GAD diagnosis

[Lici]

Hi, first time posting, hopefully someone can help.

So I went to a new doctor the other day (apparently he's registered with beyond blue) and he diagnosed me with GAD. The thing is I'm a bit dubious about this diagnosis as I don't excessively worry about things and have a previous diagnosis of PTSD which would fit most of my symptoms. His diagnosis consisted of asking me a few questions while I was there to see him for a shoulder issue.

I'm wondering if GAD can be diagnosed without the excessive worry and anxiety? The information that I can find on the DSM V diagnostic criteria states that the patient must have the excessive worry. The doctor has given me medication for treatment and I'm a bit nervous about starting a drug that's going to make me gain weight and be tied all the time while I'm at university (studying psychology funnily enough) and have spent a few years learning how to finally deal with things without medication. Should I ask to see a psychiatrist to get a definitive diagnosis before starting treatment? I'm really unsure what to do at the moment as I feel like the clinical psychologists and psychiatrists would have diagnosed me in the past if I had GAD.

Thanks for reading

[Lici]

Hey Chloe and startingnew,

Sorry I haven't checked in! To be honest, I've been so preoccupied with uni that I kind of forgot to even look at the forums the past few days!

Chloe: how did your assignments go? I haven't got marks back for mine yet, but I've been starting to come up with ideas for the next lot of assignments so I'm not too impatient to get them back yet lol

Startingnew: I'm doing pretty well atm thanks for checking in 🤗 I'm currently trying to find scholarly articles that back up my theory that Victor Frankenstein was actually paranoid schizophrenic and his creature was a delusion who he blamed for crimes he committed himself lol it's going to be an interesting essay that's for sure!

I'll head over to both of your threads and catch up on how things are going with you guys xxx

Lici

[Lici]

Oh and just so you both know, if I don't reply in your threads it doesn't mean I haven't read them, it just means that I either don't know what to say to the situations happening or that I don't really feel that I've got much to contribute. Just know though that I do read them and you're both in my thoughts. I just usually feel like everyone else that's commenting has pretty much covered what I'd say anyway and that I'd just be repeating lol

🤗 hugs to you both

Lici

[startingnew]

hi Lici

im glad your going ok, that essay sounds like its going to be very interesting! i hope it all goes well for you. id imagine your pretty busy now that uni is back.

thats ok, thank you for taking the time to read our threads even if you dont contribute. xox

[Lici]

Hey startingnew,

Yeah things have been pretty busy, I've got uni from Monday to Thursday and then Friday I usually put aside for reviewing and then the weekends I try to get outside and do something so I'm not stuck inside all the time.

Tomorrow is going to be interesting. I realised that I've run out of my meds and I don't have my doctors appointment until Monday. Hopefully there's no horrible side effects from missing doses! I've had some horrible side effects from some antidepressants in the past, so I'm really hoping I don't spend until 4pm Monday feeling sick!

Hope you're doing well xx I'm glad to read your toe isn't broken! 🤗

Lici

[startingnew]

Hi Lici

i hope you didnt have to many horrible side effects! if that happens again speak to your pharamists, if its only a few days until your gp appt then they may be able to give you jsut those few days. another option is to ring up reception and ask if your gp could write your script out and you just pick it up in the afternoon. i had to arrange that for my pop as he though he had a repeat but didnt and no gp appts were avaliable for a few days, they ended up writing a script out for pop.

spending time outside is a very good idea! we had a nice weekend but now its raining most of this week which i dont mind as we desparatly need it

[Lici]

Hey startingnew,

Thanks, I hadn't thought of going to the pharmacy or calling the gp. I'll definitely do that next time!

I had terrible insomnia last night and didn't get to sleep until almost 7am. I'm not sure if it was due to not having the meds or if it was that I was really cold. Although the being super cold could have been from lack of meds too. My feet were so cold last night that they physically hurt, I ended up putting on my slipper socks and an extra blanket. I never wear socks to bed so it was really weird.

It's been raining and cold here too for the most part. That doesn't usually stop us though lol we went to mount lofty the other weekend because there was a chance of snow and ended up taking photos in a hail storm 😂 it was cold but super fun! This weekend we went to deep creek conservation park, Lake Bonney and then Maslins beach to take milky way pictures. It's amazing how far we drive just to take pictures!

[startingnew]

Hi Lici

wow you sounded like you were freezing! i hope its eased up for you!

ahh but the travel is often worth the pictures plus it gets you out and about too. i love going on road trips

[Lici]

Hey startingnew,

Yeah it's eased up now. Back on the meds so hopefully in a few days things will go back to normal. The gp said it was definitely withdrawal symptoms so I'll be sure to never do that again! I also spoke to the pharmacy when I was picking up my script as to if I ever get caught out again if I could get tablets to tide me over and they said I could. Thanks for that suggestion!

I got a new landscape camera lens today and we're going to go back to arkaroola for 5 days during my mid semester break. So we'll be going on an 11 hour road trip. I can't wait! Photography really has become a huge part of my life. It's strange to think I've only been doing it for almost two years.

[startingnew]

Hi Lici

oh my goodness what dreadful withdrawal effects im glad your back on your meds. your welcome for the suggestion, at least you know the option is there now in case you get caught out again.

wow thats amazing. oh yes time flies when your having fun. i jsut spent the last 2 hrs crochetting and i didnt even realise it!

[Lici]

Hey startingnew,

Sorry it's taken me a little bit to reply, I've been working on an English essay so the last few days have been spent trying to find research articles and then reading said articles and trying to form an argument for my assignment.

I'm glad to be back on the meds too. They might be making my vision a little blurry though so I've got to monitor that.

I'm glad you're enjoying crocheting! There's a page on Facebook called the whoot that shares a lot of free crochet patterns. I saw one for baby Dragon toys today and thought of you.

Speaking of Facebook, I have this friend on there who knows me from primary school. Apparently we were best friends in year 7 and then at the start of high school in year 8. She told me how we used to be inseparable and that my friendship meant so much to her because I was her only friend etc etc. The thing is, I don't remember her at all. I feel terrible because she knows too much about my life back then to not be telling the truth so I know it's my memory again. I just feel so bad that my friendship meant so much to her and I'm sure hers did for me at the time too as it was a bad period of my life and no matter how much I try to remember I just draw a blank. It's like that with a lot of periods in my life and I try to explain that it's the PTSD and that I'm likely to never remember those times and I just feel like I really let people down when they say "oh do you remember when we did this?" And I have nothing to give back. I really feel inadequate and embarrassed that these people obviously know me and remember me and consider me a friend yet to me they're a compete stranger 😔

Sorry for the rant. I just really needed to get that off my chest lol