"Being Treated with a lack of compassion and empathy."

My experience with the doctor was, in my opinion, a prime example of why I think people avoid the mental health industry. As my first psychiatrist, I came to them struggling with a number of issues.

During my first appointment, I was filled with excitement and elation at finally seeing a professional who could help me understand what was happening. Unfortunately, I believe the doctor mistook this relief for mania, I felt met me with an immediate assumption of you're manic, and dismissed my insistence that I was simply relieved to finally be moving in a positive direction.

I recall they then admitted, I can’t tell if you’re manic or if it’s your ADHD, which left me immediately disillusioned. The outcome of that single session was a massive increase in my nighttime sedation medication, jumping from 25mg of Quetiapine to 300mg (and up to 600mg if needed). Stating that they couldn't fully understand what was happening due to my overlapping neurodivergence, the doctor insisted I be hospitalized at Belmont Hospital for three months for observation because, I recall they said, there is nothing the public system can do to help you. When I explained that my financial situation was critical and I couldn't afford this, I felt they actively pushed me to take out private health insurance just to fund the stay.

Our subsequent phone consultation was meant to be an update on how the medication was working. I explicitly stated that the high level of sedation left me unable to function the next day, but they simply advised me to continue.

Before my second in-person consult, I sent through a significant amount of context regarding my mental state, including the music therapy I had started independently, and detailed observations from both my partners and a friend. I was assured this had been passed to the doctor for review. However, during the consultation, I believe all of this context was entirely ignored.

After experiencing horrific hallucinations on these anti-psychotics—something I have never experienced before in my life— I recall they merely insisted I take more medication to quiet the voices. Despite my protests, I was prescribed Lithium, Clonidine, and an additional dose of Quetiapine.

I have since stopped all of these medications due to an inability to function and the severe psychological distress they caused, including leaving me terrified of the dark and of sleep due to experiencing vivid, horrific nightmares every single night for three months.

I have since consulted a completely new medical team who have entirely refuted this doctor's assessments. The original diagnosis of bipolar disorder was incorrect, and I was placed on medication that clearly had a paradoxical effect—a fact I believe this doctor completely ignored. Furthermore, upon speaking with a new, much more informed GP, they read the initial assessment notes to me. As a gender-diverse person, I was appalled to find that my pronouns were completely disrespected, with the report inconsistently using “he/she” interchangeably.

I felt that there was absolutely no compassion or empathy for the severe social, legal and situational factors I was facing.