Posted by jealibeanz on May 3, 2007, at 4:06:45
In reply to Re: Denial/Shame about Medications..., posted by Malcolm64 on May 2, 2007, at 22:50:12
> > 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.
HAHAHA! This is a funny/sad/frustrating situation I was in once:I went to see a GP for the first time. It was for anxiety and depression. I told him of the few drugs I've tried. I never said they didn't work, but that I stopped because of side effects.
He looked at me after a long period of a"getting to know me question and answer session" and told me I wasn't depressed. (I was.) I told him I don't look depressed right now, but I definitely do go through recurrent depression. He said I was not ever depressed, but that many it was seasonal and that I should use tanning beds.
You'd think almost any doctor would give you an SSRI.
The reason why most people who meet me briefly think I'm terribly happy and have wonderful physical and mental health? My past accomplishments, future plans, I look very healthy and athletic annnnnd I smile a ton and am very polite and friendly. Doc's (any people in general) tend to judge based on their perception of you, not you're words... which gets me in trouble b/c nobody reallllly believes me, or at least believes the extent to which I complain of symptoms.
So, then I played up the anxiety/panic and was given a *few* tabs of Xanax... to last about 6-12 months. (I never went back.)
This was from a fairly well-respected and established family doc in my area.
poster:jealibeanz
thread:755098
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070502/msgs/755445.html