Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 13843

Shown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Is it just me?

Posted by Carol on October 25, 1999, at 10:23:14

Does anyone else get tired of feeling as if you know as much or more then your psychiatrist? I mean, aren't they supposed to be the ones who know what to do? So, how come we are here having to do all this research and trial and error to find out what will help end our depression once and for all? I've been on so many meds. (some at the same time) and had either barely noticeable results or no results at all. Currently, I am on my 4th week of 200mgs.Wellbutrin twice a day and still waiting for some improvement to my lack of motivation, fatigue, and inability to feel any pleasure or joy. Frankly, my lack of successful treatment is actually causing me to be even more depressed just because I am so very sick and tired of being sick and tired!

 

Just a thought (or two, no wait, three...)

Posted by Bob on October 25, 1999, at 12:45:18

In reply to Is it just me?, posted by Carol on October 25, 1999, at 10:23:14

I think most of us can empathize with being sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Most of the time, we're focused on one person -- #1. I don't know how many patients my pdoc sees, but he only sees me for 40 minutes a month. All the same, he does know a lot about me. When I wanted to switch to someone else, my gp asked me to consider the quality of the relationship before dropping my pdoc due to a lack of drug therapy progress. I think he was right to say that -- I TRUST my pdoc; the fact that he's a man and that I have never trusted male therapists before speaks volumes to me about why I should stick with him.

The other thing is, we're the ones who are sick. We have far more motivation to track this stuff down. No matter how concerned our pdocs may be for the health of all of their patients, they can never be as concerned as we are about our own health. On top of that, we Babblelanders have this place. This forum is an incredible source of real world knowlege, as opposed to drug monographs and articles about clinical trials. Sure, different drugs to different things to different people, but if you listen to the stories of at least 60% of us here, we aren't the typical "take a pill and show that Zoloft Smile!" crowd. Having problems with our meds has led us to seek out information and, as a result, you're not just one lonely person searching through a sea of technical geekspeak, you're part of a highly motivated community taking different paths to a common goal. With the way meds are developed today, and with the way the "official word" seems to under report trouble, we are at (atleast a section of) the cutting edge here.

I know that some docs beside Dr. Bob pop in and out, or just read when they can, and that is fabulous. But there is also some considerable skepticism in some sectors of the medical community regarding (a) patient self-help groups and (b) the scientific quality of information on the web. (sorry, can't cite the specific research, but I spent a year learning grounded theory from a sociologist who focuses on this area of study.) A lot of them, I'm sure, simply do not have the time to do the research we make time to do. What seems quite remarkable is that a number of Babblelanders have written about sharing info from this site with their pdocs and getting very favorable responses to this. It looks like there are quite a few docs out there who appreciate the focused work we choose to do and are willing to learn from us (individually and collectively). I think my pdoc is the same kind of person -- when I mentioned the naltrexone buzz here, he asked for the information for himself instead of some patent "Oh, don't believe anything you read on the net." (PS Dr. Bob: Note I said ANYthing not EVERYthing, like your caveat ;^)

Well, 'nuff said for now. I do think we as a community may have more knowledge than any one particular pdoc, but given the size, intelligence, and motivation of Babbleland as a whole, that's no big suprise to me.

Bob

 

Bob said it..doctors know more, we care more.

Posted by Janice on October 25, 1999, at 13:19:44

In reply to Just a thought (or two, no wait, three...), posted by Bob on October 25, 1999, at 12:45:18

I look at doctors as a great resource for me to use. Janice

I have no plans to spend years studying chemicals, etc.

 

Hi Carol

Posted by Janice on October 25, 1999, at 17:48:30

In reply to Bob said it..doctors know more, we care more., posted by Janice on October 25, 1999, at 13:19:44

I'm hoping I didn't respond too harshly to you. I haven't been depressed for a while, and believe it or not, I've temporarily forgotten how sensitive depressed people can be.

Adam said in a post above something like, depression is probably an umbrella term for many different disorders.

Good luck, and just keep trying. There is always the possibility that your doctor is not a great one, or that perhaps your personalities do not click well. Sometimes I have thought that it is the relationship I have with people that are helping me that is maybe the most important part of getting better. Without a good relationship, not much is possible. Janice.

 

Re: Hi Carol

Posted by Carol on October 25, 1999, at 18:29:02

In reply to Hi Carol, posted by Janice on October 25, 1999, at 17:48:30

It's okay Janice, I didn't take it personally. I'm new here though, so I don't quite know what I'm doing "internet"wise! But it's nice to have found this site, I don't really have people to talk to who have really experienced depression and know how it feels.

 

Re: Hi Carol

Posted by Noa on October 25, 1999, at 21:45:12

In reply to Re: Hi Carol, posted by Carol on October 25, 1999, at 18:29:02

Carol, welcome! Perhaps give those meds a bit longer to see if they work. As for the doctor, I don't know. Do you feel comfortable asking questions? Does he/she share thought process with you about choice of meds? See threads above about choosing pdocs. Don't remember who, but someone gave excellent suggestions.

 

Re: Is it just me?

Posted by Adam on October 26, 1999, at 16:55:52

In reply to Is it just me?, posted by Carol on October 25, 1999, at 10:23:14

No it isn't just you.

It's this simple: some people become doctors who should be doctors, and some should not. I have
felt on two separate occasions like all I was in this person's office for was access to a prescription
pad. If I could have afforded it, I would have bought my meds overseas and treated myself. I got
nothing I hadn't already heard about, I got no feedback, I got no indication there was a sound
diagnostic process behind the choice of medications. There was sometimes utter ignorance of new
medications. There were technical inaccuracies about the mechanisms of action behind some medications.
I honestly don't think one doctor I had considered such "details" important.

One thing I've found most refreshing about working with doctors who do research is that they actually
like to accumulate knowledge. They thrive on it. And chances are they are even enthusiastic about
talking shop. They appreciate patients who do their own research, they don't get threatened by them
or brush their curiosity aside. At least that's been my experience with the three or four I have been
in contact with since I got out of the hospital. This isn't to say that doctors in private practices
can't or don't display these qualitied, but damned if some of them aren't there for any more than
doling out pills and making a fortune.

If you can, find someone enthusiastic. Find someone dynamic. Find someone who's up on the literature,
who blows you away with what they know. Why settle for less if you can find it? Most of all, find some-
one who cares. You can tell when they do and when they don't. Real caring will inspire innovation,
research, an openness to your thoughts, feelings, and suggestions. It inspires a desire to be excellent.


> Does anyone else get tired of feeling as if you know as much or more then your psychiatrist? I mean, aren't they supposed to be the ones who know what to do? So, how come we are here having to do all this research and trial and error to find out what will help end our depression once and for all? I've been on so many meds. (some at the same time) and had either barely noticeable results or no results at all. Currently, I am on my 4th week of 200mgs.Wellbutrin twice a day and still waiting for some improvement to my lack of motivation, fatigue, and inability to feel any pleasure or joy. Frankly, my lack of successful treatment is actually causing me to be even more depressed just because I am so very sick and tired of being sick and tired!

 

Re: Is it just me?

Posted by saint james on October 29, 1999, at 4:02:00

In reply to Is it just me?, posted by Carol on October 25, 1999, at 10:23:14

> Does anyone else get tired of feeling as if you know as much or more then your psychiatrist? I mean, aren't they supposed to be the ones who know what to do?

James here.....

Informed consumers do better. I would not begin to assume I know more than a doc. I have been on meds since 1985 and seen several doc as i moved. So I bring to my present doc all my past history
and assumptions/observations about what works and what does not.

My doc feels I do so well because I am informed. I have also learned to let them talk...let them do their job. If I feel strongly I will say "I want to be on X" otherwise I say "this is the problem I am having" and let him sugest meds. My doc usually sugests several options, telling me the plus and -, and says "Do you have opinion" So we decide together, which puts me more in control of my condition.

j


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