Posted by Malcolm64 on May 2, 2007, at 22:50:12
In reply to Denial/Shame about Medications..., posted by jealibeanz on May 2, 2007, at 5:43:03
> Does anyone else here have a problem admitting to themselves that they "should" be taking medication?
>
> I always feel like I'm being needy, self-centered, weak, and acting like a hypochondriac when I try to get medical treatment for my insomnia, ADHD, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. I have myself convinced that this is just a cop-out and excuse that I'm using. These conditions could all go away and that maybe I don't really have them.
>
> I know in my heart this is not true, but I've never had any doctor make me feel like I should be taking medications or that it's OK. I've always had to be my own advocate and push for what I want.
>
> My medication combo is not great right now but I'm not exactly driven to go see my doctor. He'll almost always make some sort of change if I have a complaint. Some times for the better. Sometimes not. He's very nice to me, but I always feel like it's me forcing him to treat me and continue doing so and adjusting the plan because I've never found a plan that was stable.
>
> I know psych patients aren't always the easiest because the doc's can't measure anything themselves and besides, "it's all in our heads". Hmm... it's times like this when I'd like a more physical disorder.
I can relate exactly to what you're talking about. Psychiatric conditions are notoriously subjective and treatment for them seems even more subjective. And what if a drug does work? Even that is subjective, b/c there's the whole 'placebo' effect. And sometimes it works only for the short-term and then you're back to square one.The only time that I could actually point to the effectiveness of a med I've been on was while I was on Nardil, about a year ago. There was absolutely no question that my newfound self-confidence was due to being on this drug. But as I've pointed out in previous posts, it lasted a very short time and I was in fact back to square one in a matter of weeks.
In the final analysis, most docs will prescribe an AD based on what their patients tell them. I doubt that there's ever been a doc who's declined to prescribe a med of SOME sort based on their patient's complaints. Maybe not the med that the patient requests, but some med.
After all these years of suffering from severe social anxiety, ADD and, at various times, serious depression, I sometimes wonder if it's really all in my head, even now.
poster:Malcolm64
thread:755098
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070502/msgs/755393.html