OS Lets Talk (Mental Health Thread)

[Jr.]

Just curious, but is there a particular reason you think you need to see a psychiatrist?

[CM Hooe]

It kinda sounds like your first psychiatrist actually wanted to be an LCSW and not a psychiatrist. The experience you describe with your second psychiatrist sounds very much like my experience with every psychiatrist with whom I've ever booked an appointment; they prescribe you medication, ask you how your medications are affecting you over the prognosis of your illness, and make adjustments to prescriptions and dosages as necessary. With the exception of first visits, my appointments with my psychiatrists over the years have never really lasted over 15 minutes, they are very quick.

Be hesitant to self-diagnose yourself with anything. I'm sure I could go onto WebMD right now and give myself super-cancer-AIDs because my elbow hurts and I'm looking for something to be incredibly wrong. Talk to a therapist / LCSW - not a psychiatrist first, an actual talk therapist - about what's going on in your head - without trying to steer the diagnosis towards any particular destination - and then have the therapist recommend you some treatment options, some of which may require a prescription from a psychiatrist. If your therapist recommends medication, you can go to that psychiatrist armed with the knowledge gained from your sessions with the therapist. Also, and this is important - DON'T STOP TAKING YOUR PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS WITHOUT TALKING TO YOUR DOCTORS FIRST.

Finally, you should know that the most common medications prescribed to inhibit the symptoms of Asperger's are the same as those prescribed for depression or anxiety; SSRIs, anti-psychotics, or stimulants, depending on the specific case. Per WebMD, there are no medications which treat Asperger's itself, or any disorder on the autism spectrum for that matter. To that end, if you're already taking something like Celexa / Citalopram, Lexapro / Escitalopram, Wellbutrin / Bupropion, or Seroquel / Quetiapine, chances are your psychiatrist has already prescribed you an appropriate medication to tackle the anxiety or depression symptoms of Asperger's.

[Jr.]

Great post. That's kind of what I was getting at with my question about seeing a psychiatrist in particular. Psychiatrists are trained as MDs, so they tend to lean much more toward pharmaceutical interventions, despite having training in therapeutic techniques as well.

[l3ulvl]

This has not gone the way I thought this thread would go

[PVarck31]

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/ke...ugh-something/

Kevin Love opens up. I feel like this is an important read.

[notsobabybombers]

Quote: Originally Posted by PVarck31

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/ke...ugh-something/ Kevin Love opens up. I feel like this is an important read.

I like seeing pieces like this. DeMar Derozan was featured in a similar piece recently.

[bjf1377]

I've typed something out here about 3 times, and I keep deleting it.

I'm very used to depression and anxiety, and I've been (knowingly) battling it for 10+ years. I think what bothers me the most now is the numbness. I know my depression is back and it's bad. But I'm not really "sad". There's just not much joy in anything, and while I'm not suicidal, I'm beyond comfortable with the idea of death. It used to scare the hell out of me. Now I just view it as a merciful end. I've screwed up my life over and over (from my perspective) and every time it seems to be coming together, something happens. I was really excited to start my first job as a cook. Now, I don't know if I'm going to go day one.

I genuinely am not suicidal. I've tried before and I'm much of wuss to deal with the physical pain. I know it's selfish of me and I know it would wreck my wife and my mother, but at the same time I just want the mental pain to end.

I know it's odd to be so up front about it all, but I needed to get this off my chest. All my friends and fairweather and only talk to me when they need something. My wife and mom have so much going on with their own issues that I don't want to be the proverbial straw on the camel's back. It's cathartic just typing it out at least

[Jr.]

Quote: Originally Posted by bjf1377

I've typed something out here about 3 times, and I keep deleting it. I'm very used to depression and anxiety, and I've been (knowingly) battling it for 10+ years. I think what bothers me the most now is the numbness. I know my depression is back and it's bad. But I'm not really "sad". There's just not much joy in anything, and while I'm not suicidal, I'm beyond comfortable with the idea of death. It used to scare the hell out of me. Now I just view it as a merciful end. I've screwed up my life over and over (from my perspective) and every time it seems to be coming together, something happens. I was really excited to start my first job as a cook. Now, I don't know if I'm going to go day one. I genuinely am not suicidal. I've tried before and I'm much of wuss to deal with the physical pain. I know it's selfish of me and I know it would wreck my wife and my mother, but at the same time I just want the mental pain to end. I know it's odd to be so up front about it all, but I needed to get this off my chest. All my friends and fairweather and only talk to me when they need something. My wife and mom have so much going on with their own issues that I don't want to be the proverbial straw on the camel's back. It's cathartic just typing it out at least

Was there any particular event or occurrence that changed your anticipation toward your new job?

Suicidal ideation is something that is best dealt with in person, so if you need any assistance in finding someone to speak with, send me a PM. I'm not qualified myself to help, but I think I can help you find any resources you might need to help with your situation.