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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by LostBoyinNCReturns on March 13, 2012, at 23:32:19
Ive reached a crossroads in my life and CPAP gear for sleep apnea helps me more than meds. I dont take that many meds anymore, but still see a shrink every two months for thirty minutes. Ive never had an actual suicide attempt since I first began going to a psychiatrist in late 97 and only had one short hospitalisation over ten years ago.
I believe strongly that I could be ditch the Pdoc and get my 50 mg zoloft and klonopin from a primary care doc instead. And just focus on maximizing my sleep apnea therapy with my sleep medicine doc. As that is what has helped me the most.
Specifically, what has helped me the most is this scenario: 1) adhering to CPAP therapy; 2) lots of aggressive aerobic exercise regulary which helps keep my blood pressure low and burns off stress; 3) 50 zoloft, no more as I get "activation syndrome" if I try to take more than 50 mg for more than about two days; 4) cut back on the klonopin Im taking.
Ive found when I do the four things above and cut my klonopin back, my memory starts returning and my thought process starts normalizing like pre-97 levels.
My shrink acts kind of jealous believe or not and acts almost as if he dislikes my CPAP gear. I dont hate the guy and actually like him as a person. It is just I feel like psychiatry has become a weight holding me down.
Anybody else here ditched psychiatry if they found something else (sleep medicine, endocrine, etc.) did it for you more than psychiatry?
And how do you do it when youve been "stuck at it" for so many years?
thanks,
Eric
Posted by SLS on March 14, 2012, at 1:25:38
In reply to How do you quit psychiatry?, posted by LostBoyinNCReturns on March 13, 2012, at 23:32:19
> Anybody else here ditched psychiatry if they found something else (sleep medicine, endocrine, etc.) did it for you more than psychiatry?
I would ditch psychiatry in a heartbeat if my symptoms were discovered to be the result of an illness that is outside its purview and that were responsive to non-psychiatric treatments. However, I would not disparage psychiatry just because my illness was newly characterized as being something to be treated by another branch of medicine. (You don't appear to disparage psychiatry here, only its applicability in your particular case).
> And how do you do it when youve been "stuck at it" for so many years?In what ways have you been "stuck"?
How do you think you would feel were you to discontinue Zoloft? Some people need medical treatment for depression for finite periods of time.
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on March 14, 2012, at 10:24:26
In reply to Re: How do you quit psychiatry? » LostBoyinNCReturns, posted by SLS on March 14, 2012, at 1:25:38
I know what you mean I think as at times I wonder if continuting to see a psychiatrist perpetuates the feelings that I almost should be depressed and anxious. I see one but with last two nothing changes. I think it's great that CPAP really does work. A former babbler who lives close to NC just also found the same and is using CPAP and excercise and doing great. What part of NC I'm near Charlotte. Find pdocs in short supply. I'd got to your primary as you are lucky yours will prescribe for you as mine haven't seen in years as he just refers you out. So since have medicaire refer myself. Phillipa
Posted by LostBoyinNCReturns on March 14, 2012, at 11:16:01
In reply to Re: How do you quit psychiatry? » LostBoyinNCReturns, posted by SLS on March 14, 2012, at 1:25:38
> > Anybody else here ditched psychiatry if they found something else (sleep medicine, endocrine, etc.) did it for you more than psychiatry?
>
> I would ditch psychiatry in a heartbeat if my symptoms were discovered to be the result of an illness that is outside its purview and that were responsive to non-psychiatric treatments. However, I would not disparage psychiatry just because my illness was newly characterized as being something to be treated by another branch of medicine. (You don't appear to disparage psychiatry here, only its applicability in your particular case).
>
> > And how do you do it when youve been "stuck at it" for so many years?
>
> In what ways have you been "stuck"?
>
> How do you think you would feel were you to discontinue Zoloft? Some people need medical treatment for depression for finite periods of time.
>
>
> - Scott
>Dont wanna ditch the zoloft. Just want to get it from a primary care doc I see once every six months. Im tired of psychiatry, I get more bang for the buck from sleep medicine than I get from psychiatry. Not bashing psychiatry, just sayin, if Im not getting a huge amount out of it, it is time for me to be movin on.
Besides, if something truly bad happened or something I could always go back to the Pdoc. But for me at least, the four things I listed above, along with weight loss, when I combine them, not only my mood improves greatly to the point of near normalcy, but even my memory begins returning and my thinking processes begin normalizing. And I never got below 1 mg klonopin, either on that. If I could get off klonopin entirely while staying on 50 mg zoloft and CPAP and keep up exercising, no telling what...I seriously think I would about normalize to approaching close to pre-97 levels.
They say everybody eventually finds what works for them. Well, I found it. Problem is, it took so long to find it out I wasted years of my life doing it.
Eric
Posted by Christ_empowered on March 14, 2012, at 12:18:13
In reply to Re: How do you quit psychiatry?, posted by LostBoyinNCReturns on March 14, 2012, at 11:16:01
I'd just call a primary call doc, make an appointment, and spell it out for him/her. The worst thing that could happen is the doc will shoot you down and tell you to keep going to your shrink, in which case you're just out a co-pay and some time. You don't sound like a complicated case, so I don't see what the problem would be, unless the primary care doc hates benzos (which happens sometimes, btw).
Good luck.
Posted by mellow on March 14, 2012, at 21:32:07
In reply to How do you quit psychiatry?, posted by LostBoyinNCReturns on March 13, 2012, at 23:32:19
I think CPAP is great. I work in the sleep field and perform sleep studies for a living. I also sleep with a CPAP and saw a massive weight reduction after correcting my apnea issues.
My question for you is how will it make a difference if you get the Zoloft and Klonopin from an internist rather than a pdoc. They are the same drugs either way. Perhaps you feel a little insecure seeing a shrink. I know I personally feel kind of inadequate every time I sit in the waiting room at my pdoc and therapist clinic. It's like a reminder that something must be wrong if I have to come see people about mental problems. I feel very insecure about.
So my question is what is really bothering you? Your symptoms or some kind of chip on your shoulder you have about seeing a shrink. Either way you are certainly justified to be frustrated. I think we all are. That's why we post on Babble.
mellow
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