Posted by Jefff on October 21, 2002, at 23:59:06
In reply to Re: My Klonopin (Clonazepam) isnt working Alan » Jefff, posted by Alan on October 20, 2002, at 12:18:15
>> Why are you consistently smoking pot? This, as alchohol, is usually used most of the time, in the way that you describe it, for self medication. If you finally did find a doc that you felt safe admitting this to, they would still have a hard time justifying prescriptins of a bzd...but then again, if there is some way of convincing yourself AND them that you are not gong to smoke pot while at the same time taking xanax they my at least be inclined to listen.
> Smoking pot to physicians is "drug-seeking behaivour" and almost immediately disqualifies you for xanax because of your penchant to seek highs. In their minds, "potential for abuse goes way up".
> That's not to say that you want to , with the help of an open minded doc that you are willing to be monitored as to your quit seeking this high, and substitute the xanax or ativan or whatever for the pot.
> It seems entirely up to you if you are serious about confronting these issues.
> Rehabilitate off of the pot first, prove that to your doctor, and hope that you have one compassionate enough to understand that you were self-medicating with pot.
> Many AA members are successful at making the switch from the bazooka-like effect of alcohol to the lazer-like effect of bzds to treat anxiety disorder (this is the diagnosis, yes?). Or is it depression secondary to the overwhelming anxiety?
>
> AlanAlan,
At my final visit with my Dr a couple weeks ago I asked him what my official diagnosis was.
He claimed this:
#1-Dysthymia...(which IMO is wrong as I dont have "MILD depression", I have life long, never ending moderate to severe depression which fluctuates in intensity).
#2- Social Phobia...(which IMO Id say was more like severe social anxiety along with general anxiety over many different things (perhaps GAD).
#3- Schizoid personality disorder... (which I may or may not be... but it does sound like I am when I read the online diagnosis. The actual term sounds pretty scary/crazy and not something Id like to admit to too many people).
#4-Body Dysmorphic disorder... (which again, I may or may not be... I tend to believe that Im not and that Im just extremely self conscious/anxiety ridden to the extreme point where I have never felt attractive or worthy enough to ever have sex/intimacy with someone Ive been attracted to. Ive never focused on one particular thing that was out of the ordinary... its always just been a conglomeration of things- such as too thin or too fator not toned enough or the acne or this or that.)
Regarding the pot issue, yes Im definitely self medicating with the pot. Its all I have to keep me from going crazy (can you imagine going through your whole life with those mental issues PLUS being only 33 years old and having spent the past seven years inside a very small house completely isolated from the entire world- aside from your cats, roomate and shrink?)
No way in hell Id tell my new (or old) shrink about the pot. Sure, Id gladly quit smoking it if I had no need to..and honestly (which I mentioned in another post ) the few days that I had the Xanax it interestingly very much curbed my "need" to smoke the pot. But I definitely dont trust, need or want any doctor restricting or withholding beneficial medications from me just because I smoke pot.
Im wondering though if it would be a good or absolutely stupid idea to tell me new med. prescriber that I had recently sampled Xanax? If she knows that it worked for me, and that the clonazepam really isnt, wouldnt she be more willing to let me use it?
Oh God...I cant even describe how much I resent and hate having my sanity/mental health regulated and under the control of someone else.
Jeff
poster:Jefff
thread:124171
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021019/msgs/124623.html