Posted by Blue Cheer 1 on January 26, 2002, at 11:02:43
In reply to Last post of it's Kind.., posted by Mr. Scott on January 25, 2002, at 22:34:26
> This sums up where I'm at and asks one final time for ideas on how to proceed. Henceforth I shall restrict my posting from being so desperate like and complaint oriented and accept that life is not ever going to exist on my terms. It seems the wisdom I seek is not to be found where I seek it. And so I will bandage up my wounds and proceed onward as I always have.
Right now (in a period of acute despair and frustration) might not be the time to withdraw from seeking support. No one, including your doctors, can predict the future.
>
> Here goes..
>
> This happened a while ago, but I feel compelled to tell the story.
>
>
> I saw 4 shrinks in 6 weeks...
Seeing 4 different psychiatrists without giving them the necessary time to get to know you is a problem in itself.>
> One was known to diagnose BP II a lot (or see it where others miss it as my referring shrink put it), and he said he was diagnosing me with BP II but seemed disturbed that I never ever ever had a time in my life where I needed less sleep than usual. He said to take Depakote or Lithium, because not enough research has been done on the others for first line use. And that I can't take AD's. I tried the Depakote up to 750mg and was constipated and tired all the time...To the point where I could barely communicate. It helped a little but not much considering the side effects. I took it up to 1500mg, where I heard for the first time in my life absolutely no noise in my mind at all, yet I was conscious. I also began eating like a bear.Too many psychiatrists see what they want to see -- and proceed according to their own orientation, etc. I think it's best to avoid these types, or at least have them justify their treatment decisions. (I've experienced this many times.)
>
> Another shrink said "Take Prozac if it worked for you before" So I did and all it did was make me tired this time. Slept non-stop. He Adderall which made me overall worse. He then got as frustrated at me and started to punish me I believe with Depakote repeatedly saying my mood was unstable.
>
> Another shrink Said I have a neurological condition requiring anticonvulsants and his first choice was Dilantin which he said would "wake me up". I din't notice anything significant at all from the Dilantin.You should try to find one psychiatrist to manage all of your psychiatric care.
>
> Another shrink said I had ADD as a child and am now depressed and anxious because of it. He gave me Serzone and Provigil. Serzone made my face swell.
>
> They all ignored the fact that I had broken up with a girlfriend of 5 + years not long before that. Or even consider that I could be in Zoloft Withdrawal which I recently discontinued due to muscle pain.The psychiatrist who helped me the most over the years once told me that diagnosis is the soft underbelly of psychiatry, and that psychiatric illness is an intertwining of biological and psychological disturbances. Your break-up with your girlfriend has to have an effect on your mood. Also, psychiatry is as much of an art as it is a science, and you can't expect any drug (or combination) to be *the* answer. It might be helpful to recognize that you may never be entirely free of your "illness" and resolve to treat it the best you can -- without giving up.
>
> So in the absence of any clear consensus I decided to seek out a physician who would give me both what worked in the past or the alternative I wanted to try.
> Klonopin-Effexor-Provigil/Adrafanil-Omega 3
> But I worry a great deal one of them was right and I've missed the boat entirely, or that I've made a bad choice about the meds, and think about the withdrawal syndromes, and side effects.When you're withdrawing from a drug, it's not a good time to change doctors.
>
> Any thoughts?It sounds like you're experiencing a lot of anxiety over what's "wrong" right now, and anxiety underlies most "mental illnesses," in my opinion. So, you might try to put aside for now, undue worry and anxiety. In brief, I'd try to find one psychiatrist you're comfortable with, give him/her a chance to understand your problems in depth, and together fashion a systematic treatment plan.
Good luck, and keep your spirits up.
Blue
poster:Blue Cheer 1
thread:91632
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020124/msgs/91672.html