Ah....Huh?
That was the essence of my response during my recent visit to a psychiatrist. I had decided to be proactive about getting some anti-depressant medication. All the signs were there - feeling tired all the time, difficulty concentrating, struggling to keep focused, pulling away from family and friends (and blogs....). I had been warned that prednisone can have this affect, and when you add troubles at work and upheaval with family (again - TEXAS??) all the pieces were in place to send my chemistry spiraling out of control.
Be proactive, I thought. Screw Tom and his fellow Scientologists....I'm not in need of therapy, I just need 'better living through modern chemistry'. So I made an appointment and worried that I'd wind up with a psychiatrist who would insist on digging for some buried childhood trauma (there aren't any). I wound up with a man who could easily pass for a chubby, cheerful priest - that character I had always hoped to find in the Catholic church of my childhood, and never did. Only discordant note is that this guy is TOTALLY pissed about the new pope. I know this because I listened to his rant for a full 20 minutes of my therapy hour. Oh - and he feels sorry for Katie Holmes, thinks that everyone will abandon Bush because that's what people do to those in charge these days, and that AA Milne and Frank Herbert are good role models....not quite sure I grasped in what way they were good role models....
He would jiggle in his seat like a 5-year old with a bladder control problem when he got excited, and would screw his face up and stick his tongue out mischievously when he said something a little left of acceptable (like when he kept calling me honey). In the first 15 minutes I wondered who in the room was really in need of therapy, the next 15 caught my attention (if only to try and track his criss-crossing thought processes), the next 15 had me absolutely fascinated and by the last 15 minutes I resolved to come back again, if only for the entertainment value.
This man is bright - VERY bright. He knew all about my rare disease (even told me some info I hadn't yet heard), and had very up-to-date information on the relationship between autoimmune diseases and depression. Did you know they treat obsessive-compulsive disorders in kids now with penicillin? In between his bizarre monologues, he would fire a question at me. By the end, he summed everything up with "Let's get you fixed up with some anti-depressants, and once we've got that going we'll work on re-directing that anger and need for approval".... Huh?? Wow! Where did THAT come from? Not that he's wrong...But how did he DO that?
I can't decide if he's a genius, I'm too typical to misdiagnose, or if it was just a lucky guess.....but now I'm hooked. I've GOT to see where this goes........
Be proactive, I thought. Screw Tom and his fellow Scientologists....I'm not in need of therapy, I just need 'better living through modern chemistry'. So I made an appointment and worried that I'd wind up with a psychiatrist who would insist on digging for some buried childhood trauma (there aren't any). I wound up with a man who could easily pass for a chubby, cheerful priest - that character I had always hoped to find in the Catholic church of my childhood, and never did. Only discordant note is that this guy is TOTALLY pissed about the new pope. I know this because I listened to his rant for a full 20 minutes of my therapy hour. Oh - and he feels sorry for Katie Holmes, thinks that everyone will abandon Bush because that's what people do to those in charge these days, and that AA Milne and Frank Herbert are good role models....not quite sure I grasped in what way they were good role models....
He would jiggle in his seat like a 5-year old with a bladder control problem when he got excited, and would screw his face up and stick his tongue out mischievously when he said something a little left of acceptable (like when he kept calling me honey). In the first 15 minutes I wondered who in the room was really in need of therapy, the next 15 caught my attention (if only to try and track his criss-crossing thought processes), the next 15 had me absolutely fascinated and by the last 15 minutes I resolved to come back again, if only for the entertainment value.
This man is bright - VERY bright. He knew all about my rare disease (even told me some info I hadn't yet heard), and had very up-to-date information on the relationship between autoimmune diseases and depression. Did you know they treat obsessive-compulsive disorders in kids now with penicillin? In between his bizarre monologues, he would fire a question at me. By the end, he summed everything up with "Let's get you fixed up with some anti-depressants, and once we've got that going we'll work on re-directing that anger and need for approval".... Huh?? Wow! Where did THAT come from? Not that he's wrong...But how did he DO that?
I can't decide if he's a genius, I'm too typical to misdiagnose, or if it was just a lucky guess.....but now I'm hooked. I've GOT to see where this goes........
posted by Siobhan | 5:26 PM
2 Comments:
Wow. Freaky stuff.
I'm glad you decided to be pro-active about your depression. My doc told me it's another lovely side effect of the Prednisone.
It's so nice to hear of someone finding a psych that they like and trust. After my commitment 20 years ago, I still haven't gotten there! LOL
My mother was recently diagnosis with DM and Anti-Jo1 syndrome. She suffers terribly from the Prednisone. I'm glad I found your site, I will be visiting often.
Post a Comment
<< Home