Drugs, Drugs, Drugs! Many of the questions I get in my practice are about drugs, and my answers seem to surprise most people. I think most people assume that I am somehow anti-medication, and this just isn't true. My road to recovery involved medication, and for some people, this is the fastest way to get where they want to go. My perspective is that drugs are just another tool in our toolkit for fighting anxiety. True, they are powerful and potentially harmful tools, but tools none-the-less. Each medication should be looked at with all of it's pros verses all of it's cons. If the benefits outweigh the costs, perhaps you should consider it. I have always had the image that drugs are like life preservers. I imagine those old ring things that were thrown to drowning people. If you're drowning in anxiety or depression, TAKE THE LIFE PRESERVER. But then swim like crazy to get back on solid ground. Most of what I do involves diet, nutrients, exercise, and attitude. Sometimes when people first come to me they can follow none of my suggestions because their symptoms are so severe. I happen to believe that for most of my clients the tools that I have to offer can take their life wherever they want it to go, but it seems cruel of me to suggest that they avoid medication and just suffer through until my tools start to work. For many people, just giving themselves the permission to use medication takes a huge load off. Often these people take medication once or twice and then never need it again. Just knowing they are never more than thirty minutes away from feeling "normal" sets them free. Not all drugs work this way, so a bit of explanation is in order. There are a few groups of drugs that the average anxiety sufferer will be offered if he or she seeks treatment from a medical doctor: Benzodaizapines: (Xanax, Colonipin, etc.) These are fast acting, short-term anti-anxiety drugs. Some are also use in seizure disorders. SSRI's (Paxil, Prozac, Celexa, etc,) These are long-term antidepressants. Their side effects will show up quickly while their benefits will often take more than a month to show up. Non-SSRI Antidepressants: Buspar, Remeron, Wellbuterine, etc. Each one of these is unique, but most are faster acting than the SSRI's. There are at least three other groups that I can think of, two are older and unlikely to be used (Tricyclics, MAOIs), and one is new and similar to the SSRI class, the SSNRI's. Here is a point that I would like to make. If you consider that there are at least fifty drugs that are in the above-mentioned classes, wouldn't you want to go to someone who is a specialist? It is possible that a General Practitioner could be very skilled or lucky and put you on the exact right medication and dose on the first try, but the odds are pretty low. Lets face it; the odds are pretty low of getting everything perfect on the first try when you see a talented Psychiatrist. My experience tells me, however, that the odds of getting quality care are a lot better if you go to a Psychiatrist, rather than your family doctor. When it comes to finding a good Psychiatrist, my advice is that you should feel comfortable with the person, as well as listened to as an individual. You should not feel as though you were given a "one size fits all" treatment. While it is likely that you might be told by your doctor that what you are suffering with is quite common, a good Psychiatrist will ask you lots of detailed questions to find out what medication plan, if any, is the best fit for you. When it comes to Psychiatrists, like with any other professional, there are good ones and bad ones. You need to know this going in, and be prepared to seek another if the first one isn't right for you. At the end of the day, my goal is simple: To help my clients live a life of their choosing, free from the limitations of anxiety and depression. I find great joy in watching their recovery, and I am willing to use any tool that works for them. While I expect I will continue to learn about new tools to fight anxiety and depression for the rest of my life, I firmly believe there are enough tools available right now for no one to need to keep suffering. It is simply a matter of finding what tools work for you and using them. |
