Posted by morganpmiller on July 1, 2009, at 23:44:51
In reply to Re: Is it common for therapists to be anti-med? » linkadge, posted by rskontos on July 1, 2009, at 22:54:01
My therapist was pretty anti-medication. She never told me to get of Zoloft when I was taking it, but she did send the message indirectly that she thought I might be better off without it. I am very intuitive and pick up on things. I usually know when someone feels a certain way about something without them having to come out and tell me directly. She did say at one point that she thought it was possible that zoloft was creating some of my anxiety. I later found out that this was so far from the truth. I am sure that may be the case with some people, but for me, zoloft relieved much of my anxiety, just not all of it. So, when I was finally able to get off Zoloft, my therapist said she was so proud of me. She said I looked healthier. I could tell how excited she was. Five months later I started to become severely depressed. She said it was part of the therapeutic process and I would be fine(I actually believe in this and I still do to this day, despite what happened to me). I remember she even said that she didn't think this "necessary state" of depression may not have happened if I stayed on Zoloft. Well, 3 weeks later I began to go into a mixed episode. I was desperate to get relief and did not understand what was happening at the time. After not being able to find a p doc to see, I went to my general practitioner's P.A. and she prescribed me lexapro. 2 days later she prescribed me xanax. I went into a full fledged major mixed episode. I personally think the major mixed episode would have gotten bad without the lexapro and xanax.
There were other events/circumstances besides not being on Zoloft that contributed to this perfect storm sending me into my mixed episode. I do think that staying on Zoloft would have protected me and made me less vulnerable to my brain lighting up like a fire storm the way it did. I' still pissed off at my therapist for not recognizing that staying on Zoloft would have been healthier for me than getting off Zoloft. I think she acted very irresponsibly. No therapist should be anti medication unless it is truly interfering with health and quality of life. It's crazy, all those years she new me and not once did she mention the possibility that I was bipolar. She knew how sensitive I was, how I couldn't drink coffee or energy drinks. She knew about times in the past, and saw me during some of them, that could have easily been interpreted as mixed states. When I finally went to the hospital and they said I was having a major mixed manic episode and I needed Depakote and Zyprexa to take me out of it, I called her on the phone and she said,"You are NOT bipolar". She has been practicing for over 20 years, she has a Phd., and she does forensic psychology work for Fairfax, Co. police just outside of D.C. WTF!!!!!!
That's my little rant story about how a therapist that does not believe in medication can influence their patient in a way that may be very harmful to their mental health. I know, it's a bit ironic.
poster:morganpmiller
thread:904170
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090630/msgs/904382.html