# GP or Psychiatrist?



## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

Which is better to seek treatment?


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Pdocs give much better drugs.


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## Akane (Jan 2, 2008)

If you can find a really good general practitioner then I'd go with that but majority are not confident or any good at treating things like SA. Many are uncomfortable prescribing the medications needed. So if we're just taking a random doctor from one group or the other you'll have better odds with the psychiatrist. The best doctor I've dealt with though is a general practitioner.


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## BetaBoy90 (Jan 5, 2010)

A psychiatrist isn't someone who you can talk to about your life problems, which I feel is what most of us is want to do/would help us. A psychiatrist is just like a drug dealer in a lab coat who keeps pushing more drugs on you, and wants to make sure their "stuff" isn't causing you severe side effects.

At least that's how I see it.


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## pollster (Oct 4, 2009)

BetaBoy90 said:


> A psychiatrist isn't someone who you can talk to about your life problems, which I feel is what most of us is want to do/would help us. A psychiatrist is just like a drug dealer in a lab coat who keeps pushing more drugs on you, and wants to make sure their "stuff" isn't causing you severe side effects.
> 
> At least that's how I see it.


It depends on the psychiatrist. One family member has been seeing one for counselling (as well as med treatment/followup) for years, and finds it extremely helpful to have him to talk to.

To the OP/poll, I say pdocs. A specialist is going to have a lot more knowledge about these things than a GP. Again, depends on the individual doctor, but generally speaking, if you have the choice, see the specialist. It just makes sense.


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## Micronian (Nov 11, 2004)

The GP could refer you to a psychiatrist. Personally, I would opt for a clinical psychologist though--especially if you don't want to take meds.


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## Akane (Jan 2, 2008)

Technically the psychiatrist should be the one you can talk to about your life and the one who gives therapy beyond meds. Generally most doctors are not going to do the therapy side at all and sometimes it's hard to find ones that care enough to hear why you are there much less your life story and analyze why you have SA and what might help. Most general practitioners are the ones who either just want to push meds (with less knowledge of those meds) or send you to someone else for therapy. I get lots of appointments with various psychiatrists when I try going to a different doctor than my usual one. They don't want to deal with potentially psychological problems or listen to what I have to say. They want to prescribe whatever med they are comfortable with whether it works or not and then send me to a psychiatrist for the rest. You are lucky if you find a general practitioner that is an exception to the rule.


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

Micronian said:


> The GP could refer you to a psychiatrist. Personally, I would opt for a clinical psychologist though--especially if you don't want to take meds.


This. Psychiatrists, in my experience, just want to load you up on meds and send you on your way. In my case, it's always SSRIs, and one time I was even offered _risperdone_ of all things in combination with an SSRI because I couldn't tolerate sertraline on it's own. :um Maybe if they'd prescribe me something useful like benzos I'd think more of them, but over here, all the psychiatrists are afraid to even go there and as soon as you mention the "b" word they turn you down before you've even finished your sentence. These days, if I want medication, I turn to the almighty weed, works far better than any p.o.s. SSRI.

Psychologists on the other hand, are actually there to help you, not deal drugs that barely work.

EDIT: The one good thing psychiatrists ARE good for is giving you a referral to a psychologist. That's how I found my one. I got a referral to a private centre through my GP, then the consultant psychiatrist at the aforementioned centre gave me a referral to the psychologist (though not before trying to load me up on SSRIs).


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