5 weeks in and still no psychiatrist or help at all

[CroutonBehavior]

There's been very little progress in my quest to find a psychiatrist. My primary care physician said she'd write a referral to an out-of-service provider but so far no one is available even with the referral. My mother manages all the calls and practical steps of seeking help for me since phone calls with strangers are impossible for me right now.

I don't fully know the details but my only viable option right now is to leave the healthcare group that my primary care doctor is a part of and find a primary care doctor. Then, I'll have to wait to see the primary care doctor in the new healthcare group and see if they can write me a referral to a specialist within their group. Even then, there's no guarantee that they have a specialist (psychiatrist or psychologist) available. That route could take months and it could lead nowhere.

I already stuck my neck out a year ago by getting a new doctor. I've grown comfortable with her despite only seeing her 3 times. No one understands that if I switch providers I have to push myself all over again and right now, my mental health is so bad that I really really can't push myself like that. I've gotten used to the receptionists, the smell of the office, the layout of the chairs, the location of the building and literally every detail. I know how they run their office, I know the exact process of my current doctor and switching providers completely would be too much right now.

I know myself and I know that if I do agree to it, I will probably "chicken out" the day of the appointment. My anxiety is high enough just seeing a doctor as it is. Adding a new doctor and the task of asking them for a referral for some deeply personal issues and catching them up on the long history of my mental illness just for a narrow shot of an appointment with a special doctor sounds absurd to me.

[Jeff1943]

By all means seek the help of a psychiatrist. But there is a mental health specialist who has helped tens of millions of people across the world to regain their quiet minds.Who says so? David Barlow, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at Boston University says so.

He is referring to the teachings of Doctor Claire Weekes, who passed to life beyond 40 years ago. Her method for recovery from anxiety disorder in all its forms is contained in a short, easy-to-read book titled "Self help for your nerves" also published under the title " Hope and help for your nerves".

You can obtain a copy new or used from Amazon or Ebay and start to heal yourself without delay. Many people who have passed through this forum over the years have based their recovery on her self-help method.

I will not attempt here and now to describe that method which has brought respite and recovery to so many.

So while you wait for your doctor to come up with an appointment for a psychiatrist I commend you to read this book. It is truly life changing.

[Hidden]

Wow. I can totally relate! I love my PCP and cannot imagine having to leave her. I moved last year and now she is 50 minutes away but I don't care. I'm not changing doctors. I'm also having trouble finding a new psychiatrist. I have found the best way to get help with that is to call the number on my insurance card and let them do the calling. When I was having a breakdown in 2015, it was either check into a psych hospital or find a psychiatrist. The insurance company doesn't want to pay for an expensive hospital visit so they called around and found me a psychiatrist. I was with her for 4 years. Most insurance companies will help you find a provider. My insurance company even has a 24/7 mental health hotline now. You should call your insurance company and ask what help is available. My insurance company even gave me a free app for my phone called AbleTo which has meditations and lessons on mental health and even a button to get a free chat with a therapist in an emergency. Who is your insurance company? Id be willing to look online and see what they offer.

[CroutonBehavior in reply to Hidden]

My mother has already called them multiple times and we got a comprehensive list of every psychiatrist that they cover. We've called everyone on their list and the vast majority of them aren't taking patients right now. The few that are available have horrendous reviews and the company that they work for are under lawsuits for stealing money or something along those lines. The few times that I've been able to talk to my insurance company on my own, they haven't been able to help.

[Hidden in reply to CroutonBehavior]

Wow, that's a bummer. I think I would ignore the online reviews and just pick one that is taking new patients so I could get on some meds. And I would keep changing doctors until I found one I like. Sometimes you have to be your own advocate. Does your insurance company have a Behavioral Health division? If so, they should have specialists available to talk to you. My insurance company is United Healthcare and the behavioral health is handled by Optum and they have a website LiveAndWorkWell.com which has a 24/7 hotline with licensed therapists available. If you are paying for health insurance, you should be able to call and get help. I would keep calling and be a pain in the butt until I got to the right person. Last week I called and got a newbie on the phone who didn't have a clue. I hung up and called back and got a seasoned person who was able to help me. Sometimes you just have to keep asking for help until someone helps you. Please don't give up.

[CroutonBehavior in reply to Hidden]

I have United Healthcare as well and I didn't know any of that. My mother usually does all of the calling so I don't know how much of that information she's aware of. I'm trying to gather up the courage to call them myself but I'm too anxious. Usually I can force myself to get over my anxiety if I care about something enough but I'm too depressed to care that much. Even if I do find a psychiatrist and get put on meds, there's no certainty that they'll be helpful. I could try it 100 times but there's no point. I don't even want to exist anyways and no one in my life cares about me. So there's no reason to try any of this. I'm just wasting everyone's time and energy.

[Hidden in reply to CroutonBehavior]

We care. And I can testify to the fact that if you got on the right meds, it would lift your mood enough that you would start to care. I started a new med on May 1st and I'm already feeling better, less depressed, and my appetite is coming back. You need to at least try. Go log on to United Healthcare's website and look around. See what your benefits are. Ask your mother for the login information. If she doesn't have it, create a new account for yourself. Here is the website: " member.uhc.com/myuhc "