Many people wonder how often they need to see a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner. Interestingly, there is a typical rhythm and pattern to how often you see a psychiatrist. Second to that is the question of duration. The answer to this question is often based on what you are being seen for.
How Often Should I See a Psychiatrist for Care?
All psychiatrists will start with an initial intake appointment. They are there to get your history and symptoms to make a diagnosis and formulate a treatment plan. Most psychiatric treatment plans will include a prescription for some type of medication. Most psychiatrists want to see you back in one month. During the follow-up visit your doctor will discuss side effects and whether the medication is working. If adjustments or medication changes occur, the psychiatrist will usually see you back again a month later to evaluate outcomes. Once the medications are working and set, then follow up visits move to quarterly or longer depending on the medication and the psychiatrist.
How Long Does Psychiatric Care Typically Last?
How long you need to see a psychiatrist can vary from months, years, or a lifetime depending largely on the diagnosis. Some issues may only call for care and service for a few months to a couple of years. Acute situations or diagnoses like PTSD or panic attacks brought on by a certain crisis or trauma may only necessitate short term treatment. Some episodes of depression or anxiety may be more environmentally and situationally driven by events like divorce or loss of a loved one, or post-partum childbirth. Although difficult to ensure and work through, they often resolve in short periods of time. Some people with depression or anxiety only have periodic episodes that may be short in duration but recur over decades from time to time.
Some people may be seen by their psychiatrist for 5-10 years if they have a bout of anxiety or depression that lasts longer. ADHD may be a diagnosis that is treated for a moderate length of time. For instance, a child may be treated through adolescence, but there is a percentage of teens that outgrow their ADHD. Some adults may not get diagnosed with ADHD until their 30-40’s and find that by retirement they no longer need that level of concentration any longer, resulting in cessation of psychiatric care. There are, however, a few diagnoses that may need treatment over a lifetime. Chronic conditions like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are issues that will require medication and monitoring over decades and often a lifetime.
If you want to meet with one of our psychiatrists or psychiatric nurse practitioners, you can contact IPC so you can schedule an appointment. Please call us now at 763-416-4167, or request an appointment on our website: WWW.IPC-MN.COM so we can sit down with you and complete a thorough assessment and help you develop a plan of action that will work for you. Life is too short to be unhappy. Find the peace of mind you deserve.
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