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Posted 11/15/2005 10:34 PM (GMT 0)
Tomorrow will be my first visit to a psychiatrist for depression and anxiety. What will happen?
Posted 11/15/2005 11:03 PM (GMT 0)
Hi and welcome!!

I am fairly new to this whole process too (June).

Everybody's experience will be a little different. I was terrified!! I am 48 and though I've been depressed and anxious most of my life, I was only diagnosed in June and sort of pushed into the whole therapy, meds thing.
I cried like crazy the first several visits. I felt uncomfortable, I fought going. Gradually as my meds started to kick in and I felt stronger, it became easier.

I think the first appointment will probably just getting to know each other. He/she, may ask questions like, "why are you here?", "are you here voluntarily?" You may have questions for him/her. I left the first few sessions feeling worse than when I got there. I think that's pretty normal.

Relax as much as you can. Come back and let us know how it goes.

Hugs . . .

Sadsunshine
Posted 11/15/2005 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
Oops!! I read your post wrong!! Duh . . . I read psycholgist!! I liked my psychiatrist right off the bat but I still felt uncomfortable going in there. He asked me a lot of the same questions the other doc did and I cried there too!! He explained what meds he thought would help and why. He was very patient and gentle.

Good luck wherever you're going!!!!!

Peace!
Sadsunshine - again!
Posted 11/15/2005 11:27 PM (GMT 0)
Sunshine, what is the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist? I'm headed to the latter. Just curious, and thank you for answering. Hugs.

P.S. I usually hang out in chronic pan, since I have horrible back pain. Thank you for the welcome you extended for the depression board. God bless.

Post Edited (paperladee) : 11/15/2005 4:31:33 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/16/2005 12:14 AM (GMT 0)
Hi paperladee. I think the difference is the training. A psychiatrist is a trained medical dr. who can dispense medicine. They have put in many more hours of training than the psychologist. There may also be diferences in their approaches, I'm not sure about that one. I went to a psychiatrist 2 years back due to depression brought on by chronic pain with no known cause. Basically in a nutshell, you talk and they try to change any warped thinking you have :-) Hugs to you.
Posted 11/16/2005 12:14 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,
I cried for my first several sessions with my psychologist. Oh, the difference is a psychiatrist can prescribe medication (is an M.D) and a psychologist can't (is a Ph.D.). Anyhow, I was a puddle for quite a while, but it felt so good to have someone listen to me without any judgment whatsoever. I feel lucky, we had an instantaneous rapport -- you should make sure you find someone you like. I've heard it's not always the first one you see that you end up with. good luck. M.
Posted 11/16/2005 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
good luck tommorow ,he/she will talk to you ask questions try to get you to open to them ...everyone is different ,they listen good
Posted 11/16/2005 2:06 AM (GMT 0)
Hey!
I call them the medicine doctor and the "talking" doctor. The psychiatrist is a medical doctor. Sometimes Psychiatrists do therapy but more often it's the psychologist!!

Good luck . . .

Sadsunshine
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