There are bound to be quite a few people who have experience

>>18062940
Both of mine were psychologists.
First one was a clusterfuck.
>skipped school for months in a row
>the terror of confronting everyone about this grows out of control with every day passed
>lid is blown
>dragged to unpleasant fat fossil of a psychologist
>cry my eyes out having to put into words for the first time all the worries and fears which defined my life as long as I can remember
>after another, calm, questionnaire-filling session with another person, it's back to the plesiosaurus
>the expert opinion is that I'm lazy and should stop being lazy
The end. Nothing actionable was suggested, so I asked to "give me a mantra or something". Her annoyance was palpable.

The second one lasted for dozens of weekly visits and went nowhere.
>same pattern repeats in college
>psychologist encourages talking about things I like
>I talk about movies and games
>the dialog peters out and I'm left to feel uncomfortable in a mutual silence for 20-30 minutes
>eventually she tells to leave and return when I feel appropriate

Just today I've learned about the division between holistic and reductionist ontologies, which underline the various schools of psychological practice, so that's something I'll be thinking about going forward.

It's what helped me stop being suicidal when I was going through a very bad period of depression in highschool.

She was a therapist (psychologist) who specialized in Christian family therapy. I went for about two years weekly. We would talk, I would cry, and I would also do neurofeedback.

No one has to know about any of it if you don't want them too. Very few people know I've gone to therapy. An even smaller number know I struggle(d) with depression and was suicidal. You don't have to take any medication if you don't want to. My therapist gave me the option and asked if I wanted to try medication, but I declined.

Well there's a tendency for people to get medication for non-illnesses and real life problems. But if something really is wrong with your head, it's incredibly helpful and gives you back a sense of control just to get a diagnosis. Now I know those things I did wernt me. Like I thought certain things were me personally, who I was and not something actually wrong with me. But like of course that wasn't me, who I am, and not knowing why was why it was so scary. Deep shame, things I kept secret, assuming it was normal becuase I couldn't know better. And now, I've accepted it and can realistically work around it, move on with my life.

Thankfully, I've had good experiences with psychiatrists. They've helped me see my thought distortions and taught me how to combat them. Even now, one of them keeps in touch with me (for free!) while I'm here at uni just in case I start to spiral down the abysmal black hole again. Just remember, if you meet one you don't like, you don't have to keep going tonthat one. Find another.

I'm a diagnosed bipolar and I've seen two psychiatrists during my lifetime.

The first was asian man who seemed to not know his stuff (but was still certified so I reckon he had to) and was kind of a jackass. Recommended I switch meds after trying latuda. I tried to kill myself with lorazepam, went to the hospital where a new psychiatrist saw me and accepted me as a new patient even though he wasn't taking new patients.

new doc put me on lithium and its worked great thus far... so I guess it just boils down to how much the doctor gives a shit

>who have experience with seeing a psychiatrist in here
> I even have a passing interest in psychology

Psychiatry and psychology is not the same anon. They are two different disciplines with very different methods.