$Unique_ID{BRK00784}
$Pretitle{Mental and Emotional Conditions}
$Title{Fear of Returning to a Psychiatrist}
$Subject{depression medication treatment}
$Volume{E-23}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Fear of Returning to a Psychiatrist


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QUESTION:  A couple of years ago I experienced many symptoms that I let go
unchecked for a long time.  I did a lot of crying because I was scared and
confused.  I ended up by seeing a psychiatrist who prescribed an
anti-depressant for depression.  I only took one pill a day because it made me
feel different.  I should have taken all the medication that the psychiatrist
prescribed but I was scared to, and didn't return to the doctor.  Now I am
afraid to return to him, and tell him this story though I still feel foggy.
Please help me?

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ANSWER:  Each time I receive a letter like yours, I too, feel sad and a bit
frustrated.  I wish that there was some way to set up a conference call
between you and your psychiatrist, so that the lines of communication which
have been disrupted can be restored, and get you on the road back to health
and happiness.  So I will use your letter in an attempt to get the message
across to my many readers who are in the same fix.  I think the diagnosis of
depression was a correct one, and the medications would probably have worked
fine if given the chance.  However, many medications used to combat this
problem take a bit of time to work, some as many as three weeks before their
effects can be noticed.  But that time can also be used to advantage, for you
to express your fears and doubts to your physician, and get another point of
view and counsel that can be helpful.  With the medication beginning to help,
some of the fears that have been bottled up for so long inside, can be brought
to light, examined and re-evaluated.  Change comes slowly perhaps, but each
small step leads you a bit closer to understanding, and to re-adjusting what
must be fixed so that you can go on alone and independent, with feelings of
courage and self confidence.  It isn't easy, but it works for many, many
patients.  It may be that you are selling your psychiatrist a bit short.  I
sincerely doubt that you will get a lecture on "listening to the doctor", but
rather a sensitive and caring discussion about your needs and your fears.
Rather than tell you that you were wrong, I would rather look at this
situation as something you did right.  You had the courage to seek medical
care when you needed it, and you have now reached out to me for more help.
Now pick up that phone, and make another appointment with your physician.  No
need to apologize, just admit to yourself that you still need help, and want
to get better.  Then open the lines of communication which are so important in
caring for the illness of depression.  Speak of your thoughts and fears,
without shame or guilt, and move on with the process of of getting better, and
grabbing for some of the fun and joy that exists in every life.  Yes, K., I am
talking to you in the only way I can, through this column.  I know, with
absolute certainty, that you can be helped, and that you will be better.  More
than that, your story can serve as encouragement to many others who feel
frightened and depressed, as you do, to reach out for the help that is
available to them.  When medications are prescribed that leave you with funny
feelings, call the physician promptly.  It may only take a minor adjustment in
dose, or the time of day that the pills can be taken, to alter the effects,
and remove those unwanted feelings.  There are many ways of caring for
patients who are depressed, and each treatment must be adjusted to the needs
of the individual.  The good news is that they can be, and that they work.
There is no bad news.  Take my advice.  Give both the medication and the
physician the opportunity to make you better.
ÿ
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
