Does your psychiatrist listen to you?

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I'm asking because I recently decided to give psychiatry another shot. I had some pretty disappointing experiences a few years ago with various reuptake inhibitors not working and with psychiatrists trying to prescribe antipsychotics without telling me about the side effects, but things weren't going so well, so I decided I was out of options.

I'm pretty sure by now I'm bipolar, however when I tried to bring up the topic of hypomania and mood stabilizers on my second appointment, my pdoc got offended and accused me of trying to use him as a rx dispenser, then told me that he would most definitely not prescribe a mood stabilizer now.
Then he tried to explain that since I wasn't bipolar, mood stabilizers weren't indicated. However, he has no basis for this statement that I'm not bipolar. In fact, he has very little basis for any diagnosis apart from the things that I've told him, and he has been asking hardly any questions himself.
Then, when I tried discussing this further, he cut me short and wouldn't let me talk anymore. He told me that if I want to discuss my treatment or medication, I should go somewhere else.
I don't really understand how he can just ignore me when I start talking about hypomania - in fact, I think this should be a huge flag to him because treating bipolar with antidepressants only is very risky, but apparently he doesn't think so. He told me I'd have to wait a few months before we could make any changes to my medication (I've been on an AD for about 5 weeks, and it's having a positive effect, but I'm still having pretty violent mood swings).

I've had this experience before (pdocs not being happy when I bring up diagnoses or certain meds), but I'm just wondering if this is normal or if there are psychiatrists that don't simply shut you down when you want to talk about treatment options.
I'll probably have to go somewhere else in any case, since by now he thinks I'm a trouble maker, and I just don't feel like I can trust him if he isn't willing to listen to what I have to say.
Of course, this means having to wait a few more months for a new appointment, and then there's the chance the same thing will happen again. I'll probably put everything in writing next time because I'm bad at expressing myself in these situations.

I don't see a psychiatrist anymore, but I used to for a couple years. I was on an SSRI for depression and didn't feel it was helping. I tried to tell her (psychiatrist) this, and that maybe I need a different medication. All she said was "well you're already on the highest dose of this med" as if this is the only medication for depression. Then out of nowhere she decided I had social phobia and put me on klonopin for anxiety. Klonopin had no effect on me that I noticed, but when I decided to stop taking it it gave me horrible withdrawal symptoms.

That has been my experience with a psychiatrist, so no I don't think she listened to me at all. There might be good ones out there, I don't know. But I guess don't let them prescribe you something you don't think you need. If you think you need a mood stabilizer, find a psychiatrist who will listen to you. Don't settle for someone who isn't helping you.

i fired one who didn't listen. i have had several who weren't defensive since.

How is being disrespected, trivalised, ignored, invalidated and discounted ever going to be good for your mental health? These are some of the very behaviours from others that make people psychologically and emotionally unwell in the first place And this psychiatrist - evidently unable to listen to anything but his own thoughts and opinions - is throwing fuel on your fire. It is dangerous for you to have continued contact with this person. Maybe check out the Mad in America website. They have some insights into the dogma and arrogance of psychiatry which may be of interest to you. Whatever you do, find someone - anyone - who really listens to you, and treats your concerns with respect, even when they don't agree. You deserve so much better than this. Please stop putting up with it now. It will literally make you sick.

mine really listens and continuously looks at updates from this care home about incidents,behaviors etc ,she is the best pyschiatrist have ever had, she understands everything and doesnt judge,she is a intelectual disability specialist.

There are good and bad in any profession, and a lot depends on them getting you. I had to get away from one who wasn't listening a few years ago. I told him what was wrong, he'd seem to hear me, then go back to treating me like I was him. I think he really tried, but I'd usually leave feeling bad, because he just could not really understand me.

So don't vilify this person, and if the drug you're getting works I would take it and go as infrequently as possible or ask my pcp to prescribe. It's a mistake to put too much energy into trying to fix the people paid to fix you.

Last edited by Waterfalls on 16 Aug 2014, 10:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Although I believe there are some good psychiatrists and psychologists, it's really hard to find a good one. You end up making an expensive mistake as it's almost impossible to know whether one is good or not beforehand. The problem is that they seem to think they know better than you do about everything about you. So they don't listen, just dismiss what you think and end up not giving you the best treatment.

I haven't seen any for years but when I did years ago, most were incompetent. Seeing them made me frustrated and pessimistic.

I thought listening was a requirement?

woud think that but the last pyschiatrist of mine was an arse when it came to listening,he didnt listen at all,he just did the visits to make it look like am included in the medication decisions,if it wasnt for him messing around with meds woudnt be suffering from such severe depression now.

I see my head doctor on Monday. This one has actually listen to me and I have seen positive results in the past year. The one before him did not want to listen at all. She told me to find another doctor when I asked her to prescribe me a anti depressant instead of a mood stabilizer. I thought the medication she prescribed would be harmful because I only have one kidney.

Mine doesn't listen enough, but I might be a difficult patient.

Mine always does his best to listen to me. I use my iPad to tell him things because my verbal and emotional expression are lacking in different ways. I had a previous psychiatrist who did the very best for me. He made sure that everything he did made me happy. He was also the one that put me on my abilify as of late. Sadly, he retired. I went back to the psychiatrist I had before him. The reason I left the one before him was because he was getting too overbooked and stuff. He's doing better with me seeing him and stuff like that.

My psychiatrist is there if I need anything. I can talk to him as I would if I had a therapist. however, he also manages my medications I take on a daily basis. One is a stimulant and the others are to help manage my stress and anxiety I have on a daily basis. Since I started getting psychiatry, I've never had any problems with the ones I've had.

Also, i agree with Waterfalls. Unrelated and such, but I once had a doctor who wouldn't even listen to my iPad. He would stop it mid-sentence and tell me to not do it. My parents did not like that one bit. My mom even witnessed it once and almost felt like telling him off at one time. The good thing is that I was able to go back to a doctor I used to have, and I absolutely love her. She's always there to listen to my iPad and actually thinks it's amazing that I can use it the way I do. She knows about my autism and how it affects me as well. She treats me in a way that makes me feel like I can trust her, unlike most doctors I've had.

I had another doctor where he would overbook. Well, there was one time when me and my dad were waiting. Some guy went in before I did and I had already been in the exam room for over an hour or so. Well, my dad commented on it and eventually a meltdown erupted because I had reached my limit of patience for waiting. The damn nurses were completely ignorant of me and my autism and situation right now. We ended up walking out of that doctor's office and searched for another one I could to.

I have tried putting it in writing, and the psychiatrist wouldn't read it or let me read it to her. Some doctors/psychiatrists/etc. are just overly jaded jerks -- they've usually encountered a few drug seekers (not statistically significant, but negative experiences tend to stand out the most for anyone) and then start suspecting everyone. I am tempted to ask the next one who acts like that whether they're in treatment for their apparent issues with paranoia.

My current one does - He can be a bit hyper himself and a tad bit too talkative. But he does listen, ask good questions and make relevant helpful suggestions. I have trouble imagining why a psychiatrist would not be open minded to prescribing a mood stabilizer. It was my psychiatrist who brought up the idea and suggested it to me.

More than any other specialty of medicine, psychiatry is the least defined and the most open to subjective judgment calls. I was lucky that the only one in my area is a good one - albeit a bit quirky himself - maybe that is why he is so good.

my psychiatrist is a self bigoted as*hole. he prescribes medication i don't need and has no regard for side effects. he seems like a allergic reaction of a beast that is afraid.

I was seeing a psychiatrist 16 years ago and she never really listened to me. All she did was laugh at me and told me that I should aim a lot lower than most people as far as goals are concerned. She also laughed at my special interests and dictated that I blend in with everybody else my age and pretend to be like them. I fired her off two years later.