Humor will not be tolerated!! -Portia

http://theboard.byu.edu/questions/69796/

Therapy is like dating, and you can totally break up with as many therapists as it takes. My first two were pretty bad. I made it three weeks with my first one before I called in sick and never rescheduled. I wouldn't try therapy again until about 10 months and a suicide attempt had passed. My out of control caretaking meant that I couldn't tell a therapist it wasn't working and move on. This seems pretty common among new therapy-goers. There are thousands and thousands of therapists. PhDs, masters in counseling, masters in social work, marriage and family types. If someone hints that your depression is your fault, move on. If your therapist seems mildly incompetent, move on. If you just don't click with your therapist, move on. And then eventually you will find a good fit. It probably won't take many tries. My good fit liked to quote the Bible and wear oddly colored corduroy sports coats, and it worked for me.

Therapy is very effective at treating depression, especially the non-immediately-life-threatening types. I highly recommend it.

As for meds, there are approximately one zillion meds to try before you rule them out completely. I was once publicly anti-anti-depressants, and I'm not anymore. Give them a shot if you think it could help.

Mental health treatments are still mostly in their infancy, but they continue to improve. Most depressed people don't go around telling people how satisfied they are with their therapists or Zoloft. Some depressed people may go around voicing their (valid) problems with their treatment. I would imagine that many misdiagnosed people are extremely upset. Then again, I deal with the personality disordered among us for a living, so, there's that.

First of all, I totally feel the asker's pain about not being diagnosed. I had an MRI, an ultrasound, a minor surgery, new diets, entire weeks where I would be out of school, a struggle to eat that totally messed up my body, and other crap that happened over about a two year period before a doctor finally suggested we try treating me for depression. And, in hindsight, it was a big DUH - but hindsight is always 20/20.

Second, for me drugs were eh (and I haven't taken any for years, despite some recommendations) but therapy was great. I was lucky enough to get a good therapist on my first try, and it worked so well for me that only a few months later I was done. I still struggle sometimes, but my depressive or anxious episodes have decreased in both frequency and severity.

TheBlackSheep wrote:Mental health treatments are still mostly in their infancy, but they continue to improve. Most depressed people don't go around telling people how satisfied they are with their therapists or Zoloft. Some depressed people may go around voicing their (valid) problems with their treatment. I would imagine that many misdiagnosed people are extremely upset. Then again, I deal with the personality disordered among us for a living, so, there's that.

Right. I know plenty of people with depression or related issues who found a good medication and are doing pretty well. But, like you said, they're doing well, so they don't talk about it much.

TheBlackSheep wrote:http://theboard.byu.edu/questions/69796/

Most depressed people don't go around telling people how satisfied they are with their therapists or Zoloft.

Well then let me be the one to break the trend. Guys, I freaking love Zoloft. It may be the best thing to ever happen to my life ever.

No but for reals though, my meds have done way more for me than therapy ever has (though maybe that just means I need to find a new therapist).

Katya wrote: Right. I know plenty of people with depression or related issues who found a good medication and are doing pretty well. But, like you said, they're doing well, so they don't talk about it much.

Anecdote: My mom talks about how she found a great medication/treatment regimen for her lifelong struggle with depression/anxiety/related issues. She talks about it all the time! To everyone! To people she barely knows. And while sometimes this is awkward (I'm used to having a depressed mom, and I know it sounds terrible, but I'm not always used to this happy mom who can actually function.), it helps me to see there is hope and I imagine it helps others who probably would never have breached the subject. I know she's an outlier, but it is interesting to see how people react to someone so open about their struggles and the things that helped.

I "toughed it out," so to speak, and I think the question-asker should neither be angry at the delay in a diagnosis nor surprised that mental unease could lead to physical symptoms. I'm certainly no longer depressed, though I do seem to have swung the opposite direction of having sky-high energy, low appetite, and having an extremely short temper. (I hope having quit a job at an unethical firm with a bad atmosphere will help the latter.) I'm glad I can soon take advantage of free counseling services because I've decided it's better to be proactive rather than be dealing with some sort of midterm meltdown. I don't think there's a pill (well there's Valium, but it's not the Kennedy administration anymore) to mellow out someone who inexplicably acts like a crazy, um, jerk (the b- word is more à propos) about twice a week. But honestly, I feel like the Type A, active, but high-strung me is more the me than the ennui one. So it seems manageable.

...There are all sorts of meds for that. If it's beyond a point.

Well, I visited the CCC office and I told him, "please, it will be a relief if you have a diagnosis for me." He said I was suffering from acute stress (which isn't very exotic or sexy, LOL) and that on a scale of 1 to 10 I was a 5. Lots of behavioral advice about healthy diet, yoga, breathing, "letting yourself grieve" (yikes), having "scheduled downtime" (whaaaat), relaxing. Sounds like the body can't sustain a full-blown panic attack forever, so probably can't get myself hopped up on meds. We'll see what they say once classes start up. I sort of hope I can manage without meds but we'll see. I don't think "acute stress," level 5 is going to put me at the top of anyone's triage. It was surprisingly non-judgmental for BYU, hahaha. Although apparently drinking/smoking/casual sex are not solving the underlying problem, so that's out. (Aww, dangit.) I prescribe myself a vacation. It's the only way I can think to do all this stuff. I'd be interested if anyone else has had a similar "diagnosis" if they want to share.

Portia wrote:It was surprisingly non-judgmental for BYU, hahaha.

Good counselors are, no matter their background or clientele.

Hey, those who have been to the CCC, can anyone recommend me a good counselor? I'm ready to "break up" with the one I've been seeing.

Portia wrote:Well, I visited the CCC office and I told him, "please, it will be a relief if you have a diagnosis for me." He said I was suffering from acute stress (which isn't very exotic or sexy, LOL) and that on a scale of 1 to 10 I was a 5. Lots of behavioral advice about healthy diet, yoga, breathing, "letting yourself grieve" (yikes), having "scheduled downtime" (whaaaat), relaxing. Sounds like the body can't sustain a full-blown panic attack forever, so probably can't get myself hopped up on meds. We'll see what they say once classes start up. I sort of hope I can manage without meds but we'll see. I don't think "acute stress," level 5 is going to put me at the top of anyone's triage. It was surprisingly non-judgmental for BYU, hahaha. Although apparently drinking/smoking/casual sex are not solving the underlying problem, so that's out. (Aww, dangit.) I prescribe myself a vacation. It's the only way I can think to do all this stuff. I'd be interested if anyone else has had a similar "diagnosis" if they want to share.

Well, as I've mentioned on other threads, I had a bout of really, really severe anxiety over the summer. At first I was prescribed hydroxyzine, which is actually a relative of Benadryl, to take as-needed. It's awesome at taking the edge off of an acute anxiety/panic episode, but also made me so sleepy that I couldn't drive or work or anything. Then I finally got myself to a real psychiatrist, who changed my antidepressant and also prescribed Xanax. I now take half of the smallest dose of Xanax about twice a month, which actually makes me less tired/drugged-feeling than hydroxyzine. The only actual diagnosis I've ever received is a very generic "anxiety."

I'm glad you found a counselor who's helping you. I've been trying to find one that's decent that my insurance will cover, but no luck so far. I saw one counselor who was HORRID -- very anti-medication, very bitter, probably should have retired from counseling fifteen years ago. Then I spent a month on the waiting list at another practice, only to find out that they don't do late afternoon or evening appointments.

Portia wrote:Well, I visited the CCC office and I told him, "please, it will be a relief if you have a diagnosis for me." He said I was suffering from acute stress (which isn't very exotic or sexy, LOL) and that on a scale of 1 to 10 I was a 5. Lots of behavioral advice about healthy diet, yoga, breathing, "letting yourself grieve" (yikes), having "scheduled downtime" (whaaaat), relaxing. Sounds like the body can't sustain a full-blown panic attack forever, so probably can't get myself hopped up on meds. We'll see what they say once classes start up. I sort of hope I can manage without meds but we'll see. I don't think "acute stress," level 5 is going to put me at the top of anyone's triage. It was surprisingly non-judgmental for BYU, hahaha. Although apparently drinking/smoking/casual sex are not solving the underlying problem, so that's out. (Aww, dangit.) I prescribe myself a vacation. It's the only way I can think to do all this stuff. I'd be interested if anyone else has had a similar "diagnosis" if they want to share.

I don't have a diagnosis - I have lots of stress and anxiety though - so I've been seeing therapists off and on for just under a year. No antidepressants (yet), though that's mostly because I've been able to minimize the worst of my stress by moving in with my parents. That's actually why we left. People assume it was a money issue (what with my husband's new medical issues and loss of job), but I had some postpartum depression issues + stress from aforementioned husband's medical stuff and I basically lost my shit. So we moved.

For me, time, talk therapy, and (daily, intense) exercise have been really helpful. I make a point to get some alone time every week (super tricky with a baby) and I unload a lot of my angst through writing. My parents help me juggle my husband's therapy and doctor regimen and I'm in a much better place now than when we left Utah.

Eventually we'll move back so that I can finish school, at which point I'll find a new counselor there and if I need antidepressants to manage, then I'm game. My main hangup about them before was concerns for pregnancy/breastfeeding, which will no longer be applicable.

Well after some research on Wikipedia, I have concluded that what I experienced was a panic attack. All the symptoms were there, most significantly uncontrollable trembling and hyperventilation.

I was relieved that

panic attacks are not usually indicative of a mental disorder.

And was interested that severe panic in general

occurs more frequently in women and often in people with above average intelligence.

Which seems to be the case on this board.

And my caffeine habit apparently did not help!

Short-term triggering causes — Significant personal loss, including an emotional attachment to a romantic partner, life transitions, significant life change and, as seen below, stimulants such as caffeine or nicotine, can act as triggers.

Every single one of those was true, which I believe means it was actue and not chronic. Phew! Yay Wikipedia. The trembling and shortness of breath lasted a good six hours, off and on. Interesting from a neurological perspective, I suppose, but pretty concerning when you're in it. I'm super relieved that I'm neither cracking up nor physically ill.

Interestingly, once it abated, I experienced the most intense feeling of pure wellbeing I had in a loooong time. I don't know if this has some kind of neurological cause, if after such a flood of adrenaline I got some kind of serotonin or dopamine surge. (Any guesses?)

I guess it's true that if you ignore major losses, it will manifest itself elsewhere and later. It was darned unpleasant, but I'm glad I got through it, and I think it was inevitable.

Stego Lily wrote:Hey, those who have been to the CCC, can anyone recommend me a good counselor? I'm ready to "break up" with the one I've been seeing.

I didn't see Lars Nielsen as a client, since he was my thesis mentor, but he did shrink me a few times. His approach is CBT and some REBT (so, concentrating on the kinds of beliefs you have, and how to change them to be less awfulizing or black/white). His wife Dianne is also a therapist, and might be a bit less... intense. I think they both still work at the CCC.

Portia wrote:
Interestingly, once it abated, I experienced the most intense feeling of pure wellbeing I had in a loooong time. I don't know if this has some kind of neurological cause, if after such a flood of adrenaline I got some kind of serotonin or dopamine surge. (Any guesses?)

If I don't fall asleep after a panic attack I am usually bouncing off the walls within half an hour. Going through extreme stress really relaxes me once the stress part is over, and when I'm calm and relaxed I either zonk out or get really happy.

bobtheenchantedone wrote:

Portia wrote:
Interestingly, once it abated, I experienced the most intense feeling of pure wellbeing I had in a loooong time. I don't know if this has some kind of neurological cause, if after such a flood of adrenaline I got some kind of serotonin or dopamine surge. (Any guesses?)

If I don't fall asleep after a panic attack I am usually bouncing off the walls within half an hour. Going through extreme stress really relaxes me once the stress part is over, and when I'm calm and relaxed I either zonk out or get really happy.

Huh, interesting. I usually try to sleep after I have a panic attack if at all possible, because if I don't the rest of the day is shot. I feel headachey and tired and generally miserable.

Know what's ridiculous? If my reaction is to be happy I sometimes sabotage it by feeling guilty that I'm happy now. I just put myself and those around me through so much misery, how dare I be happy ten minutes later?

Stego Lily wrote:Hey, those who have been to the CCC, can anyone recommend me a good counselor? I'm ready to "break up" with the one I've been seeing.

Their website https://caps.byu.edu/faculty-members lists the counselor options (along with their specialties and approaches) I never saw any of them for counseling but I used to work in the CCC in my pre-kid life. I thought most of the ones I interacted with were incredibly nice. That doesn't say anything about how they are as therapists, but I can vouch for the fact that they really want to help. Even if that means switching to someone who's a better fit for you.

bobtheenchantedone wrote:Know what's ridiculous? If my reaction is to be happy I sometimes sabotage it by feeling guilty that I'm happy now. I just put myself and those around me through so much misery, how dare I be happy ten minutes later?

Brains are so fun!

Oh, yeah, Dr. Pederson was my boss for a while and he is hilarious. No idea what he's like as a therapist. (thatonemom, when did you work there? I worked in the research office there 2006-2008)