she may be a total dud but maybe given some time he/she will get with the program and be more the pdoc we all need.

Good luck with the appt. and remember you are the customer and they say that the customer is always right

[gtchamp]

Hey there

Well, it has been a couple of days since my last reply but I do understand all this talk about do you talk to your psych or not. I saw mine today and was told by my doc that I MUST tell him everything. I had been holding back and as a result he really didn't know me. They were thinking of putting me in the hospital. Thankfully, because I spoke, looks like my drugs are a MESS. I am on way too many. The theraputic dose is too much in my system. He wants to see me again tomorrow. The family is in crisis mode for me. Kids don't understand much but we are surviving. Geesh sorry I have rambled. Good luck with your docs.