questionAday
03-30-2012, 11:52 AM
Hi everyone,
I am in college out of state, and have been suffering mild anxiety attacks (2-3x daily) for about a month now.
About five years ago, I was diagnosed with clinically-significant general anxiety (co-morbid with ADD).
After trying four different SSRIs and Neurontin, I began a regimen of Adderall for ADD. Surprisingly, the Adderall helped with anxiety, and so I have taken solely Adderall for the past three years (20mg XR + 5mg Instant Release salts).
My current psychiatrist (at college) doesn't want to start treating this resurgent anxiety, because in six weeks I will fly back home for the summer. He would rather that I start treatment then. (Ironically, I have scheduled to take the certification test for my private pilot's license when I get back. So, I would much rather experiment with medication right now then over the summer.)
Unfortunately, the attacks of anxiety (panic attacks?) are still a pretty big problem for me. When I am experiencing them, I feel like something is terribly wrong, but cannot for the life of me figure out what it is. They generally last between 30 min and 1 hr. My psychiatrist strikes me as rather conservative when it comes to prescribing medication. So, it was unsurprising that he did not want to prescribe anything for the next six weeks of school (besides a refill of Adderall).
A bit about myself: I am male, 5'9", 155lbs, and have 9% body fat (I exercise 3-4x per week). I avoid most processed food, and try to eat as well as I can. I meet with a college therapist once a week for anxiety. My grades are good, but have dropped somewhat in recent weeks. I do not want to go through another six weeks of this.
Right now, my anxiety over not being treated for anxiety is probably my largest contributor to stress.
So, I ask the forum at large: what, if anything, should I do about this? With no history of addiction or dependence to prescription medication, and none in my immediate family, should I seek a short-acting anxiolytic? If you feel that I should at least explore the option, what would be the best way to do so?
Thanks.
(Note: I am not looking to antagonize, embarrass, or provoke my current psychiatrist. Changing psychiatrists is an option, but not one that would bring about acute relief.)
I am in college out of state, and have been suffering mild anxiety attacks (2-3x daily) for about a month now.
About five years ago, I was diagnosed with clinically-significant general anxiety (co-morbid with ADD).
After trying four different SSRIs and Neurontin, I began a regimen of Adderall for ADD. Surprisingly, the Adderall helped with anxiety, and so I have taken solely Adderall for the past three years (20mg XR + 5mg Instant Release salts).
My current psychiatrist (at college) doesn't want to start treating this resurgent anxiety, because in six weeks I will fly back home for the summer. He would rather that I start treatment then. (Ironically, I have scheduled to take the certification test for my private pilot's license when I get back. So, I would much rather experiment with medication right now then over the summer.)
Unfortunately, the attacks of anxiety (panic attacks?) are still a pretty big problem for me. When I am experiencing them, I feel like something is terribly wrong, but cannot for the life of me figure out what it is. They generally last between 30 min and 1 hr. My psychiatrist strikes me as rather conservative when it comes to prescribing medication. So, it was unsurprising that he did not want to prescribe anything for the next six weeks of school (besides a refill of Adderall).
A bit about myself: I am male, 5'9", 155lbs, and have 9% body fat (I exercise 3-4x per week). I avoid most processed food, and try to eat as well as I can. I meet with a college therapist once a week for anxiety. My grades are good, but have dropped somewhat in recent weeks. I do not want to go through another six weeks of this.
Right now, my anxiety over not being treated for anxiety is probably my largest contributor to stress.
So, I ask the forum at large: what, if anything, should I do about this? With no history of addiction or dependence to prescription medication, and none in my immediate family, should I seek a short-acting anxiolytic? If you feel that I should at least explore the option, what would be the best way to do so?
Thanks.
(Note: I am not looking to antagonize, embarrass, or provoke my current psychiatrist. Changing psychiatrists is an option, but not one that would bring about acute relief.)