Panic Attack or something else

Psychiatrists sometimes don't get it, either. If you have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Here, too, and let me quote:

symptoms due to unrecognized PSVT are often ascribed to psychiatric conditions.

Well I went to my shrink this morning and it was as expected. I had 15 minutes to talk as fast as I could and he sent me off with a new script for Lexapro (I can take as much as I think I need up to 40mg), Clonazepam .5mg 2 x day and a new one to help with trouble relaxing to go to sleep during the day now that I work all night generic Ambien 10mg -- oh times up see you in 6 months or sooner if needed.

This whole anxiety,nervous breakdown,depression crap runs in the men on my fathers side of the family some of whom have been in the mental hospital(my dad and his twin) but my dad held a job for years and has a nice retirement.

I just want to be so much and I feel this weakness limits what I will ever be.... Could I ever be a Manager-no because I apparently can't handle stress. I wanted to be a cop or fed when i was younger and dropped out after my first incident. I look at the men in positions I admire and theink I am less of a man than they are and will never be able to be what they are.

Sorry but now you know more about me than I like but I don't really care as I have always been probably too open with people and gotten hurt for it.

No mention of any therapy from the shrink.

I am scared to take the ambien and too much of the clonazepam. It says all this stuff about being used for a short time but he gave me a script with 5 refills...

Thanks for the kind words people,
Mike

Mr. Sandman, I would like to recommend the following book to you; http://www.amazon.com/New-Antidepressan ... pd_sim_b_2#. The author is a psychiatrist who has never taken grant money from any pharmaceutical company to participate in clinical trials using their product. It is a very objective look at anti-depressants and anxiety medication. It helped me a great deal to put a realistic perspective on what the expectations are of these drugs vs the conventional dogma that at times to be cavalierly espoused by both the manufacturers and the Dr. prescribing these meds.

Your psychiatrist sounds nothing like the one I see. In fact she is a licensed Psycopharmacologist and our discussions are informative, respectful and most importantly productive. Your discussions sound as though they lack all of the above. I know changing doctors is a real hassle but it can also be very rewarding. Also, when I took Lexapro it made my anxiety much worse and did nothing to help me sleep. Finding the right doctor is as important as finding the right medication. If you went to a sleep doctor and he looked at your polysomnograph and saw your AHI at 53 and told you to just go home and sleep on your side and not on your back and you will be fine would you look for another sleep doc? Yes you would. I went through the same thing you are going through and never thought I would be the same person I was. And I admit it was very difficult for me but I was persistent, kept asking questions, researched topics, and badgered doctors. Through all the struggles I pushed on and although I am not in the physical and mental state that I would consider optimum I have made some pretty good positive strides. I believe you can do the same.

Cheers


Travis

travismcgee wrote:Mr. Sandman, I would like to recommend the following book to you; http://www.amazon.com/New-Antidepressan ... pd_sim_b_2#. The author is a psychiatrist who has never taken grant money from any pharmaceutical company to participate in clinical trials using their product. It is a very objective look at anti-depressants and anxiety medication. It helped me a great deal to put a realistic perspective on what the expectations are of these drugs vs the conventional dogma that at times to be cavalierly espoused by both the manufacturers and the Dr. prescribing these meds.

Your psychiatrist sounds nothing like the one I see. In fact she is a licensed Psycopharmacologist and our discussions are informative, respectful and most importantly productive. Your discussions sound as though they lack all of the above. I know changing doctors is a real hassle but it can also be very rewarding. Also, when I took Lexapro it made my anxiety much worse and did nothing to help me sleep. Finding the right doctor is as important as finding the right medication. If you went to a sleep doctor and he looked at your polysomnograph and saw your AHI at 53 and told you to just go home and sleep on your side and not on your back and you will be fine would you look for another sleep doc? Yes you would. I went through the same thing you are going through and never thought I would be the same person I was. And I admit it was very difficult for me but I was persistent, kept asking questions, researched topics, and badgered doctors. Through all the struggles I pushed on and although I am not in the physical and mental state that I would consider optimum I have made some pretty good positive strides. I believe you can do the same.

Cheers


Travis

Thank you VERY MUCH for the advice. I have had that feeling that I need to change to a different DR. but as you said it is really a hassle to do so. This young DR. has all kinds of credentials and education but I just feel he is a pill pusher. As a technical type person I feel he has no real interest in getting to know what issues I may have but instead is interested in what drug will help me to just "survive" life. He isn't even on my insurance anymore so I pay full price to see him,another reason to change.

Thanks Again
Mike