Frustrated with medical attitudes towards (off-label) medication and alcohol

[DamonM]

I educated myself and gained full-time employment like everyone else in 1997. I worked in Information Technology for 11 years, gaining a promotion due to my supervisor's departure. My responsibility increased after ~6 of those years, I can't remember exactly when. Sometime during that period of time my ability to cope with stress plummeted dramatically. Due to sustained pressure, I experienced severe BURNOUT.

Now, I find it impossible to deal with minor stressors. I also find it hard to deal with social interaction. I have no social life and don't really desire one. The one thing I do seek is relief from the uncomfortable physical symptoms of generalised & social anxiety.

To this end, I have sought medical treatment. I can't complain about any of the doctors I have met, yet I seem to have treatment-resistant ANXIETY. I have tried SSRI's, SNRI's, MAOI's and about 15 other anti-depressants I can't remember the name of...

I have had a couple of medications that have helped me in the past, , one of which was a prescription medication and the other used to be available over the counter. But that too has since been classified as addictive and is now only available with a prescription, which I am eligible for.  

Prior to the restriction I took it sporadically for about 14 years without ever getting physically addicted to it. It is no longer available over the counter. I asked for a prescription from a GP and was treated like a drug addict, lol.

I find this situation to be quite frustrating. 

[DamonM]

My post has been edited, which is fine.. one important distinction:

"has since been classified as addictive and is now only available with a prescription, which I am INeligible for."

Also, alcohol is freely available yet medications deemed 'prescription only' are NOT despite their sporadic use being less physically damaging to the liver etc.. than the habitual use of alcohol. why is this?

[therising]

Hi DamonM

Really, really, really frustrating, when you're trying to say to a number of doctors or specialists, in one way or another, 'Give me something that will help me cope' and their response is 'Sorry, can't do'. So, you're left twisting in the wind when it comes to gaining a mental, physical and even a soulful sense of wellbeing.

Being a gal who just last year met with stress levels I just couldn't manage any longer, my wise daughter mentioned to me 'Consider researching General adaptation syndrome (GAS)'. I researched it and ticked every box when it came to the 3rd and final stage. It summed up perfectly how I felt...depressed, highly anxious, easily triggered to stress by even the smallest of things, completely exhausted and run down etc etc. With the mental and physical side effects finally feeling legitimate, my attitude was 'I'm not weak (which was part of that depressing inner dialogue), I'm in a state of pure exhaustion and I need to manage that'. Amazing how many doctors will smile and send you on your way with the unhelpful advice 'That's just a part of life, stress'. Dude, not to this degree!

As a gal who's an ex drinker, I can relate to the sedating effects of alcohol, especially when it comes to social anxiety. While I started drinking socially in my late teens and continued on until I came out of long term depression at 35, I never really had the chance to feel elements of social anxiety. Now, at 53, I've found that naming specific triggers has some to make some difference. I think if we can pinpoint what in social circumstances triggers our nervous system, that's half the battle. Not sure whether you can relate to any of the following

• Feeling the volume of sound run through your nervous system (too much stimuli). For example, a gathering where people have to yell over the music. So, you have a large volume of people yelling over high volume music and with large volumes of alcohol involved (leading people to get even louder), it all just adds up. With no furnishings in the place (like carpet) to absorb all that sound, it can be hard to tolerate
• Feeling/fearing not being able to hear people, when there's a lot of background noise
• Awkward pauses and small talk definitely have a feel to them
• Going to places where you don't know many people can also have a feel to it which can be about fearing whether you're going to get along easily with people
• Fearing you're going to look 'too depressed' is another fear I used to have (the fear of people judging)

the list goes on when it comes to all that's wrapped up with a neat little bow called 'social anxiety'.

When you mention the frustration of not having a doctor prescribe something calming for the nervous system, I think of my poor dad. While back in the day there was a very well know calming go to medication that starts with a 'V' (which is still around today), he'd have a single pack last a good couple of years. He thrived on being the lead accountant for a well known firm, loving the challenge, yet would seek some help from this med only under extreme circumstances like end of financial year or when his 3 teenage kids would do something to lead him feeling like he was having a breakdown. He was not good with stress under extreme conditions. Now, at the age of 88 and with his life full of the stress of developing dementia, losing his independence, occasional visits to emergency rooms (he's extremely sensitive to a lot of sound), what he gets when asking for one of his little trusted pill friends is 'We can't give you that, it's a drug of addiction'. One of the things I have been able to do to help my dad involves breathing in a certain way that leads him to calm his nervous system. It's something I practice myself on occasion. Have to be careful though, if I do it for too long I get quite light headed and feel completely off with the fairies. While there are a whole stack of breathing techniques around, it's a matter of getting a feel for the one that works the best. The ones that don't work make zero difference.

[DamonM]

therising,

Thankyou for your response. I am glad that you shared your experiences here.

The situation you describe with your Dad is somewhat similar to mine. I am prescribed one medication in the same class as the one I think you referred to as 'V'. It took years of trying other medications and therapies, seeing psychologists and a psychiatrist etc.. before doctors would consider giving me that. It IS effective.

Part of my problem is that the class of 'V' meds are addictive if taken more often than prescribed. *I only take it as directed*. When you feel so shaky all the time and you find something that helps, there is no chance that you are going to abuse it and throw the relief away, making your life even more difficult than it already is! I take this medication and then I must wait at least 4 days before taking it again. How do I cope during those days if something causes my anxiety to sky-rocket again?

I cannot get a prescription for the other medication that helped calm my nerves, the one that was previously available over the counter (OTC). I used it off-label, meaning for a purpose it is not prescribed. It now requires a prescription ('We can't give you that, it's a drug of addiction'). I took it for a long time OTC and never got physically addicted as I didn't abuse it. Further, I already take one 'addictive' medication responsibly. What is the problem exactly?

Alcohol on the other hand has way more horrible side effects, hurts your body, takes longer to leave your system (hangover). Is that restricted? Nope, lol. It's almost like 'medication = bad, alcohol = fine'. So, I have relied on alcohol at times because of my inability to access actual medicines, which would be healthier for me overall. If I had this other medication or something else as effective, my reliance on alcohol would almost disappear.

Regards,

[therising]

Hi DamonM

Strange when you think about it; in this country we can walk into a bottle shop and choose which drug we want to use. There are flavourful ones in fancy bottles or with bright inviting labels that line shelf after shelf. We can even choose our drug warm or refrigerated. We can drink our drug of choice responsibly or irresponsibly. While almost being like a cultural right of passage, crossing over from 17 to 18, the law indirectly announces 'Now, you young ones, feel free to start choosing which mind altering drug you'd like to start indulging in'. As the old saying goes, 'Pick your poison'. While the medical system puts laws in place when it comes to drugs of addiction, for helping manage stress and anxiety, definitely gotta question a system that leaves people with little choice but to find the most effective chemistry in a bottle shop. While I self medicated to some degree throughout long term depression when I was younger, like yourself I would have been much happier with a different form of chemistry (an effective medication). The side effects of alcohol can definitely pose a problem at times.

Besides an occasional nice little glass of sherry, I typically don't drink these days (as I know I'm more so a binge drinker who can't stop at just a few). Couple that with an earlier history of a string of anti depressants that just never worked and they're just a couple of factors that have turned me into a serious researcher. I'll research just about anything inside and outside the square when it comes to how we tick mentally, physically and naturally. I've lost count of the amount of times I've thought 'I had no idea I worked that way. No wonder I feel/think/behave the way I do'. I smile when I compare myself to Pavolv's dog in a way. While the dog was led to associate the ring of a bell with food, the ringing of my mobile phone triggers a stress response, every single time. My conditioning happened last year, while becoming the 'go to' person to call when there was a problem that needed to be managed in some way. It's funny how we work or not so funny at times.

So many areas of research, new and old, when it comes to anxiety, depression or other factors that can definitely make life feel like hell on earth at times. While a GP's or psychologist's or psychiatrist's specialty may relate to what's inside the square (some ways we're not permitted to access, such as with drugs of addiction), have you ever considered possibilities regarding things that may work that can be found outside the square?

[DamonM]

therising,

I am not sure what qualifies as 'outside the square'! I have tried a lot of different things like breathing exercises, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, mindfulness and meditation. With most of these (and talk therapy), I am unable to direct my attention outwards and away from focusing on the way I feel physically. This has become an ingrained vigilance I can't help due to two decades of habit.

I have also done my own research online on various herbal remedies, supplements and medications that might help. A couple of ideas like beta blockers and muscle relaxants I discussed with one of my doctors and was able to try. I thought these might have helped at one stage, but doctors move on and I haven't discovered anything ground-breaking (as effective as my existing medication - the one I can't take every day).

I'm out of ideas at the moment.

Thanks again,