I started seeing a new psychiatrist and counselor about two months ago to deal with my ADHD, anxiety and PTSD. I was diagnosed with both about two years ago and treatment was successful until I moved and had to change providers.

Anyway, when I started seeing my new psychiatrist, my diagnoses somehow changed to anxiety and paranoia. I am not sure how she made that leap, but she did. Instead of prescribing the Clonapin I was on before, she wanted to try Buspar and Geodon. I assumed she knew what she was doing, so I went with her advice, especially since she said it would treat the feeling of "always being one move away from an anxiety attack."

I have not noticed any change being on the geodon. Not only have I gained 14 pounds in less than a month, I still have flashbacks, I still have nightmares, and I am still always one second away from having an anxiety attack. The buspar does take the edge off and make it more bearable, but since she won't prescribe anything to treat my ADHD, my lack of attention span eventually counteracts the buspar.

To make matters worse, about a week after I started taking the Geodon, I started my period, which I have not had for three years because of the depo shot, and my period has not stopped for almost a month. I contacted my gynecologist and she stated that it is common for women who are on the depo to experience heavy, extended periods when they are on Geodon and recommended that I quit taking it because my lab values showed that I was becoming anemic.

I contacted my psychiatrist and she told me that it is a "side effect I will have to learn to live with." As you can imagine, I am not happy about this. There is a second psychiatrist in the office I go to, and I am wondering if I should ask about switching.

***History***
The reason she gave for the diagnosis of paranoia is a conversation we had about my ex-husband and my PTSD.

I am the victim of domestic violence. I pray for those mornings where I am groggy and stumbling to the coffee pot, hoping for enough energy to get my brain going 100%. This is because I hate the alternative.

Domestic violence survivors will really understand this. The alternative to a groggy morning is waking up to a screaming alarm clock after being jolted out of a surreal dream of being beaten on by someone twice your size. Waking up like this poses serious problems in your life. Not only are you stumbling to to the coffee pot, praying for energy. You are also trying to regain your bearings and bring yourself mentally and emotionally back to your new reality.

You have to fight emotions that are real. Regret, emotional pain, memories of physical pain, and the want to just crawl back into yourself. I am doing this while I get four kids ready for school, make them breakfast, force them into the shower one by one, and make sure they are out the door on time.

This is why my previous psychiatrist had me on clonapin. It works quick and it lets me get back to living. With my new psychiatrist, I am not living, I am surviving. I am struggling to function and I am in a dark place.

Any help or advice would be great help.