Well, not ACTUALLY, since that would require him to be in the room, but he listened to what he was told I said. First, backstory.
I had a doctor who said that he loved asthmatics like me because we always know how our meds are working. I said, “Yeah, because if we get it wrong we can be dead before the ambulance arrives.”
So, yesterday I had a care plan meeting where I griped about how I haven’t seen my shrink since he switched me to Zoloft after 20 yrs of Prozac, the Zoloft did nothing, and I was back to feeling like it was 1998. Last night I had to sign a form where I agreed that we could take me from 100mg of Zoloft to 150mg for three days, then to 200mg. I’ve never before had to sign a form for a dose change and it’s an experiment probably doomed to failure, but it’s something.
Now, if they’d only stop trying to give me stool softeners. Campers, I’ve said it before but learn what your meds look like and don’t swallow anything on faith.
I suspect you may have a legit beef against your psychiatrist in there somewhere, but I’m not clear exactly what it is. Did you tell him you wanted to consider a different, more effective med? If so, and he didn’t change it nor talk to you about why not, then you’re not getting listened to.
I’ve been trying to see him for weeks, but no go. Even my PCP was getting annoyed.
I don’t bitch about my meds THAT much. Just when they give me something that doesn’t work (this), not enough of what does (acetaminophen and ibuprofen), something disguised as something else (an anti-diarrheal in a Tylenol jar), or Pro-Stat (gives me Satan’s own farts and ear hair when a boiled egg or block of cheese would give as much protein, though maybe not make my fingernails so luxuriant).
It sounds like he listened enough to know that the Zoloft isn’t working, but he wants to try upping the dosage before giving up on it. What he’s not doing is communicating with you. If the paperwork had said “and if after a week at 200mg there is still no relief, we’ll switch back to Prozac (or try another drug)” you might not be happy, but you’d probably feel that you had been heard.
He finally showed up and said the first part, up to the “if the paperwork.” You’re right that the rest would make it seem like we were communicating. A problem is that he’s not a native English speaker, making it hard for me to know how well I am communicating. On the paperwork the only word he had describing my personal goal was “cheerful,” but this place is such a downer I put on an act of cheerfulness and I fear he may think my goal is reached. I brought up my OCD symptoms, but he seemed to ignore them. I guess I’ll see what happens. And next time maybe he’ll turn on the lights. He just stood there smiling in the murk and it was creepy.
Stay on top of them folks. Maybe they’ll actually listen to you just so you can leave faster.