Group therapy time

[infinite monkey]

Patients who take the drugs often get them from their regular doctor
rather than a so-called mental health professional.

lamp, from your post.

Of course people are getting the scripts from their regular doctors. Regular doctors have psychiatric training as part of their core of study. I don't know if you're suggesting people would be better served to be referred to a psychiatrist or PsyD for meds that are to a depressive what diabetics meds are to a diabetic.

For one thing, I think it would preclude a lot of people getting the help they need. Specialists are expensive, even with insurance. Some people might think "I don't need a freaking shrink" (stigma) and not pursue it.

My doctor, a D.O. has known me for many many many years. He talks to me and listens to me. I have faith that he is working with me for the best 'cocktail' to get, and KEEP, my depression under control. Honestly, I wish I had known about such things when I was in college. I wish depression were "over-diagnosed" then, and I might have gotten help much earlier.

At any rate, to add fuel to your fire (well, not really a fire, more a reasonably contained campfire) I am now on a second SSRI. I've been on the main one so long, doc thinks my body says "Oh, I see you have enough seratonin now" because the SSRI is blocking the reuptake. So this second one is supposed to "boost" if you will the first one. The first one is doing its job, so it wouldn't make sense to try to wean me off. (The main one is also the one with the shortest half life of the SSRIs and withdrawal, even for one day, is brutal.)

So, UT...I'm reading your posts. I don't know why my SSRI doesn't take better care of my anxiety attacks. I think it did for a while but I really believe perimenopause and worse PMS are taking their toll. My anti-anxiety is prescribed for pms, but I use it when I start to recognize I'm about to have an attack. And it really helps me to not blow things clear out of proportion.

Choco, hang in there girl. I know exactly what you mean about the car and the tree. You don't really want anything bad to happen but you have moments when it sounds like some sort of relief...to rest, to not have to DO, to have someone else take care of things for a while. I hope you feel better soon.

My bloodwork numbers were BETTER than they were 5 years ago. I'm glad it's not blood sugar or thyroid or whatever, but I must admit I was hoping for something that didn't make me feel more crazy.

But I'm not crazy. My doc says so. My best friend says so. I do have issues from my past I've never dealt with, and the next step is to contact the employeecare on campus for a recommendation. No, I don't WANT to talk about that stuff. That's why I don't talk about it. To talk about it makes it too real. Otherwise, I can just think about those things in a vague detached kind of way. Something blurry from the past. But I guess that option has left the building.

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

lamp, from your post.

Of course people are getting the scripts from their regular doctors. Regular doctors have psychiatric training as part of their core of study. I don't know if you're suggesting people would be better served to be referred to a psychiatrist or PsyD for meds that are to a depressive what diabetics meds are to a diabetic.

For one thing, I think it would preclude a lot of people getting the help they need. Specialists are expensive, even with insurance. Some people might think "I don't need a freaking shrink" (stigma) and not pursue it.

My doctor, a D.O. has known me for many many many years. He talks to me and listens to me. I have faith that he is working with me for the best 'cocktail' to get, and KEEP, my depression under control. Honestly, I wish I had known about such things when I was in college. I wish depression were "over-diagnosed" then, and I might have gotten help much earlier.

<snip>

IM, ... no evil intended

My OP spoke to medical schools and the AMA training more practicing physicians to emulate your D.O.

That business about mental health workers and psychiatrists came from the original article...
and frankly I took it to be the sort of hierarchical turf war that is so prevalent in medicine.

It's just evident from the numbers there is a lot of Rx-abuse going on, from many sources.