This is unrelated to anything, but is it okay if I just whine about medication issues a little?
I starting seeing a new psychiatrist last month, and naturally he wants to mess around with my prescriptions. Every time I’ve ever seen a new doctor, that’s the first thing they do. It’s like they feel this need to leave their mark or something.
This one wants to take me off one of my two prescriptions. He says its over-prescribed and irresponsibly advertised. In the abstract, I don’t disagree with him. I don’t like the way drugs are advertised either, and I know from experience that some doctors just throw prescriptions around like whoa.
On a personal level, though, I’m really nervous. I’ve actually had good results with this drug, and I’m afraid that my anxiety levels – which have been bad enough lately – will go up again without it.
This psychiatrist isn’t a guy I feel comfortable getting into an argument with. He’s the “let’s get you in and out of here as quickly as possible” type. Also the “What makes you think you get to disagree with me – I’m the professional” type. And I’ve just never had good results trying to argue with psychiatrists anyway. I’m too much of a coward, really.
Anyway, my next appointment with him is tomorrow, so we’ll see how it goes.
Sorry for the long, whiny post. I just don’t have anyone in real life to discuss these issues with.
I wish I could give good advice for the other issues raised in this thread. All I can offer is internet hugs, though.
SredniVashtar
11 years ago
@toujoursgai: Find a new psychiatrist, if in any way possible. One you’d be comfortable voicing your concerns too and who you feel would take you seriously. I really can’t recommend this strongly enough, I’ve just finished my psychology degree so I’ve read the literature to back the importance of the therapeutic relationship up. If you can’t find a new one, for whatever reason, tell him that you feel the medicine has been doing you good, and unless he has a specific, personal reason he can explain to you why you, personally, shouldn’t take it anymore (such as side-effect risks or something) you don’t want to give up something you find therapeutic simply because it’s overprescribed in general. Good luck.
This psychiatrist isn’t a guy I feel comfortable getting into an argument with. He’s the “let’s get you in and out of here as quickly as possible” type. Also the “What makes you think you get to disagree with me – I’m the professional” type. And I’ve just never had good results trying to argue with psychiatrists anyway. I’m too much of a coward, really.
Idk if you’ve seen my gripes about my psych, but pecunium agreed to let me call him for back-up if my complaining about how they were acting didn’t go well. Turns out I grow a pair when I know I can call in reinforcements. So idk if you could manage to trick yourself into thinking you can, or, more practically, if you have back-up you can potentially call if your complaints aren’t heard, but yeah, it gave me the guts to stand my ground knowing I had back-up if I needed it. (I have this inability to defend myself, but mess with my friends and oh boy! So the idea that not listening to me meant bothering pecunium [yes pecunium, I know you said it was fine, but you know my deal here]…it was enough to push me over that line)
Idk, maybe it’s just me, or this is useless info, but throwing it out there in case something sticks 🙂
Marie
11 years ago
@toujoursgai
First, as a disclamier, I may give bad advice/ ramblings, since I’ve had bad experiences with every psych I’ve met since I was 9.
On a personal level, though, I’m really nervous. I’ve actually had good results with this drug, and I’m afraid that my anxiety levels – which have been bad enough lately – will go up again without it.
If you’ve had good results with it, no reason to stop that I can see. Just because it’s overperscribed doesn’t mean it’s bad for you to take them, if it works for you.
This psychiatrist isn’t a guy I feel comfortable getting into an argument with. He’s the “let’s get you in and out of here as quickly as possible” type. Also the “What makes you think you get to disagree with me – I’m the professional” type.
Bleh. He sounds like an icky psych. Those kind of doctors are always the worst.
And I’ve just never had good results trying to argue with psychiatrists anyway. I’m too much of a coward, really.
Don’t have any advice to give you about standing up to psychs sadly 🙁 I mean last psych I talked to who didn’t respect my boundries I just walked out on, mid appointment. (aided greatly by the him offering free psych-ing on some days, so I could see why if you got to pay you wouldn’t want to do that.) So I’m not really shy around them.
Sorry for blabbering I hope some of that made sense.
Anyway, my next appointment with him is tomorrow, so we’ll see how it goes.
Good luck. Hope it goes well for you.
Sorry for the long, whiny post. I just don’t have anyone in real life to discuss these issues with.
You’re fine 🙂 It’s an open thread.
And sredni vashtar’s advice seems a lot more constructive and conscise for the psych thing, so I’m seconding that, since mine seemed kinda long and rambly and non-helpful.
@Sredni Vashtar
But then you feel used up, and irritable, and brooding. It’s like a hate-comedown.
I so hope you’re talking about yourself, and that’s not a you general? Cuz when I angry-rant it helps me clear my head and articulate my thoughts, it doesn’t make me feel ‘used up, irritable and brooding’. :/
Thanks for the advice, y’all. 🙂 None of it seemed rambling or unhelpful. My new plan is to try and talk to him tomorrow. If he won’t listen, I may have to fire him.
I actually really like the idea of imaginary reinforcements. I’ve had one great therapist in my life, who really supported me and encouraged me to speak up. Sadly I can’t see her anymore since I moved to a different city, but maybe I’ll imagine her in the back of my head or something…
Consider us all your imaginary reinforcements, if it helps! Imagine a flock of angry manboobzers littering your psych’s office with LEGOs and then turning off the lights and stealing away with his shoes.
SredniVashtar
11 years ago
@Marie: I think it depends on the nature of the rant, and the exact relationship you have with the person in question. Just for context, what I was thinking of when I wrote that is this one douchebag in my year at uni who spiked my drink and raped me (it was years ago at the start of my degree, but due to some emails that have recently emerged I may have enough evidence to go to the police now, wahoo), and while I enjoy seething about what a douche he is, I really wish he never entered my mind at all. Like, when I see him in the corridors, I wish I could just think ‘scumbag’ once, and move on, as opposed to thinking it for the better part of an hour following the encounter. But because I have the emotion of hate, he gets extra airtime in my psyche. I think hating someone in the sense of having an enemy is a portion of your headspace wasted.
SredniVashtar
11 years ago
P.S. Just mentioned that cause it was relevant, it’s not a big deal anymore and I’m over it!
Marie
11 years ago
@SredniVashtar
Idk if I conveyed what I wanted to? My beef was that ranting helps me? I know it doesn’t help everyone, I was just couldn’t tell if you meant it made you feel drained, irritable ect, or if you thought it made everyone feel that way. Um, does that make any sense?
SredniVashtar
11 years ago
Yeah I’m with you – I was speaking generally, but obviously YMMV.
Marie
11 years ago
@SredniVashtar
Okay, that makes sense, sorry I just got a little confused.
lightcastle
11 years ago
@girlscientist I’m also really unwilling to appear stalkerish and scare her even more
I have lost friends due to this. As a guy, the boyfriend has been able to play the “he’s stalking/secretly in love with you/just making things up to make you hate me” card to isolate me. It makes it very hard for me to reach out/stay in touch. In one case, the woman in question made a separate email account to contact me, or only calls me to talk from her parents’ phone when she visits them. (If I so much as show up on her facebook wall, he gets angry.) The other I think is a lost friendship. I was passive, reminded her the lines were open when she wanted, but didn’t reach out to ping her occasionally. Even if that relationship falls apart, I don’t know if we’ll ever be friends again.
So all to say that I agree with the advice given up above, but if you are perceived as a threat by the SO, you may get cut out no matter what you do.
Irrelevant, but guys, guys, I hit up a garage sale that was selling CDs five for a buck! So now I have some BIlly Joel, Johnny Cash, Meat Loaf, John Mellencamp, Warren Zevon, the Cabaret soundtrack, and the soundtrack to… *sigh* Dirty Dancing. (It’s hubby’s favorite movie.) I also got PENCILS!
My favorite non-mechanical pencils are Ticonderoga and Mirado Black Warriors. I now have a good stock of BOTH! 😀
If we’re doing irrelevant 😀 Mum and dad are going to retire from their jobs next year. They’ve offered to come to our house then and babysit our furkids while we go to the Edinburgh festival. 😀 (They have furkids of their own, but cats only, so they’ll probably get a neighbour to feed them meanwhile.)
Consider us all your imaginary reinforcements, if it helps! Imagine a flock of angry manboobzers littering your psych’s office with LEGOs and then turning off the lights and stealing away with his shoes.
Good things: I start training for a new job in a week!
Bad things: The couple months of no “real” job downtime has allowed me to focus on things like getting paid for writing, but has also made me unhappily introspective.
Random things: I am cat sitting and have discovered that the cats are horrified/confused by sequin-covered shoes I have. Any other shoes I wear are fine.
I seem to have done well with these CDs. I’m listening to the third album now (Billy Joel!) and I’m happy with all of them so far, which is unusual for me.
Also, for the last half hour I’ve been tormenting my kitties with a new laser pointer/toy thingie. I got Buster to run in circles chasing it for so long it made her dizzy.
Since we’ve all accepting going off topic (we have, right?) apparently I’ve been getting ssri withdrawl, (according to my dad.) so I blame my fuzzy brain on that.
Also, if I may derail (like ignore me if I can’t) what’s a good way for me to work up courage to talk to my homophobic, sexist step mom? So far I’ve decided my best course of action is to let her know I have a huge-ass problem with her and won’t be around there until she stops being such a sexist, homophobic jerk. (and yes I will phrase it a teeny bit nicer). Unless she’s paying me to babysit her kids. They are cute, and money is good.
And my mom’s bringing her sister over sometime in October, which wouldn’t be that bad except my trust level around people has been so low the past couple months.
Have you spoken to your dad about your stepmother’s attitude, Marie? I remember someone suggesting that a while back. He should have your corner on this. It’s not like you and she are just disagreeing on politics or taste in music or something, she’s attacking a core part of who you are, whether he and she realise it or not.
We Hunted The Mammoth
This is unrelated to anything, but is it okay if I just whine about medication issues a little?
I starting seeing a new psychiatrist last month, and naturally he wants to mess around with my prescriptions. Every time I’ve ever seen a new doctor, that’s the first thing they do. It’s like they feel this need to leave their mark or something.
This one wants to take me off one of my two prescriptions. He says its over-prescribed and irresponsibly advertised. In the abstract, I don’t disagree with him. I don’t like the way drugs are advertised either, and I know from experience that some doctors just throw prescriptions around like whoa.
On a personal level, though, I’m really nervous. I’ve actually had good results with this drug, and I’m afraid that my anxiety levels – which have been bad enough lately – will go up again without it.
This psychiatrist isn’t a guy I feel comfortable getting into an argument with. He’s the “let’s get you in and out of here as quickly as possible” type. Also the “What makes you think you get to disagree with me – I’m the professional” type. And I’ve just never had good results trying to argue with psychiatrists anyway. I’m too much of a coward, really.
Anyway, my next appointment with him is tomorrow, so we’ll see how it goes.
Sorry for the long, whiny post. I just don’t have anyone in real life to discuss these issues with.
I wish I could give good advice for the other issues raised in this thread. All I can offer is internet hugs, though.
@toujoursgai: Find a new psychiatrist, if in any way possible. One you’d be comfortable voicing your concerns too and who you feel would take you seriously. I really can’t recommend this strongly enough, I’ve just finished my psychology degree so I’ve read the literature to back the importance of the therapeutic relationship up. If you can’t find a new one, for whatever reason, tell him that you feel the medicine has been doing you good, and unless he has a specific, personal reason he can explain to you why you, personally, shouldn’t take it anymore (such as side-effect risks or something) you don’t want to give up something you find therapeutic simply because it’s overprescribed in general. Good luck.
Idk if you’ve seen my gripes about my psych, but pecunium agreed to let me call him for back-up if my complaining about how they were acting didn’t go well. Turns out I grow a pair when I know I can call in reinforcements. So idk if you could manage to trick yourself into thinking you can, or, more practically, if you have back-up you can potentially call if your complaints aren’t heard, but yeah, it gave me the guts to stand my ground knowing I had back-up if I needed it. (I have this inability to defend myself, but mess with my friends and oh boy! So the idea that not listening to me meant bothering pecunium [yes pecunium, I know you said it was fine, but you know my deal here]…it was enough to push me over that line)
Idk, maybe it’s just me, or this is useless info, but throwing it out there in case something sticks 🙂
@toujoursgai
First, as a disclamier, I may give bad advice/ ramblings, since I’ve had bad experiences with every psych I’ve met since I was 9.
If you’ve had good results with it, no reason to stop that I can see. Just because it’s overperscribed doesn’t mean it’s bad for you to take them, if it works for you.
Bleh. He sounds like an icky psych. Those kind of doctors are always the worst.
Don’t have any advice to give you about standing up to psychs sadly 🙁 I mean last psych I talked to who didn’t respect my boundries I just walked out on, mid appointment. (aided greatly by the him offering free psych-ing on some days, so I could see why if you got to pay you wouldn’t want to do that.) So I’m not really shy around them.
Sorry for blabbering I hope some of that made sense.
Good luck. Hope it goes well for you.
You’re fine 🙂 It’s an open thread.
And sredni vashtar’s advice seems a lot more constructive and conscise for the psych thing, so I’m seconding that, since mine seemed kinda long and rambly and non-helpful.
@Sredni Vashtar
I so hope you’re talking about yourself, and that’s not a you general? Cuz when I angry-rant it helps me clear my head and articulate my thoughts, it doesn’t make me feel ‘used up, irritable and brooding’. :/
Thanks for the advice, y’all. 🙂 None of it seemed rambling or unhelpful. My new plan is to try and talk to him tomorrow. If he won’t listen, I may have to fire him.
I actually really like the idea of imaginary reinforcements. I’ve had one great therapist in my life, who really supported me and encouraged me to speak up. Sadly I can’t see her anymore since I moved to a different city, but maybe I’ll imagine her in the back of my head or something…
Consider us all your imaginary reinforcements, if it helps! Imagine a flock of angry manboobzers littering your psych’s office with LEGOs and then turning off the lights and stealing away with his shoes.
@Marie: I think it depends on the nature of the rant, and the exact relationship you have with the person in question. Just for context, what I was thinking of when I wrote that is this one douchebag in my year at uni who spiked my drink and raped me (it was years ago at the start of my degree, but due to some emails that have recently emerged I may have enough evidence to go to the police now, wahoo), and while I enjoy seething about what a douche he is, I really wish he never entered my mind at all. Like, when I see him in the corridors, I wish I could just think ‘scumbag’ once, and move on, as opposed to thinking it for the better part of an hour following the encounter. But because I have the emotion of hate, he gets extra airtime in my psyche. I think hating someone in the sense of having an enemy is a portion of your headspace wasted.
P.S. Just mentioned that cause it was relevant, it’s not a big deal anymore and I’m over it!
@SredniVashtar
Idk if I conveyed what I wanted to? My beef was that ranting helps me? I know it doesn’t help everyone, I was just couldn’t tell if you meant it made you feel drained, irritable ect, or if you thought it made everyone feel that way. Um, does that make any sense?
Yeah I’m with you – I was speaking generally, but obviously YMMV.
@SredniVashtar
Okay, that makes sense, sorry I just got a little confused.
@girlscientist
I’m also really unwilling to appear stalkerish and scare her even more
I have lost friends due to this. As a guy, the boyfriend has been able to play the “he’s stalking/secretly in love with you/just making things up to make you hate me” card to isolate me. It makes it very hard for me to reach out/stay in touch. In one case, the woman in question made a separate email account to contact me, or only calls me to talk from her parents’ phone when she visits them. (If I so much as show up on her facebook wall, he gets angry.) The other I think is a lost friendship. I was passive, reminded her the lines were open when she wanted, but didn’t reach out to ping her occasionally. Even if that relationship falls apart, I don’t know if we’ll ever be friends again.
So all to say that I agree with the advice given up above, but if you are perceived as a threat by the SO, you may get cut out no matter what you do.
Irrelevant, but guys, guys, I hit up a garage sale that was selling CDs five for a buck! So now I have some BIlly Joel, Johnny Cash, Meat Loaf, John Mellencamp, Warren Zevon, the Cabaret soundtrack, and the soundtrack to… *sigh* Dirty Dancing. (It’s hubby’s favorite movie.) I also got PENCILS!
My favorite non-mechanical pencils are Ticonderoga and Mirado Black Warriors. I now have a good stock of BOTH! 😀
If we’re doing irrelevant 😀 Mum and dad are going to retire from their jobs next year. They’ve offered to come to our house then and babysit our furkids while we go to the Edinburgh festival. 😀 (They have furkids of their own, but cats only, so they’ll probably get a neighbour to feed them meanwhile.)
Ha! I love it.
Yay, Johnny Cash and Cabaret! Yay, retirement!
Some good , bad, and random things:
Good things: I start training for a new job in a week!
Bad things: The couple months of no “real” job downtime has allowed me to focus on things like getting paid for writing, but has also made me unhappily introspective.
Random things: I am cat sitting and have discovered that the cats are horrified/confused by sequin-covered shoes I have. Any other shoes I wear are fine.
I seem to have done well with these CDs. I’m listening to the third album now (Billy Joel!) and I’m happy with all of them so far, which is unusual for me.
More random: When I was visiting Long Island back in May, I saw Billy Joel on the street.
Cool!
Random and skirting TMI: the Sir and I had a lovely day at Home.
We didn’t get out of bed except to bring a restorative coffee upstairs.
::hums::
Also, for the last half hour I’ve been tormenting my kitties with a new laser pointer/toy thingie. I got Buster to run in circles chasing it for so long it made her dizzy.
They’re cute.
cloudiah – videos or it didn’t happen!
Since we’ve all accepting going off topic (we have, right?) apparently I’ve been getting ssri withdrawl, (according to my dad.) so I blame my fuzzy brain on that.
Also, if I may derail (like ignore me if I can’t) what’s a good way for me to work up courage to talk to my homophobic, sexist step mom? So far I’ve decided my best course of action is to let her know I have a huge-ass problem with her and won’t be around there until she stops being such a sexist, homophobic jerk. (and yes I will phrase it a teeny bit nicer). Unless she’s paying me to babysit her kids. They are cute, and money is good.
And my mom’s bringing her sister over sometime in October, which wouldn’t be that bad except my trust level around people has been so low the past couple months.
Have you spoken to your dad about your stepmother’s attitude, Marie? I remember someone suggesting that a while back. He should have your corner on this. It’s not like you and she are just disagreeing on politics or taste in music or something, she’s attacking a core part of who you are, whether he and she realise it or not.
Okay, feeding your little ones cereal and apricot goo is going to get it all over your fingers, it’s inevitable.
Coincidentally, I have discovered a new squick: baby food fingers.