Posted by Sean on September 20, 1999, at 16:59:18
In reply to Depression or Anxiety, posted by Nancy on September 19, 1999, at 22:23:59
> I would like to know how can a psychiatrist diagnosis the difference between depression and generalized anxiety disorder? I have been treated for depression, but my main symptom is horrible anxiety, especially stomach problems, mainly nausea. I am currently taking Prozac and have experienced considerable weight gain. I'm wondering if I went off Prozac and took Buspar, would that control everything? When I was a little kid I couldn't stand to be away from my mother, crying, etc. When I was a teenager, I would get physically sick before a date I would get so nervous, and now, even as an adult and a teacher, I get nauseated alot. Any input from anyone would be appreciated. Does anyone else suffer from nausea this way?
My experience with anxiety was that counseling
did next to nothing. It almost made it worse as
the weeks and then months went by. There is no
question in my mind, given the response I eventually
had with amitriptyline and xanax, that I was all
but wasting my time talking about the "reason" I
felt how I felt. It simply did not help the
profound suffering I felt.The reason, I beleive, is this: a person likely
inherits a particular vulnerablity in one or
more neurological systems. These systems can be
destabilized through life experience, most importantly,
when we are very young and dependent on our parents
or other in whom we implicitly trust. Or they
can destabilize on their own. For every person
with a horrendous childhood, you can probably find
another whose was worse, but that person is without
psychiatric symptoms.Once this system is out of whack, however, it is next to
impossible to think ones way through it all. In
fact, the very tool - your mind - with which you
might undertake such a journey is compromised to
start with!I made no progress in therapy, really, until I
no longer felt like total crap. I have a very high
opinon of therapy in the long term, but it's role
in situations of acute suffering is, well, somewhat
limited in my opinion. Be well...Sean.
poster:Sean
thread:11788
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990914/msgs/11828.html