Poll Does Prescription Medication Help Your PTSD?

[anthony]

She had none of these before the shooting, that is a fact.

And that is the key right there Jim, in that the DSM IV manual in which diagnosis are made, also includes the writing in regard to whether the symptoms where present before the trauma. If the symptoms are present only after the trauma, then PTSD is the desiring condition, not the symptoms and conditions uniquely that makeup PTSD itself.

Basically, there is no money is curing or healing people, only repeat medication and non-productive counselling, ensuring they never get better, regardless that they are too a human being.

The physicians I know that are 110% focused on their patients, are not the rich one's. Sure, they still get paid well, and so they should for their education, but they are often not the one's driving around in $250,000 Merc's, and the typical materialistic list that goes with that lifestyle. They are grounded, focused and their patients come first.

It reminds me of a movie actually, "Evil Woman", where she is a psychiatrist and charges hundreds per hour, doesn't give a shit, drives her BMW, is uptight, snobbish, etc etc... Its a comedy, but the part in which she acts as the psychiatrist who is too important to give anyone her real time, just stands out to me as an example explaining what is happening to our health arena.

I don't see the point in being a doctor if you don't care about your patients. Careing always gets a much better response IMO. Careing gets word of mouth referrals, it gets satisfaction that you have done good, it gets repeat customers.... Greed clouds their minds of real marketing, and being a doctor is about marketing when in private practice. They just haven't learnt it, or they got fed the wrong marketing advice of "be a cold hard shit, charge the earth, have no warmth for your patient in order to protect you from transferance and never heal them fully."

 

[Jim]

Greed clouds their minds of real marketing, and being a doctor is about marketing when in private practice. They just haven't learnt it, or they got fed the wrong marketing advice of "be a cold hard shit, charge the earth, have no warmth for your patient in order to protect you from transferance and never heal them fully."

Couldn't agree with you more anthony. With all the years of schooling doctors get, you'd think they could squeeze in a course on compassion.

Jim.

 

[Deleted member 93]

Just piping in, I could not agree more with Anthony here. My list of disorders is a mile long. None would be there without PTSD, take PTSD out OK, fine I am scared of creepy crawlies! But if there is a disorder I think my docs say I have it, I have researched enough to know I have one, PTSD.

With Anthony's incredible patience the last 6 or 7 months I am barely on xanax. I will be free of it and learn to cope. I did not not even know what all I took! I found out while packing for my move I found a bottle of lexapro. Only 10 mgs and it did not work so they pulled it but damn the drug trail is unreal.

If she is drug free extra kuddos! It will be a hell of a ride but better I think without addiction to fight too like I am. (Not to knock a break temporarily as I think it is needed, but if pushed to addiction like me... no good)

Anthony has done wonders to light the way, it is just who chooses to listen? Kind of like kids, you tell 'em and tell 'em... some listen, some fall on their face to come back home. I really wish more would follow Anthony's way... He knows what the hell he is talking about.

 

[batgirl]

The psych doctor at the hospital tried to tell me she has comorbid conditions, diagnoses of major depression, OCD, social anxiety and an eating disorder not otherwise specified (?), plus the PTSD, and that she is non-compliant with regards to her meds. I think it's all bunk. She had none of these before the shooting, that is a fact. I figure all her symptoms stem from the PTSD, and the stomach problems stem from being shot, christ the surgeon told me that directly. Wish these damn doctors would keep their stories straight.

OMG I didn't know this... they never told me. Or maybe I was just so out of it that I wasn't paying attention. Anyways I agree that it's BS. How can anyone have alllll those conditions all at once anyhow?!? Like WTF, are they trying for the Guiness Book of World Records with me?? No wonder they prescribe so many medications, if they think people have 5+ mental illnesses all at once. I thought the purpose of the DSM-IV was to rule out conditions so you're only diagnosed with one or maybe two at a time?? Dumb...

And yeah veiled I am medication free, for 3 weeks I think now, except I occasionally take a sleeping pill. I'm paranoid about taking the sleeping pills though as I don't want to get addicted. My uncle made me take one that night when I freaked out. But I generally only take one once or twice a month. I'm hoping to stay off the meds too, as I don't think they were really helping me. I mean, 3 years ago I started on 5 mg, then suddenly I was on 15, then 20, then 40, and finally 60 mg!!!! Obviously it wasn't working, because they kept increasing it.

I wish you well with getting off the Xanax completely.

 

[mouse]

I feel that my meds have helped me when the symptoms appear somewhat but I am also afraid that I am only dealing chemically with the issue and not working hard enough to deal without meds cause it is way easier to pop a pill then to feel the hurt and work through it, but I do feel that there is a chemical imbalance in the mind and that the meds can help correct that somewhat - Thus decreasing some of the kinds of symptoms

 

[becvan]

I forgot about this poll! (glad someone is mucking around in here.. it reminded me too)

My meds have done nothing.. They are adding more meds and will want to up them next month.. so yeah, didn't help in the least. It hasn't made me worse but that is only because I fight the doctors on every little thing about it and refuse to get pushed around so they can't just turn me into a drugged zombie like they would like to.

The meds just add to the finacial drain that is already present and then when I come off them.. I'll have to deal with the withdrawl too which will create more stress.

Not helpful.

bec

 

[kers]

I'm on Zoloft and Ativan (for sleep several nights a week).

They've both helped. The Zoloft pulled me out of a deep depression so that I could start dealing with the PTSD. And the Ativan is helping me try keep my body in "fighting shape," so to speak, so that I'm not overtired and letting the emotional crap snowball me into a bad place.

 

[Pitt Bull]

I have been put on Abilify to help with depression and a choice of Remeron or Trazadone for sleep. They seem to be helping with out making feel tired all the time. Have run into issues with depression becoming a bit more strong but I am trying to work my way through it with help of my counselor. He has said if it gets worse he will be asking for me to be hospitalized. I say that they can kiss my Ass :moon: before I go back to the hospital.

 

[catatonicky]

drugs

i think it really depends upon the person and their unique situation as to whether drugs can help or not. I found the Zoloft/Prozac kind aggravated my dissociation, however Effexor worked well and wasnt too sedating (hate older sedating antidepressants as well) until i doubled the dose and got an allergic reaction. Even if you take natural remedies you can still end up living amongst the pill bottles, and it does get a bit tiresome balancing them all out but if it keeps people from suicide then thats a positive in my book. It would be nice if there was a miracle drug/technique for PTSD but obviously thats not going to happen until they invent that Men-In-Black memory zapper (now how useful would THAT be!). I still think the prevalence of prescription drugs in society today is a damning indictment. What i see as the cause of this drugged society is the lack of social support networks and the individualisation of mental illness. As well as the big bucks to be made in meds!

 

[nov_silence]

I went down hill on Zoloft and Wellbutrin. Effexor helped stabilize me last year. I weened myself off of Seroquil and Paxil. Still on Effexor.

 

[New Mex Apex]

I was taking 20-30mg of paxil for years. It helped immensely with the panic attacks...I definitely noticed that they are worse since I quit taking it. I tightly control my environment to compensate for the lack of meds, however, when I do have a problem my symptoms run rampant. I like my doctors, even trust them but the bottom line for me is that I do not trust the pharmaceutical companies at all. I watch the news, and it seems that every time I turn around they are finding some sort of new dangerous side effect.

I didn't see anyone in this thread warning of the dangers of suddenly stopping medications, so I will share my experiences. I once had a hard time getting in to see a new doctor to get my prescription refilled and ran out. I began to feel as though I had a tornado in my head, I could not focus and became emotionally unstable. Within days I was in the hospital following an "attempt". The doctors said it was common, and that I should never quit a prescribed medication for my condition without close observation by a psychiatrist. I only took small doses to get off the medication...step down...and never took it again. I am wretched at remembering to take my meds, and I think some of my instability in the earlier years was due to the fact that I kept forgetting to take them when I got busy.

 

[becvan]

Ugh, that is not good New. I have one more of my pills for tonight, then I am out until Friday because I can't get in to see my doc on time for the next perscription. I'm expecting to be very sick and miserable.. maybe I should make sure someone checks on me... hmmms...

bec