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  • TDS Moderators: AlphaMethylPhenyl | paranoid android

Seeing a psychiatrist next week..

Y

yuhhhhh

Bluelighter
Joined
Jun 19, 2011
Messages
95
Location
Nashville, TN
so i've been off opiates for a couple months after using everyday for 4 years. i kicked in rehab after being on suboxone for 9 days. i haven't taken anything to help promote sleep or curb depression or anxiety the entire time mainly because it simply wasn't allowed at the treatment facility i was at and when i got home i just decided to continue the way i was going assuming it would get more tolerable as time passed. things have gotten better, i don't want to be misleading, but i still suffer from occasional bouts with insomnia and the anxiety and depression are debilitating at times. some days are worse than others, naturally, but i keep asking myself why i'm putting myself through this if it's not necessary. my worry is that this kind of questioning is just the addiction in me speaking and looking for an easy way out. i'm seeing a counselor who is helping me cope with a lot that is going on right now and am trying to work through this in other ways than medication but i'm at the point now where i hope that a combination of the two will offer some kind of relief.
 
Tell your psychiatrist all about your addiction. There's nothing wrong with getting a small amount of benzos prescribed for occasional insomnia or anxiety. It's not like benzos will trigger any cravings for opiates.
 
its true that you may of be suffering these disruptions from not using anymore, this is very common, and helps me at least see through the 'feelings' by understanding, and being aware of that fact.

its is also likely that you may of very well been using in the first place to mask the depression and insomnia(which could stem from the depression). i would try therapy or a psychologist, before seeing a psychiatrist and going onto anti-depressants or benzo's - which is its own struggle - if not kept a close eye on.
 
I think you may want to think carefully before you tell your shrink about the opiates. Rightly or wrongly - in my view WRONGLY - that is like a red flag for your shrink; no matter WHAT your condition is in the future, you will never get a benzo for anything! Opiate addiction, for a doctor, reads "addictive personality", so you will most likely never get relief from benzos even if you need it, which it sounds like you may.
 
panic in paradise said:
its true that you may of be suffering these disruptions from not using anymore, this is very common, and helps me at least see through the 'feelings' by understanding, and being aware of that fact.

its is also likely that you may of very well been using in the first place to mask the depression and insomnia(which could stem from the depression). i would try therapy or a psychologist, before seeing a psychiatrist and going onto anti-depressants or benzo's - which is its own struggle - if not kept a close eye on.
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i'm in therapy and it's great at relieving a lot of emotion that builds up throughout the week. however, i frequently have to battle depression throughout the week just to get to appointments every saturday. like now, for instance, i'd probably pay double to see her tomorrow just to unload a day earlier. i was very skeptical before i went to my first appointment but now i can't imagine this process without it.

that said, it's still not relieving a lot of the day to day psychological problems i am experiencing. i absolutely agree that the depression/anxiety problems were there before i started using. i have always compartmentalized my problems though being very careful to not let others notice so i never addressed those issues before. and i realize that using a public message board to say i compartmentalize my problems seems odd but outside of my counselor this is essentially the only other place i vent :)
 
^
:)
awesome!
except, maybe dont mention to them the $$ lol
;-)
i wrote all this stuff, which i would of changed around had i seen your post! but here - its still good info info all the same .
ahaha
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if you have any sort of hesitance about how you would handle a script of benzo's, id stay away - there is no opioid addiction/WD that can compare with equal extents of use.


some-one here had said something ill paraphrase, which has stuck in my head since, as it is fact:
" opiate withdrawal will make you wish would die, benzo withdrawals will leave you to die."

i am prescribed opioids and go would go into WD often, but with klonopin - i havent touched that in maybe 25 days and, im not going to again unless i need it - ive been directed into the ED several times because my refill got lost along the way...haha nightmare! but for short term relief, maybe a month to help sort things out they are perfect for that; any longer and id be asking firmly to be taken off.


while seeing a therapist or psychologist, if they feel you may need meds, they will let you know, and refer you to a "clinic" or private practice that can. i wouldnt try to do this the other way around; that is being put on meds then seeing a therapist. which is of course a good idea, but who knows then how much time, and talk therapy might of helped.


you know?
 
And for what it's worth I can feel your situation man. I'm about 40 days clean from bupe after about 3 yrs' use. I could not imagine having done this without benzos, immodium, doxylamine, codeine and valerian! Now I'm off all of those but they helped a lot. So props!
 
i'm not necessarily searching for benzos exclusively. i just want something that helps. if it is a benzo i'm not very concerned about abuse as i have never found any recreational value from them. i have been prescribed xanax before for panic attacks i would have in the middle of the night. i would wake up from a dead sleep and my face would be numb along with a weird popping sensation in my sinuses that would cause me to be completely disoriented.

admittedly i don't know a lot about how addictive benzos can be if used as prescribed for a prolonged period but i assume it isn't too pretty. for whatever reason i have always had reservations with benzos. however i have also seen the benefits they provide for me.
 
yeah, and thats not to say anti-depressants and the like are capable of some nasty "physical dependence"
... not in my experience!

you seem on the right track though.

and i realize that using a public message board to say i compartmentalize my problems seems odd but outside of my counselor this is essentially the only other place i vent
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haha - its the anonymity, i think - ;-)
no worries - that is a common redundancy of sorts in these parts.


<3
=D
 
You've made it 2 months....just keep staying positive and there will be nothing but positive in return. Im kind of in the same situation if you read my relapse/withdrawal thread on TDS main pg. This is nothing easy for sure, but us addicts have nothing to gain and everything to lose contiuing our ways. Stay focused and positive, it sounds like you're somewhat determined anyway. Keep your head up and keep fighting. It will be so rewarding after its all said and done.
 
I dont think there is anything wrong with using medication to manage paws. Its a fact that paws causes the crazy relapse rates that opiates have post treatment. You wouldnt encourage someone to coldturkey the acute phase of withdrawl why should the paws phase be any different. If I was you I would do whatever it took to stay off opiates including SSRI or benzos.
 
I was addicted to opiates for over 8 years I went thru just sraight 21 day outpatient methadone detox. I can't say it was easy. I have been clean for 5 years, but this last month I was taking ex-morphine for my chronic pain. Funny thing I didn't like how it made me feel so I stopped. What helped me with the what I call "crazy brain" is taking magnesuim supplements. It really helped to calm my thoughts, kinda brought a bit of peace in the circling of ideas and emotions that wouldn't leave my head. It also helps as a bit of a sleep aid and a muscle relaxer. I unfortuately can't take it orally, allergic to the fillers in the vitamins or something, but I go get a 2 hour infusion of magnesium 3 times a month. And I swear when they start that IV everything goes quiet in my mind. As well as my body, I actively fight fibromyalgia and migraines as well as other medical issues.

Just saying that work for me rather than benzos. We all have our addiction preferences, but coming straight out the gait I would avoid anything that has an addictive propertiety until you know how you are doing.

I myself, have to desire to use again, so for me I can make the clear choice is this going help me or just fuck me up for the moment. And, I will admit I have had my days where I will just get fucked up to escape the bullshit. But, like I said I have been off opiates for 5 years and know where I stand wholeheartedly.

Also, keep in mind, that shrinks are like shoes. They have to be a good fit or they will just cause pain. I had no problem going "shopping" for my doctor. I went through probably about 5 before I found the right one. If you are honest and open and they treat you with respect and dignity and invite you into the decision process of your care, I feel that is paramount for a good shrink. I they are demanding and one sided and aren't open, I would look for another. Remember they work for you.

Good Luck
 
saw the doc today and was prescribed citalopram/celexa (20mg daily for the first week and then 40mg daily for the rest of the treament.) i'm not very knowledgable on SSRIs to begin with and had actually never even heard of this drug. it was recommended by the doc because it is relatively fast acting in comparison to other some other SSRIs.

anybody have any experience with this drug? i'd like to hear your opinions. i'm going to give it a shot for a month or two and see what it does for me.

i was also given 15 .5mg xanax to be taken only when really needed and i plan on doing just that. if the citalopram is effective hopefully i won't need the xanax at all and will not even use the refill that he gave me.

thanks for the help guys.
 
by the way this will be the first time i give any SSRI a legitimate chance of working. i took zoloft for about a month around 8 months ago and found that it actually almost made me completely manic sometimes so i gave up on it. i'm not trying to discredit zoloft at all as i realize i did not take them long enough to notice the potential therapeutic qualities it can have and probably more importantly i was also in the depths of opiate addiction. this time around i am 60+ days clean of opiates and all other drugs and am willing to give it more of chance.

from what i was told by my doctor and pharmacist i should being to notice some change after a couple weeks but to wait until the first prescription is finished before talking to my doctor about making a change to something else if i'm not getting the desired results.

i'm very optimistic at this point but also prepared if they don't work quite as planned.
 
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