Recent content by Caterpillar

I've taken quite a few of these tests over the years and always get INTP, which is pretty accurate, I think. As for compatibility between the types, I've always had a hard time relating to people who are S/J. My husband and friends are all N/P, though the other two traits are variable and don't...

The Seroquel is probably out of your system by now, but all benzos should be discontinued very slowly because they can create horrible rebound anxiety, much worse than the anxiety they were originally treating, and that can last for months. 30mgs a day is a high dose of Valium and should've been...

Can you see another psychiatrist or possibly a psychiatric nurse practitioner? Not only is calling the police like that a horrible and traumatizing thing to do, but you do NOT prescribe an anti-depressant alone for someone with bipolar disorder. The bad reaction you had to an SSRI in the past...

I was completely re-traumatized by things I saw in a psych hospital too (I'd already been diagnosed with PTSD from other things), so I understand where you're coming from. I share your fear of dealing with psychiatric professionals too. In my state, we can get psych meds from family doctors, so...

No, you're not the only one Ativan doesn't do much for. My anxiety just turns benzos into sugar pills. I'm on a completely different class of meds for my anxiety now. Glad you found something that helps too.

Because I have ADD, the stimulant medication I take makes me feel calmer and more focused rather than actually stimulated. It doesn't raise my anxiety at all. But it would probably be very different for someone without ADD.

For me, being alone allows me to shut down my emotions more than I ever can in a relationship. In order to be in a relationship, I have to keep myself open enough to feel the goodness when we're together, as well as the let down when we're not together and the anxiety about keeping the...

Is it a bad idea to go somewhere you know could be triggering when you don't have to go there? My problem isn't with my destination itself, but with the road that goes to it. It's the road I had to drive to and from the place where my most recent trauma happened, and not a road I had occasion to...

I've experienced that type of depression before. At the time I wasn't on any meds and the fatigue and lack of motivation was definitely a depressive symptom for me. I did find it somewhat easier to overcome that the severe depressions where I feel all the bleakness and sadness because as I...

@brat17, I really thought I could save people too, that it was one of the few things I really had a talent for and that my efforts would earn me care and respect from the people around me. Needless to say, it didn't work out that way. Instead of building them up, I got systematically broken down...

Do you take a mood stabilizer or anti-psychotic to treat and prevent the manias? Valium can be useful for keeping control during a manic episode, but it doesn't actually treat the Bipolar Disorder, only masks the symptoms until you can get it back under control.

Yeah, that's pretty much what happened to me. But I wouldn't listen to anyone who told me it was a dangerous road either.

Welcome to the forums. It's great that you want to learn more about PTSD, and that will doubtlessly make life easier for both of you. As someone who's been a supporter many times, I'd suggest you don't worry too much about triggers. When you spend a lot of time with someone with PTSD it's...

I agree with brat17 and greenleaf that this is beyond the emotional regulation problems which occur with PTSD. Your partner was intentionally cruel to you and mentally/emotionally abusive--all because he made a mistake and blew your budget. While PTSD might cause someone to lash out in the...

This is all very, very true. I wouldn't say someone could get PTSD simply from having sex withheld, but the systematic emotional stress of being the supporter to someone with a serious mental illness absolutely can cause PTSD. That's what happened to me. Lack of sex is only a small part of it...