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Re: Locating Psychiatrists...rabbits and hats » PaulB

Posted by kazoo on June 30, 2001, at 17:01:26

In reply to Locating Psychiatrists, posted by PaulB on June 29, 2001, at 17:33:26

> I wanted to understand how people in the US go about finding a private psychiatrist to treat them. I live in the UK and it seems a more complex business to just make a consultation appointment to see a pdoc. My research led me to the belief that the best and normal route was to contact a private hospital and to locate a psychiatrist there. In the UK's telephone/service directory there is only listings of psychologists. In the US is the situation different. If you want to see a private psychiatrist can you just pick up the phone and schedule a consultation appointment? My understanding is that a psychiatrist can provide drug-therapy and talk-therapy and a psychologist only the latter which is why I am interested.

^^^^^^^^

One of the best ways in finding a psychiatrist (in any country) is to do something "socially inappropriate," like putting on a pink tutu with army boots and proceed with a pas de deux with an imaginary partner in the middle of the Interstate during rush hour. This will surely get you into an ER where a psych-consult will be indicated.

I want to clarify something you're misperceiving about state-side medicine: sure, you can pick up the phone and pick a name out of the Yellow Pages and make an appointment with anybody, but will that "anybody" be qualified, competent, compassionate? Anybody can find a "doctor" but finding a "good doctor" is more of a challenge. So finding the right doctor the first time around is a miracle, at best.

Also, when you make an appointment here in the Colonies, the first thing they want to know is how you plan to pay them. You can be hopping on one foot along the outside edge of 87th floor of the Empire State building, calling from a cell phone, but before they make any sort of an arrangement for therapy, you gotta come across with the dough, or insurance ... and if insurance, that which they will accept. With the influx of HMOs, most doctors have been refusing people because HMOs don't accept all doctors, or have their own, or are slow paying, if they pay at all. And if you don't have any insurance or money, then social services kicks in, but let me tell you: psychiatrists and psychopharmacologists usually don't take this form of government assistance because the gov't sets a limit as to how much these professionals should get. Needless to say, the professionals don't think it's enough.

My last visit to a therapist cost me $140 bucks for 30 minutes. I paid this out of my own pocket because I can, but the well isn't bottomless so there may come a time when they will find me hopping on one foot on the outside edge of the 87th floor of the Empire State Building, only without a cell phone. I managed to save my pink, silk ballet slippers from the last time.

AMERICA: the land of dime-a-dozen Doctors and Lawyers, the latter group you can put on a garbage barge and sink.

kazoo



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