Jump to content
SurvivingAntidepressants.org is temporarily closed to new registrations until 1 April ×

Alex's scorecard


alexjuice

Recommended Posts

I deal with lots of MDs and PhDs in the area of mental health. I deal with them as a patient and through email and through organizations I have/had relationships with (mostly past tense). Yet I've found I continuously have to spend my time and money explaining things to them, again and again (heaven help a shrink who remembers what happened last session) things they probably ought to know.

 

The following are names and terms I have introduced. I start with the same question and, largely, get the same answers.

 

I don't know how it is out there, I know I sometimes feel a disconnect with others who have found more informed doctors, but I am flabbergasted by the crap I hear month after freaking month. Here's a sampling:

 

1. Have you ever heard of Nancy Andreason?

 

Doc A: Yes

Doc B (graduated w/ PhD in Psychology (counseling with a focus on anxiety) from University of Iowa): No

 

2. Have you ever heard of Dr. Heather Ashton?

 

Doc A: No, who's that?

Doc B: No, who's that?

Doc C: No, who's that?

Doc D: No, who's that? (my answer) Well, I've heard of Marc Ott (?) at Harvard...

 

3. Have you ever heard of PSSD?

 

Doc A: No, what's that? (I decode the acronym.) No, never heard of it.

Doc B: No, what's that? (I decode the acronym.) Is this some online thing??? If you go looking, you can find a group on about anything on the internet.

 

4. Have you ever heard of prolonged withdrawal after dicontinuation of serotonin uptake inhibiting drugs?

 

Doc A: There is no evidence for that, maybe some individual stories, but no evidence that it exists as a meaningful phenomenon. Though, I am aware of claims.

Doc B: I've never heard of it.

Doc C: No... what do you mean? (Me: definition) That doesn't sound possible.

Doc D: No, what do you mean prolonged?

 

5. Have you ever heard that alcohol abuse is a side effect of serotonin uptake inhibiting drugs?

Doc A: No. (me: Glaxo lists it as one on the insert.)

Doc B: I've never heard of it. (me: Glaxo lists it as one on the insert.)

Doc C: No. (me: Glaxo lists it as one on the insert.)

Doc D: No. (me: Glaxo lists it as one on the insert.)

 

6. Have you ever heard of the journalist Robert Whittaker?

Doc A: No... Who is that?

Doc B: No... Who is that?

Doc C: No... Who is that?

Doc D: No... Who is that?

Doc E: No... Who is that?

 

That's enough for now.

 

...and I wonder why I'm in the situation I'm in?

"Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast
I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past
But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free
I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me.

Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there
Everybody's got to move somewhere
Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow
Things should start to get interesting right about now."

- Zimmerman

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm afraid to even see my Doctor right now. If I did, I wouldn't mention anything about my withdrawals. I plan to when I'm done though. I just don't want to get into it with her right now. I know she's just tell me to take more Xanax or something. I made an appointment last week when I had that awful jerk stab in my back that scared me. But then I cancelled it the morning before I was supposed to go.

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alex,

I'm sorry this is so exasperating, but thank you for for putting your humorous spin on it! I see a bright future for you. Perhaps a script entitled "'scripts"??

Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use Privacy Policy