Help with how psychiatry works

[JoeFailure]

I was hoping someone could help me with this because I'm just struggling so badly with the anxiety.

I called some of the psychiatrists on my health plan because I'm pretty sure I have severe adhd and maladaptive daydreaming and really want medication for that because I know the new job I just started is going to get hectic and I can't focus at all. But all the psychiatrists are like a month out.

I've thought about going to urgent care or the ER because I'm just dying here but I've read about the negative things that benzos can do to your body.

I really do want to live and try but the anxiety is making me feel crazy and I can't focus on anything and I look nervous all the time. I really need this job and I'm afraid I won't be able to focus enough to stick with it.

Any recommendations? Should I just try the benzodiazepines?

 

[Rukia]

I would say benzos are a last resort...Did you try Pregabalin or Hydroxizine?

 

[inconsequential]

If they offer benzodiazepines, I would take them.

Nothing else really works for anxiety. Not SSRIs, not SNRIs, not trycylics, not Seroquel, not Buspar.

The only side effect I had from clonazepam was having to taper off of it when I was "done" aka when I felt I didn't want it anymore.

I would say benzos are a last resort...Did you try Pregabalin or Hydroxizine?

Hydroxizine knocks you on your ass harder than benzos in my experience, and Pregabalin is nice for light anxiety, but does nothing for panic levels.

 

[JoeFailure]

I would say benzos are a last resort...Did you try Pregabalin or Hydroxizine?

So I'm basically a medication virgin. I've never been on any kind of medication in my life.

What I'm looking for is some kind of relief that won't mess with my already shitty attention span. Do you think either of those would be good for that?

If they offer benzodiazepines, I would take them.

Nothing else really works for anxiety. Not SSRIs, not SNRIs, not trycylics, not Seroquel, not Buspar.

The only side effect I had from clonazepam was having to taper off of it when I was "done" aka when I felt I didn't want it anymore.


Hydroxizine knocks you on your ass harder than benzos in my experience, and Pregabalin is nice for light anxiety, but does nothing for panic levels.

Oh man. I really want to fight this but I'm having so much trouble with the anxiety. I'm not sure I'll be able to function enough to make it. I have N now and I'm almost scared of what happens if this gets too unbearable.

 

[Rukia]

It varies greatly and depends on the individual...But I am grateful that my docs never get me addicted to benzos...I was once in a psych ward with a woman who got bleeding from central nervous system from benzos I didnt know it was even possible...

With benzos you will have to withdraw after a period of time so I wouldnt start if there are other options...

I now take Hydroxizine for my anxiety...I used to take Pregabalin as well and was on benzos for a while...

 

[camille]

I was hoping someone could help me with this because I'm just struggling so badly with the anxiety.

I called some of the psychiatrists on my health plan because I'm pretty sure I have severe adhd and maladaptive daydreaming and really want medication for that because I know the new job I just started is going to get hectic and I can't focus at all. But all the psychiatrists are like a month out.

I've thought about going to urgent care or the ER because I'm just dying here but I've read about the negative things that benzos can do to your body.

I really do want to live and try but the anxiety is making me feel crazy and I can't focus on anything and I look nervous all the time. I really need this job and I'm afraid I won't be able to focus enough to stick with it.

Any recommendations? Should I just try the benzodiazepines?

Would it possible for you to do intensive sport and workout ? And then fall into good sleep ?
Do you have a cat or a dog ?
Do you have sex ? Sleep one night with your boy/girlfriend ?
Rather visiting a psychiatrist, go and visit a prostitute. They can reduce your anxiety effectively.
All would help much and be good to you without any harm.

Benzodiazepines and other drugs are harmful to the brain and it gets adjusted - sometimes with one dose. Then you will feel even more anxiety and in hell after withdrawal within other physical consequences.

 

[Thorn]

Pregabalin is an okay painkiller. Benzos are mainly sleeping pills, I need these to get more sleep than usual 4 hours. But Pregabalin will still work, it's a full zombie mode drug in right doses, and there will be only light tolerance. But after a year on it, you are on it either for life, or be prepared to feel the wrath of withdrawals for a year.

 

[jake3d]

Rather visiting a psychiatrist, go and visit a prostitute. They can reduce your anxiety effectively.

That's one of the most helpful posts i've read on here in a LONG time.

 

[Jean Améry]

Benzo's do work against anxiety. If that is what you need to get a good start at your new job I'd ask for it. Be advised they have a high potential for addiction though so only use them short term.

In general I don't think seeking chemical containment for mental problems is a great idea as they're clearly not cures (i.e. won't solve anything long term) but as a temporary aid perhaps they could be useful to some degree.

Good luck with the new job and the handling of the anxiety and other problems. The fact that you're asking others' opinions is a sure sign you're committed to recovery: good for you.

 

[Rukia]

I think that the mods should react someone is having a good time apparently making fun of other's misery...

 

[camille]

That's one of the most helpful posts i've read on here in a LONG time.

All is serious helpful.

 

[Jean Améry]

I think that the mods should react someone is having a good time apparently making fun of other's misery...

I don't think anyone is mocking the OP. If he feels offended he can always report it himself.

 

[Morphinekiss]

You can always make an appointment and ask if they have a cancellation list you can be put on so your appointment gets bumped up.

 

[Rukia]

I don't think anyone is mocking the OP. If he feels offended he can always report it himself.

Ok Maybe I overreacted...But I find it strange coming from a ( devout?) muslim ...

 

[LMFAO FOCKERS]

Ok Maybe I overreacted...But I find it strange coming from a ( devout?) muslim ...

I thought the same things and found the prostitute suggestions quite ridiculous and offensive especially after @camille feelings about our reactions to the scripture post.

 

[JoeFailure]

I don't mind the jokes or anything.

I'm grateful for the help, I just don't know what the answer is here, it seems like a mixed bag. I just need relief so badly. I want to fight but it's debilitating.

 

[Soul]

Joe sweetheart, can you make an appointment with a psychiatrist now and also see a first-contact type doctor within a couple of days? and ask that doctor for a "lightweight" med like pramolan or hydroxyzine just to tide you over? You can start by just taking half to see how you feel.

I hope you find something that helps you. You deserve it (((Hugs)))

 

[JoeFailure]

I just had no idea it could take up to a month to get in for a psychiatrist appointment. And then who knows if they'll even prescribe something that day or if it's a process to get diagnosis and then sometimes it takes weeks I've read for medication to work.

Ugh, I just wish there was something now that would just relieve this.

Joe sweetheart, can you make an appointment with a psychiatrist now and also see a first-contact type doctor within a couple of days? and ask that doctor for a "lightweight" med like pramolan or hydroxyzine just to tide you over? You can start by just taking half to see how you feel.

I hope you find something that helps you. You deserve it (((Hugs)))

Thank you, you're such a nice person!

I'll keep calling around and see if there's anyone I can see to give me something.

 

[Morphinekiss]

I didn't even think to suggest what Soul said. A primary care physician can handle at least basic anxiety and start you on something until you're able to see the psychiatrist for a more thorough appointment.

 

[mathieu]

If you've been prescribed benzos you could take them just in the short-term, until you can get a psychiatrist appointment maybe, to get you through the rough patch.

 

[Rukia]

I just had no idea it could take up to a month to get in for a psychiatrist appointment. And then who knows if they'll even prescribe something that day or if it's a process to get diagnosis and then sometimes it takes weeks I've read for medication to work.

Ugh, I just wish there was something now that would just relieve this.



Thank you, you're such a nice person!

I'll keep calling around and see if there's anyone I can see to give me something.

Those anti anxiety meds wont take weeks to work...probably only hours I will try to look for specifics...

If it is so urgent maybe there is a way to pay for a visit ? I mean legally of course...

EDIT:

"When given orally, hydroxyzine is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. The effect of hydroxyzine is notable in 30 minutes. "

 

[TimeToDie]

I'm pretty sure I have severe adhd

The standard drug treatment for that would be stimulants, either Ritalin or amphetamines. Stimulants will tend to put a person in a good mood such that they might well think that living another day is perfectly reasonable. Keep in mind that Ritalin was originally used as a treatment for depression before doctors noticed that it worked to make hyper kids sit down & shut up. Amphetamines were also used to treat depression prior to the introduction of TCAs & MAOIs in the 1950s (and amphetamines are still used today for treatment-resistant depression, at least in some cases).

I'm just dying here but I've read about the negative things that benzos can do to your body.

Given that you're posting to a suicide forum, it's looks like you might well end up dead if you don't get treatment. Yes, benzos, like any other drug, might fail (they failed to help me even in astronomical dosage -- 10 mg of Xanax daily for a decade). It doesn't appear that you have anything to lose at this point, so you might as well give them a try and hope for the best. They would appear to be your best hope.

As for it taking a month to see a psychiatrist, sadly that's actually faster than the 3.5 months that it took me! It's a sorry state when a life or death appointment takes so very long. It's almost as it they wish patients would just go buy a gun, something which one could have done before noon tomorrow.

 

[Soul]

Those anti anxiety meds wont take weeks to work...probably only hours I will try to look for specifics...

If it is so urgent maybe there is a way to pay for a visit ? I mean legally of course...

EDIT:

"When given orally, hydroxyzine is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. The effect of hydroxyzine is notable in 30 minutes. "

I believe it's SSRIs that can take a few weeks to kick in - some form of antidepressant anyway. Joe, if a doctor suggests something like that please tell them you need something to tide you over until the appointment with the psychiatrist. Pramolan is a mild, tried-and-true nonaddictive anti-anxiety med that they have no reason *not* to offer you. Hydroxyzine too, although a couple of people here have said it works like a sledgehammer. (I take 25-50mg and it's far from sledgehammery for me, but we're all different.)

(((More hugs)))

 

[cornflowerblue]

I was hoping someone could help me with this because I'm just struggling so badly with the anxiety.

I called some of the psychiatrists on my health plan because I'm pretty sure I have severe adhd and maladaptive daydreaming and really want medication for that because I know the new job I just started is going to get hectic and I can't focus at all. But all the psychiatrists are like a month out.

I've thought about going to urgent care or the ER because I'm just dying here but I've read about the negative things that benzos can do to your body.

I really do want to live and try but the anxiety is making me feel crazy and I can't focus on anything and I look nervous all the time. I really need this job and I'm afraid I won't be able to focus enough to stick with it.

Any recommendations? Should I just try the benzodiazepines?

You can get mild and safe anxiety medication such as propranolol or hydroxyzine from your regular doctor, while you wait for the psychiatry visit.

Don't listen to the person who said meds don't work. There are many types of anxiety meds and everyone experiences different pros and cons.

 

[deathenvoy]

Taking benzos for 2 weeks won't make you addicted and it might help you stabilize.

 

[Theon]

I was hoping someone could help me with this because I'm just struggling so badly with the anxiety.

I called some of the psychiatrists on my health plan because I'm pretty sure I have severe adhd and maladaptive daydreaming and really want medication for that because I know the new job I just started is going to get hectic and I can't focus at all. But all the psychiatrists are like a month out.

I've thought about going to urgent care or the ER because I'm just dying here but I've read about the negative things that benzos can do to your body.

I really do want to live and try but the anxiety is making me feel crazy and I can't focus on anything and I look nervous all the time. I really need this job and I'm afraid I won't be able to focus enough to stick with it.

Any recommendations? Should I just try the benzodiazepines?

Hey Joe, I'm on this site because of anxiety. I've been suffering from intense, almost panic levels of it for over a year now. It's destroyed my social life, my life period. Now I have a job that starts in 5 weeks and I don't think I'll be able to do it which will lead to complete ruin for me. My story is different. I struggled for many years with meth and it was after a binge last year that I started to feel the anxiety/lack of any pleasure and joy. I also began to abuse Benzos terribly which made my anxiety even worse. You're lucky you haven't gone down that road. I would do anything to avoid it. Go on benzobuddies.org and you'll see what I mean.

 

[TimeToDie]

Go on benzobuddies.org and you'll see what I mean.

It's a benzo-bashing forum that's likely more than a tad biased. It would be like being terrified of beer because you went to an AA meeting and noted how everyone there had their life entirely destroyed by alcohol.

 

[jake3d]

It's a benzo-bashing forum that's likely more than a tad biased.

Don't underestimate the side-effects of benzos and their withdrawal. There's a very good reason they stopped handing them out like candy and call for a 2-3 weeks maximum treatment duration (including tapering off).

Benzos do, however, provide immediate relief for anxiety so it is likely for someone suffering from anxiety to get a short course of benzos prescribed first before an anti-depressant medication has time to start working.

 

[TimeToDie]

I have a vast amount of personal experience with benzos, having used them from 2000-2017. For 9 years I was prescribed 10 mg of Xanax daily. I'm certainly aware of withdrawal issues and dependency is fully expected when used long-term, especially in high dosage. Anybody who is going to use benzos needs to be aware of the fact that one should not stop them cold turkey after an extended period of regular use. They should taper. That said, I do think there are some rather crazy tapering schedules, like ones that take over a year to get somebody off 4 mg/day of Klonopin.

Benzos aren't nearly as addictive as some people think. Just read what the anti-drug warriors of the DEA say, https://www.dea.gov/drug-scheduling :

"Schedule IV drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a low potential for abuse and low risk of dependence. Some examples of Schedule IV drugs are:

Xanax, Soma, Darvon, Darvocet, Valium, Ativan, Talwin, Ambien, Tramadol"

For over a decade I was a prolific poster on a social anxiety forum and many patients would complain how their benzo wasn't working. I would always ask their dose and almost invariable they would say some truly dinky amount like 0.25 mg Xanax. I have a pretty good idea why that's not working, and it's the same reason a sip of beer doesn't make anyone drunk -- it's all about dosage and it's way too low to have any effect.

Benzos may well be that most widely used drug class on the planet since the introduction of Librium in 1960. Nearly 60 years of very extensive use worldwide and somehow civilization has managed to survive. I personally find benzos to be ineffective, but I recognize that they do significantly benefit many people (and I admit they are negative for a VERY VOCAL minority). I know you can find endless benzo horror stories online, but consider that these reports may be biased. After all, somebody who had no problems with their pills isn't likely to feel motivated to post about how their experience was entirely non-eventful, so you're unlikely to hear many positive tales.

 

[Final Escape]

I was hoping someone could help me with this because I'm just struggling so badly with the anxiety.

I called some of the psychiatrists on my health plan because I'm pretty sure I have severe adhd and maladaptive daydreaming and really want medication for that because I know the new job I just started is going to get hectic and I can't focus at all. But all the psychiatrists are like a month out.

I've thought about going to urgent care or the ER because I'm just dying here but I've read about the negative things that benzos can do to your body.

I really do want to live and try but the anxiety is making me feel crazy and I can't focus on anything and I look nervous all the time. I really need this job and I'm afraid I won't be able to focus enough to stick with it.

Any recommendations? Should I just try the benzodiazepines?

You will probably need a stimulant medication to hold a job as many are geared for people with good working memory and able to focus under pressure. Urgent care will not prescribe it for u unfortunately. I think I tried that. If u get on a stimulant the problem is that it's very habit forming and god forbid u run out and can't get in soon enuf to get a new fill. Not fun. Yes u will need a sleep aid like a benzo to be able to sleep and also habit forming.

About the only thing that might help with anxiety naturally is meditation and gym. Since this gradually improves anxiety and helps your frontal lobes work better over a week or two of daily doing. Many people like vyvanse although that wasn't strong enough for me, but it makes u less crazy than like adderall. Over time adderall can make u a moody irritable person.

The other option is to accept your ADD/ADHD and only go for jobs that won't be super stressful, probably not great paying but will allow u to handle in spite of the issues. It is kind of limiting to have this condition because so many jobs require heavy repetition, and they are either too fast pace or too slow. You won't feel challenged and be bored at most jobs.

The maladaptive daydreaming is actually dissociation. It's a coping mechanism many people develop in childhood to deal with certain situations. It's like a way to escape or distract yourself from unpleasant circumstances or chaotic early environment.