Finding a good psychiatrist is tough work but it has to be done. It took multiple attempts to find the right one for me. My first experience with a psychiatrist was when I got my initial diagnosis 8 years ago. She listened to me when I explained that the weight gain and fatigue from the meds were stressing me out. The first year on meds I gained 100 pounds.I was taking Buspar and Lithium. It was terrible – even if my mood was stabilizing, I couldn’t tell because I was exhausted a majority of the time. Then out of nowhere she left the practice! I was confused and devastated about what steps I would take next. They set me up with a new psychiatrist, and it wasn’t a good fit. I complained that my mania was starting to diminish my impulse control, and that my dosage was no longer working. She put me on some new meds, but they were only making me feel more out of touch. I told her that my symptoms were not improving, but nothing changed with my care. Shortly after that, I decided I no longer needed the meds. I decided I wasn’t going to the psychiatrist if they weren’t going to listen – and it took me 5 years to return.

        When I was first began looking again, I went with the office with the most positive Google reviews. Oddly enough, I had a terrible experience with them. I came in because I was starting to not sleep again, and in the past that had been a warning sign for a manic episode. The original psychiatrist I had there helped me find ways to balance my lifestyle and medication. We agreed that since I wasn’t in an actual manic episode that we would just monitor my situation. During that time we mostly just chatted and he asked about any major changes. I was satisfied with the experience since the last doctor was pushing hard for me to be on a lot of high dose drugs. But, three months into starting treatments again, I got the news that he would soon be leaving the practice. The clinic set me up with someone else in the practice, and the next guy was not a better experience. At the time, I didn’t know that I could’ve asked for more options in the practice about which doctors were taking on new clients. The psychiatrist wanted to increase the dosage of the current medication, and even tried to put me on new ones – even though I was stable at the moment. I still had the same concerns; I wasn’t sleeping and I wasn’t showing any other signs of mania. I only saw him for one more visit before I decided to get another psychiatrist in a different practice. I’m always leery of any doctor that is more worried about medications than the actual concerns I bring up. However, one thing I would’ve changed was not rushing into my next doctor expecting them to follow the same course of treatment.

     The psychiatrist I currently have is great!  I feel like I can talk open and honestly about my issues and concerns. I’ve been going there for a while now and haven’t had any issues. We’ve had multiple drug changes because she listens to my concerns. At one point I was experiencing mask like expression from the combination of medication, and she noticed before I did! That’s why we need to find doctors who are willing to be in the middle with us, figuring out how to make the best of this tough situation. She has sincerely made all the difference in finding the right meds. So here are some tips for finding the right psychiatrist for you!

1. Be your own advocate! – I can’t stress that enough. If you have concerns, voice them.

2. Research – I went with the first practice I saw, but maybe I would’ve gotten different results with a little more time and research.

3 Let it be a good fit – Make sure you can openly and honestly communicate with your doctor!