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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by TheOutsider on October 25, 2004, at 6:18:31
I'm sorry this probably belongs on the social board but I'm more familiar with this one, and I feel so low I'm desperate for any support right now.
(warning its quite long)
I had the worst weekend of my life.It started on Saturday evening when I had an argument with a friend over some money she owed me. That in itself was quite distressing.
I don't like talking on the phone, especially arguing so I took some GHB to calm me down.
I stupidly took to much and ended up passing out.
This wouldn't have mattered so much if I'd been on my own, but unfortunatly my parents were with me. They completely freaked out and conviscated all my 'drugs', unfortunatly these weren't drugs I was using recreationaly (I don't use any drug for its own sake) they were infact all the meds I have been prescribed over the years.
So now I don't have my meds, which is really my own fault I suppose.I argued with my parents and tried to explain that I don't take GHB just to spite them, but because I have Social anxiety. The Irony is that I want to give up anyway and was about to run out!
My pairents don't believe that I really need to be medicated, they disaproove of my internet use and think that if I just buckled down and ignored my problems, they would go away.
I feel very uncomfortable living with my parents but can't really do anything else at the moment.
My Pdoc is unhelpful and won't listen to me.
I don't have much money and don't know what to do.For the first time I'm really thinking about killing myself, it seems like it might be the best solution!
Dont think I will though
Thanks to everyone who had the patients to read this.
Posted by merry on October 25, 2004, at 10:50:09
In reply to Feel terrible, I really screwed up, posted by TheOutsider on October 25, 2004, at 6:18:31
> I'm sorry this probably belongs on the social board but I'm more familiar with this one, and I feel so low I'm desperate for any support right now.
> (warning its quite long)
> I had the worst weekend of my life.
>
> It started on Saturday evening when I had an argument with a friend over some money she owed me. That in itself was quite distressing.
> I don't like talking on the phone, especially arguing so I took some GHB to calm me down.
> I stupidly took to much and ended up passing out.
> This wouldn't have mattered so much if I'd been on my own, but unfortunatly my parents were with me. They completely freaked out and conviscated all my 'drugs', unfortunatly these weren't drugs I was using recreationaly (I don't use any drug for its own sake) they were infact all the meds I have been prescribed over the years.
> So now I don't have my meds, which is really my own fault I suppose.
>
> I argued with my parents and tried to explain that I don't take GHB just to spite them, but because I have Social anxiety. The Irony is that I want to give up anyway and was about to run out!
> My pairents don't believe that I really need to be medicated, they disaproove of my internet use and think that if I just buckled down and ignored my problems, they would go away.
> I feel very uncomfortable living with my parents but can't really do anything else at the moment.
> My Pdoc is unhelpful and won't listen to me.
> I don't have much money and don't know what to do.
>
> For the first time I'm really thinking about killing myself, it seems like it might be the best solution!
> Dont think I will though
> Thanks to everyone who had the patients to read this.From time to time we all screw up. Don't beat yourself up for this. Just wait until you are feeling better and then try to talk to your parents about what you are feeling and maybe they will understand. Maybe you can compromise with them and they keep some of the meds that you really don't need at this time and give you back the ones that your pdoc has you on currently. Don't give up!!! We are here to listen.
merry
Posted by jboud24 on October 25, 2004, at 11:44:07
In reply to Feel terrible, I really screwed up, posted by TheOutsider on October 25, 2004, at 6:18:31
because we all screw up. It's human nature, bro. I can totally relate to your parents not believing you. My mother still doesn't believe I have social anxiety disorder, despite having been diagnosed and treated by 5(!) different doctors since I was 18 years old. I'm 22 now, and only about 2 months ago after hospitilization did my grandparents finally admit that I have a serious anxiety problem. I think your parents are ignorant on the matter of mental health, but in time and with patience, you can convince them of your problems. I really feel for you, I just went through such a similar experience.
I really hope you hang in there, everyone on this board knows and respects your posts, and you have helped so many people here, including myself.
Best wishes,
Justin
Posted by TheOutsider on October 25, 2004, at 13:52:01
In reply to Hope you feel better soon » TheOutsider, posted by jboud24 on October 25, 2004, at 11:44:07
> because we all screw up. It's human nature, bro. I can totally relate to your parents not believing you. My mother still doesn't believe I have social anxiety disorder, despite having been diagnosed and treated by 5(!) different doctors since I was 18 years old. I'm 22 now, and only about 2 months ago after hospitilization did my grandparents finally admit that I have a serious anxiety problem. I think your parents are ignorant on the matter of mental health, but in time and with patience, you can convince them of your problems. I really feel for you, I just went through such a similar experience.>
Thanks Justin and Merry, your posts have cheered me up!
It is very frustrating living with my parents, as their both very ignorent about mental health. Things were better at collage were I was more my own man.
I'm also living in the UK which makes things more difficult because mental health treatment here is so bad, sorry if I sound whiney!If you don't mind me asking Justin what treatments for social anxiety would you recomend?
Posted by jboud24 on October 25, 2004, at 22:36:16
In reply to Re: Hope you feel better soon, posted by TheOutsider on October 25, 2004, at 13:52:01
This has been what has and has not helped my social anxiety disorder (SAD) in the past. Prescription only:
Has not helped:
1. Anti-depressants:
Paxil--Got up to 40mg/day. COMPLETE sexual disfunction from loss of libido to loss of ability to get an erection. Did nothing for SAD.
Celexa--Fewest side effects of the SSRI's I've taken. Very little sexual malfunction. Did nothing for SAD. Up to 80mg/day.
Lexapro--Whoa! Everytime I took my pill for 1and 1/2 years I felt like I was coming up on LSD. Very, very bad for social anxiety. In fact, I'd say this negatively impacted my social anxiety, whereas the others were at least neutral for it, but at least somewhat helpful for depression. Up to 60mg/day.
Zoloft--Actually experienced some relief from SAD and depression. Unfortunately, I also felt relief from every emotion from joy to hate. Complete apathy. Mild loss of libido. No loss of erection function. Up to 300mg/day. Unacceptable side-effects in my book.
BuSpar--Nothing. If you take like 10 though, you feel somewhat like you are withdrawing from an SSRI anti-depressant. A worthless drug for me. Up to 30mg/day.
Remeron--Currently taking 30-45mg/day. Fixing to stop. Greatest med ever for insomnia and nausea. Unfortunately if your not nauseated, you will eat everything in your house, maybe even your house. Gained 25 pounds in a little over a year. Really pretty good for anxiety, probably the best anti-depressant I've yet tried, in doses at or below 30mgs/day. Weight loss unacceptable. I must quit taking this drug soon.
2. Benzodiazepines
I only really have long-term experience with 2, although I've taken many more when I could get them.Ativan--I took this when I started Paxil. I thought it was a miracle drug, as it was the first benzodiazepine I ever took. I only took 2mgs/day. At that dose, it worked well, but I could have used a dosage increase after a year, which my pdoc was unwilling to relent to.
Xanax--The best I ever took bar none for social anxiety. Took it for almost 2 years at up to 5mgs/day. It literally helped save my life from inexplicable panic attacks related to my SAD. Very potent anti-panic/pro-social effect, but I had to dose it every 3.5-4 hours to really get relief after 1.5 years on it. My pdoc refused to push the dose up, and that's when I started drinking 1/2 a fifth of whiskey/night, and that's what landed my butt in a rehab hospital. Xanax is really good though. I had about 2 solid social years on it.
That's been my experiences with drugs for SAD/GAD/Depression. I've found that dexedrine is one of the stimulants that really helped me as well. It definitely has a pro-social effect to it. Unfortunately I have yet to get a pdoc to prescribe it to me for social anxiety. One day though, one day..
Now, I have appointments in the next 3 weeks to see 2 new pdocs. One is private pay (expensive) one is on my insurance (cheap). I am looking to try either Nardil or Parnate and Valium or Klonopin as a benzodiazepine. I'm leaning towards Valium, but I wish more people would submit their experiences to my thread 'Valium vs. Klonopin so I could make up my mind on which to push for. I guess it doesn't matter since I have no real long-term experience with either. But my advice to you would be something like this:
Find a pdoc who is not a benzophobe, and get on xanax or klonopin or valium, and avoid the SSRI's like the plague. Go with an MAO inhibitor like Nardil or Parnate. Judging by the responses from people like ace and King Vultan who have been on them and posted a goodly number of times as to their effectiveness, I'd say they should be first-line treatment for social phobics.
Good luck Matt,
Justin
Posted by Jasmineneroli on October 26, 2004, at 0:39:45
In reply to Re: Hope you feel better soon, posted by jboud24 on October 25, 2004, at 22:36:16
Sorry you had a rough weekend, and frustrations with your parent's lack of understanding.
Unfortunately, that's all too common, and comes down to ignorance. Most likely your parents have a little guilt happening too, that they may be responsible. One way to deal with this is to deny anything is wrong!
You are not to blame for your parents' reaction to your illness.
I'm from the UK originally, but have lived here in Canada for a number of years. My sister still lives there and suffers from social phobia and depression. When I was visiting in 2002, I was appalled by the lack of general knowledge at "home", about such illnesses. My parents had no idea what my sister was dealing with (she was not diagnosed at that time).
I took my sister out shopping and she had a panic attack in a store, when I left her for about 5 minutes. This was when she told me how she'd been suffering.
I then browbeat my parents for the rest of my vacation that she HAD to go to the doc's and get treatment. I gave her a letter to take to her doctor about what I thought was wrong!! (Doc's over there are just not used to assertive patients!). She was put on various SSRI's that didn't help. But I kept pushing my parents from here.
They realized how worried I was about her and finally realized her public avoidance and constant sadness was not "normal". They then supported her and she is FINALLY just seeing a psychiatrist.... the wheels of medical motion turn really slowly there. She is on Paxil, and sounds far better when I talk wih her on the phone than I can remember :)
I didn't mean to go off on this personal story, but it's just to illustrate that I completely understand what you're going through.
You've probably seen, from my posts to this site, that I have severe GAD, that doesn't really have a social aspect to it. But the constant worrying and anxiety is hugely draining (of course worrying about my sister was very typical of GAD.. I had to act!).
I've found Klonopin to be the only med to really help it, and also take a very low dose of Celexa to help the thinking worries. I hate the Celexa side effects, but the combo does help.
The magnesium I'm taking, and dropping the calcium, seems to be helping also.
I'm not "there" yet, but am improved. My journey on this road has taken about 5 years.
I think Klonopin is worth a try, in combination with some kind stimulant, like Strattera. IF you can get a doctor there to prescribe the Klon.The only way to deal with Brit doctors is to act like a battle-ram (I also had to do this on behalf of my father when he had triple bypass surgery and heart valve replacement - I was there in 2000 fighting the system!). Honestly, just go in with paperwork, your opinions and research and tell them what you want. Show them you are not a "lowly" patient, but that they are working for you! It is possible to get the treatment you deserve by being persistent and annoying!
I know it takes a lot of courage and energy, when you may have neither right now. But don't give up. You only have you, when it comes right down to it. And you are worthy.
Keep going, we're here to support.
And as long as you put a med in your post, you can stay here on the med board!!
Warmest wishes,
Jas
Posted by ed_uk on October 26, 2004, at 7:12:21
In reply to Hope you feel better soon » TheOutsider, posted by jboud24 on October 25, 2004, at 11:44:07
Hello!
I also live in the uk so I just thought i'd make a few comments....Clonazepam(klonopin/called rivotril in england)... Hardly ever prescribed for anxiety in uk because it's only licensed for use as an anticonvulsant.
Alprazolam(Xanax)... Not available on the national health service. You can get it if you pay to see a private pdoc though.
Diazepam(Valium).... By far the most widely prescribed benzo in the uk. Most doctors will only give you a few weeks treatment with it though.
Phenelzine(Nardil)... Hardly ever used. My psychiatrist has never even prescribed it in his entire career!!!
SSRIs.... all pdocs are obsessed with SSRIs. I took four SSRIs before I was ever even given a drug from a different class.
Ed
Posted by woolav on October 26, 2004, at 12:20:39
In reply to Re: Hope you feel better soon, posted by ed_uk on October 26, 2004, at 7:12:21
Hi, I am from the states, but just wanted to say I can relate about your issues with your parents. Even here, with all the advertisements for drugs for depression/social phobia, my parents didnt understand either. My mom told me I was just too weak to deal with life etc. and that in her day, people didnt get on meds they just dealt with their problems. It wasnt until I freaked and YELLED at both of them saying basically that I was going to leave the state and they wouldnt see their granddaughter did they wake up about it all. Now they are actually paying for me to see a therapist. (i already see a pdoc) I know my situation is diff. than yours, but i am 32 and it took my parents until now to realize I have problems that need medication! I have social anxiety/depression/mild BP2 and panic disorder. I am taking Klonopin and prozac and a mood stabelizer called lamictal. I have heard the horror stories of UK docs not prescribing meds like they do here. But, like someone else mentioned in a post. See if you can get some xanax. Because I took that for years and it really helped. I havent tried valium, but i think its too weak to be a good anti-anxiety med for social phobia..good luck to you and dont let this disease overcome you. I have felt like giving up many times too, but I am trying to fight this and hopefully live out my life as it was intened to be.
S
Posted by TheOutsider on October 26, 2004, at 15:24:01
In reply to Re: Hope you feel better soon, posted by woolav on October 26, 2004, at 12:20:39
The support I've recieved really helped get me through.
Its good to know that I'm not alone in struggling with parents who are a bit ignorent about mental health.I have negotiated with my parents and managed to get them to return my meds, so thats some progress I guess.
Now if I could find a decent doctor in the UK I might be even more optomistic....Thanks all
This is the end of the thread.
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