• The Dark Side 💕 Welcome Guest 💕
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Notable Threads Urgent Hotlines
    Bereavement Mindfulness
    Suicide Support Anger Management
  • TDS Moderators: AlphaMethylPhenyl | paranoid android

Psychiatrist

pk.

pk.

Bluelighter
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
1,833
I went and saw my psychiatrist today in regards to my anxiety issues. To make this short, basically I am constantly in a state of anxiety, even at home - I can't sleep properly, I'm losing weight, I have racing thoughts and to try and combat this I drink alcohol, smoke weed and take codeine tablets. Despite all of this my psychiatrist will not prescribe me benzodiazepines, even when I have been prescribed it before and have found it effective in treating my condition and at stopping me from taking "harder" illegal drugs; basically he would rather me take illegal substances, or more adversely-affecting drugs (alcohol), over a legal one. He kept trying to put me on SSRI's, I've already tried two different ones and explained how I found them ineffective and the side-effects unpleasant. Additionally, to add insult to injury, he recommended me to do a 'free anxiety program' on the internet... he literally handed me a piece of paper with the website scribbled on it as a solution to my problem. Anyway, how would you deal with this situation?
 
Go find another psychiatrist. Seriously- that one is not doing you any favors. Do some research and find out who in your area is expert at panic and anxiety disorder, book an appointment and go talk to them. Be honest and explain your problems but don't ask for drugs. Just tell them that you left your last psych because they kept trying to get you to take anti depressants and you are NOT depressed. Go thru all the various side effects and then detail your anxiety symptoms. If that doc thinks you can be helped by other meds, he'll try you on things until you find something that works for you. That's how they are supposed to do it anyway....
 
I am moving this over to the dark side, as we dont allow drug related topics of any kind in SO.

But PK, I think you should keep in mind how dangerous a drug Benzos are. I know you said you find relief with them, but you have to understand that many doctors are trying not to give them out because they are more addictive in the physical sense than most any other drugs.
 
Dude benzos are going to make your problems so much worse, at first it will seem like a miracle cure. Over time your anxiety will end up so much worse seriously.

Benzos aren't the answer. It really does seem like you are convinced only drugs can help your anxiety.

Goodluck dude.
 
weed + codeine = massive anxiety for me, maybe think about cutting those out. Alcohol causes rebound anxiety as well, so not doing you any favors there either. I'd just go try the stupid free anxiety course, what have you got to lose? Then go back to the doctor and tell him you did everything he asked and then he'll probably be more willing to do what you want. It took me forever to get prescribed benzos and after all that trouble they don't even help my anxiety any more.

If you are personally trying to make a huge difference in your life and really fight the anxiety and change your self, I think doctors can see that and are more willing to help you out.
 
Find a good therapist that specializes in anxiety. Benzos do help, but not in the long term. By utilizing skills you learn in therapy, you'll be much better able to cope with your anxiety. I was given benzos and therapy and now I'm looking at hell when I decide it's time to get off the benzos. I'm wishing I never got on them to begin with, honestly. Ask your psychiatrist for a recommendation for a good therapist and you'll gain a lot more than you would from benzos.
 
Benzos have a real dark side to them. I've been perscribed 1.5mg of clonazapam per day for the last 4 months. I would say for the first month it worked great, but now a lot of my anxiety is back, and the clonazapam only offers a modicum of relief and unpleasantly clouds my thinking. If you're going to use benzos for anxiety, I'd highly recommend against daily use; use them only during acute episodes of anxiety. But, it takes a lot of discipline to only use benzos "as needed."

Have you checked out Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)? It can be extremely helpful. I've also found a disciplined exercise regiment and diet to be just as helpful as medication. Not to mention basic talk therapy and meditation. My point is, there are tons of strategies to manage anxiety besides going straight to meds. Medication may be necessary in the end, but don't make the decision lightly. I did, and now I really regret it.
 
I deal with the same thing, constant anxiety, also to the point where I lose a lot of weight and even more sleep. So I know what you're going through, and I hope you find a good solution really soon! This isn't going to be what you want to hear, but I have to agree with everybody else here - benzo's aren't the answer when it comes to chronic anxiety. They're better suited for someone who has the occasional panic or anxiety attack. They most definitely should NOT be used to treat constant anxiety. You're just asking for a benzo addiction in that type of situation, and if it gets to that point, trust me when I say that it is NOT safer than alcohol. Benzos are just as dangerous and the withdrawals are just as bad.

I think you could benefit from finding another psychiatrist, preferably one who specializes either in EMDR or Timeline therapy. If those are too extreme for you, you should try CBT. I know you need medication to help you in the meantime, so I would suggest Neurontin in lieu of benzos. I've found IMMENSE relief with that stuff. It doesn't give you that "warm fuzzy" feeling that benzos do, but I've found that it manages my anxiety a whole lot better... and as an added bonus, it doesn't have that horrendous rebound anxiety benzos are so famous for. :)
 
Sounds like you have a real dick for a psychiatrist. There are a lot of doctors that are not empathetic or compassionate enough to prescribe you something that may help you for fear of the DEA coming knocking on there doors.

If I were you I'd remain persistent and resolute no matter how set in his ways he/she may seem. Don't back off or quit just because he is unwilling to script you a benzo right now. You will need patience though as you'll probably have to go through a number of SSRI's (that never do shit, anyways) before he may begin thinking of prescribing you a benzo. You might even get some Buspar or trazodone to try, who knows. But no matter what happens don't quit. Remind him everytime you see him of just how bad your anxiety levels are. Eventually he'll cave in and probably prescribe you a small dose to take daily. Maybe a 0.5 mg clonazepam taken once daily as it is long acting or something similar. If you get a benzo, always take the lowest effective dose because tolerance builds up quick and it's a real bitch. Don't increase your dose unless you absolutely have to to get anxiety relief and tell the doctor about the increase so that he can give you the right amount of meds to last you a month.

Don't quit, be persistent. You are suffering and he is your doctor - it is his job to make sure you are comfortable. If he continues with his nonsense just tell him to screw off and go find a more compassionate and understanding psychiatrist.

BTW, although benzos are great for anxiety and panic attacks they come with a high risk of addiction potential. I have been on benzos (scripted) for 8 years now (but I've been doing benzos for over 12 years). I started off with diazepam, then to prazepam and now I've been on alprazolam for the past 5 years. I am totally dependent on benzos and withdrawals are horrible. So although they certainly have their benefits, they also have their pitfalls. They also impair your short-term memory. I have a very bad memory because of all the years of benzo use/abuse. I also suffer tremendously when I don't have any. The thought of running out and not having any is very scary to me. So as you can see, they have their problems too. It's true that you can always taper down slowly and quit like that, but that is easier said then done. Still, I truly believe the benefits outweigh the risks, especially if you suffer from the type of anxiety that I do.

Best of luck to you man!
 
Last edited:
Metaphormidable said:
Go find another psychiatrist. Seriously- that one is not doing you any favors. Do some research and find out who in your area is expert at panic and anxiety disorder, book an appointment and go talk to them. Be honest and explain your problems but don't ask for drugs. Just tell them that you left your last psych because they kept trying to get you to take anti depressants and you are NOT depressed. Go thru all the various side effects and then detail your anxiety symptoms. If that doc thinks you can be helped by other meds, he'll try you on things until you find something that works for you. That's how they are supposed to do it anyway....
Click to expand...

Anti-depressants treat anxiety too.

I've seen benzos mess people up very badly psychologically. I really think they're an unhealthy way to deal with anxiety. My one friend finally got off them, and is now an alcoholic who doesn't leave his house because he never learned to deal with his anxiety in any other way.

I used to have severe panic attacks. Quit drinking and never took benzos.

I know that's not what the OP wants to hear though.
 
After my psychotic episode I was prescribed .5mg clonozapam for a couple months. It helped get me back to baseline. I too suffer from anxiety- horrible at times- and after awhile, the klonopin didn't help. Made me so forgetful.

Stay away from the weed and alcohol. Develop a healthy routine- exercise, eat right, work, sleep.

And like it's a baby said, you might consider anti-depressants (though they don't work for me).

Anxiety is a bitch, I feel for you.
 
pk. said:
He kept trying to put me on SSRI's,
Click to expand...


yep, I think anyone could be a psychiatrist these days, all you need is an account with glaxo smith kline, a prescription pad pre-printed with SSRI's and a bank account for the pharmaceutical company to pay you bonus into, these people are fucking shocking, They would wear a white coat to work if they thought they could get away with it.

Fuck this guy off and keep looking, surely there has to be some decent therapists left.
 
Find another psychiatrist. I'd suggest not talking about your alcohol or substance use though. There are psychiatrists that may understand self medication, but many don't.

They just don't understand. When you have severe anxiety, and can't have something to calm you down, you will find ways to calm down...

SSRI's are the biggest sack of bull shit I have ever had to go through.
 
Wow, I did not expect such a large and varied response. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts, looks like I have a lot of thinking and decision making to do. If this thread is still on the first page when I sort this out I'll let you know what I decide. Thanks again BL =)
 
pk. said:
Wow, I did not expect such a large and varied response. Thank you all for sharing your thoughts, looks like I have a lot of thinking and decision making to do. If this thread is still on the first page when I sort this out I'll let you know what I decide. Thanks again BL =)
Click to expand...

Yeah dude I don't know what your anxiety is like but I've been dealing with mine with talk-therapy and what works for me is consistently doing things that make me anxious. Just simple things like returning books to the public library on foot by myself (my anxious side will be like "what if a wasp stings me?! what if I look weird?! etc.") the more consistently you do that the more that anxious side just starts to sound silly and gets quieted down.
 
Honestly, from what I gather, psychiatrists that are hesitant to prescribe benzos usually care more about their patients than those who would do it more readily. I don't think he's trying to insult you by offering an alternative to solving your anxiety. That's just my hunch.

I would ask him straight up how he feels about benzodiazepines. If that's really what you want then present your case. I wouldn't be so quick to jump psychiatrists, as that can start a nasty cycle.
 
every time i read one of these threads i can't shake the feeling that the OP is just trying to rationalize a legal drug habit. in the long run therapy is going to help you far far more than being prescribed a benzo. this forum is littered with people who are sorry they went that route. try and learn a lesson from their mistakes.
 
After reading all the responses and being completely honest with myself, I have decided not to go down the path of prescription benzodiazepines. Thank you all for your input, I was extremely angry at first but have since realised that michael is indeed right with his statement, that I was just "trying to rationalise a legal drug habit." Obviously I genuinely have an anxiety issue, but taking benzos isn't a solution, but merely a band-aid to my problems.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top