How Do I Meet a Great P-Doc?

Hi everyone,

Hope everyone is looking forward to a wonderful holiday!

I have been on Lexapro 5mg and the very occasional Xanax 0.25mg for the past year. This is to control GAD and some very minor depression I was having.

I year later I am really not having too many problems. I thought about going to my doctor and asking if perhaps I could start to wean off of the Lexapro. I do not like taking medication and I would so much prefer not to be on anything.

Just last week however I had a very stressful situation come up at work and found myself up at 3 AM in the morning with a pounding heart and dizzy head. Almost an anxiety attack. This made me rethink coming off the Lexapro. Can I? Am I on the right medication for me??
The only people I have ever talk to you about my condition and medications have been primary care doctors.

I'd like to actually go to a psychiatrist and have a very fair and thorough evaluation. I do not want to be rushed and I also do not want to be prescribed anything after only 10 minutes of talk. I do not want someone who is a pill pusher.

I do have good insurance through my job but I am not a person with a great deal of money. I could not afford expensive bills from a psychiatrist office.

Do you all have some suggestions on how I could find a great psychiatrist and how I could go about getting this a valuation done at a low cost?? Experiences?? Thank you all so much for helping me.

Hi

I would ask your doctor if they could recommend anyone.

Hibee

Pool,

The psych I saw was affiliated with where I go for therapy. He is only there once a week, so it's a little difficult to get an appointment. But, he has all the notes from my therapy sessions, so even though my appointment is short, he has recommendations from my therapist so I feel like I am getting a thorough session.

Good luck!

I second Butterflake's suggestion about searching online for a p-doc close to your area. There are a lot of web sites where users can rate their doctors and even leave comments about their experiences. I find this route to be a good measure of the p-doc's qualities (good or bad!). In my personal opinion, this works better than asking another doctor for a referral, because doctor-to-doctor referrals are based on a professional relationship and not a doctor-to-patient relationship. With that said, getting another doctor's advice is still a good idea if you're in a pickle. :)