After having poked fun at the mental health profession (“10 Reasons to Leave Your Psychiatrist”), I thought it best to fess up as to how I’ve mostly benefitted from quality psychiatric care. Maybe some of you aren’t so fortunate. Maybe you’re still looking for someone who can meet your needs and could use a little encouragement along your way. For what it’s worth, here’s my list of what to look for in a good psychiatrist.
1) Someone who hears what you say and what you don’t say.
2) Someone who gives good treatment options in plain language.
3) Someone accessible before, during, and after appointments.
4) Someone who keeps up on the latest meds and yet…
5) Someone who is not overly anxious to prescribe them all.
6) Someone who will talk with your key loved ones respectfully.
7) Someone who can smile when you joke about your illness, yet…
8) Someone who doesn’t laugh when you are being manic.
9) Someone with a calm demeanor who can quickly ease anxiety.
10) Someone who is not a slave to any single treatment option.
I really like number nine … the calm demeanor. Good to see you online.
The Pistol fires back: Thanks. It’s good to be back, for as long as it lasts.
Welcome back, buddy! Definitely good advice!
The Pistol fires back: Thanks. And thanks for checking in.
Hi Pete … I am so glad to see you in my RSS feed again! And I liked this list. I had to change psychiatrists last year (my beloved Dr. left the practice for research). I’m still getting used to the new one and this checklist was encouraging. Thanks.
The Pistol fires back: You’re welcome. I feel all warm and fuzzy with my old virtual friends like you checking in.
You know, I don’t think that I could have made a better list if I tried! I’ve thought about my own psychiatrist, and I think that he had most of these traits. Thanks for sharing, and it is good to see you back.
On a related note, I have your e-mails … I should get back to you on those. I just keep wanting to say something more profound than I’ve got so far!
The Pistol fires back: Glad you found the list useful. No need to rush to reply to e-mails. I’m just glad you’re getting them and reading them.