YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

I went to see my doctor today. I said I needed help for anxiety and depression. He asked what my symptoms were. I told him about stress with my relationship, money, and work. He asked if I wanted to take medication for the depression. I said that I didn't know if I did or not. He said to think about it and come back to see him next week.

I couldn't bring myself to say that I wanted to take medication.

I'm scared to start taking medication, and I didn't trust this stranger who I'd met for the first time 5 minutes before. So, here I am trying to think about it. Does anybody have any suggestions on what to think about?

Medication might work, the drug the doctor wanted to try probably would have relatively small chance of side-effects.

But anyway you look at it, trying therapy first before medication is smart.

Personally, I started medication and therapy at the same time, and I was happy with the results.

All the best to you, cheers!

Thanks for your kind reply.

I've been thinking a lot about it today and have spoken to some friends about it. I think I need a bit of time to come to terms with the idea of taking medication.

I've tried various talking therapies for about 15 years, and have always thought that was enough for me. I think your suggestion of combining therapy and medication is a good one. I need extra support to get me through a particularly anxious time at the moment. Thank you.

please don't let your Primary Care Physician (PCP) prescribe you medication. Ask to be referred to a psychiatrist. Psychiatrist will spend at least 20 minutes talking with you, and then decide which medication to try first. As others have said, start counseling too. I takes medication and attend regular counseling sessions and both help me quite a bit. Sometimes I back off on the counseling to once a month or once every two months, but I will increase the frequency if things get heavy.

inmymind wrote:Ask to be referred to a psychiatrist.

Thanks for your advice. I'm going to do as you say the next time I see my doctor. My fear is that my symptoms are not severe enough to warrant a referral, but I will still ask. I think my symptoms are fairly mild, but I have lived with anxiety and an underlying depression for over 30 years, and it takes its toll.

We are not always an accurate about the state of our own condition. Go read my post about Robin Williams for more on this. You said "I think my symptoms are fairly mild, but I have lived with anxiety and an underlying depression for over 30 years,' I think that statement there backs up my point. It's hard to often recognize when we are depressed, even if we know we have a problem with it. I've gotten better at measuring myself, but it took a lot of practice, and I still go to therapy to help me keep myself straight on lots of different things. I'm so glad you are going to a psychiatrist because they will take the time to talk with you in a casual atmosphere, whereas a PCP will spend about 5 minutes with you and write you a script. The Psychiatrist sees patients like you all day long, all week long, and knows more about all the medications, and has had hands-on, prolonged experience with how different medicines progress. A PCP just doesn't get that kind of specialized in the patients he sees.

Keep us up to date on your progress, and don't delay going in for help. I think you will make some progress on this and get some much deserved relief.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply. I'm really touched. I've booked another appointment with a different doctor for next week, so hopefully I'll get a referral. I'll post back on how it goes.

I agree with inmymind and manuel_moe_g, the combination of medication and therapy is so much more effective than one or the other alone. I resisted taking meds for a long time until my therapist put it to me this way- If you were sick with the flu, would you deny yourself antibiotics?
Every time I get down about the price of my meds, or having to be on them for the rest of my life I think about that and it makes more sense.