From self-medicating to doctor-assisted?

[Beltane]

Doubtless SWIM has what past doctors have referred to as an extensive history of serious drug abuse, but that doesn't mean that he might not have ADD or ADHD or General Anxiety Disorder or some other condition that normal people get prescribed what SWIM considers to be pretty decent drugs. And what's more, if they have health insurance then they're getting these drug for almost no money.

SWIM wonders about the best way, or if it's at all advisable, to be completely forthcoming with a doctor in order to get prescribed whatever drugs might address his particular symptoms as he understands them.

SWIM's done a lot of stims, and invariably he ends up working on something and really concentrating, whether that be writing or computer work or just paperwork.

Also SWIM drinks occasionally, even though he doesn't like it. He usually feels it has to do with battling anxiety.

So SWIM could self-medicate as he felt necessary, or, in a perfect world, he could get a doctor to see that time-released ritalin or adderall, monitored by a doctor, would be far superior to coke or meth. And xanax or valium have both gotta be better than alcohol for SWIM. When he has benzos, he has no problem using them judiciously.

Also if a patient is this honest and forthcoming from the start, the doctor may trust him to continue this in attempting to find the right mix of meds.

There's probably a thread like this somewhere, but I wouldn't have a clue what to search for.

Thanks-

- Beltane

[ojos_de_brujo]

When listening to Swiy explaining how he feels and what his problems are, a doctor will mentally compare Swiy's words to what he has learned.
If Swiy uses the right words and descriptions the doctor will more easily recognize Swiy's problem.
It's like a written exam where mentioning certain words will merit points, but an exhaustive (and correct) description of the answer will not merit points.

This is not at all about lying to one's doctor, since Swiy honestly believes there is a medical/psychological problem besides drug abuse. It is about saving you the trouble of years and years of undiagnosed problems.

A google search on diagnostics and the DSM-IV will get you pretty far in researching this.

Note: when people think they have an illness they tend to answer questionnaires on the net in a way that they think should fit the (aspired or feared) diagnosis. So they get it wrong.
That's why doctors and psychiatrists still have a job to do besides prescribing treatment.

[Beltane]

That's pretty much what SWIM's done in the past whenever he needed to have some benzos around. He'd really like to be completely honest and forthright with the doctor about any stims though as if taking them for real (non-recreationally) he'd like to make sure that whatever is settled on has the smallest chance of misuse or abuse.

Guess SWIM will surf around the DSM IV and figure out the magic words.

- Beltane

[MrJim]

To be honest, Beltane, If you are older than a teenager your chances of getting a doctor to prescibe you ritalin or adderall hover around the zero mark. For reasons that the prescibing docotors aren't even sure of ritalin affects teenagers in a way much different than it affects adults. Typically once someone is a fully developed adult stimulants cease to be prescibed.
Benzos are a different story. They will prescibe those to adults, because in our ad-soaked society anxiety is a more common ailment than ever.
If you complain about depression and a lack of energy they will mostly precscibe you welbutrin. The key, if you really want to get better, is to listen to what they have to say and try it wholeheartedly as well. That doesn't mean the first med will work -Or the second or the third, etc. But with patience you can get there.
And for people with addictions in their history benzos are almost NEVER used.

[ojos_de_brujo]

Originally Posted by MrJim

TThe key, if you really want to get better, is to listen to what they have to say and try it wholeheartedly as well. That doesn't mean the first med will work -Or the second or the third, etc.

Mmm, this is basicly good advice. But in reality you should not just take a doctor's or psychiatrist's word without looking up the medication on the net.
Swim has met several psychiatrists who had no idea what they were doing.
One of them decided after a first visit to prescribe lithium to Swim, Swim has never been manic, nor gave the psychiatrist a reason to think she was bipolar. Swim would never have known lithium treatment is supposed to be closely monitored by blood tests if she hadn't looked this drug up on the net.
Some psychiatrists have bluntly lied to Swim about medication.

You should listen to what a doctor has to say, but they are human, just like us. And they make mistakes.

[MrJim]

For sure, Ojos. I think I may have misspoke. I find alot of people won't listen to others - I meant that one should go in with an open mind - Not just a preconceived notion of what will work, ready to dismiss anything that doesn't fall within that preconcieved notion. I just meant be open to other suggestions, not take the doctors, or anyones, word as absolute truth.

[ojos_de_brujo]

Swim can totally agree with that, Mr Jim.

[Binzkin]

In SWIM's experience, getting prescribed a benzo is the easy part, getting the doctor to continue to give you refills is the hard part. When SWIM was 18, he was prescribed 0.5mg of alprazolam once a day for sleep as needed. SWIM took them every single day, and after 2 months he was cut off. Now SWIM is prescribed 0.5mg of alprazolam twice a day as needed for anxiety. SWIM makes sure to only average 1 per day, and after telling the doctor this, was told that one a day is perfectly fine and the prescription will continue to be refilled.

[stoneinfocus]

swims experience:
don´t talk anything to a psychiatrist, psychologist, except convincing him, you are not suicidal.

tell him you took ritalin a few times:
-polytoxicomaniac, abuse of central acting narcotics.

tell that corticosteroids helped for alleviating depression and pain, needing it anyway for exacerbating asthma condition since childhood:
- wants to abuse performance enhacning drugs for his sports, demanding high doses of corticosteroids for getting high -that´s what they learn and believe in, like a christ does in the words of the pope, overseeing, corticosteroids arn´r any fun into the 3.week anymore, no matter how much)

tell them that you have pain all the time:
-craving/begging for narcotics

tell them youßre homsoexual:
-should see psychhiatric coinceiling

tell them about family problems, wishing him dead for his sexuality and nionetheless successive lifestyle:
-he has no pain, but a psychic disorder that´s the underlying problem

tell them, that you really have pain, and this, and this and this works:
-manic episode, knows everything better = psychotic condition with selfoverestimation / hybris .

I think docotors are not qualified to treat humans, but to sell the abc of the pharmaceutical all day menue, nor should they ever be called academics, which normally involves thinking by oneself and inventing, questioning old and doubtful regimes and working to fullfill these parameters in theri everyday work, which I yet didn´t come across see doing by doc, and I´ve seen a whole lot and in the sum I would have been better off with a dealer, only, selling all available drugs at an affordable price.. a lot better! Even though I was dead rigth now, that would have been stilll better.

It´s becoming more and more an ugly Kindergarten with envy between "studied" kiddies, that are not willing to share and take advice of decent expereienced and self studied an dvery to this dedicated patients, that kniow more about the drugs and their conditions and the latest unbiased studies then they, and which are even qualified to differ between biased and non-biased studies.

[Micklemouse]

Once again, that is one beings experience & opinion, & not necessarily representative of what happens when one seeks medical assistance.