I'd like to see a shrink. I saw one recently who was referred to me through a bulk billing local clinic, but he was awful... it was a horrible, horrible experience i hope never to repeat. He was actually a clinical psychologist anyway, rather than a psychiatrist. if i want to see a very intelligent psychiatrist in sydney, am i going to have to shell out hundreds of dollars? does anyone have any names to recommend?
I'm afraid I don't have any names for you, as I'm not from Sydney; but I might be able to give you a few leads to follow. Mental Health in Aus. is a terribly terribly managed health issue. The main problem in the way Mental Health services are managed is not a lack of such services, or even a lack of awareness of them in many cases; but a lack of a link between the populace and these services. Typically, you wont get much 'choice' in what shrink you see UNLESS you want to shell out the big $$, like most aspects of public health here. My first recommendation would be to ask your GP. It seems you've been referred to one before by this means, but I wouldn't let the bad experience put you off. When it comes to communicating with your GP, it can be really beneficial to talk to your doctor about their personal opinion of the shrinks. Returning to your GP and discussing WHY your previous experience was negative could really help them point you in the direction of a far more appropriate shrink. Secondly, most public hospitals have a Mental Health Unit, which although are not services designed for people in your situations; they are an excellent resource bank and can provide many links to shrinks and their respective clinics. Again it is useful to ask the staff you approach about their personal opinions, as like all professions, it's common for colleagues to have a pretty good gauge on each other. Thirdly, if you're part of any form of education system (TAFE, Uni, Apprenticeship etc) then you should have free services available to you which will include counselling services or atleast referrals to such.
