# Seeing a psychiatrist for the first time



## eraseme (Feb 26, 2009)

delete


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## locsaf (Sep 3, 2009)

,


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Breakfast0fChampions said:


> My therapist asked me if I wanted to see one of the doctors for medication to take the edge off of anxiety while I work on it. I said yes. Now I have an appointment with one of their psychiatrists this coming Monday at 3.
> 
> What can I expect? What does an evaluation entail, anyway?
> 
> I'm pretty scared because I don't want to be diagnosed with anything other than what I have been diagnosed with by my therapist (social phobia and adjustment reaction disorder).


Psychiatrists do the same things as therapists, only they can also prescribe medications.


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

All I can say is be very open-minded. Do NOT go in trying to direct the psychiatrist into specific diagnoses. I know it can be hard for someone with SA, but try to answer every question as honestly as possible.

Being scared about a new diagnosis only has the potential to hurt you, by possibly not getting the treatment you should be getting. Psychiatrists have a lot of training in making diagnoses. In many places, psychologists/social workers aren't even permitted to make a diagnosis. Either way, the psychiatrist won't really be able to help you unless you they have a solid understanding of what you're going through, not just what you WANT them to think.



millenniumman75 said:


> Psychiatrists do the same things as therapists, only they can also prescribe medications.


Most psychiatrists don't do therapy, particularly these days when they are far too in-demand for that to be possible, and especially when therapists without an MD are much cheaper.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Breakfast0fChampions said:


> So I'm basically just going to be interviewed like I was on my first therapy visit and written a prescription?


Initially, yes - you may get into background and family stuff, too. I went through another checklist to double check that I am not bipolar. The diagnosis was already there from my last doctor, which you may not have.


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

Breakfast0fChampions said:


> So I'm basically just going to be interviewed like I was on my first therapy visit and written a prescription?


Pretty much. That's a very good thing though. It's easy to overlook possibilities with just one interview. I've been interviewed 4 times like that, and one thing I've noticed is that everybody tends to ask very different questions. And not a single interviewer caught all my diagnoses at once... although I should note that my psychiatrist did by far the best job.

I don't know if this will be the case for you, but treatment is always going to be better when you have a psychiatrist and therapist working together.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

^ That is true - I have a counselor, mentor, and group on top of all of this. I have known about SA for the last five years now.


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