Posted by Dinah on June 18, 2003, at 16:07:19
In reply to Grumble, posted by Eddie Sylvano on June 18, 2003, at 9:30:19
Therapists are easy (many of them, anyway). Psychiatrists are usually a three month wait. When I finally decided to fire the pdoc from he**, all the pdoc waiting lists were three months. I had flushed all the meds from this guy in a fit of temper, but did have refills for the important ones. But in my desparation, I called my therapist and asked if I had to threaten to jump in public to see a psychiatrist. He calmly replied that I'd just be hospitalized and see a social worker and still wouldn't get to see a psychiatrist.
I finally got a referral from a friend of my mothers that got me in to see my current doctor in about three weeks. And a large clinic in our town scheduled intake appointments within a couple of days, and scheduled a pdoc appt within a week. Unfortunately the pdoc I was referred to had English as a very much second language, and that didn't feel right for such nuanced discussion that I needed to have with a psychiatrist. Another kind of doctor, fine. But this guy didn't understand idiom, and I had to keep re-explaining what I meant.
So yes, even in the US, getting access to a psychiatrist takes time unless you get a referral from a patient or perhaps a professional that the pdoc works with a lot.
poster:Dinah
thread:234746
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030617/msgs/234851.html