Questionable Psychiatrist/zoloft help

[nathali711]

Hi! I had a strange experience yesterday with a new psychiatrist, I really need some feedback on what I should do.

I was diagnosed with Anxiety disorder around five years ago. My doctor put me on prozac, paxil, trazedone, abilify, risperidal(spelling is probably all kinds of messed up, sorry), and buspar all at seperate times but within a period of 10 months. I gained around 50 pounds and had more frequent and worse panic attacks then ever before so i stopped taking the meds. I missed way to much school(4 days each week) because of my anxiety and was forced to switched to independant study(I only have to go to school once a week now).

I just started seeing a new psychiatrist and am really dissapointed in him. Whenever I tried to explain my symptoms to him he would stop me and tell me that ''he didn't ask for that''. When he asked me why I don't like medication I told him that I didn't like the side affects(severe nausea,weight gain,head aches,zombie-like state). He told me that these side affects were IMPOSSIBLE for the meds I was on. He started laughing and told me that if i didn't stop making things up he wouldn't be able to ''treat me'' correctly. When I explained the side affects I was having to him again he made up reasons why they weren't really happening and that I was just pretending to have them so I wouldn't have to continue the medication. About halfway into our hour long session a lady came into his office and said she needed his help with something. He left for a good 15-25 minutes. When he came back he asked me about my depression and I told him that I'm really not a depressed person and if i do have depression it's probably a normal amount. He laughed at me for this and AGAIN told me to stop making things up. I was so angry at this point that I wanted to leave, but i gave him the benefit of the doubt and stayed for the rest of the session.

To get to the point, he told me I have OCD,depression, and some anxiety. I thought this was extremely funny because my other doctors told me i had severe anxiety with mild depression, never OCD. He prescribed me Zoloft, and I'm afraid to take it because I'm not sure if I should simply believe that I have ocd and depression because he's a psychiatrist . Does Zoloft actually help for anxiety?

I'm still pretty irritated over this doctor. I tried my best to be honest with him and stay calm and respectful. He even started asking me personal questions( do you have a boyfriend?Where does he live?Which city?How long has he lived there?) and could tell I wasn't comfortable. My mom came in to talk to him(i'm 16) and he told her that i was an imaginative person for making up the side affects. He told her that he couldn't get a clear answer out of me and that the zoloft was going to be temporary.

I'm thinking about giving up on medication again. I don't know if i should start the zoloft and i'm worried that this doctor doesn't know how to help me.
Any comments would be appreciated, and I'm really sorry for any misspellings or sentences that don't make sense, I'm fidgety right now :/

[Matt210]

This guy sounds like a total wackjob. Medication can cause tons of side effects, and even if you experienced side effects that were not actually a result of the drug and were actually just your imagination - it doesn't mean you are doing that on purpose.

You have an anxiety disorder - we have horribly over-active imaginations that can create unbelievable amounts of symptoms that are VERY real to us. Its not like you are faking anything.

Do not keep seeing this guy in my opinion - unprofessional, a jerk, and has no idea what he is talking about.

Despite all of this - Zoloft is actually apparently a decent medication for anxiety. I haven't tried it personally, but it might be worth a shot. Its always better to be taking medication under the supervision of a doctor though so you might want to find a more sane doctor before you fill the prescription. Up to you.

[Evilbob333]

My advice - Stop seeing this guy immediately. Any therapist who does not validate your feelings, regardless of their opinion, is absolutely in the wrong job. Your therapist owes you a duty of care and laughing at you totally and utterly undermines that...this guy ought to be struck off...i'm disgusted that people like this are even allowed to practice, and i'd like to apologise for the fact that you even got into such a situation. please don't let this affect your view of therapy as a whole because in the majority of cases these people genuinely want to and are very able to help. A bad therapist can potentially make a bad problem worse...and there are some real jokers about.
As for him saying you had OCD...its a very blurred boundary between what is OCD and other anxiety disorders as they are all on the same spectrum. Its a bit like trying to differentiate between different shades of the same colour...i think the main distinction by the main symptoms. But don't worry unduly about this as OCD isn't a psychotic illness, etc...its just another form of anxiety characterized by repeated intrusive thoughts, which a lot of folk with GAD, etc... get as a matter of course.
I'm guessing that you're based in the US? Things are run a bit differently over there to how they're run here in the UK and i'm aware that a psychiatrist is by nature more medically minded. Personally i don't believe that any drug will cure this problem, although i'm well aware that it can provide a certain amount of relief. The key is to learn to live with anxiety so that it eventually dissipates in its own manner, CBT is the leading method of allowing yourself to do just that.

[nathali711]

ok, thankyou for the advice!I'm going to talk to my mom about this. I think i'm doing fine without medication anyways, and I believe that my anxiety is just something i'm going to have to deal with myself and figure out how to calm it down naturally.

[bynkovi]

I think you are wise to steer clear from Zoloft. It is a nightmare to get off of.

[ebony]

I think you are wise to steer clear from Zoloft. It is a nightmare to get off of.
really?
i just started it but only take 1/2 a .25 mg pill.
it seems to help me keep my head halfway straight.

btw, your psychiatrist has more problems than you.
drs, like meds are a trial and error process.

[Iridisis]

We all have different chemistry...I took Zoloft for several years, couldn't tell I was taking it, and felt nothing when I went off it. I'm immune or something.

Anyway, I totally agree with the responses about the doctor. Fire him!!! If you don't, he will do you more harm than good.

[NigelWalmsley]

I was on Zoloft 100 mg for about six months. It really helped my general anxiety disorder. I tried it again this week after about six months off of it. I only went back on because I'm under a lot of stress and was starting to experience some symptoms. This time I started with a small dose and had a panic attack on the second day. I stopped and now - two days later I feel pretty good again.

The point is you really can't predict how these drugs will work on any given day during the period of going on or coming off. I think that for me I'd rather be off them and do meditation, exercise, stay off caffeine, alcohol and generally take care of myself. Drinks lots of water. Stay hydrated. Plenty of sleep is important. You have to understand that these are some pretty powerful drugs.

Even though it can really suck if you are one of us that is very drug sensitive, there are actually a couple of ways of looking at that. Consider yourself lucky in that although side effects can be bad for someone who is sensitive - and finding the right prescription can take a while, once you do find something in the right amount it will really work well. Some people don't get any benefit from the amount of drug that would help you or I.

[fernandogress]

Bottles of psychiatric medications fill the shelves. Stephen, 15, takes the antidepressants Zoloft for depression, the anticonvulsant Lamictal to moderate his moods and the stimulant Focalin XR to improve concentration.Medical science and the pharmaceutical industry as they promote their new miracle cures -- selling not just drugs but also the latest diseases that go with them. It examines the growing global controversy around SSRI antidepressant, such as Paxil, Zoloft, and Prozac, and also takes a personal look at two families who suffer the tragic consequences of society's rush to find a pill for every ill.Medications for everything from depression and anxiety to ADHD and insomnia are being prescribed in alarming numbers across the country, but the “cure” is often worse than the original problem. Medication Madness is a fascinating, frightening, and dramatic look at the role that psychiatric medications have played in fifty cases of suicide, murder, and other violent, criminal, and bizarre behaviors.