Posted by jealibeanz on May 3, 2007, at 13:52:06
In reply to Re: Denial/Shame about Medications..., posted by Ines on May 3, 2007, at 13:32:04
>
> > 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.
> >
>
> I had a similar problem for a very long time. I'm outwardly very chilled, I smile all the time and chat to people, and I can even be very sociable if I'm in the right mood. I also do well jobwise for the most part (except during very bad patches). People often comment on how much I smile and how happy I look. I am actually very depressed most of the time- I tend to score very depressed or extremely depressed on depression scores, so it's quite heavy duty. But I can't switch off the act, it's part of me. I spent 8 years not being taken seriously by doctors. My family doctor would wave a hand and say that's 'just a mood, it'll go away soon, you're so obviously competent, so obviously comfortable' etc... I only got someone to take me seriously when I felt so desperate for help I burst out crying during an appointment with the GP and couldn't stop no matter how much I tried. Still, when I go to a new doctor they dismiss it as mild if I just talk them through the problem. It sounds like you've got the treatment you need in the meantime, but just in case this is helpful: what I do now when I go to a new doctor is to take things that I write (I write a lot about how I feel and that tends to be a bit of an eye opener for the doctor). I also take a chart with daily mood scores, and I do a depression scale test the day before and bring that along too. It has made a huge difference in the treatment I get.
> Ines
Good idea. I often write out feelings, moods, reactions to meds, and suggestions a few days before I go. I usually don't pull out the paper unless I'm with a new doc and am nervous and need them to really get the picture.I should think of specific things to say to my doctor. Like, most of the time I get so anxious, nervous, and overwhelmed about things that I can't breathe well, can't read or study, can't move my arms or legs easily.
I have problems staying on task and reading and completing assignments with my coursework, even when I am motivated, have ample time, and am in a good work environment. I do this all the time. It's annoying.
I can sit down with a text book with a certain chapter to read, but will not read from beginning to end. I might start in the back or middle of a section, or in a caption. I jump round and round until mayyyybe I finally get the entire thing read. Or, I'll just jump to a different chapter altogether for a while because something in it caught my eye. I waste so much time and energy getting off task, it's ridiculous.
poster:jealibeanz
thread:755098
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070502/msgs/755527.html