Frustrated with treatment

[StereotypicalPisces]

I’ve been diagnosed with recently PTSD and have had a long journey with anxiety that has gone untreated and I honestly didn’t realize how bad it was until August of this year when I started having panic attacks and becoming paralyzed in fear and had to stop working, seeing my boyfriend (who luckily has been understanding) and driving or really doing anything that involved leaving the house. I couldn’t even take care of my own self hygene and care for about a month or two without the help of my mother and boyfriend.

So far the antidepressants I’ve tried hasn’t worked well for my body and they want to take me off xanax soon and I’ve been slowly weaning off of it myself anyway because I honestly started feeling better but I wasn’t ready to quit so they gave me an antihistamine that supposedly is supposed to help when I feel on edge so I stopped my xanax and took this new medication and it has done nothing for me in times that I feel panicked. I’ve been having stomach issues and diarrhea and I feel like I’m a whole my anxiety is getting worse again when I felt fine taking my xanax every once in a while. I feel like my treatment options are running low and I’m freaking out that when I’m in times of crisis I have nothing that helps me anymore because they don’t want to keep prescribing drugs similar to xanax because apparently they get in trouble because of the people that become addicted but I never take my full doses unless I’m having a really bad panic attack. I’m very responsible and have been seeing a therapist every week and taking all the right steps and have never overtaken any of my medications and wouldn’t even on a bad day.

Long story short I feel like I’m being forced to move faster than my body is letting me. I’ve made so much progress but I’m not ready to be on my own yet. I still have so far to go before I can completely go back to having a normal life. Most of the progress has been done on my own and with the help of family and my boyfriend. I try to do everything the honest way but I don’t feel my doctors are willing to work with me even knowing how severe my anxiety was and how I’ve ended up in the hospital and urgent care for panic attacks.

Should I get a second opinion from another doctor or tough it out and continue not to work or be able to have any sort of productive life and being fearful of everything again. Because right now I feel trapped and that I’m spiraling back to where I’ve been just off of stress alone.

Sorry for not being able to make this more concise. I just need to vent.

[blackcat64013]

Hi StereotypicalPisces,

No need to apologise for a longish post. It's ok to say what's on your mind.

I read frustration in your blog about a few things.

A great article is in Psychology Today at the blog below

psychologytoday.com/blog/ha...

If you believe that you do not have a good therapeutic relationship ( how you and a doctor connect, behave, and engage with each other) don't be afraid to bring this up with your doctor.

Freely sharing your thoughts and feelings on the subject is the best way for the doctor to better understand your point of view and particularly what you need. Despite their training, I don't know of any doctor/therapist who has mastered the skill of crystal ball gazing into a patient's life. They very much rely on what you tell them.

If you can make this a goal for 2018, I believe things will be better for you

[HearYou]

Think you answered your own question. Great deal more involved with PTSD than anxiety. You need to know what PTSD is and why were you given that diagnosis, and what the VA is doing with PTSD soldiers, etc. Wish you the best in your search for answers from the right doctors.