How exactly do you get prescribed bipolar medication?
I have been struggling with what I THINK is bipolar for over a year. The past few months have gotten worse and worse. I am considering seeing a psychiatrist.
Whats the process? Where do you go? How long does it take?
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First you have to diagnosed with bipolar. It is best that you go to a psychiatrist or a mental health nurse practitioner. You can contact your community mental health center, your general physician, or your local hospital to find out the details. After your evaluation which may take from 30-60 minutes many times medication will be prescribed.
You go to a psychologist talk to him and if he medically diagnoses you bipolar he`ll give you medication just like any other doctor. Just remember to go to a psychiatrist, not a psychologist because they are`t MDs and can`t prescribe medicine.
You got the first step correct. Make a call to a psychiatrist. They are the ones you want to see to make sure you’re put on the correct medication and proper dosage. From there, it can take several weeks of taking the medication every day before you’ll start to see an improvement. Sometimes even longer depending on your body. It can be stressful trying to find the right dosage/ med for you for it to begin helping. But stick with it, it does get better.
I actually got diagnosed by a psychologist before I received medication. They wanted to talk to me about my symptoms to make sure I was given the right medication. I don’t know if people see a psychiatrist first.
Choosing one to go to can involve getting recommendations from people, you can probably look some doctors up in your area on the internet and also find what people who visited thought of the doctors too. It might help, that if you have any preferences, like if you’d rather see a man or woman to keep those in mind. Or if you are into herb therapies there may be some licensed herbalists that could help. And if you are not pleased with your doctor you can always change.
Just call the doctor up and tell them you would like to make an appointment. Sometimes first appointments at psychiatrists involve evaluations and are sometimes longer than the other appointments.
There will also be a cost, insurance helps.
It really depends on what state you live in. I lived in Montana over the summer and regularly saw a councilor. She had my regular doc prescribe me meds. In Oregon where I now live I have to see a psychiatrist. I got a referral from my psychologist to go to the psychiatrist.