How Do I Choose the Best Psychiatrist for Anxiety?

Choosing the best psychiatrist for anxiety can be as simple as asking your primary care physician for a recommendation. You also may want to look into the education and experience of the psychiatrist you are considering to make sure he is adept at treating anxiety. In addition, you are advised to find out if the doctor in question tailors his treatment methods to the patient or has a standard pattern of treatment, because there usually are a few philosophies when it comes to psychiatry, and they may not all work for every patient.

One of the first methods to try in finding a psychiatrist for anxiety is to ask your primary care doctor for a referral. Your doctor should know you well enough to know the kind of help you need and the type of person you might get along with in a treatment setting. If you are a long-time patient, your current physician likely cares enough about your well-being to put some thought into a recommendation for you. Most physicians know plenty of others in their field, so your doctor should be able to point you toward at least one psychiatrist for anxiety, if not a few from whom you can choose.

Before you seek psychiatric treatment from one doctor in particular, you should find out about his experience. Not all mental disorders are the same, so successfully treating patients for depression, bipolar disorder or other conditions is no guarantee that a psychiatrist can treat anxiety effectively. You'll likely want to be sure he has seen several patients who have anxiety and has had success with them, because this will improve your chances of getting the proper treatment. You also should consider the education of a doctor before you request that he treat your anxiety, because it is possible to find doctors who focused in college on treating anxiety as a specialty. Completing some research on these factors may ensure that you find an appropriate psychiatrist for anxiety.

You also may want to make sure the doctor you are planning to see treats patients in a way that is acceptable to you. For example, if you do not want to be prescribed psychiatric medication, then you should choose a psychiatrist who is known for offering pills only as a last resort. This kind of doctor may rely more heavily on counseling sessions to treat anxious patients. On the other hand, if you are fine with taking medication from an early point in treatment, then you should likely find a doctor who is fine with prescribing pills to patients when he believes they will work. Finding a psychiatrist who is flexible enough to adjust your treatment plan until it works for you also is a plus.