I'm finally going to do it but don't know how!

[PussInHeels]

That's why if his approach does not help them, they are free to walk out his office and step into a psychiatrists office, just like I did not get help from psychiatrists and having freely chosen to see a psychologist for a change! You are so extreme and closed minded sometimes it amazes me. You probably think chiropractors are a bunch of voodoo doctors too yet many patients get help from them after the medications their doctors prescribed didn't do sh%% for them.

The medical community sometimes has a way of "shunning" its competitors. Look, whatever works best for you, you go for it. No one can tell you the best way to help yourself but you. I wish you lots of luck

[alphamale]

So if there are 2 approaches to mental therapy, one being through medication and the other by getting advice to change behavior,

there's a third one sister....doing both at the same time.

[Fun2BMe]

there's a third one sister....doing both at the same time.

 

Medication on me has the result of being passive and not feeling any deep emotions, whether it be happiness or unhappiness. I am in a state of zombieness. If I was very emotional and on the verge of killing myself, yes I would get medication then seek verbal therapy. But I know that the medication will make me passive as a person and I won't get as much out of the therapy that I really desperately need right now. I think I should get the therapy without being under the influence of mind altering medication so that I can get the help I need for the self that I am. In the future if I find that the therapy has not helped or I feel I have gained enough from it that I can incorporate medication to numb down my hurtful feelings, I will be more than open to incorporate the meds. I just think I've tried it in the past and at this exact point in time I need to try it without. But I agree with you that it can be a very useful and helpful thing to drug our problems away. I am tempted to do it the fast and easy way but I want to try it naturally for once, with a professional who has had a lot of success doing it.

 

Back to my original question, is not whether or not to get help but how to seek it. What to say when I call. I guess I'll figure it out. I got some great great feedback here though as far as just telling him I'm not feeling so good and leaving it to him to ask the questions instead of stressing over what reasons to provide to him and so on. So thanks, I think I got the tools now, just need the courage to follow through with it.

[norajane]

Medication on me has the result of being passive and not feeling any deep emotions, whether it be happiness or unhappiness. I am in a state of zombieness. If I was very emotional and on the verge of killing myself, yes I would get medication then seek verbal therapy. But I know that the medication will make me passive as a person and I won't get as much out of the therapy that I really desperately need right now. I think I should get the therapy without being under the influence of mind altering medication so that I can get the help I need for the self that I am. In the future if I find that the therapy has not helped or I feel I have gained enough from it that I can incorporate medication to numb down my hurtful feelings, I will be more than open to incorporate the meds. I just think I've tried it in the past and at this exact point in time I need to try it without. But I agree with you that it can be a very useful and helpful thing to drug our problems away. I am tempted to do it the fast and easy way but I want to try it naturally for once, with a professional who has had a lot of success doing it.

 

Back to my original question, is not whether or not to get help but how to seek it. What to say when I call. I guess I'll figure it out. I got some great great feedback here though as far as just telling him I'm not feeling so good and leaving it to him to ask the questions instead of stressing over what reasons to provide to him and so on. So thanks, I think I got the tools now, just need the courage to follow through with it.

 

Good for you! That's one of the most self-aware and positive statements I've ever heard from you. I'm really so happy for you that you are taking control of your life.

 

Don't worry about what to say when you call. I don't think he's going to ask a whole lot of questions on the phone - that's what your first session will be about, so he can get a feel for where your issues lie. You're just calling to make an appointment.

[PussInHeels]

there's a third one sister....doing both at the same time.

You have to recognize that medication is not needed in all psychological cases, and to knowingly prescribe a patient an unneeded psychiatric medication is unethical. A good psychiatrist won't prescribe meds when other measures can be taken. If those measures fail, then sure, try other options. But psych meds aren't like tylenol. Some of them can have nasty side effects, so you don't go throwing them around if it isn't necessary.

[PussInHeels]

Back to my original question, is not whether or not to get help but how to seek it. What to say when I call. I guess I'll figure it out. I got some great great feedback here though as far as just telling him I'm not feeling so good and leaving it to him to ask the questions instead of stressing over what reasons to provide to him and so on. So thanks, I think I got the tools now, just need the courage to follow through with it.

 

*lends some courage* I'll be needing that back though...

[alphamale]

A good psychiatrist won't prescribe meds when other measures can be taken.

F2Bm already said multiple shrinks prescirbed meds for her. so the all these highly educated doctors are wrong?? I doubt it. Most good shrinks won't prescribe meds unless its needed. Malpractice suits are not fun and be quite expensive.

[Fun2BMe]

F2Bm already said multiple shrinks prescirbed meds for her. so the all these highly educated doctors are wrong?? I doubt it. Most good shrinks won't prescribe meds unless its needed. Malpractice suits are not fun and be quite expensive.

 

This is an unscientific statement with no proof and not saying there are exceptions, but do you know of a single person who has gone to see a psychiatrist who has not been prescribed a medication? I honestly don't. In fact the first time I went to see one was in college when I was stressed out with finals and felt I was about to shut down. I was prescribed medication on the spot (ROLLING MY EYES REALLY BIG TIME). When I told the psychiatrist I didn't want the prescription, she said I was refusing treatment and could no longer see me! I just wanted someone to talk to, who could give me a coping mechanism.

[PussInHeels]

F2Bm already said multiple shrinks prescirbed meds for her. so the all these highly educated doctors are wrong?? I doubt it. Most good shrinks won't prescribe meds unless its needed. Malpractice suits are not fun and be quite expensive.

I said knowingly. Neither I or you are aware of F2Bm's psychiatric profile, so we can not say whether or not those doctors were wrong. There is a difference between prescribing a medication erroneously and prescribing one that can help but doesn't. And if F2Bm has tried meds and she doesn't feel good about them, then that is her prerogative , and no one has to question it unless she is making an incompetent decision that places herself or others in danger.

[PussInHeels]

And I wasn't meaning to imply that all psychiatrists prescribe meds when they shouldn't be. There is a push for overprescription, but for the most part, psychiatrists are good people and want to do their jobs well. What I am trying to say is that not every case that comes to a psychiatrist warrants medication, and these people are often dealt with using therapy alone.

[PussInHeels]

This is an unscientific statement with no proof and not saying there are exceptions, but do you know of a single person who has gone to see a psychiatrist who has not been prescribed a medication? I honestly don't. In fact the first time I went to see one was in college when I was stressed out with finals and felt I was about to shut down. I was prescribed medication on the spot (ROLLING MY EYES REALLY BIG TIME). When I told the psychiatrist I didn't want the prescription, she said I was refusing treatment and could no longer see me! I just wanted someone to talk to, who could give me a coping mechanism.

 

You said you have Zoloft...since you started medication, a psychiatrist is going to look at your history and try to modify things on top of your past treatment. Technically, you shouldn't just stop taking Zoloft, you should be weaned off, and a doctor is going to try to honor that (although I stopped taking it because i couldn't afford it, and I was fine, but that's me (please no one take this as advice)). If you honestly don't want to deal with the meds anymore, and you just want to talk, I think you made a good decision.

[Fun2BMe]

To clarify, i've been off of meds for over a year if not longer. I keep them just in case, sometimes I feel it's only a matter of time until I resort back to them, which might be the case. I just am open to a different type of treatment for now, even though to be honest I am tempted to take the zoloft and in recent months have seriously contemplated it.

[PussInHeels]

To clarify, i've been off of meds for over a year if not longer.

Do you feel as if you've been able to improve without the meds? If you feel the same or better, medication probably won't make that much of a difference in your case. I'm not saying it definitely won't help, but if you've been off it for a year and functional, there's probably cheaper alternatives to solve your problems. Seriously I'm just telling it like it is as a patient and someone in the health care field...I love psychiatry, but I'm being honest.

[PussInHeels]

To clarify, i've been off of meds for over a year if not longer. I keep them just in case, sometimes I feel it's only a matter of time until I resort back to them, which might be the case. I just am open to a different type of treatment for now, even though to be honest I am tempted to take the zoloft and in recent months have seriously contemplated it.

Then you may come to a point where you would like to take the zoloft again. You can try in lower doses just to make things a little easier. That's no reason to feel like you can't have someone to talk to though.

 

Gotta go eat. If you can do it without meds, good for you. If you decide to go back on them, there's nothing wrong with that. The important things is that you get what you need out of your treatment. Good luck!

[norajane]

To clarify, i've been off of meds for over a year if not longer. I keep them just in case, sometimes I feel it's only a matter of time until I resort back to them, which might be the case. I just am open to a different type of treatment for now, even though to be honest I am tempted to take the zoloft and in recent months have seriously contemplated it.

 

 

Don't medicate yourself !

 

Maybe Zoloft was the wrong anti-depressant for you and that's why it made you feel numb. Maybe it's the wrong dosage.

 

If you're going to start taking drugs, then go to psychiatrist after all!!! You should not be playing doctor with those drugs - you need a doctor to monitor the effects.

[crazy_grl]

I agree with this but as more research is done we're finding out that many mental and psycholgical problems are medically based...

 

try "talk therapy" on a paranoid schizophrenic...

 

FYI alpha, there's research available that suggests treating patients with the correct vitamins can cure schizophrenia. Unfortunately, there's no money in that for the pharmaceutical companies, so there's no money to fund the research necessary to explore it. There was an article on this in either Scientific American or Discover, I can't remember which one.

[Ssheena]

Anyways, back to the topic here for a sec.

 

Just call him up and say that you would like to set up a meeting with him to talk about how things are going for you now in your life. He should honor the patient/doctor confidenciality part and it won't matter to him if you and he share acquaintences. If this is something that you have been thinking about for awhile (and it seems it is) go ahead and make the call. You have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. Obviously there are things going on for you that you feel you need help with. Go get it!

BTW, I did go see a psychiatrist once that did not prescribe drugs for me. Granted it was a looooonnnnng time ago (like the early 80's) but still.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Fun2BMe]

Here's an update. I finally called him about an hour ago directly to his cell phone. I was introduced to him with my nic-name and like I said that was my only time meeting him so it's not like we know each other. He picked up immediately before a whole ring answering with "Who am I speaking with?" Not even a hello. I said my name is so and so. He didn't say anything, so I said is this Dr. so and so? His response was that he was in the middle of a session and that he'd call me back and hung up! I am assuming he had my number from my caller ID, but I feel rejected in a way, after working myself up to call He hasn't called back and I feel stupid to call again. Maybe he didn't recognize it was me from our one meeting as I gave him my full legal name on the phone. However, I had left him a message at his office before with my full name so I have a feeling he did know who I was, yet is not getting back to me after he himself gave me his cell when we met in person to make sure I would have immediate access to him. So what am I supposed to do????????

 

It was strange because also my bf called again after I had been avoiding him. He left a message and I finally called him after not having spoken since last Thursday and him leaving me so many messages. He was so relieved he didn't want to hang up fearing I might not talk to him for a long time. I was thinking of removing him from my life but now I'm back at square one minus the hope I was going to get help. I feel like a basket case right now.

[whichwayisup]

It may be too late tonight for him to call you back, so wait afew days...im sure he'll call tomorrow. Don't worry and don't take it personally.

 

Now, if a week goes by and he hasn't called, you can either call again or find another therapist.

[Fun2BMe]

Ok now this is strange to say the least or maybe I don't see things? Just minutes ago both my cell phone and my home phone started to ring at the same time. Both started with the area code that the therapist is at so I thought for sure it must be him. I got confused so first I answered the cell phone and said hello but remembered I had called from my home phone so quickly hung up and answered the home phone.

 

Thank goodness I felt relieved it was the therapist. He asked for my name again and then I quickly gave him my bf's name how he had introduced us and he immediately remembered me, gave me a lot of compliments and sounded nicer so that broke the ice. I then used the advice here and asked if he was currently taking new patients for therapy sessions. He said yes and if I was aware of his fees which he then told me. I said that's fine, I really needed his help. At that time my cell phone began ringing again so I had to interrupt him to turn it off. When I got back he said he couldn't talk, that he was busy at the moment.

 

I felt upset and said oh sorry for taking his time. He then said he was getting ready to leave to NY but that he would call back tonight. I said ok and we hung up. I found it strange he wouldn't spend another few minutes to schedule something. I guess I will miss my class to stay home waiting for his call? I don't know if he was offended I had to go turn off my cell phone? Does he have to talk to my bf to make sure he wants to take me on as a patient? If he's so busy and has me on the line, why wouldn't he schedule me right away? This is getting stranger and making me feel like I'm not important enough for even a therapist to see. I don't get it.

 

But it does feel good that I have taken a step forward today when only yesterday I had decided not to.

[whichwayisup]

I guess I will miss my class to stay home waiting for his call?

No, you let the answering machine answer it. Don't put your life on hold just for a therapist to call you back.

 

You're thinking too much and making things spin out of control...He may not have had his schedule with him, so he couldn't book an appt with you. Don't assume the worst!

 

You're on the right path going to therapy, so that's a good thing!

[norajane]

Does he have to talk to my bf to make sure he wants to take me on as a patient? If he's so busy and has me on the line, why wouldn't he schedule me right away? This is getting stranger and making me feel like I'm not important enough for even a therapist to see. I don't get it.

 

NO, he is absolutely not checking with your bf. That's absurd. He probably didn't have his schedule/calendar with him when he called - he didn't know who you were and why you had called, so he wasn't prepared to schedule. Most doctors have their secretaries do the scheduling anyway.

 

Are you like this about absolotely everything in your life? When the toll booth guy looks at you funny, do you think he's pissed off at you because you didn't have exact change? If someone has to leave to catch a flight, do you automatically assume you are unimportant? I just don't understand you at all.

[Fun2BMe]

You all have been so wonderful. Thanks for all the help, advice and feedback. I feel better about it and will go to my class shortly. Can't thank you guys enough, check in later.

[crazy_grl]

Hey Fun,

Sorry I didn't respond earlier. I had written a response to your question about how to handle the call and had some distractions before I was able to send it.

 

I'm glad you gave the therapist a call.

 

I felt upset and said oh sorry for taking his time. He then said he was getting ready to leave to NY but that he would call back tonight. I said ok and we hung up. I found it strange he wouldn't spend another few minutes to schedule something. I guess I will miss my class to stay home waiting for his call? I don't know if he was offended I had to go turn off my cell phone? Does he have to talk to my bf to make sure he wants to take me on as a patient? If he's so busy and has me on the line, why wouldn't he schedule me right away? This is getting stranger and making me feel like I'm not important enough for even a therapist to see. I don't get it.

 

Stop worrying so much. You're reading into everything just like you do with your bf. Just go to class and if he calls you during, let him leave a message. You can call him back tomorrow and request to schedule an appointment.

 

But it does feel good that I have taken a step forward today when only yesterday I had decided not to.

 

Glad you're feeling better. I hope it works out. And remember, if you end up not feeling comfortable talking with him, you can always go to someone else.

[Fun2BMe]

And here is what happened. As I was leaving the house, the phone rang and it was the therapist. He scheduled me for next Monday and took his time to take all my information which I appreciated. I am nervous about going but I think since I personally committed to him I won't call to cancel or not show up as tempting as it is.

 

Tonight when the bf called I answered and told him I scheduled the appointment. He sounded happy but said that as soon as we have the session that the therapist will tell me I'm fine that I don't need anything. This was the last straw so I broke down and said I haven't been going just because of this reason that he always tells me I don't need to, and now that I made the appointment he's telling me the same thing. He said that we both know that I need serious help. This got me more upset because he always tells me that I don't and now he went from telling me I didn't to saying I seriously needed to. He said to in no way not show up and that I had to go. He kept asking what triggered my unhappiness and that was starting to bug me like he still didn't know.

 

He asked if I'd eaten and I told him I've been losing my appetite. Then he said maybe because it's that I'm not eating that I'm feeling so awful, that I should see a nutritionist. Really! I can't believe he'd say that, but I had to agree because I thought first he insists I take the appointment then is telling me it's food related so why does he think I should see the therapist. I have to at least bring that up to him tomorrow.

 

He told me to go to the grocery store tomorrow and ran down a list of stuff to buy like fresh fruits and so on. I got fed up but said maybe I should go to the store right now if there's one open late. He said didn't I want to sleep already. I mean really, I don't know what he's thinking to trivilize it. I mean isn't it that people lose their appetite because they're upset and not the other way around? At the same time I feel guilty because I am so absorbed in my emotions and taking it out on him that I am not there for him. He had emailed me a work related paper he had written this afternoon to get my feedback on it and I emailed everything as negative as possible.

 

Then tonight he reminded me that he's been working so hard that he himself hasn't been eating properly and that reminded me that I don't even ask how his work is going and how he's doing. But in the back of my head I keep imagining he is out there having fun while he's left me behind so as soon as I start to remind myself of that I start to get angry all over again. So I will see how things will turn out.