Should you see a nurse practitioner or a psychiatrist for your medications?

It’s really up to you! I am excited to finally be getting healthcare benefits soon, so I’ve been doing a little research into different mental health providers in my area. I do not need a therapist at this time; however, I do need someone to talk to about medication management and, of course, to prescribe said medications.

For the past few years that I have been without health insurance, I have been seeing a nurse practitioner for my medications. She’s great! She has a wonderful bedside manner, is always prepared for our appointment, and expresses genuine concern for my wellbeing. She is open to discussing my needs and how medication may or may not address those needs. I do not want to continue my patient-provider relationship with her though because I am not satisfied with the corporation for which she works. It is a public, non-profit corporation that has been fine for my needs as an uninsured individual, but I just need more consistency and continuity of care moving forward.

I have seen psychiatrists before as well. The first was a psychiatrist at the university I was attending when I experienced a psychotic episode. I didn’t see her much, but from what I can remember, she was very compassionate and concerned about me finding care outside of the university, as the school’s services were not for people who had been recently discharged from the hospital. Besides, I was planning to apply for an emergency withdrawal from school anyway. This psychiatrist gave me resources and helped guide me towards establishing a team of mental health professionals who could assist me in my recovery.

I did find another psychiatrist in a private practice, and my experience with him was not the best. While he continued to prescribe me my medication, he was not very thorough as far as getting a good patient history. He was pressed for time. He was also hesitant to diagnose me with anything other than brief psychotic disorder, as to him it seemed that I was “back to normal” and that the trauma from the experience itself is what was causing my anxiety and depression. While there may have been some truth to that, I had been struggling for a while prior to my mental breakdown. It just seemed like he had his opinion and didn’t want to “over diagnose.”

Based on my personal experience, I think that I will try to find a psychiatric nurse practitioner to prescribe my medications. Not that all psychiatrists are cold, for lack of a better word, but this is just my personal preference for the time being. According to the little research I have done to date, it may even be easier to get on a nurse practitioner’s schedule than it would be to get on a psychiatrist’s schedule. As far as the services I am looking for, NPs and psychiatrists can both give me what I need. So, if on my search, I do come across a psychiatrist who “fits the bill” and can see me in a reasonable amount of time, I just might give him/her a try. I’m not knocking psychiatrists or saying that I would never see one again. I am simply giving you another option to consider.

If you are looking for someone to prescribe medications like I am, good luck! And feel free to share your experiences or advice in the comments 🙂

Lai