New Psychologist

[adaptive1]

I have a new psychologist that I am going to see tomorrow that specializes in OCD. It will be nice to have one that understands although I hate having to start the process over. I am doing well with dealing with my current thoughts even though they annoy me, I am not giving in to them as much and feel more accepting of my minds process. I don't think I gave medication enough of a try but maybe this psychologist can help me talk to my doctor since I have a hard time doing that.

It's hard to know how much personal information to give away when you meet a new one and I feel totally paranoid after seeing all the highly personal information the psychiatrist report had in it that went to my doctor, that I did not know would get typed into a report and go to my doctor. Live and learn I guess but this does make me feel more guarded.

Did my doctor really need to know my grade point average and did it really have to make it into the report, and if I made a stupid comment about nothing because I was nervous I don't see why that needed to go into the report other than to make me feel like a fool when I read it.

i hope I don't make a fool of myself tomorrow the way I did when I went to that psychiatrist.

 

[gooblax]

Just my :2cents: but I don't think the intention was to make you feel foolish, or that the psychiatrist was trying to do anything other than give objective information in the report so that you can continue getting help without having to backtrack.

Good luck with the new psychiatrist, and just try to be open so that you can get the treatment that you need.

 

[forgetmenot]

Just try to be as open as you can hun A trust has to be build up on and in time i hope you feel comfortable enough with your new psychologist to share whatever it is that is bothering you and know you will not be judged hugs

 

[adaptive1]

Thanks very much. It went well and she is going to speak to my doctor about restarting medication. She says with the right treatment my life will change and I haven't had the right treatment. I feel hopeful.

 

[forgetmenot]

Im so happy you have hope now hun Your new doctor sounds like she really listens hun Good for you for going and getting the help you needed Let us know hun how you do on your new medication ok

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Thanks very much. It went well and she is going to speak to my doctor about restarting medication. She says with the right treatment my life will change and I haven't had the right treatment. I feel hopeful.

And with good reason.

OCD is very treatable with the right combination of medications and therapies. However, in my opinion certain factors need to be present:

1. Finding the right medication or combination of medications for you. In more than 30 years of practice, I have yet to see any significant improvement in managing OCD where the treatment did not include appropriate medication.

2. Finding the right therapist, one who truly understands OCD. In my experience, a lot of what is taught about OCD and presented as the treatment of choice is pure bunk. More often than not, it doesn't "cure" OCD -- it just leads to symptom substitution, where one obsession or compulsion gets suppressed and another one emerges. ERP is a good example of this, again in my opinion. The best foundation for an effective approach to treating OCD is probably contained in the works of Jeffrey Schwartz who wrote the books Brain Lock, You Are Not Your Brain: The 4-Step Solution for Changing Bad Habits, Ending Unhealthy Thinking, and Taking Control of Your Life, and The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force, among others.

 

[adaptive1]

Thanks very much Dr. Baxter. It was nice to find a psychologist telling me to take medication and she gave me an article by Jeff Schwartz as well, so that's just verification to me of what you say and I trust your opinion very much. I have only ever been to psychologists telling me not to take medication and that I just need to stop focusing on my obsessions, so this one said the opposite of what I have been told in the first five minutes, and it was just such a relief.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Really, most psychologists are poorly trained to treat OCD in my opinion. I'm very pleased to hear you've found one who understands what it's really about.