Last week Time.com published an interview of me by Amy Sullivan. She summed up the most important soundbites, including a few questions regarding how to go about finding the right doctor. Click here to read the full interview. Here is an excerpt.
Have you reached the point where you feel that your depression is treatable?
I have. At first I was overmedicated by a psychiatrist — going through so many combinations of medications — and that made me very afraid of trusting psychiatrists and drugs. So I went from that extreme to doing everything holistically and hoping yoga, acupuncture and meditation would cure me. What I’ve found now is a happy medium between the two.
I wanted to ask you about your experience with psychiatrists because you really ran the gauntlet through multiple doctors before you found the right fit.
My psychiatrist told me it’s usually 10 years before you find the right doctor and right medication, especially when you’re bipolar like I am. That was true with me. I was exhibiting symptoms in college — and seeing a few psychiatrists — but it wasn’t until 10 years and seven doctors later that I was diagnosed.
Ten years is a long time to go before finding the right treatment. Have you learned anything that could help others speed up the process?
I’d advise people to go to a teaching hospital because the doctors there are less likely to be bought by big Pharma, and they’re more connected to the research. It’s easy to take the samples and to be lazy. At a teaching hospital, you’re more apt to find a psychiatrist who will listen to your story and prescribe medications they know work. My doctor is open to drugs like lithium that have been around for a long time and have a great track record but aren’t going to make her rich.
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