I am a 29 year old who suffers from severe anxiety due to going through a terrible court battle with my daughter's father . This past fall I found out my psychiatrist who I would see from time to time since 2013 who would give me Xanax as needed when my anxiety got bad. This past summer my anxiety all of the sudden got awful. My heart races, I sweat, I have trouble leaving the house or doing anything for that matter. I had found out my Psychiatrist that I would see from time to time was going in a different direction and was not accepting new patients . ( I was considered new because it had been so long since I saw her) . I was given several names of new psychiatrists to try. I made an appointment with one and I had to wait 3 months to see him. Therefore, I made an appointment with my primary care physician who prescribed me Xanax to get me through until my appointment. I saw this new psychiatrist. I saw him three times and did not like him at all. I felt he didnt listen to me what so ever. He had put me on .5mg Clonazepam and Paroextine 40mg. All the Paroextine did was make me gain 40 pounds. I work at a hospital . They gave me a recommendation of another Psychiatrist to see. I made an appointment with him and saw him. We connected and I felt like he understood me . He wanted to increase my dose of Clonazepam and wean me off of the Paroextine eventually. My second appointment with him I slept through. I was to embarrassed and anxious to call and schedule a new appointment until recently. My PCP kept me on Xanax until I could get things worked out( I was no longer taking the other meds). I went back to him and he apparently can't prescribe me anything because it looks like I am "doctor hopping". I am so upset. I feel like I have every right to try a second psychiatrist if I felt the first one was not a good fit. My psychiatrist (the second one who i liked) called my primary care physician and gave her instructions on what medications to give me to help with my awful anxiety. Which he stated would be Clonazepam .5mg three times daily and then eventually move up to 1mg. I am not a drug seeker nor a doctor hopper. I have a primary care physician, my migraine doctor and was trying to find a psychiatrist who I felt could help me find ways to deal and cope with my awful anxiety. Now, I am stuck with seeing my primary care physician. The pharmacy now gives me a hard time because the first psychiatrist who I decided was not a good fit for me flagged me as a doctor hopper. I am so upset becauase that's the last thing I am. I am generally healthy besides my migraines. I have awful anxiety currently because of several traumatic things happening in my life. I just want to get well so I can be ok with being out in public. I especially want to get well for my beautiful five year old daughter. I have never had anxiety this bad and now it's worse because I don't know what to do. I just want to find a doctor who can guide me and help me and listen to me . I absolutely do not just want to take Benzodiazepines . I want to get well and be healthy and find something that helps me. I feel I don't even have that opportunity because of being labeled a doctor hopper. Which makes me so upset because I feel I have every right to try a second psychiatrist if I did not like my first one. I mean I suffer from terrible anxiety and feel I have every right to find a doctor I feel safe and comfortable with. Now I am stuck and feel helpless and just want to get well and my anxiety under control. If anyone has any input or suggestions I would be forever grateful.
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Slynk22
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Hello I wanted to reach out to you because I can understand what you are going through I too have recently started having bad anxiety and I now have been to a therapist which I think does help at least for me and I am also taking medication for the anxiety. I am sorry that one doctor had to make things so bad for you, it seems some people don’t truly understand what it means to actually care for others. And of course some don’t realize what anxiety can do to someone. If you aren’t already I would recommend a therapist or even just someone to talk to.
Thank you for reaching out. All I wanted was to find a Psychiatrist that I felt comfortable with, listened to me and understood me. Therapy is something I plan on trying but I believe I need to be on medication along with therapy. My anxiety is so bad and it breaks my heart because all I was trying to do is find a doctor that I was comfortable with . You do not by any means have to answer this but may I ask what they put you on for your anxiety? I just want to be okay again so I can give my daughter her happy, healthy non anxious mommy back .
Trust me I understand completely I am lucky to find a doctor who listens to me and cares, it is definitely a great feeling to have. Is your primary doctor one that you can talk to and one that might help? I was first put on lexapro but I didn’t have a good time on it in the beginning so I switched. Now I am on Zoloft and for me it seems to be working. This is my 4th week on it and I feel 10 times bett r than I did a month ago. But the bad part is you just have to find the right medicine to you. It is kind of like a guessing game but once you find the right one you will feel a lot better. But yea therapy and support definitely help the process, I am lucky to have a lot of support from my friends and family. I just drove to the doctor again for the first time in a month. But if you need any help I will definitely be here. I hate to hear others suffering from what I am too.
Thank you . I appreciate it. I just want to find a doctor who will listen to me and understand my anxiety. Yes my primary care is currently giving me my medicine.
So sorry you are having these problems on top of your anziety!! Anxiety is an evil monster that trys to rob us of any happy moments! Just had a terrible week of it and it just doesn’t want to go away!! My meds help but this time they are taking there time to kick in!!
If you need to talk just contact me and I will help u if I can!! Praying for you!!
Thank you for your kind words that means so much to me. I just want to get my anxiety under control so i can get my life back and give my beautiful daughter the attention she needs and deserves but I can hardly leave the house.
I actually know what you are going through, I have been labelled a drug seeker, I don't know how it's happened all I can say is it has caused me a huge amount of distress and I have completely lost faith in doctors. I suffer with anxiety, which also includes anxiety of long term med use. I have had reactions to anti deoressants, I was prescribed zopiclone when I was going through a bad patch and realised if Unregulated my sleep I could fight the depression. Long story short I fight my anxiety without meds, I only go to the gp if I am absolutely desperate and out of control, so I have perhaps been prescribed zopiclone for a fortnight a few times over the last 10 years. I changed to because I was in a state of anxiety and my usual go couldn't prescribe me over the phone. I was advised by NHS to register at a gp in the city where I work because it would give me chance to see a GP. It was the biggest mistake of my life.
The new GP refused me zopiclone, despite they could see it had helped me in the past. They made out it was in my best interests even though I know it helps me reset.
After the most horrendous year of my life with healthcare I asked for my medical notes and in them a nurse from the A and E wrote that I was clearly requesting benzos. I have never requested benzos in my life ?
Somewhere along the line, the GP has labelled me a drug seeker, despite they can see how many times I have asked for sleeping tablets.
When I say I have been treated in the most dispicable way by to and hospital, I cannot even begin to explain how angry and distressed I am.
This label has affected every step of my healthcare, I have been spoken down to, humiliated and shouted at. Not taken seriously when it was extremely serious matters and had derogatory things wrote in my notes.
I actually want to report my go for malpractice, he gave me fluoxetine which sent me into a frenzy, alone when I had a differential diagnosis of ADHD or bipolar, the next doctor gave me phenergan for insomnia which sent me hyper and I got shouted at in A and E when I was telling them I can't sleep and I'm wide awake.
I believe if a patient chooses as and when meds over meds you have to take daily for years it should be a joint discussion, weighing up quality of life and long term side effects.
My new GP has caused me a considerable amount of harm, all because he made a misinformed judgement that I'm a drug seeker, which my medical history would have proved as wrong.
I have worse mental health issues now, than I ever had, it's a scarry thought that any time you seek medical help, your classed as a liar or drug seeker.
I don't trust GP/mental health team or hospital anymore. I actually think if I was dying they would put me down as a liar with my symptoms.
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