The Joys Of Doctors - Anxiety Message Board

faceincrowd84 · 09-13-2008, 10:38 PM

Well here goes.

I first was diagnosed with ADD when I was a child but due to my "size" they couldn't give me anymore Ritalin and stopped my treatment. I dropped out of school at 16 as I couldn't handle it.

Many years later I have got my GED am in college have graduated land a pretty productive member of society. However I am having harder times that ever. My mind is spinning and i constantly forget things. All the sites I have read about GAD and anxiety in general say I most likely have it and so on. My psych. put me on a few things for a.d.d. but it didn't work, so she went to Welbutrin and its improved my attitude some but still have problems. Even my insurance carrier's questionnaire said I have it and need to see the doc...

Only problem is the first time I talked to her about it she kinda blew it off. She is very nice and I like her, but when we try to talk about it I freeze up. All we seem to do is "talk" no in depth anything. I really think its an issue. I have never tried drugs or nor do I seek them, but I am tired of being dead tired after 10 hours of sleep, the headaches, the forgetfulness, the constant worry about things that MIGHT happen. It is not good.

Any suggestions or insight? I don't know how to go about this. Should I go to a counselor or...?

Thanks.......

Another_Face

faceincrowd84 · 09-13-2008, 10:41 PM

I also must add that my mother was on Paxil in the past few years. Not sure why. I plan on asking her. I also don't know my bio. father so that could have some play into the hand.

CircusSquirrel · 09-16-2008, 08:00 AM

Unfortunately, unlike other docs, psychs have a much wider range of "this guy is good to this guy stinks!" If your insurance allows it, simply switch docs. You don't have to give your new doc a detailed explanation, simply say it was inconvenient to visit the last doc.
OR you could try to go in and be much more assertive and let your doc know that you are having these issues, list them off one by one and tell her that they are affecting your quality of life and you need help with them. That phrase USUALLY gets their attention.
Best wishes, keep us updated.

violet312s · 09-16-2008, 11:03 PM

I am fortunate to have a fantastic doctor. I got lucky, very lucky. She immediately understood what I was going through and as she knew me quite well we were able to come up with a medication plan best for me. She also was able to recommend several therapists.

You need to be assertive about this. Open the conversation with "I think I have an anxiety disorder. Do you have any experience with this? Can you recommend someone who does?"

If your doctor shrugs it off, that's not the doctor for you. We've all seen the stats on how many people have anxiety issues in their lifetime. There's no excuse for a doctor to not know it's a real condition and know the different treatment options.

Go into your doctor educated about the various types of anxiety conditions and the variety of anxiety medication categories. That way you can call "no" when you don't agree with what s/he is saying, particularly with respect to medications that have major side effects or addictive qualities.

Keep in mind your doctor is not your health manager. YOU are the manager. Your doctor is only a paid consultant. (shamelessly stole this concept from the high blood pressure board!)

Best wishes to you!