Mental Health How can I talk to a psychiatrist and get the help I need about anxiety ?

[Triple-Life]

Gonna try and make this as concise as i can. When I was about 12, I started to struggle with anxiety and insomnia. I'm 17 now, and the problem has escalated more and more over the years. Recently it has been fucking unbearable. I have hysterical crying episodes and I get panic attacks every week, a lot of the time multiple times a week. Its almost impossible to talk on the phone at work because phone calls make me so nervous. When people talk with me I get so unbearably nervous that my heart starts racing and it's difficult to formulate sentences to reply to them because I feel so freaked out. I feel this turbulence all the time, like my thoughts are always spinning and my stomach is always dropping and Its like can't get one clear, rational thought through my brain a lot of the time.

In the past year, I've lost over 20 lbs because my anxiety has been so bad that I feel nauseous a lot, making it very uncomfortable to eat. And it's not like I was overweight or anything, I'm actually underweight because of it (5'5" female at approx 90 lbs now).

I've tried talk therapy with multiple doctors before and it hasn't worked for me whatsoever. In fact, I would leave the therapists office feeling shittier every time.

At this point I know I can't live like this any more. I feel like I need to see a psychiatrist and get Ativan or klonopin or something for some relief. but I don't want SSRIs because I was put on Zoloft before and it didn't help me at all and made me feel like shit pn a physical level. I know that the issue is anxiety over depression.

Now, the issue is that I don't know what to say to the psychiatrist. The last doc I went to told me that she will tell my parents about what I tell her if I appear as a danger to myself. Therefore there was no way I was going to tell her about my drug use at all (I smoke weed every day to cope with the anxiety, I had a long love affair with adderall but i havent touched it for months now and I dabble with cocaine, LSD, shrooms, MDMA, and Percocet). Because of this and the fact that i get very good grades in school, she didn't think i had much of a problem or that I needed medication, even when I told her about the frequent panic attacks amongst many other issues. I also didn't want to tell her about my drug use cause I feel like she'd be less likely to give me the meds I need cause I'd be at risk for addiction or something.

Right now I'm at a loss. I cant function normally. I feel fucking powerless to the anxiety and like I'm living through hell every day. What can I say to a psychiatrist (without them telling my parents about anything that I say) in order to get the help that I need?

 

[drscience]

Tell the psychiatrist about the physical symptoms of anxiety you are having, (ie:hyperventilating, chest pains, restless legs, racing thoughts etc...)

Thats about all I know to tell you :/

 

[Triple-Life]

What about if they ask me about my drug use? Like, how much can I get away with saying without them thinking I'm a danger to myself or at risk of benzo addiction?

 

[ArtVandalay]

Maybe cut out the weed. I've suffered from anxiety since I was around your age. I self medicated for years with weed until I realized it was just making the anxiety worse. I so understand your love of adderall and perc's. Opiates and amphetemine's calmed my anxiety so well. I too had bad effects from SSRI's, made me manic. They prob will give you an SSRI and small script for klonopin or xanax. But they won't give you a big supply. And my advice is not to rely on benzos anyhow. I've finally got a handle on my anxiety- therapy, exercise, yoga, routine, NA- helps me. Try the first three, they may help.

 

[T. Calderone]

I will ask you something, have you ever attempted suicide? I don't know why your doctor felt the urgency to speak with your parents unless you presented a danger to yourself. Are you still a minor?

I would not continue with taking drugs that are not prescribed to you or like Art said, cut out the weed. It can make your anxiety so much worse. You need to tell the psychiatrist what your symptoms are. I remember once being in your shoes working in an office, answering 8 lines and becoming very stressed. That in itself is difficult, having to keep putting people on hold trying to answer their queries.

I also had insomnia from an early age, elementary school. I would wake up in the middle of the night unable to sleep and go to the basement and watch tv. During the day I was lethargic as a result. I still have this problem that I cannot sleep for more than 3-4 hours tops. You can talk to the doctor and tell him/her what you've experienced and how it effects you.

Let the doctor decide what to prescribe. Don't write off certain SSRI's because they can be very useful. It's going to be a trial and error deciding what works for you and working it out. It may not happen overnight, but see what they recommend. Wish you luck!

 

[weekend addiction]

I think its probably pretty trick to get benzos. But there are things like Vistoril and other alternatives that get prescribed more easily. If you don't think the doc is helping you get another doc. And I agree with the last poster don't decide what you think will work. I decided that Vistoril wouldn't work for me. But after I heard several people I respected attest I have to say it did help some I tried it again. I needed a lot more than Vistoril but still wouldn't turn down a script. I might even ask for it for as needed sleep next time I see the doc.

Dont take seroquel for anxiety though thats crazy.

 

[Pretty_Diamonds]

To get any type of medication, you'll need to go through several sessions with the same therapist so they can validate your symptoms, make sure you're not lying, a danger to yourself or others, you have to sit through several talk sessions. You'll need to build a relationship with your psychologist--they're not just handing out scripts to everyone with a sad story.

 

[treezy z]

try something less addictive first like gabapentin maybe. benzos alone won't fix your anxiety problems and overused will make them worse. also stop smoking weed as stated above, that alone could fix the problem.

 

[bukweat]

Trust me, the benzos create an anxiety that is all their own. There ave been many good options given already. The weed is just to unpredictable to be a good anxiolytic. Go with the exercise and give yourself some rewards occasionally.

 

[heartgann]

Then see a psychiatrist. You know in yourself that you need help so it is better to make an appointment to a psychiatrist in order to help you through. You are also not allowed to take any medication because you need to seek the help of an expert.

 

[Believable]

My anxiety used to be pretty bad, but it's gotten a little better. I would recommend seeing a psychologist in addition to a psychiatrist so that you can openly talk about whatever you want to get off of your mind. I didn't think there was any value in it for a while, until I realized that I felt better after opening up. I used to tell him about all of my eccentricities and problems and he would give me feedback. It's of great value to hear what someone has to say about your life and issues within it, because then you can reflect on their reactions. It's hard for me to explain how it helped, but it's almost like I carry him with me and still talk to him about everything. Being honest with someone if priceless, whether you are sharing positive or negative things. If therapy doesn't help, maybe a psychiatrist can diagnose you and treat your symptoms, but be careful with those medications as well. Communication is key.

 

[ad lib]

The best thing that you can do to get the help you need from your psychiatrist is to be honest with them about what you are experiencing.

We cannot tell you what to say to your doctor in order to get a benzodiazepine prescription. Bluelight does not allow for discussions of the sort. Please review the Bluelight User Agreement (BLUA). Since this thread can go in the direction of "what do I tell my doctor so I can get a benzodiazepine prescription?", I am going to close it.

Please feel free to PM myself or any other Recovery Support moderator if you have any further questions.