I don't know what to do now.

[yteek]

I've been seeing a therapist for awhile , he's a smart man to say the least but he's more of a doctor then a friend. I feel like you need a therapist that comes off more then a doctor and like a friend as well you can be comfortable with. I've been seeing him for a few years and I'm still dealing with the same severe anxiety.

Every time I go there we have a little talk, but its been not going anywhere. Lately every visit he just tells me I need to take some kind of medicine, which I told I really do not want. Maybe I do need to, I know but I don't if I want to take the risk of getting any worst or dealing with trading off for some other side effect.

I decided to take a break off for about a week or so instead of the weekly visit. I wanted to see how I would feel and I still feel like shit and wanted to see if I could deal with it on my own but I wasn't really getting anywhere. During that week, I think to myself I really don't have any technique to attempt in dealing with things...I try what I can and maybe they wouldn't work if I looked into them any further so I don't know if any therapist help that case...I kinda feel like giving up on therapy all together.

Go there today, and all he has to offer is you need medicine to help settle down your system and it wasn't even worth the 20$ I paid for the visit. Then he tells me about how once a doc I saw prescribed abilify and how he thinks that would be good...then I ask him if he thinks I'm psychotic or what even though I know it has other uses. He tells me how he'd need to talk to the psychiatrist about my past and discuss other possible diagnoses .

I think ask him about what other diagnoses, he tells me I'm not discussing that and it all its going to do is getting you thinking about that and getting all wound up..but I feel as a client, I deserve to know. I just really was turned off by that and had issues with them in the pass, I just really don't have any other options it seems. What do you all think about him not telling me about what he thinks could be another diagnoses that concerns me...doesn't seem right.

 

[flyonth3wall]

Without typing out a long reply to your post, which right now I cannot fathom the energy to do ( i'm tired and lazy lol sorry.. ), I'll just ask you a simple question - If you are not entirely satisfied with the way your Dr deals with you/your 'issues', then why don't you look into finding a new Dr who can/will provide the sort of therapy you do actually want/need?

 

[yteek]

All ready saw a few, and to just telling another therapist all over again is something I don't look forward to.

Maybe therapy isn't going to work for me, maybe I need to look farther.

What do you think about him saying he wouldn't get into what diagnoses he had in mind me?

Thats just fucked to me.

 

[Mel22]

I think you need to be honest with your therapist, whilst trying not to come across as too critical.

Advise him of how you are feeling, and perhaps you can both work together to get the therapist-client relationship to work more for you.

If this fails, then I suggest you try someone else. Whilst it can be hard to find a good therapist, once you do, they can really help you to help yourself - definitely worth it to keep trying to find someone that you click with.

Good luck.

 

[Missykins]

I apologize, but I had difficulty following your post. I think there are multiple issues that you are facing. First, you seem to have concerns about whether or not you wish to remain in therapy at this time, and second, if you choose to remain in therapy, whether or not you would continue as this doctor's patient.

I am assuming that this doctor is not a psychiatrist given the way that he responded to your question regarding Abilify. Am I correct? If your doctor (or any doctor for that matter) has questions that require consultation with a specialist, it is more than appropriate to defer a patient's questions until he or she has had the opportunity to speak with a specialist. My guess is that what your doctor was trying to do with you, delaying the answers to your questions until he could essentially do his "homework," i.e., talk to a specialist, consult a medical reference, etc. I wouldn't over-interpret it, but I would certainly discuss it with him during your next visit.

 

[yteek]

You got it basically, I just thought it was odd he wouldn't speak on possible diagnoses he though of concerning me.Its someone you tell everything won't tell you what he thinks.

He keeps telling me I need medicine and without that I'm not going to get anywhere unless my system settles down.

Its just like over the last year I rewired my brain to even have worst anxiety, I just wish I could go back.

 

[herbavore]

Hey, yteek, I think that your doctor sounds useless to you. It sounds like you need to find a therapist that actually does CBT and maybe even one that can teach you some mindfulness techniques (check this thread). Just talking doesn't really help that much and throwing drugs at you instead of talking is the antithesis of care IMO. What you need are tools that you can internalize and put to use when you need them. They are out there so don't give up! I recently was looking for someone that is skilled in EMDR and just got on the phone and started calling a few therapists that I knew of and got several referrals.

I know it sn't easy to do all the legwork to get established with someone new but if you are actually going to get useful knowledge it will be worth it. Good luck!

 

[bellablue]

All ready saw a few, and to just telling another therapist all over again is something I don't look forward to.

Maybe therapy isn't going to work for me, maybe I need to look farther.

What do you think about him saying he wouldn't get into what diagnoses he had in mind me?

Thats just fucked to me.

I had a similar issue, except my therapist moved away and I had to start all over with a new one...I got so fed up I said f*ck it and never went back...buried my anxiety and depression but now its coming back! If you feel as if he can no longer help you and keeping things from you, I would definitely tell him. Maybe look into something else other than therapy

 

[H1erophant]

It's my opinion, not that it means much, that medications might actually help you out. Is your anxiety chronic, do you have panic attacks, or do you just get anxious at certain points of the day? If it's all of the time then how could one hope to concentrate enough on finding it's root and work on dispelling it. Medications such as klonopin would reduce your anxiety level and allow you to step back from it and reflect on it and it's roots/causes then begin to work through it. But that's just my two cents on that subject. If you don't mind me asking, why are you so opposed to taking psychiatric drugs?
The only thing that I think your doctor might think you have, if your only symptom is anxiety, is possibly depression as they tend to go hand in hand. But I'm just taking a guess on that one.
By all means if you are not getting what you want out of these sessions or you just plain don't like the guy you should probably find another psychologist as these will surely be barriers to your overall goal of getting well.

 

[Groundhog]

I've been seeing a therapist for awhile , he's a smart man to say the least but he's more of a doctor then a friend. I feel like you need a therapist that comes off more then a doctor and like a friend as well you can be comfortable with. I've been seeing him for a few years and I'm still dealing with the same severe anxiety.

Every time I go there we have a little talk, but its been not going anywhere. Lately every visit he just tells me I need to take some kind of medicine, which I told I really do not want. Maybe I do need to, I know but I don't if I want to take the risk of getting any worst or dealing with trading off for some other side effect.

I decided to take a break off for about a week or so instead of the weekly visit. I wanted to see how I would feel and I still feel like shit and wanted to see if I could deal with it on my own but I wasn't really getting anywhere. During that week, I think to myself I really don't have any technique to attempt in dealing with things...I try what I can and maybe they wouldn't work if I looked into them any further so I don't know if any therapist help that case...I kinda feel like giving up on therapy all together.

Go there today, and all he has to offer is you need medicine to help settle down your system and it wasn't even worth the 20$ I paid for the visit. Then he tells me about how once a doc I saw prescribed abilify and how he thinks that would be good...then I ask him if he thinks I'm psychotic or what even though I know it has other uses. He tells me how he'd need to talk to the psychiatrist about my past and discuss other possible diagnoses .

I think ask him about what other diagnoses, he tells me I'm not discussing that and it all its going to do is getting you thinking about that and getting all wound up..but I feel as a client, I deserve to know. I just really was turned off by that and had issues with them in the pass, I just really don't have any other options it seems. What do you all think about him not telling me about what he thinks could be another diagnoses that concerns me...doesn't seem right.

Hi, I have suffered from servere depression fror years and i am an anxious person by nature although I dont get panick attacks. The several antidepressents I have been prescribed in the past have never done anything for me at all. I lost faith in these doctors as they honestly haven't a clue IMO. Unless you have experienced real depression and anxiety you can't understand it.

Your therapist sounds the same, i don't think he has much idea and is just dishing stuff out hoping it might work.
They are very quick to just give you another antidepressant if one does work, I had about 4 or 5 different ones.
I was also referred to a phychiatrist which I have never attended as aswell as antidepressants he gave me a few different tranquilizers to help me sleep and I went back and said no not a wink of sleep even after taking double the dosage, which he was not pleased that I upped the dosage. He couldnt work out why after taking these sleeping pills that would knock a normal person spark out that I was complaining i needed stronger shit.
He had lost his patience as said he could do nothing more for me, go to a pshychiatrist. Useless.

How intense and regularly do you get anxiety attacks? Do you have a trigger that sets them off? what do you do to calm down?

My mum has severe anxiety disorder and I've seen it happen, she has been prescribed diazepam for years and can't get out the house withought taking some. Benzodiazepenes are the best medicine to calm down anxiety. You said you dont really want drugs and thats good , but depending on how bad your attacks are and how much your life is affected it could be beneficial. Diazepam isn't really suppossed to described long term but my mum needs it daily and has used it for about 5yrs. Be sure that is nothing else you can do about it before asking for diazepam as it is addictive not so much you want to abuse it, you can just get withdrawal symptoms and you need to taper the dosage down before stopping.

 

[Missykins]

You got it basically, I just thought it was odd he wouldn't speak on possible diagnoses he though of concerning me.Its someone you tell everything won't tell you what he thinks.

He keeps telling me I need medicine and without that I'm not going to get anywhere unless my system settles down.

Its just like over the last year I rewired my brain to even have worst anxiety, I just wish I could go back.

I see where your doctor is headed but I can appreciate why you would have wish he would have handled things differently.

Why is it that you don't see a psychiatrist? Or do you?

 

[yteek]

I don't...it just after the last year everything I got worst I feel like somehow I did this to myself and I rewired myself more then a chemical imbalance.. then I don't feel like risking feeling any worst or risking trading off other negative side effects especially while still in school...maybe it could help maybe it would make things worst..thats just the reality of it.

My mum has severe anxiety disorder and I've seen it happen, she has been prescribed diazepam for years and can't get out the house withought taking some.

The thing is I've went that route, I don't want to be dependent on benzos and they're no long term solution...after awhile rather many realize this not they do nothing positive for you cognitively as well as physically once you're dependent (one of the worst withdrawals you can be faced with possibly).

 

[Miss Kirsty]

I was thinking of you bellablue when i read this....
Has your Dr come to the conclusion that all avenues have been exhausted after all these years and now medication is what you need?

You should get a second opinion if you dont want to start taking medication...Bare in mind OP that no1 really "wants" to start taking medication...A diabetic when told doesent want to spend the "rest of their lives" taking medication, do they...Or a person with M,S or cancer or anything!..Of course you dont "want" to take meds...BUT you might have to if thats what its going to take to get you through the next phase of your treatment...

ARe you still being as talkative with him?..Youve been seeing him along time...I dont know much about therapy as its not a big thing in Australia...No one i know gets it....But im sure alot of people do, its just therapy is much more widely used over there..It seems you may have closed down a bit?

Now about the other diagnosis part..Are you a hypochondriac?...Is that why he isnt telling you what the "other" things may be?...Im just trying to find out why he has done this for you..

In the meantime, i hope this is the right thing to do but have a look at this and see if you can get any info out of it...i just skimmed it and what you want to know should be here...

Dont stop therapy mate...You still need it..Maybe just a change..The longer the break the harder it may be to get back into it...All the best M.K

http://www.abilify.com/Default.aspx...tuDjDw&usg=AFQjCNEmuZnhqoRv2cM0IGq_-bFnCG8QJw