Final Installment: Reporting Live from the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting

I agree, until the Psychiatric community thinks outside of the box, we will not get far fast. I am disturbed at the pharma companies presence, and the hustling of medications that can make or break a person's life. It is unimaginable that we wait and we wait, in this day and age.It leaves us at the simple and yet complex window of hope, that many have still as their only lifeline. Thank you for covering this in real time, this was awesome! ***************************************************** Hi, Stephany. I know there are many dedicated sales people who, by informing the medical profession of invaluable treatments, are saving lives. I also know the pharmaceutical companies underwrite invaluable research that is paving the way for better treatments for us. But I absolutely share your disgust. Their influence over the psychiatric profession is extremely sickening. What's more disturbing to me is what I see is the naiveté of the psychiatric profession. We KNOW the drug industry is out to make money. This is the free market, so there is nothing wrong with that. But we also know the drug company is not giving away free coffee mugs and samples and funding APA symposia and published "research" and continuing medical education sessions out of the goodness of their hearts. They expect a return on the billions and billions they spend marketing directly to doctors (the ads you see on TV for consumers represents only the mere tip of the money they spend). When I talk to my psychiatrist, I expect unbiased advice based on their education, further education, and clinical experience, not on the last conversation they had with their drug rep. Please hold your psychiatrist to that standard. John

Hi John! If you could only cite one new thing to bring up with my psychiatrist next week when I see him what would that be (based on your findings from the conference)? ************************************************************* Great question, Virginia. Here's my answer: I want you (ie the psychiatrist) to see me more often. Why? Based on new studies posted at the conference and my conversations with leading psychiatrists, patients get much better results with their meds by seeing their doctors more. I need to go through my notes on this, but my impression is that this probably affects the outcome of our illness far more than which particular meds we happen to be on. So what do you talk about in these extra meetings? You want to be assessed each time with a sophisticated survey that measures mood and quality of life. No more "So how are you doing?" "How are things at work?" Too vague. Specific questions, precise measurable answers. It's called metrics and it can track your progress, revealing things you and your pdoc were'nt aware of (such as whether you're getting better or worse). Next: Mood charts or life charts. Basically, you do your "homework" and go over it with your psychiatrist. Finally: Real medical advice. Your psychiatrist went to medical school. You want real advice on what your meds are supposed to do, what specific reason you are taking them, side effects etc. You also need real advice on lifestyle concerns such as diet, sleep, and exercise. I hope to amplify all these points in a future blog. So if you see your pdoc every three months, ask to see him/her in one month. If every month then in two weeks, and so on. You get the picture. If your health plan won't allow for this, maybe plan for an occasional extra visit out of your own pocket. John