Posted by g_g_g_unit on November 25, 2012, at 10:05:34
I don't know if anyone can answer this, or if it's more individual-based, but when I first moved to Australia, I went to a private 'boutique' clinic that I found through google.
Anyway, it turns out that the psychiatrist in particular is quite highly esteemed (research tenureship etc.), as I later found out. I was kind of impressed by her approach -- she was Russian (quite stern, but highly knowledgeable), and diagnosed me with atypical depression rather rapidly. Furthermore, she wanted to prescribe Nardil (based on its efficacy), rather than mess around with SSRIs.
She seemed quite liberal -- was willing to prescribe Memantine off-the-bat, whereas it took my current psychiatrist about a year's worth of convincing to try it.
Problem was, she tried to diagnose me with ADD based on some 40 minute computer test, which I aced, so that ended up being out of the question. I also wasn't particularly revealing about how debilitating my anxiety is (defense mechanism, I think, about being overmedicated/fear of losing control etc.), and tended to place more emphasis on cognitive problems I experience.
Anyway, a psychologist I was seeing at the time mentioned that the psychiatrist was beginning to reach the conclusion that I might be psychotic based on my overall academic decline, but the OCD (which I completely downplayed, and which is debilitating) really is the culprit. They worried a Dexedrine trial would drive me psychotic, but aside from increased anxiety, I haven't had anything else peculiar take place ..
I would like to go back to see her, since I've exhausted most options and am kind of grasping at straws .. but I left two years ago .. she called to see if I was okay after I stopped showing up at appointments, and I just said I didn't particularly want to continue treatment at that point. The truth is she was really brutal, confrontational, assertive etc. and I don't really respond well to that kind of treatment (I shirk and become cowardly). I think she meant well, but, yeah, I just found her quite intimidating.
Psychoanalytically, I'm wondering if I'm merely seeking her out again because I found her vaguely abusive (well, that's a slight exaggeration), which is what I'm typically drawn to in women, sadly. But I was also impressed by her expertise and thought a European-trained psychiatrist might be more experimental/liberal, which is what I need at this point. They seem to think out-of-the-box, in my experience.
I have considered writing to her, asking if she will see me again for another evaluation. I at least have the backing of my current psychiatrist (a well-esteemed ADD specialist who has diagnosed me as such), so maybe she will be more open to a reconsideration.
But I wasn't sure if she took my returning as a kind of insult .. i.e. "hey, I exhausted every other option, so here I am" .. and the fact that I left on quite cowardly terms ..
any opinions? would it be worth writing my case history and subsequent experience to her and ask if she'd consider seeing my again?
I guess there really is nothing to lose. I just feel so rejection-sensitive at the moment, that a refusal from her would really throw me .
poster:g_g_g_unit
thread:1031860
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20121113/msgs/1031860.html