Thinking About Dumping Your Psychiatrist? Keys to Resolving Conflict

It’s too easy to bail on a therapeutic relationship rather than resolve the conflict. There are all sorts of conflicts that come up between psychiatrists and patients. There are disagreements about diagnoses, medication choices, side effects, listening style, or just basic misunderstandings that occur in the course of human conversation. Too many of us patients get into the pattern of doctor hopping rather than conflict resolution. A good relationship with our psychiatrists happens not because we have Dr. Perfect but because we resolve conflicts. Therapeutic relationships are the perfect places to practice learning to speak up and resolve relationship challenges. However, most patients interpret a disagreement with their psychiatrist as an invitation to bail on the relationship. After all, why should I have to pay someone to be in conflict with them? This is my proposal for sticking it out during a rough patch with your psychiatrist. I have had some serious conflicts with my psychiatrist over the years. Each conflict terrified me. I was certain the discord meant I was either going to be dumped or I might have to leave. In 23 years, neither has ever happened. What has happened instead is that I’ve gotten successively better at speaking up for my needs, and he’s gotten successively better at adjusting his approach to me because of those needs. I think of it like this: He has hundreds of patients, but I only have one psychiatrist. Making the most out of that relatio...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Communication Personal Psychotherapy Conflict Resolution Psychiatrist Therapeutic Alliance Therapeutic Relationship Source Type: blogs