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1. Ian
   June 17th, 2011 - 11:27

   It depends on what your problem is. If it’s something common like depression or anxiety, your GP will probably prescribe an SSRI such as Prozac after one visit, and you won’t have to bother with a (more expensive) psychiatrist. If you insist on seeing a psychiatrist instead of your GP for such a problem, it doesn’t matter much which psychiatrist you see… they’ll all know how to deal with these issues and will almost certainly prescribe meds after just one visit.

   If however you’ve got something more exotic, such as schizophrenia, your GP would likely want to refer you to a psychiatrist. If you more or less know what’s wrong with you already, you can just call the psychiatrists in your area and ask them what they specialize in (some mostly deal with men, some women, some young adults, or kids, or adults, some specialize in specific disorders, such as autistic spectrum disorders, or psychotic patients, etc).

   Some psychiatrists do a good amount of counseling, whereas some others almost only prescribe drugs. So that’s something else you should ask about. Generally, seeing a psychologist for counseling is cheaper, so whether you see a psychiatrist or your GP, ask for a referral to a psychologist for talk therapy. A combination of talk therapy and meds is often most successful.

   If you don’t get along with a specific doctor, psychiatrist or otherwise, just find a different one. Just because a doctor is brilliant, doesn’t mean they’re the best doctor for you. They all went through med school and then additional training after that, so generally, it doesn’t matter that much which one you see… so just see whomever you get along with the best, is willing to explain meds etc to you, etc.
2. Mr. J
   June 17th, 2011 - 11:27

   It’s a good idea to try to work through your regular doctor, for a few reasons.

   1. A GP can prescribe anti-depressants and/or anxiety medication. That can get the ball rolling more quickly for you.
   2. Your Dr. can refer you to someone. Potentially this can do the work for you.
   3. It’s harder to find a good fit with a psychiatrist than with other doctors. You might have to try more than one. It’s good if your regular doctor is in the loop so you can have records sent from there.

   Another idea is to talk with your insurance company. When I needed to find a psychiatrist, a rep. from Anthem contacted me and asked if I needed assistance finding a doctor. I did! There were so many numbers, always with voicemail. Most doctors weren’t seeing new patients or had waiting for months. The insurance agent did the legwork for me, and found a doctor that could see me within the week.

   Good luck!

   (and yes, a psychiatrist can prescribe after only one visit, but so can a GP or even Nurse practitioner)

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