Psychiatrists are really impossible.

[Sebastian05]

So, I went to a psychiatrist today to discuss how I've been feeling.

 

I've seen so many people on here post about Wellbutrin and how it has helped them.

 

I'm almost 19 months off of adderall.

 

I'm okay I guess. I'm not great. I'm not bad. I'm in the middle somewhere but I still do have trouble sleeping soundly and sleeping well and being happy and positive.

 

Again, as usual....the zest for life just seems to be missing.

 

Not really sure what it is. Is it the stress of my life? Is my brain still re-adjusting from having taken adderall?  I have no clue.

 

So I thought the psychiatrist would be able to help me sort things out.

 

Basically, he started off very kind and then turned into a huge asshole.

 

He told me that i need to be on Depakote. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!?!

 

After all the reserach on meds I've done, I've never once come across Depakote.

 

He's telling me anything else would be just a bandaid on a wound and that I need a mood stabilizer.

 

I asked him about lexapro and wellbutrin, and he said that those would not be for me.

 

I asked him if Adderall can cause brain damage.

 

He said that any medication can cause brain damage.

 

He gave no straight answer.

 

He did mention twice that the longer i go unmedicated, the more neurons in my brain would die off and then my brain would be less receptive to medication in the future.

 

WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!

 

It got a little combative at the end. I felt like he was just trying to shove medications down my throat.

 

I refused the prescription.

 

I told him about this site and how I've discussed ADHD with a group and his response was that I may have co-morbid symptoms of ADHD as well as a mood disorder, but that my underlying issue was that I have a mood disorder and need depakote.

 

This is what he tells me after knowing me for 45 minutes.

 

I left in pure disgust.

 

I'm not just going to start shoving a med down my throat that actually requires constant blood work to be done because it can cause liver damage and also cause your hair to fall out.

 

WTF.

 

He really scared me saying that if I dont get on a medication soon, that I could just be hurting myself more and that I will never change unless I'm medicated.

 

 

I'm so upset by this.

 

Sorry for the rant on here. I know I've just typed out a bunch of thoughts without organizing them really well, but I wanted to share this with all of you and get some feedback.

 

I'm either just going to continue down this natural path I'm on or maybe eventually see another psychiatrist.

 

I just dunno what to do.

 

Let me know what you guys think

 

S

[Cassie]

You should read The Last Psychiatrist blog. He talks about how the drs are just guessing (it's not like they're measuring your brain chemical levels) and he talks about how he can guess a patient's psychiatrist at his hospital by the medication they prescribe. They all have their favorites. Guess you got the Depakote guy.

A psychiatrist's job is to prescribe drugs. You don't have to take them. At 19 months I was still feeling the residual effects of my adderall use. It went away.

And your brain regenerates neurons all the time. It's called neurogenesis. You're not born with all the neurons you'll ever have.

[JustinW]

Find a different doctor, one who will actually listen to you!

[Sebastian05]

Casssie:

 

Thanks again for your support. You always give me hope. I know for a fact im doing better than I was a year ago.

 

Hear a MD (psychiatrist) tell me that I need a serious medication or I will never be normal is really absolutely unreal.

 

He didnt listen to anything I had to say about my in depth research on meds.

 

He picked a drug..and he said "this is what we are going to start with". Nothing else is going to work for you in the long term.

 

Fuck That.

 

It only made me want to stay away from all meds even more.

 

I find it VERY hard to believe that being resistant to medication is only going to make it worse for me (as he said) and that my brain will eventually be resistant to all meds unless I start doing something about it now.

 

I've been working out a lot.

 

I've  been doing 6 mile runs at least 4 times a week.

 

I need to give this more time, i think.

 

S

[Cassie]

Yeah, sounds like a real moron.

What is your diet like? I always thought i ate healthy but a few weeks ago i started eating a TON more fruits and vegetables (like 9-10 servings a day) and I have so much more energy. I eat oatmeal with fruit and nuts for breakfast, fruit and a hardboiled egg for a snack, a giant kale salad for lunch, more veggies as a snack, and leftovers for dinner. I cut out all the bread and flour tortillas I used to eat and mostly stick to oatmeal, barley, brown rice and corn tortillas for my grains.

[BeHereNow]

Dude.... Wtf?!

The fact that he thinks he knows exactly what med you need at the first meeting is a red flag right there. Meds require a lot of trial and error because everyone is different with side effects and dosage. He can't know for sure what med will work for you right away. That's why they do follow ups.

Second, the fact that he's not listening to what you're saying about ADHD, depression, etc is a huge problem. You deserve a dr who listens to what you say as Justin said. They are rare but they exist.

The reason he couldn't give you any straight answers IMHO is because he doesn't have any. He doesn't know if adderall causes permanent brain damage. Nobody does.

There's a reason those initial appointments are consultations. This person sounds very unsupportive and depakote sounds kinda scary. Time to consult with someone else?

[BeHereNow]

Also the brain damage thing sounds completely ridiculous. Did he do a brain scan to find this out? Your neurons are not just progressively dying off. It's all about neuroplasticity. People re grow neurons after strokes. Your sober brain is re growing them too.

[SweetCarolinee]

Hey Sebastian,

 

I'm sorry to hear your experience with the psychiatrists didn't go too well. You may have to keep looking until you find the right one and for one that actually gives a shit about you and your well being. Some like that are out there.

 

I also suggest possibly looking into Cognitive Theory if you don't want to be on any more medication, it can truly get to the root of the problem, in some cases, if it isn't a chemical imbalance.