How do you do it?
Question:
Thanks to all. Well, there isn’t a lot of depth with regard to psychiatry in this town. I’d probably have to drive about 200 miles to find a good one. But, I’m getting the idea that I should have a long talk with him before I start this Nuerontin. My research doesn’t show it as a "bad" drug, the question is how appropriate is it, and I don’t want to be somebody’s science project. I will throw this out there. Last time I saw my GP he offered to try me on another SSRI (remember, I bailed out when I read about Paxil withdrawal), and claims the results are better than they used to be, and swears that if he gets in over his head he will refer me to somebody else. I do trust him. Plus, no problem with insurance when it comes to my GP, and they always have someone on call if I need to talk to someone with a problem, though not a shrink. BTW, I do see a therapist, but she can’t prescribe anything. This just gets more confusing. Sheldon
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How do you simply go to your doc and start a new med without freaking out about it? I have an appointment Tuesday with my doc (second appt), where I’m sure he will start me on something, I hope he is a psychiatrist with some experience in treating anxiety disorders. and I’m really scared and stuck between a rock and a hard place. I know I have to do something to get better (GAD, and let’s throw a little depression in there for kicks). It’s never been this bad, but I’m sure much of it has to do with the anxiety of seeing a shrink for the first time in many, many years, and being put on meds, especially meds that this group doesn’t seem to think much of. As I said in a previous post, I think he would like to try Neurontin, a drug which he says he’s had good luck with. Obviously, this would be a lot easier if this group had said "Great drug. Worked like a charm for me." But, that isn’t what happened, so now it’s almost a matter of trust. What does he know that you don’t, or what do you know that he doesn’t? I don’t know what he knows. But I know the meds of choice for the treatment of anxiety disorders are the antidepressants and the benzodiazepines and NOT Neurontin. Neurontin is the sort of med that might be tried for anxiety after all the meds that have proven efficacy have NOT worked. It’s not the first med you’d use for an anxiety disorder, it’s one of the last. (well, you’d use it before an antibiotic) And to make things worse, I live alone, and can’t take weeks and weeks off to see how these drugs affect me. It pisses me off when I see friends go into their GP, get handed a sample of Lexipro, or whatever, and just start taking them like candy without a thought. Are you sure they take them without any anxiety? Have you asked them? Why do I have to obsess over everything and drive myself nuts over a lousy pill? Because you’re like the rest of us? Because you have alot of anxiety? :) My doc assures me that if I have any negative reaction it will go away as soon as I stop taking the drug, and I know that I can create damn near any reaction just in my own mind. So, the question is how do you do it? And I’ve heard more than one story here from others who are med phobic who eventually give in, got though the initial side effects, feel great, and can’t believe they waited so long. When I took my first Xanax in 1985, I didn’t know what to expect. So I lay down on my bed, took the pill, and waited for a reaction. Nothing seemed to happen. I didn’t die. After awhile I got bored, got up, and went about my daily activities. I think I felt a calmness come over me a little later in the day. Good luck, Sheldon! Chip 
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