What my doctor thinks about anxiety

[MsLLL 413]

Yesterday my GP has requested to see me to measure my anxiety levels. It was an interesting conversation. He told me therapy only works for a friction of the people and medication suppresses the symptoms, the day you stop the symptoms come back. So the only thing left is acceptance of the condition and the symptoms? .... He also said anxiety patients should do whatever they feel helps them. Maybe a combination of all three things or is that a contradiction to true acceptance? 

Your thoughts? 

 

I'm realizing a lot of people are misunderstanding this  because I didn't express this right. He said if people just do counseling without medication it does work for some but not as many if they do both. Sorry! 

[SavPierce 22]

Well that's a frustrating medical opinion. How did you feel about that?

My thoughts are that he's got one good point poorly expressed. If you think you can "fight off" your anxiety or will yourself not to experience it, you're probably setting yourself up for a lot of struggle so it is important to accept the fact that you have anxiety, but I don't think we need to accept our symptoms as if we have something incurable.

I would have a hard time walking out of a doctor's office feeling anything other than hopeless if I was told that my choices were ineffective therapy, being dependent on medication for the rest of my life, or being stuck with my symptoms. A lot of MDs seem to buy into the Big Pharma idea that drugs are everything and therapy is a waste, but I don't believe that at all - if you feel that you need anxiety medication then you should take it, but that prescription shouldn't be the end of the conversation.

[Bterflymom 155]

I don't know what to say but at least he realizes that some people have anxiety.  I hope he gave you some medication to get you through the hard times.  I see a psychiatrist every two months and we talk for 45 minutes and he refills my medication for me.  I'm 75 and have a lot of anxiety at times, holiday time is especially bad for me.  Maybe you should see a psychiatrist and get a second opinion.

[MsLLL 413]

3 hours ago, SavPierce said:

Well that's a frustrating medical opinion. How did you feel about that?

My thoughts are that he's got one good point poorly expressed. If you think you can "fight off" your anxiety or will yourself not to experience it, you're probably setting yourself up for a lot of struggle so it is important to accept the fact that you have anxiety, but I don't think we need to accept our symptoms as if we have something incurable.

I would have a hard time walking out of a doctor's office feeling anything other than hopeless if I was told that my choices were ineffective therapy, being dependent on medication for the rest of my life, or being stuck with my symptoms. A lot of MDs seem to buy into the Big Pharma idea that drugs are everything and therapy is a waste, but I don't believe that at all - if you feel that you need anxiety medication then you should take it, but that prescription shouldn't be the end of the conversation.

I feel fine about it. I have learned to accept other's opinion's and take them into consideration but mainly listen to myself. I felt he was honest about the clients who come in his office and get referred to the counseling center.  He was talking about his experience and thoughts, keep in mind he is a GP. He didn't say all our choices are ineffective but now I realize why some people don't feel the relief other's do. 

What I was getting at was: If I do take medication it suppresses the anxiety symptoms if I'm lucky to find something that works for me--- but I never learn to truly accept it because I can't feel it? Does that make sense? 

[MsLLL 413]

1 hour ago, Bterflymom said:

I don't know what to say but at least he realizes that some people have anxiety.  I hope he gave you some medication to get you through the hard times.  I see a psychiatrist every two months and we talk for 45 minutes and he refills my medication for me.  I'm 75 and have a lot of anxiety at times, holiday time is especially bad for me.  Maybe you should see a psychiatrist and get a second opinion.

Thank you Bterflymom. I'm fine, pretty much anxiety free and know how to cope with the condition I have. He was just doing a check-up because he hasn't seen me since I had terrible anxiety and panic attacks. 

[Angelica Schuyler 217]

I think relying on nothing but acceptance to deal with anxiety is total bull. There are therapy and medications that have been scientifically proven to help with anxiety. They don't work the same way for everyone - some treatments don't work at all for some people - but there is typically something for everyone that at least helps a little. 

My therapist, who has dealt with some anxiety of his own, firmly believes that a combination of medication and therapy is best for most people. However, he also believes that people with anxiety will have setbacks or breakthrough anxiety that may not always respond to treatment, and that's when things like acceptance therapy are helpful. 

I hear what you're saying about not being able to treat the anxiety appropriately if medications are a mask. I didn't go to therapy for my anxiety for a long time after I started medications because my symptoms were treated so well. It was only after my meds stopped working that I started therapy in earnest - I needed SOMETHING to stop the anxiety. But learning anxiety coping mechanisms and putting them to work is hard when you're already in crisis. I'd say the best way to deal with anxiety is to find a medication that works for you and go to therapy in tandem, so you'll have a full basket of remedies when your anxiety spikes. 

[MsLLL 413]

Counseling has helped me greatly but he was saying some people are not getting the relief they were hoping for. 

[Angelica Schuyler 217]

Some people don't find relief via therapy, it's true, but some people also don't put the work in. You can't go to therapy and expect what you learn to work by osmosis. God knows I could work harder at mindfulness and CBT. 

[MsLLL 413]

14 minutes ago, Angelica Schuyler said:

Some people don't find relief via therapy, it's true, but some people also don't put the work in. You can't go to therapy and expect what you learn to work by osmosis. God knows I could work harder at mindfulness and CBT. 

My counselor also had told me medication and counseling are best. 

And yes, I can work harder on mindfulness and CBT because when I do I feel better. 

[Angelica Schuyler 217]

I'm so bad about it, which is terrible because I feel better when I do my journaling and stuff, too. But, nope, I just stick with curling up in bed and going to sleep. I've been trying to start a meditation habit for like a year. Hasn't happened. 🙄

[MsLLL 413]

17 hours ago, Angelica Schuyler said:

I'm so bad about it, which is terrible because I feel better when I do my journaling and stuff, too. But, nope, I just stick with curling up in bed and going to sleep. I've been trying to start a meditation habit for like a year. Hasn't happened. 🙄

It's the anxiety trying to keep you in the "game". Meditation has helped me a great deal. Journaling as well. I think whatever suits you and helps you is fine. Meditation only has to happen for a very brief time to give you peace and comfort. Maybe you can set your clock for 5 min to do so until it becomes something you absolutely want to do. 

 

[SavPierce 22]

1 hour ago, MsLLL said:

It's the anxiety trying to keep you in the "game". Meditation has helped me a great deal. Journaling as well. I think whatever suits you and helps you is fine. Meditation only has to happen for a very brief time to give you peace and comfort. Maybe you can set your clock for 5 min to do so until it becomes something you absolutely want to do. 

 

I second this! I've been trying for a long time to meditate and have only started seeing success when I stopped telling myself it had to be for long sessions. Five minutes first thing in the morning works for me, and then I try to periodically remember throughout the day to stay present and breathe from my belly.

There are a bunch of different meditation apps out there - I really love Headspace and got a lot out of the free sequence that comes with the app (the subscription is super pricey, I bought it but wouldn't recommend it over some of the less expensive apps). Just reminding myself when I'm having anxious thoughts to stop dwelling on the 'what ifs' helps quite a lot.

[SavPierce 22]

19 hours ago, MsLLL said:

What I was getting at was: If I do take medication it suppresses the anxiety symptoms if I'm lucky to find something that works for me--- but I never learn to truly accept it because I can't feel it? Does that make sense? 

Definitely, and I think that's a valid concern. Medication is like everything else that we use to cope with our anxiety - it can be helpful and it can also become a crutch if we let it.