How do you find a GOOD doc???

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My new psychiatrist was like:

"So how long have you dealt with ADHD?"

Me: "I don't have any recent diagnosis of that..."

"Read up on it and do some quizzes online..."


The last doc I think was actually GOOD was a lady I talked to inpatient last month...

Her randomly: "Has anyone ever talked to you about autism?"

Me: "Yes, but I'm confused cause of I seem to have plenty of empathy..."

Her: "They say that about autistics but I've found that not to be true..."

What I'm saying is I need a good doctor like that... And I wish I could find one in this area... I'm tired of dealing with idiots...

Could you contact that inpatient doctor you liked?

Make up a list of traits of a good doctor.

Make a list of things to discuss to find out whether someone has those traits.

Discuss the things on the second list with doctors during the first meeting.

I've found most doctors (with limited experience of AS) raise their eyebrows when I say I have autism. They tend to feel more comfortable attributing my issues to mental ill-health such as anxiety or depression.

It helps if you feel confident about it yourself so that you are able to tell them firmly "No, I don't have X or Y, I have an autism spectrum condition." And better if you have enough knowledge to elaborate, such as "The condition means my body doesn't regulate stress properly. I get stress build-up leading to meltdowns or shutdowns. These are not exactly the same as anxiety or panic attacks or PTSD and are managed differently."

Unfortunately, my experience has been that good doctors (be they general or psychiatrists) are pretty tough to find! I have mostly dealt with doctors at either Medicaid-based or low-income, sliding scale based corporate medical groups or clinics, and most of my experiences at these places have not been good. I have found that most of these doctors seem more interested in just collecting a paycheck rather than truly working with you to find the right solution for your needs. These doctors are quick to diagnose anxiety and depression and send you on your way with a Prozac prescription but don't really want to do much else.

I think a lot of this is because healthcare has been slowly becoming more and more corporatized as the years go on, both by insurance companies and corporate medical practices. It is cheap and easy to give you a quick diagnosis and prescription, but actually taking time to figure out if there's anything else going on costs more money and therefore isn't really favorable.

I used the term doctors above, but I haven't even actually seen a doctor or psychiatrist in years. It's all been nurse practitioners. Once again, it's about the money. Nurse practitioners are a lot cheaper!

I haven't had much experience with the private practice sector but have heard good things from others. The thing is, I think fewer and fewer psychiatrists and especially general doctors work on their own. It's just not feasible in today's world. But I think it is sensible to believe that when it comes to healthcare, you get what you pay for. I don't think it would be unreasonable to think that you would find better quality care from a private doctor or psychiatrist that you are paying for yourself. But of course cost is an issue for the vast majority of folks.

That being said, I don't think that you should consider finding a good doctor a completely lost cause. It might take a little bit of working, but there are good doctors out there. I have had a few of them myself.

I’m going through this process right now.