Looking for an adolescent psychiatrist in Perth

[gigi5]

Hi there, i have bi polar disorder with extreme anxiety. I have had the same problem. I finally have a really good psychiatrist.  He doesn't treat any under 16. I think if you are in Perth also try a Clinic. They have a considerable waiting list though. 

Two other places i sent my daughter to when she was 14 with just depression, was headspace and youth focus. They are free. You obviously need to be on a mental health plan but they are good. My daughter found them to be pretty good and helpful.

DONOT trust you GP. They don't specialise in psychiatry and are very likely to give the same generic medicine they give to all children experiencing anxiety or depression. This doesn't work for every child as you can gather. Using the wrong medicine will make things worse but certainly not better.

[Boyblue]

Thank you for the recommendations. Very much appreciated ☺️

[Jess1-RO]

Hi @gigi5,

Thank you for sharing your experiences to support our forum members looking for help with their teens mental health. It sounds like you have been through this journey of navigating the mental health system with your teen recently How has your daughter been recently?

I just wanted to let you know I have edited out the names of the practitioners in line with our community guidelines to protect their anonymity. I do agree with you about headspace, they can be a great starting point for families looking to seek support for their teens. Headspace centres also offer a range of services under the one roof which can be helpful to get well rounded support for young people.

It is an interesting point about GPs- I would still encourage GPs as a starting point for health conversations as they can help to link families in with other supports in the community and know the referral pathways, that being said there are times when seeking the support of a specialist when it comes to medication can be really helpful. Recognising that every person is different and how each parent navigates the health system for their teen is also going to be unique 

[Jess1-RO]

Hi @Boyblue,

How have you been? How is your son going since we last spoke?

Really glad to hear that the recommendations here have been helpful