So I have been letting the stress of my job get to me, and it has now started to effect all aspects of my life. A friend recommended that I start seeing a psychiatrist to help me deal with it, and I was wondering if any of you TWWers see a shrink on a regular basis. If so, can you provide feedback? Is it worth the money? I don't want to just go see someone that is going to put me on drugs (because I will not take them), but rather I feel it would help to just talk to someone that has no biased opinion (i.e. not just a friend that will say "you're the man, hang in there bro").

And yes, I posted this in Chit Chat on purpose. The flame posts will help lighten my mood while I read the serious responses.

4/19/2012 5:39:31 PM

grow some balls

4/19/2012 5:40:34 PM

Why won't you take drugs? Don't you think that a person with a medical degree knows more about the effectiveness of mental health prescriptions than you do?

And to clear up the misconception you have in your OP, a psychiatrist is a person with a medical degree who can prescribe medications. They are not a therapist (which is what you are actually seeking according to your OP). However, drug treatments can be very effective in combination with therapy, and your therapist may recommend that you see a psychiatrist to look into drug treatment.

4/19/2012 5:42:22 PM

^^Chit Chat response numero uno, and a great one!

^ I don't feel the need to treat with medication. I think I just really need someone to talk to that is on the outside of my circle, rather than someone that just paints a pretty picture about my life

[Edited on April 19, 2012 at 5:44 PM. Reason : a]

4/19/2012 5:42:28 PM

What are your current stress coping strategies?

4/19/2012 5:44:07 PM

Quote :

"Why won't you take drugs? Don't you think that a person with a medical degree knows more about the effectiveness of mental health prescriptions than you do?"

that's really not far off from saying "don't you think someone that sells narcotics for a living knows what will give you a good time better than you do?"

4/19/2012 5:44:54 PM

have you considered giving up the life of an international spy?

4/19/2012 5:46:41 PM

Never had success with a shrink with anxiety/depression

Am on meds that help some, but they won't try me on anything to see if something else may work better.

4/19/2012 5:46:52 PM

^^^No, it's not. That's stupid.

The brain is part of your body, and like the rest of your body, it sometimes requires prescription drugs for treatment. That's why people go to school and get medical degrees to study that. To compare it to a drug dealer just reenforces the negative stigma around mental health treatment, which just causes people to not seek treatment because they're afraid of what people will think.

[Edited on April 19, 2012 at 5:47 PM. Reason : ]

4/19/2012 5:47:38 PM

Quote :

"What are your current stress coping strategies?"

Trying to stay busy with hobbies outside of work: (gardening, beekeeping, etc etc). But lately, I have found that my hobbies are just adding to the stress. It's like, I finally get a day off but I am still working all day on my hobbies.

4/19/2012 5:48:43 PM

Quote :

" I don't feel the need to treat with medication. I think I just really need someone to talk to that is on the outside of my circle, rather than someone that just paints a pretty picture about my life"

Then see a therapist, but don't discount mental health drugs simply due to the negative stigma. They may be what you need, and you're only hurting yourself by discarding the option right off the bat.

4/19/2012 5:48:44 PM

I am not discarding anything, I would just rather not take meds if they are not needed. And my fear is that most "therapists" are so quick to refer you to someone that will just drug you up and send you a bill

[Edited on April 19, 2012 at 5:50 PM. Reason : a]

4/19/2012 5:50:03 PM

go see a psychologist and tell them you're wary of pills and want to see how it goes without

Most will be more than happy to accommodate you

[Edited on April 19, 2012 at 5:54 PM. Reason : i]

4/19/2012 5:51:41 PM

Anyone do TM?

[Edited on April 19, 2012 at 5:53 PM. Reason : ibt ATM references]

4/19/2012 5:52:35 PM

You can talk to me DJE

and by me I mean my vagina

and by you I mean your p33n

4/19/2012 5:52:40 PM

^^^psychologists cant prescribe pills, so... you're dumb

4/19/2012 5:52:52 PM

^ doesn't mean they won't send you to a GP or psychiatrist to load you up

[Edited on April 19, 2012 at 5:54 PM. Reason : because they do]

4/19/2012 5:53:26 PM

Quote :

"I am not discarding anything, I would just rather not take meds if they are not needed. And my fear is that most "therapists" are so quick to refer you to someone that will just drug you up and send you a bill"

As someone who has seen many therapists and psychiatrists, I can tell you that I've never seen anything like this.

4/19/2012 5:53:40 PM

I appreciate your honest input God

4/19/2012 5:54:24 PM

Man up you fucking pussy!

4/19/2012 5:54:36 PM

well you just let me know when you're ready to take some real advice

4/19/2012 5:55:24 PM

You need a therapist like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijLxj8bOgQ4&t=14

4/19/2012 5:56:28 PM

And I also appreciate TT10's input.

Hence, why I posted this in Chit Chat

4/19/2012 5:56:52 PM

I also would rather not take meds, but sometimes therapy isn't enough. Medical science has shown that some mental health problems like depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder are due to chemical imbalances in the brain, and things like SSRIs are used to treat these imbalances.

If you're just feeling sad or stressed out, talking to a therapist about your problems can help. However, it may be that even though you have been able to deal with your problems, you still manage to have many days where you still feel feel anxious or stressed. This can signal a need for a psychiatrist to look into prescription drug treatment.

4/19/2012 5:57:07 PM

4/19/2012 6:01:23 PM

4/19/2012 6:05:28 PM

That's really not what I do, Peter.

4/19/2012 6:07:56 PM

For $30 an hour you can come lay on my couch and I'll tell you how fucked up you are.

4/19/2012 6:12:09 PM

Quote :

"The brain is part of your body, and like the rest of your body, it sometimes requires prescription drugs for treatment. That's why people go to school and get medical degrees to study that. To compare it to a drug dealer just reenforces the negative stigma around mental health treatment, which just causes people to not seek treatment because they're afraid of what people will think."

I have never used psychiatric medication, but that's pretty much my thought on the matter. I don't think it should be "plan A" if another option will be just as good, but you shouldn't shy away from it if they're needed, and you shouldn't view them only as needed in extreme, severe instances of truly mentally ill patients. Nor will pharmaceutical treatment necessarily be needed on a permanent basis.

Also, that's the first thing that God has posted in a while that wasn't fucking stupid. Nice job. Right on point with that one.

4/19/2012 6:12:55 PM

4/19/2012 6:13:33 PM

Quote :

"^^^No, it's not. That's stupid. The brain is part of your body, and like the rest of your body, it sometimes requires prescription drugs for treatment. That's why people go to school and get medical degrees to study that. To compare it to a drug dealer just reenforces the negative stigma around mental health treatment, which just causes people to not seek treatment because they're afraid of what people will think."

there's so much wrong w/ this, jesus.

first: you said, basically, "what you just said is stupid, now i'm going to say some stuff that's actually stupid".
second: you changed your point mid-paragraph. you started talking about how physicians know what drugs are best, and then ended talking about the social stigma of mental health.
third: have you ever gotten a degree in which you "study" something? to think that the human brain is mapped out and understood is a massive misconception. this shit is empirical, i.e. not understood. they do a study where they say "hey if we give kids amphetamines, they'll sit down and read for a while and don't die. this must be good!", and just like that the fda is on board and pushers are out selling pills to physicians, who by the way are not active members of the research community and are taking these studies at face value.
fourth: to think that big pharma is anything but a drug dealing operation is wrong. big pharma and alcohol manufacturers are the two largest lobbyists against legalized cannabis. it is an industry, and it exists to make money.

the real stigma that needs to be addressed is that taking drugs is safe, affordable and tough, while talking to someone that understands social problems and social needs is for pussies.

i'm not going to link you to a million articles, but here's the first one i found
prescribed drugs to blame over spate of violence among us soldiers

b/c you're an idiot, let me lay out some specific things that you probably won't deduce on your own: i am not saying no one should ever take drugs. i am not personally attacking anyone that is on any prescription. i'm not calling every physician in the world a pusher for big pharma. i am not making this about cannabis. i'm not saying that every prescription drug is a farse. i am not saying that there is no issue out there that is helped or cured with medicine.

[Edited on April 19, 2012 at 6:20 PM. Reason : did i miss anything?]

4/19/2012 6:15:02 PM

Seeing a shrink helped me a good deal. An impartial party can provide perspective. If it leads to better quality of life, it's always worth it.

I wouldn't dismiss pills right off the bat. My therapist said most people get off them in 6 months to a year. It did make my wang lose its mojo though.

4/19/2012 6:16:18 PM

Been going twice a month for years. I highly recommend it. I basically use it as an outlet to get shit off my chest, any type of shit, work shit, girl shit, money shit, drug shit, family shit, house shit, friend shit, sports shit, emotional shit, medical shit and yes, even TWW shit. Runs me about tree fiddy a month, but I'd have killed myself a long time ago without it.

4/19/2012 6:30:57 PM

^^^ That article just shows that the improper use of prescription drugs.

I mean, jesus, it talks about a guy who took one dexadrine every four hours for 19 hours and then went crazy. Yeah, no shit.

And then the second guy was given Zoloft after showing schizophrenic symptoms. Nice job.

So, uh... that doesn't help your case at all?

[Edited on April 19, 2012 at 6:32 PM. Reason : ]

4/19/2012 6:32:31 PM

who gave them those drugs?

surely not the same people you trust unquestionably. no, oops, they are the same people.

4/19/2012 6:35:17 PM

There's a huge difference between the military and private practice. It's not like my shrink has to "keep me operating in the field no matter the cost."

4/19/2012 6:38:33 PM

Okay, I was gonna whack you. But I was real conflicted about it.

4/19/2012 6:39:00 PM

oh my fucking god fine

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/08/us-prescriptions-children-idUSTRE7A747G20111108
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/08/08/antidepressants-overprescribed-in-primary-care/

i can literally do this all day.

4/19/2012 6:40:23 PM

So, the first article is about antiobiotics, so let's discard that.

The second article is about general practitioners (not psychiatrists) over-prescribing and misdiagnosing when to use antidepressants. Makes sense, since they aren't specialists. It's a good thing that the OP isn't going to his GP for a depression diagnosis!

So, what can you do all day now? Post useless articles?

4/19/2012 6:44:15 PM

Quitter itt

4/19/2012 6:48:02 PM

http://lansing.injuryboard.com/fda-and-prescription-drugs/astrazeneca-allegedly-paid-chicago-psychiatrist-to-overprescribe-antipsychotic-medication-to-patients.aspx?googleid=274370
http://juneauempire.com/stories/021210/sta_562207899.shtml
http://www.wvrecord.com/news/217993-psychiatrist-over-prescribed-lithium-man-says

4/19/2012 6:51:50 PM

I've been to a psychologist twice. Once because I needed a note from one to late drop a course and the psychologists at Student Health Center would hand them out like candy. Once because my sister was acting batshit crazy so my mom decided we needed family therapy. Guy interviewed me for thirty minutes and told me I didn't need to come back. My mom got pissed

Recently I went and saw a therapist my work provides for free to help me work through some depression issues I hgf related to grief. Not sure what his credentials were but he works at a hospital so I assumed he wasn't some hobo they picked up. Anyway, it was nice having someone to talk to that was completely detached from my life. I felt like I could be completely candid with him and not have it come back to bite me in the ass later. He gave me good advice on how to relieve stress etc. It was also nice to have someone tell me my feelings were normal and that it was completely okay for me to avoid certain situations while working through my grief.

4/19/2012 6:52:01 PM

Fuck a psychiatrist. Go see a therapist. They won't try to get you on drugs without knowing you for awhile and it helps to just go talk to someone and bounce your self-reflective ideas off of them every couple of weeks. Probably cheaper than a psychiatrist as well. Just don't go in there and be shy. You'll only get out of it what you put into it.

4/19/2012 6:56:51 PM

TM! who r u ...howard stern?
I go to 3 . I psych and 2 therapists....i guess im pretty fucked up!
I like it. its not for everyone but obviously it helps me. You see things in different aspects. It may take a while to find the right match with you as well.

4/19/2012 7:10:45 PM

Quote :

"TM! who r u ...howard stern?"

Fuck, you figured me out. That is, in fact, where I got the idea

4/19/2012 7:15:02 PM

I used to be really against taking some kind of anti depressant, mainly because I think I didn't want to admit to myself how bad things had gotten, and what a shitty place I was in mentally. I acted happy, and only had a few sad days, or so i thought.

I asked my doctor out of curiosity, and ended up crying like a little girl in his office, which really opened my eyes to the possibility of trying medicine.

I have been on cymbalta since Oct. of 2010, and I have to tell you, it probably saved my life. You may or may not know that my son is terminally ill, but that really takes a toll on you. I was worried that any kind of anti-depressant would turn me into a zombie, and almost prevent me from feeling happy or sad. Well, that is not how it is at all. I can still get sad, and i find myself being happier than I have been in a very long time. I had gotten so used to being depressed that I had forgotten what normal feels like.

There is no harm or shame in talking to a doctor about the issue and even giving medication a try. You can always stop it if you don't like it. You really have nothing to lose.

By opening up to my doctor, I found out he has a sick son as well, and it ended up being something that has created this great bond and trust between he and I.

4/19/2012 7:16:16 PM

Quote :

"As someone who has seen many therapists and psychiatrists"

Yet the people with concealed permits are the crazy ones...

4/19/2012 9:02:30 PM

why do they call it a shrink

4/19/2012 9:12:13 PM

headshrinker, or problem shrinker

4/19/2012 9:18:24 PM

ima set you up

4/19/2012 9:38:49 PM