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<blockquote data-quote="Smithmom" data-source="post: 743348" data-attributes="member: 23371"><p>I feel your frustration. Your son has come so far and it didn't happen in a matter of months. Mental illness rarely drastically improves in a matter of months. So he is in for the long haul on improving his current condition.</p><p></p><p>Not that I want to defend our mental health system but... From what you describe, anxiety, panic attacks, depression and mania your son is likely to end up with more than one diagnosis and more than one medication. But there are no blood tests to make a mental health diagnosis nor even one defined treatment once a diagnosis is made. diagnosis takes observation over a long period of time. Sure they have to put a diagnosis code on forms the first time they see him. But that doesn't mean they think its a definitive diagnosis. You said they saw him for anxiety in the ER so the forms would have a diagnosis of anxiety. Certainly they didn't think that's all there was to it. They may or may not give him a script when he sees a real psychiatrist. They may want to try therapy rather than medication while they do more observation. That will be determined at the time by the psychiatrist who will see him long term. They are likely to start him on one medication only though the intention may be more than one medication in the long term.</p><p></p><p>There is always a psychiatrist on call in an ER. If he didn't see one its because whoever he did see did a phone consult with the psychiatrist. The conclusion of that conversation was that your son needs to get real treatment. A one time evaluation is not going to serve any purpose. It can't diagnosis him and it can't treat him. An ER will not give a script when a diagnosis has not been made. Eg if you go to the ER with pain and they do an xray which suggests a potentially cancerous lump they give you a referral. They don't diagnosis or start you on a course of treatment. At most they might give you an overnight pain killer. In the world of anxiety, depression, panic attacks and mania there is no overnight pain killer. </p><p></p><p>Again, I'm not defending a system just trying to explain why he is not going to get any psychiatric treatment in the ER or any urgent care clinic. </p><p></p><p>As someone said, a psychiatric hospital admission is only if the patient is suicidal, homicidal or psychotic. </p><p></p><p>While your son waits for an appointment you might suggest the things that have always been recommended here. Eg a log of his moods, eating habits, sleeping, etc so they can look for patterns. A log is always far more valuable than verbal recollections. Also that he read up on the symptoms of various diagnosis and the potential treatments.</p><p></p><p>When you say they gave him referrals.. Wasn't one of those a sliding scale fee mental health clinic? They exist in almost every area. Its not free but they generally will work with him on a payment program for whatever fee they charge at his income level. Frankly that would be where I would go if I were him. They generally take most medical insur. So they would keep him as a patient when his insurance kicks in. If they give him a script they may know of a sliding scale pharmacy program.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Smithmom, post: 743348, member: 23371"] I feel your frustration. Your son has come so far and it didn't happen in a matter of months. Mental illness rarely drastically improves in a matter of months. So he is in for the long haul on improving his current condition. Not that I want to defend our mental health system but... From what you describe, anxiety, panic attacks, depression and mania your son is likely to end up with more than one diagnosis and more than one medication. But there are no blood tests to make a mental health diagnosis nor even one defined treatment once a diagnosis is made. diagnosis takes observation over a long period of time. Sure they have to put a diagnosis code on forms the first time they see him. But that doesn't mean they think its a definitive diagnosis. You said they saw him for anxiety in the ER so the forms would have a diagnosis of anxiety. Certainly they didn't think that's all there was to it. They may or may not give him a script when he sees a real psychiatrist. They may want to try therapy rather than medication while they do more observation. That will be determined at the time by the psychiatrist who will see him long term. They are likely to start him on one medication only though the intention may be more than one medication in the long term. There is always a psychiatrist on call in an ER. If he didn't see one its because whoever he did see did a phone consult with the psychiatrist. The conclusion of that conversation was that your son needs to get real treatment. A one time evaluation is not going to serve any purpose. It can't diagnosis him and it can't treat him. An ER will not give a script when a diagnosis has not been made. Eg if you go to the ER with pain and they do an xray which suggests a potentially cancerous lump they give you a referral. They don't diagnosis or start you on a course of treatment. At most they might give you an overnight pain killer. In the world of anxiety, depression, panic attacks and mania there is no overnight pain killer. Again, I'm not defending a system just trying to explain why he is not going to get any psychiatric treatment in the ER or any urgent care clinic. As someone said, a psychiatric hospital admission is only if the patient is suicidal, homicidal or psychotic. While your son waits for an appointment you might suggest the things that have always been recommended here. Eg a log of his moods, eating habits, sleeping, etc so they can look for patterns. A log is always far more valuable than verbal recollections. Also that he read up on the symptoms of various diagnosis and the potential treatments. When you say they gave him referrals.. Wasn't one of those a sliding scale fee mental health clinic? They exist in almost every area. Its not free but they generally will work with him on a payment program for whatever fee they charge at his income level. Frankly that would be where I would go if I were him. They generally take most medical insur. So they would keep him as a patient when his insurance kicks in. If they give him a script they may know of a sliding scale pharmacy program. [/QUOTE]
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