I live with bipolar I disorder and anxiety/panic disorder. I work in the mental health field as a social worker and counselor, my illnesses are not disclosed.
So I'm in the office yesterday and a client calls who is having an intense panic attack. This person wants to go to the er as they were out of Ativan. Now he took too much Ativan earlier in the week bc the panic increased, which was their fault. But then my supervisor proceeded to lecture this person on Ativan and all benzos, telling this person they should never be prescribed this ever and they need to just deal with the panic using breathing coping skills. This is a clinician. As someone who takes Klonipin as needed and uses coping skills in addition so I don't always need it, I was infuriated that a professional had the nerve to tell someone with panic disorder in a state of panic that they need to "deal with it." When she hung up the phone she went on a mini rant abt how unnecessary anti anxiety medications are bc you just need to learn skills to cope. This is an illness were talking abt. These medications are designed to alleviate the intense pain caused from it and I have to listen to someone say to get over it in a clinicians role? I was ****ing pissed. Maybe I'm overreacting.