Posted by JohnX on October 23, 2001, at 11:26:39
In reply to Re: Looking for some advice before I see the psydoc, posted by JGalt on October 23, 2001, at 9:43:08
JG,
There was one thing I was concerned about and
that was your statements about bulemia. If you
are having problems with this i really think it
is important to approach an experienced professional.I have been to 4 pdocs, and they all had their
own personalities. I liked 2 and 2 sucked. I think
I'm a pretty smart guy and for the most part I
haven't found a pdoc who would suggest a treatment
plan that was inconsistent with what I was already
thinking. IN FACT, the only place I have been
elightened to possible alternatives is on this
very newsgroup, and this has helped a lot. I probably
wouldn't be doing well on Zyprexa had I not listed
to people on this news group. Nor Lamictal.Anyways, the good PDOCS are usually booked for
months, but most of them will be open minded.
Please try to be very calm with the doctor. I tend
to get impatient with them if they won't agree with
my suggestions and this just makes them less likely
to take my approach. I usually entertain their ideas
and then bring up my own. Beleive me though, if
you tell the doctor that you did well on a non-addictive
substance and it is safe for your health, then he
will most likely prescribe it to you. You can come
clean with the doctor in a compassionate way
begging him to please help you end your misery.
This is another approach, requires a little acting
if you are generally stoic like me. But the doctor
gets their thrills from successfully treating
patients. They also like patients who pay their
bills.Anyways here were my experienced with 4 pdocs.
I was very nervous going into see the 1st, but
now I play them like a piano.Texas:
# 1) This was unusual for a start. This doctor
hated meds, but would prescribe them. He was so
much into therapy, very contrary to most pdocs.
Thought I was neurotic and overfocused on using meds
to solve my problem (this is the scenario I worry
about for you). However the doctor would prescribe
meds anyways as that is his obligation. After many
therapy sessions with the doctor and failed medicine
trials and my feeling that he was incompetent,
I broke my reltaionship with the doctor. He actually
at one point in time told me "you tell me what to
prescribe and I'll write the prescription". That's
how good I am at manipulating the weak.
(Sorry learned it from a manipulative father who
probably messed me up). The doctor told me "no on
in my life has ever made me feel more worthless
and ineffectual". I laughed (that was my last
session with him).#2) An older gentelmen. I really liked this guy.
He was like the grandfather I never had. He made
me feel very comfortable and was extremely open
minding about my medications. He would listen carefully
to my mental health and physical concerns. He
told me that I was his favorite patient! What a
change from doctor #1. He said he really appreciated
having intellectually stimulating conversations
with me and that it was not something he got with
his other patients. Unfortutantely he passed away
from sudden onset of bone cancer.California:
#3) This guy sucked. He was hyperfocused on a few
meds to prescribe. He wouldn't listen to me. I wanted
to take lamictal, so I told him I was already taking
it and told him that the other doctor said to watch
our for such and such reactions (which was bs on
my behalf). But then he felt more comfortable precribing
the meds. The doctor seemed not to care to listen
to my personal issues until after a few visits, then
he seemed to enjoy my company like doctor #2. He
still was an ignoramus, but at least he worked with
me. He refused to write prescriptions for controlled
meds like Adderall. (May have been a CA thing).Back to Texas:
#4) My current doctor. He is probably in his upper
thirties. I think he is typical of better psychiatrists
but he is more into the meds than the psychology.
He listens to me very carefully and was willing to
prescribe meds that I suggested, although I did try
his suggestions as he was able to back them up with
good reasons why. He is extremely nice and
personally calls me off hours if I have concerns.Hope this helps. I really think you will do
well. It is scary the 1st few times, but you'll
get the hang of it. You are clearly really intellegent
and you no what your problems are and that they
need to be addressed.Please keep us posted on your progress!
Regards,
John> Thanks for the advice John. I think you're right about just informing him of what was working and staying away from the extended details of my drug use history. The pdoc is already aware of some of the brief details of why I am going to him, but not much.
>
> Only problem I'm going to have is that I don't have any prescription for selegiline, I never did, and I've never seen anyone for any of my symptoms. I was simply buying various meds from overseas and domestically, experimenting and reading everything I could find on drugs, and then modifying my approach as needed. Many of my drug choices were illegal. Unfortunately I decided to help a friend struggling with similiar problems, got him out of alcohol+cocaine addiction, but then he slipped up, the police found out, and they seized everything I had. Obviously I have slipped back into the depression that I was previously doing quite well against. Avoiding the legal details, I am now just trying to get a psychiatrist to prescribe what I found worked for me.
>
> Still, I think you are right on how I should approach this. Would you, or anyone else, agree that if he does not choose to go with the selegiline (if he happens to be one of those pdocs that thinks that any MAOi (especially one he's never heard of likely) is the last line of defense before ECT) or a similiarly non-sedating choice, that I should find another Pdoc?
>
> Also, I can see the logic in not telling the doc my drug history on the 1st few visits, but if I were to, why would that lead him to believe I was neurotic? Not trying to disagree with you, just trying to follow the line of thought.
>
> Thanks,
> JG
poster:JohnX
thread:81980
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011015/msgs/82067.html