Why do I keep getting the "look" from doctors when I tell them I've decided not to take SSRI's for my anxiety?

Question

I went to see the psychiatrist a few weeks ago to discuss the option of medicine for my anxiety. I've been going through counseling to work on it behaviorally. The thing is, I've been dealing with my anxiety my whole life and I'd like to see it improve, but I really think that it's not severe enough that I HAVE to be on medicine. I don't have real panic attacks and I've never been suicidal. I'm just often tense and avoidant, but I'm working on that. Counseling is helping a good bit and I would say that I can solve most of the problems I have with that. Anyhow, I tried the medicine for 2 days and realized that I wasn't quite ready to make that big of a commitment to it...especially since there are side effects to the medicine and people complain about having problems feeling emotions on them. Every doctor I've gone to since that asks me if I'm still on the medicine has given me a "look" and started a lecture. Ugh. It was my decision to try it and my decision to stop it. Why do they do this and what do I say to them exactly?

Answer 1

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Answer 2

Sounds like you made an informed decision. I was on Lexapro for panic and anxiety for three years...not only is going on  SSRIs a pain, but the withdrawal from going off is even worse. You apparently did your homework, too- many people I know who have been on SSRIs (including myself) have had problems feeling emotions like you describe. Not only that, but I gained 60 lbs over those 3 years (eating LESS because I didn't feel like I had to eat to quell my anxiety), and I'm still trying to get rid of it. Good for you, deciding you want other means of control!

My solution was to get a prescription for a small quantity of Xanax (10 pills or so) to keep around in case I started feeling really keyed up. It's for emergencies only. I did lots of research, talked to some experienced and knowledgable people, and sought some help from a psychologist for about a year. In these ways, I was able to find several good methods of controlling my anxiety attacks or staving off panicky feelings. There are tons of good techniques and strategies for treatment other than medications.

Doctors tend to be very quick to diagnose disorders, and very quick to dispense medications to treat the problem. Treating, mind you, does not always eliminate or control. It's their way of quickly "fixing" the condition. I still had panic attacks while on medication, they were simply less severe and less frequent. Since figuring out what works for me to stop the attacks before they happen, I have been happier, able to feel many healthy emotions, making a tough but effective effort to get rid of the Lexapro weight, and I've learned how to control my attacks for the most part- instead of merely decreasing the chances that I will have one. If I run into a situation where nothing I know to try has worked, or I cannot control my symptoms, I simply take a small dose of Xanax to breathe again. This happens maybe once every 4 or 5 months now.

Finally, many doctors have not experienced what you're going through, so their natural inclination is to try to treat it for you, instead of trying to teach you ways to help yourself, which is ultimately much more valuable.

Answer 3

If you feel that you can deal with your anxiety without any medicine that's simply great If your doctor ddoesn't support you decision, only because he signed some papers with pharmaceuticalc company to keep stuffing his patience with medication,than its time to change doctors.

Do you really need doctors. Sounds like you know what you're are doing and what you need without them.

Answer 4

They loose you as their customer!

I had overwhelming anxiety. It turned out to be a chemical they put in food called sucralose. And it is in a lot of stuff. From fitness water to tomato sauce.

Sucralose is what Splenda is. Sadly, the package doesn't have to say Splenda or diet to have sucralose in it. You have to read the ingredients.



Sucralose is poison. It ruined five years of my life. I had a laundry list of medical problems while taking it, including overwhelming anxiety, depression, mood swings, insomnia, gastrointestinal issues and more.



The slogan, "Made from sugar..." is very misleading. Splenda might be made from sugar, but it is far from sugar. The resulting chemical is an organochloride (chlorocarbon). Organochlorides are typically poisons.



carbon monoxide - made from oxygen so its like a breath of fresh air

Answer 5

The doctors do this because they are medical practitioners and as medical practitioners their first response is medicine. An exorcist would give you the same look for refusing an exorcism. They are a person whose job it is to try to fix what is wrong with you and you are rejecting their first course of treatment. I'm not saying your decision to stop is wrong, I too avoid the drugs that would fix the imbalance I have. I am just saying that if a three-mast ship is sailing with only two masts, all the shipwrights will look at you funny when you tell them you don't need that third mast.

It is your ship.

Answer 6

When you see the "look" the next time, ask the doctor why he gave it to you. If the doctor is mature and experienced he will tell you what he is thinking. You may be giving clear signals that are easy to address or you may be giving the doctor mixed signals that prompts him to get a quizzical look on his face. If all the doctors are doing it, it may be that there is something about your thoughts and behaviors that sets off mild alarm bells that register in their facial expressions.

Medications have side effects. What many people don't think about is that not taking medications also has "side effects," including persistent symptoms, reduced function, social impairment, lost joy, and lost time being anxious instead of being relaxed.