Treatments and therapies - Beyond Blue Forums

GP reluctant to give meds for my anxiety - why?

replies: 3

I have been off alcohol for over 3 years which I used to alleviate severe anxiety/panic for many years, resulting in severe damage to my body. (I have an underlying genetic condition unknown to me all my life - my mother died from it when I was a chi... View more

I have been off alcohol for over 3 years which I used to alleviate severe anxiety/panic for many years, resulting in severe damage to my body. (I have an underlying genetic condition unknown to me all my life - my mother died from it when I was a child). Grog will kill me if I go back to it, so I won't. My GP thank God, prescribes a mild sleeper - I simply cannot function without some sleep - which I have never abused, making them last a long time. Some days my anxiety is through the roof....I've felt a panic attack coming on while driving. I have asked several times for something to help me, or just have on hand during the day if I need it (I would not abuse it) but she refuses. She says "It is easy to become dependent on them - they can be very addictive, so I am reluctant to do so"......my life has taken some severe blows over the past months (hence seeking support from BB who suggested this Forum which has been a great decision). Recently I have begun dipping into my sleepers to curb severe anxiety during the day because I have nothing else. I often read here about your reactions, lowering or upping doses, feeling better, and in general discussing your "meds". And I think "How come they have some meds to help them...and I don't?" It would be SO EASY to walk into the club, plonk a couple of $ down and get a wine or a beer!! The bar attendant would not say "you can get dependent on this stuff - I don't think I'd better give you any", would she? Surely my GP can see meds would be the lesser of two evils? I have an appointment tomorrow, before my psychologist appt...and I will ask AGAIN. I have mentioned to my psych that I need some during the day - she said to talk to the GP also warning "You can become very dependent on them"..YES, I KNOW THAT!! Some forum members will advise telling my GP that I dip into the sleepers during the day but I am scared to, in case she takes THEM away too! Maybe seeing another GP? - how can I just walk in, a complete stranger and ask for meds when that GP would know nothing about me or my medical history? He'd probably say No also - as I could easily be a "doctor shopper" or something. When I ask my GP tomorrow I don't know whether to be casual about it."Oh by the way can I have.." as I don't want to sound desperate (which I am ) and beg and plead for some, like a crazed addict! What will I say? Why are some members on here allowed to have meds for help and I'm not? love to hear your views Moon S

Informal face to face support groups?

replies: 3

hi everyone, i'm very new here (2nd post) and was wondering about informal support groups. i work afternoon shift and live in a rural area and find it difficult to find groups for support or hobbies that i can join because of my work hours. lonelines... View more

hi everyone, i'm very new here (2nd post) and was wondering about informal support groups. i work afternoon shift and live in a rural area and find it difficult to find groups for support or hobbies that i can join because of my work hours. loneliness and isolation seem to be very common themes in the forum and i was wondering if there is anything like this here already, or if it is a possibility to get some informal groups happening in forumites local areas. i was thinking along the lines of a coffee at maccas, or a trip to the movies, a walk and talk around the local area? i find it difficult to leave the house without a reason, and apart from work, have no real social activities and no family within a 90min drive. many of us have limited finances which also restricts our choices as to social meetups. just thinking out aloud..........and putting it to the forum. maree

do your anti-depressants stop working for you?

replies: 2

do your anti-depressants stop working for you?

Wanting to stop medication

replies: 5

Hi I am new to this, so here goes. I have suffered from anxiety/depression for many many years. I have been taking medication for 9 plus years. I would like to try to stop or reduce my medication and speak to a psychologist or similar but my GP just ... View more

Hi I am new to this, so here goes. I have suffered from anxiety/depression for many many years. I have been taking medication for 9 plus years. I would like to try to stop or reduce my medication and speak to a psychologist or similar but my GP just keeps giving me medication. I need to find out the reason why. I am in my 40's with young children. Married. Normal money problems etc. my GP has been my doctor for over 20 years and we live in a small town so changing doctors is not really an option. Any suggestions will be great.

Experiences with Medication

replies: 3

Before I start If you are able to respond to my post please keep in mind the following forum rule that threads and post may be removed if it "makes any reference to specific prescription medication names and/or dosages or seeks medical advice" I have... View more

Before I start If you are able to respond to my post please keep in mind the following forum rule that threads and post may be removed if it "makes any reference to specific prescription medication names and/or dosages or seeks medical advice" I have been on medication for a while however over the last 4-5 months I have been unsure it it has been helping. I am keen to know what others experiences have been with medication and how you knew or assessed if the medication was helping or not helping. My general belief about medication is that if depression is a hole then medication is a ladder. You still need to climb it. I am just not sure if the ladder is broken or I'm just not climbing it. If the ladder is still good then lately I have found it harder and harder to climb it.

Medications, a fickle time

replies: 1

I've been on mood stabilisers and small level if anti depressants for 7 years now to an overall satisfactory result. However some months ago I was returning to a rather grumpy persona and my wife convinced me to consult my doctor. He raised my mood s... View more

I've been on mood stabilisers and small level if anti depressants for 7 years now to an overall satisfactory result. However some months ago I was returning to a rather grumpy persona and my wife convinced me to consult my doctor. He raised my mood stabiliser dose 50%. Nothing changed in fact my moods worsened. How could this be? Also my head was suffering a cloudy numb feeling. I recently visited another Dr while on our around oz trip. He approved me lowering my mood stabilisers to a point whereby those symptoms went away. I did so slowly (of course) and I'm alive once more. For me (and we are all different) I found the right level of medication that had the desired effect AND allowed me to live my life without symptoms that are really as bad as the initial illness. My message here is, and its so important, keep in close consultation with your doctor and if approved continually seek out the most ideal dosage of medication. Circumstances change, so does our diet and even age. We need to continually review our medication to keep our health in check as often dosage isn't a "set and forget" treatment. Kind regards Tony WK

serotonin syndrome

replies: 10

Hi all, I have been having problems sleeping for many years and I have blamed it on the anti depressants I was prescribed. My new doctor agrees they may be the cause and has given me a new anti depressant medication with sedative properties to take a... View more

Hi all, I have been having problems sleeping for many years and I have blamed it on the anti depressants I was prescribed. My new doctor agrees they may be the cause and has given me a new anti depressant medication with sedative properties to take at night to help with sleep. They work well but I feel angry all the time; like I want to tell everybody to ...., well you can guess. I wonder if I am taking too much of the same type of medication as both have a similar effect on serotonin levels. I’m wondering if I may have a mild serotonin syndrome. It feels to me as I’m swapping one set of symptoms for another. The Pharmacist agrees with me it takes very little medication to have a big effect on me as I’m taking a very low dose of both medications. When I spoke to the Pharmacist he suggested I wean myself off the first anti-depressant and eventually take only the new one; all under my doctors guidance of cause. Have any of you had similar experiences?

Can medication help derealisation??

replies: 3

Hi there, I would really love to hear if anyone has had success taking medication/antidepressants for a dissociation disorder? Or even anyone who experiences this condition? Over the past 2 years I have experienced quite bad episodes of anxiety and d... View more

Hi there, I would really love to hear if anyone has had success taking medication/antidepressants for a dissociation disorder? Or even anyone who experiences this condition? Over the past 2 years I have experienced quite bad episodes of anxiety and depression. Currently my mood and my life is great and I can handle anxiety a lot better now... but I have this horrible brain fog that is bringing me down to rock bottom again. Most days I feel as though I am living in a dream state and its horribly depressing. I am currently traveling around Canada and intend to stay here and work for a year. The problem is I feel as though I wouldn't even be able to start a new job because my brain is so foggy. It really is upsetting because I just want to enjoy my time here... but I feel like its such a struggle with this derealsation -if thats what I even have? I feel quite lost and helpless and I have made a doctors appointment...but I am wondering if going on anti depressents will even help? It has always been my last resort and I would rather not go on them...but if anyone thinks its a good idea or if it will help then maybe I should? Feeling lost.

Support groups information needed

replies: 2

Hey everyone, i qas just wondering are there any anxiety support groups ? My anxiety is quite debilitating in some ways and causes depression. I'd love to hear how you handle it and if there are any support groups around Melbourne

Hyperhydrosis aka sweating without much exertion due to AD's

replies: 5

Does anyone experience Hyperhydrosis or sweating profusely due to anti depressants? I've tried many AD's over the years and always have the same problem. Sweating excessively. It's quite embarrassing at this time of the year when sweat is streaming d... View more

Does anyone experience Hyperhydrosis or sweating profusely due to anti depressants? I've tried many AD's over the years and always have the same problem. Sweating excessively. It's quite embarrassing at this time of the year when sweat is streaming down your face and it's winter! My psych has discussed tricyclics with me as they apparently have less of an effect re Hyperhydrosis, but I'm not in a place where I can start mucking around with my current regime. I can't risk having a depressive episode from stopping what I'm on and starting something new. Maybe in a few months, but not right now. Has anyone else had this issue? What was your solution, if any? Just doing a short walk makes me break out in a heavy sweat and it's difficult to explain to people. It also means I don't/can't exercise as much as I would like and should. I have tried Nosweat. It does work but makes my scalp and face extremely itchy as I also have sensitive skin. I can use it everywhere except my scalp and face with good effects though. Thanks

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GP reluctant to give meds for my anxiety - why?

replies: 3

Informal face to face support groups?

replies: 3