Going to see a psychiatrist for the first time.

[Black Rabbit of Inle]

I finally got to see a doctor that would listen to me and gave me a referral to a psychiatrist to try and get back on anxiety meds. I've never been to one before due to anxiety around telling somebody what's going on in my life. Should I be completely honest with them (eg. drug use, why I've been off meds for almost 2 years)? Should I also be able to tell them what I don't want to be prescribed, or should I act dumb and take whatever they give me?

I don't want them to see me as someone who won't take their advice/medications because 'I know what's best', but I also don't want to be medicated and turned into a zombie. I am trying to get my life back on track after a long period of being too anxious to leave the house most days.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[mal3volent]

I know what you mean. I've had similar experiences. I think if you mention your drug use they will be less inclined to prescribe you a medication with any potential for abuse, even if that medication would be more beneficial to you. Personally, I dont like psychiatrists because they are expensive and I hate the feeling of knowing Im on the clock so to speak, that some other bastard is waiting outside the door and the doctor would really like to move along because they have a tight schedule. For an anxious person like me thats not a good situation at all.

BUT I think its at least worth a shot. Try it once and see what happens. Theres got to be a few good ones out there who wont judge you and will take what you say seriously as far as your concerns about your meds and so on. Not being able to leave the house is shit. All the best and good luck.

 

[T. Calderone]

I had a good psych doctor I started seeing back in the 90's. I was reluctant to tell him about drug use even though it was just weed. So this went on for years, all different sorts of antidepressants. See if this works and next appointment in 2 months. Once I started the pain clinics to get opiates I avoided him but eventually had to come clean. I had been his patient for more than 12 years and he put me on suboxone. I wish I could afford to go back and see him but no longer have proper insurance.

 

[Pagey]

Be honest. I told my psychiatrist about my past drug use so it's pretty clear I'm never gonna be prescribed benzos again but it's for the best. It's really always better to be honests with therapists of all kind.
Don't worry, I'm sure it'll go fine. Don't be put off if the approach is rather direct and clinical.

 

[RobotRipping]

absolutely do not be honest if you want decent care. I have benzo/opiate addict on my records and it's a struggle to get anything even though i legitimately need stuff. It's taken me over 2 years to get 8 5mg valiums/month. Be honest about everything else but just don't talk about drug use.

Generally playing stupid is best, some doctors really like someone intelligent and informed, others are dicks and think they know everything. Just feel them out. I'm not trying to advise you to get drugs from a doctor but rather have the best chance at adequate treatment.

 

[mrflowers00]

if you want anti anxiety meds don't tell them about your drug use and if you know that on anti anxiety med works better than the others let them know that

 

[cj]

I would not mention drug use. It will just make getting treatment harder for you.

 

[Pagey]

absolutely do not be honest if you want decent care. I have benzo/opiate addict on my records and it's a struggle to get anything even though i legitimately need stuff. It's taken me over 2 years to get 8 5mg valiums/month. Be honest about everything else but just don't talk about drug use.

Generally playing stupid is best, some doctors really like someone intelligent and informed, others are dicks and think they know everything. Just feel them out. I'm not trying to advise you to get drugs from a doctor but rather have the best chance at adequate treatment.

Absolutely do not agree (sorry dude). If you've had problems with drugs you need to tell about them specifically SO you can get decent care! Yeah it sucks when you want them if they won't prescribe them but they're usually right in not doing so because the risk for relapse can be so high.
I know it's a very, VERY good thing in the end I wasn't put back on benzos, it never could have ended well, no matter how much I wish he'd given me some.

 

[motherofearth]

Were you addicted to benzos in the past? If so, I would probably discuss it. If not, then I'd not mention it unless it is a contributor to your anxiety today.

Also, objecting to a drug due to a negative experience in the past is fine. Avoid asking for specific drugs since it is indicative of drug seeking behavior.

 

[RobotRipping]

Absolutely do not agree (sorry dude). If you've had problems with drugs you need to tell about them specifically SO you can get decent care! Yeah it sucks when you want them if they won't prescribe them but they're usually right in not doing so because the risk for relapse can be so high.
I know it's a very, VERY good thing in the end I wasn't put back on benzos, it never could have ended well, no matter how much I wish he'd given me some.

i see your point but ever since i got that shit on my file i get nothing and drs do not trust me. I don't go to the doctor to get drugs to get high (i can do that myself). I've gone to the ER in benzo withdrawals, for panic attacks and got nothing whatsoever. My gf goes in there for the same reasons and clean record, she gets full benzo prescriptions. You just don't want to shoot yourself in the foot in case there's a time you seriously need the meds. If you have drug seeker on your file and in 10 years you get into an accident and need pain meds then you are fucked, same if you end up with panic disorder. I'm not saying be dishonest so you can get prescribed drugs to get high. IME it did not work to my advantage, i went with the honesty is the best policy and it completely fucked me over.

 

[Jean-Paul]

i would not tell them anything if you don't have to.

most of my drug history is self-medicating related, and they don't know if it's the chicken or the egg or what you can handle, etc.

i was never addicted to benzos, so i have that going for me. it's in my history that i was on heroin, however.

i did not ask for benzos the first time i was given them. that's one thing i have going for me.

if you sound too educated, it can be bad for you and you might end up being given shit that won't work for you.

i've seen lots and lots of psychiatrists and only one has known about my drug history and just asked me what worked for me.

since you can't say "my old psych gave me this", i wouldn't get into it.

though you did say this was first time but also that you had been on them before?

 

[Jean-Paul]

Absolutely do not agree (sorry dude). If you've had problems with drugs you need to tell about them specifically SO you can get decent care! Yeah it sucks when you want them if they won't prescribe them but they're usually right in not doing so because the risk for relapse can be so high.
I know it's a very, VERY good thing in the end I wasn't put back on benzos, it never could have ended well, no matter how much I wish he'd given me some.

you know, that's true in most cases, but not with all. just like the doctor doesn't (always) know what's best, recovering addicts don't necessarily know what's best either.

not everyone is going to go out and relapse on whatever their drug of choice is once they get one other kind of narcotic in their system. these drugs are classified as psychiatric for a reason. note: morphine is not used to treat anxiety and benzos are not handed out in place of hydrocodone.
the goal is to be functional here, not high.

 

[Pagey]

you know, that's true in most cases, but not with all. just like the doctor doesn't (always) know what's best, recovering addicts don't necessarily know what's best either.

not everyone is going to go out and relapse on whatever their drug of choice is once they get one other kind of narcotic in their system. these drugs are classified as psychiatric for a reason. note: morphine is not used to treat anxiety and benzos are not handed out in place of hydrocodone.
the goal is to be functional here, not high.

I'm certainly not saying every recovering addict would necessarily relapse or get addicted to another drug, just that the risk is high and it's not a risk I would take. I dunno. I'm basing this entirely on personal experience of course, it's just that in any case drugs prescribed by psychiatrists are rarely long-term solutions anyway, so if they're only going to help you for abit and then you're going to have to learn to deal with things alone in any case, I think it might be better to skip the drugs altogether.
I do know they can be extremely helpful sometimes. FOr instance I broke my hand a couple weeks ago punching a wall (which I then re-punched about 10 times once it was already broken) which I'm sure wouldn't have happened had I benzos at hand but still...the odds for relapse are just too high. And as I said, no matter your condition you're gonna have to learn to deal with it sober eventually, drugs aren't a permanent solution.

i see your point but ever since i got that shit on my file i get nothing and drs do not trust me. I don't go to the doctor to get drugs to get high (i can do that myself). I've gone to the ER in benzo withdrawals, for panic attacks and got nothing whatsoever. My gf goes in there for the same reasons and clean record, she gets full benzo prescriptions. You just don't want to shoot yourself in the foot in case there's a time you seriously need the meds. If you have drug seeker on your file and in 10 years you get into an accident and need pain meds then you are fucked, same if you end up with panic disorder. I'm not saying be dishonest so you can get prescribed drugs to get high. IME it did not work to my advantage, i went with the honesty is the best policy and it completely fucked me over.

I do agree with your point there though, that if they do know about your past drug use they can be highly discriminative if you do need them one day. But it's also not because you mention a past addiction to your psychiatrist that you're necessarily going to be fucked over like that - I told my doctor when I was addicted to xanax so that he'd help me with it and I still got prescribed oxy a few months later.
Some of it may depend on where you live and also just the way you present it and the severity of your past drug use I guess.

I'm just worried that if the OP isn't honest it could come back and bite him eventually.

 

[Jean-Paul]

I'm certainly not saying every recovering addict would necessarily relapse or get addicted to another drug, just that the risk is high and it's not a risk I would take. I dunno. I'm basing this entirely on personal experience of course, it's just that in any case drugs prescribed by psychiatrists are rarely long-term solutions anyway, so if they're only going to help you for abit and then you're going to have to learn to deal with things alone in any case, I think it might be better to skip the drugs altogether.
I do know they can be extremely helpful sometimes. FOr instance I broke my hand a couple weeks ago punching a wall (which I then re-punched about 10 times once it was already broken) which I'm sure wouldn't have happened had I benzos at hand but still...the odds for relapse are just too high. And as I said, no matter your condition you're gonna have to learn to deal with it sober eventually, drugs aren't a permanent solution.

i was also thinking about how fucked up my particular case is, and how it probably isn't relatable even to most people with anxiety issues. i defend the need for them because i need them myself, but it's definitely not the first solution you jump into or solution unless a lot of potential or future problems is still better than the alternative.

 

[chrisalt]

I hope it does more for you then it has done for me. I have been going 7.5 years now and it hasn't done much for me. Give it a good honest shot though. You never know it could work wonders for you.

 

[Black Rabbit of Inle]

Thanks guys.

I know what you mean about being discriminated against. I don't think I have ever gotten drug user put on my file but I still get discriminated against when trying to get decent pain meds from any doctor. I have a legitimate need for them and they still only prescribe anti-inflammatorys or paracetamol.

I was prescribed valium by my doctor a few years ago and after 1 1/2 years on them he stopped the script and advised me to go see a psych before he'd prescribe me any more. I was never addicted to them, but I did abuse them when I moved states and was in a bad place. I'd eat a bottle (50 tablets x 5mg) and drink a bottle or two of vodka in one night.

I only need to see the psychiatrist once to confirm that I have a genuine anxiety disorder and then my doctor takes over my prescriptions. I will be going to a psychologist for behavioral therapy though afterwards.

 

[michael]

i discussed everything with my last therapist. i just would never have signed a release for him to speak to any of my doctors. HIPPA prevented him from discussing my drug use with them. 'addict/user' would not have followed me anywhere.