Mendel247

If you're not too exhausted yet, I have a difficult one for you.

I'm seeing a psychologist and psychiatrist for ADHD through my country's health service. I'm in a rural area and they are the only ones available in my area. There's absolutely no possibility of seeing a different psychologist - I've begged and pleaded with my doctor, but it's not possible. My psychiatrist will only continue my medication if I see the psychologist, but to say our relationship is poor is an understatement. I've never been in a more harmful patient-provider relationship in my life - and not only because I've never been in a situation like this before.

What steps can I take to protect myself as this woman picks apart and judges my life (I assure you, she openly does), while also seemingly cooperating (something my psychiatrist brought up recently as a condition of further treatment as I'd taken to speaking as little as possible)?

I know this is a tough one but I've gone from good mental health to deep depression since starting sessions with her, and I can barely stand to go to appointments, but I need my medication. I really need advice.

Thank you for taking the time to read this!

Thank you for your response. I'm not in the US, so there's no insurance company involved. It's a nationwide health service and I've been trying for over a year to see someone else. I've been told I either see those two or no-one, and in my country general practitioners aren't allowed to prescribe methylphenidate.

I've tried, several times, to discuss our relationship, but she isn't willing to discuss it. I've also tried to bring it up with my psychiatrist but her response was that I could either continue with the psychologist or stop treatment.

I'm not a native speaker of the local language, so I tried to take notes in the past, but she refused to continue the session as long as I had my notebook out.

I've tried bringing the focus of sessions back to the difficulties I'm having with ADHD, as diagnosed by the psychiatrist, but she tells me that I'm wrong and it's anxiety and refuses to discuss anything about ADHD, including techniques I can use to manage the difficulties I face because of it. She focuses instead on my past and relationships, but won't even discuss my work as "I don't want to encourage your obsession (with having ADHD)", despite this being a problem area for me.

I realise there's no magic wand here, but I just want to be able to walk out of her office without being in such a state that I can't work for the rest of the day - sometimes days

There probably is, but I'm having a hard time finding anyone to talk to, and my Spanish isn't great. It's not bad, but it's poor enough for me to feel uncomfortable writing such an official complaint. You're right though. I should. I'll see what I can do. Thank you

That– that is excellent advice! All of it! I'm going to make a note of that right now!

Thank you! Seriously, thank you so much! It probably sounds silly but I can't put into words how much these sessions are destroying me, so anything that helps me get through them, no matter how small, is an absolute life-saver right now — and I wish that we're hyperbole.

Thank you!

I did have a therapist online for a while, but at the moment I'm skint. As in, double-digits-to-my-name skint right now. And my psychiatrist wouldn't accept that as an alternative to seeing her psychologist. I asked.

That therapist also recommended making a complaint.