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SelfSeeking · 09-03-2008, 05:18 PM

I have been away from my university health care system for the summer, and unfortunately had a really, really bad recurrence of depression. Also began the process of facing my alcoholism and getting sober.... It has been a wild last few months. My student insurance would cover nothing short of hospitalization so I talked a doctor friend into prescribing me an antidepressant, and made the earliest possible appointment to see a doc at the U health center.

I'm back in town now and had my appointment yesterday. I was so looking forward to it, funny as it sounds. Psychiatrists, psychologists, etc make me nervous, but I have been desperate for help. However, because my old doctor left (the docs tend not to hang around very long, I've noticed), I had to go through a reassessment. That happened last year, too. That means a 45 minute interview with a psychiatrist or psychologist who has you rehash your whole hairy history, just to get assigned to someone who will become your usual doc. You have another effing hour long first session with them. Then they assign you to a therapist, who has to get to know you as well. I was unlucky enough to get a psychologist yesterday- not a prescriber. I was out of meds. So I had to come in again today to talk for half an hour with a psychiatrist, so she would be comfortable giving me a two week supply. My appointment with my soon-to-be regular doc won't be for around that long, and I won't get a therapist until after that appointment. Even though I did everything I could to get treatment quickly, it's not going to happen, and that blows.

On the one hand, I am so much luckier than all the people out there who can't get mental health care at all, and I do appreciate that. On the other hand, I am so very tired of rehashing painful subjects with all these different people. I wish I could just type up a report and hand it over so they could stop asking me the same uncomfortable questions. And I would like to pin a sign to my shirt that says "No I'm not having suicidal ideation at the moment, thanks for asking." Cause I'm tired of talking about it.

The end!

09-03-2008, 05:18 PM	#1 (permalink)
SelfSeeking Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Northeast US Posts: 1,346 Blog Entries: 2	Rant/Rave: Health Care System I have been away from my university health care system for the summer, and unfortunately had a really, really bad recurrence of depression. Also began the process of facing my alcoholism and getting sober.... It has been a wild last few months. My student insurance would cover nothing short of hospitalization so I talked a doctor friend into prescribing me an antidepressant, and made the earliest possible appointment to see a doc at the U health center. I'm back in town now and had my appointment yesterday. I was so looking forward to it, funny as it sounds. Psychiatrists, psychologists, etc make me nervous, but I have been desperate for help. However, because my old doctor left (the docs tend not to hang around very long, I've noticed), I had to go through a reassessment. That happened last year, too. That means a 45 minute interview with a psychiatrist or psychologist who has you rehash your whole hairy history, just to get assigned to someone who will become your usual doc. You have another effing hour long first session with them. Then they assign you to a therapist, who has to get to know you as well. I was unlucky enough to get a psychologist yesterday- not a prescriber. I was out of meds. So I had to come in again today to talk for half an hour with a psychiatrist, so she would be comfortable giving me a two week supply. My appointment with my soon-to-be regular doc won't be for around that long, and I won't get a therapist until after that appointment. Even though I did everything I could to get treatment quickly, it's not going to happen, and that blows. On the one hand, I am so much luckier than all the people out there who can't get mental health care at all, and I do appreciate that. On the other hand, I am so very tired of rehashing painful subjects with all these different people. I wish I could just type up a report and hand it over so they could stop asking me the same uncomfortable questions. And I would like to pin a sign to my shirt that says "No I'm not having suicidal ideation at the moment, thanks for asking." Cause I'm tired of talking about it. The end!