"It's just part of your personality."

So I went to a meds check yesterday and reported to my psychiatrist that I'd been having a hard time. Experienced a month long depressive episode (that seems to be rearing it's head again after a week) and have been having panic attacks and obsessive thoughts again.

To which he replied (at least in regard to the obsessive thoughts, I'm not sure if this is his attitude toward all facets of my mental illness) that I was just "eccentric" and maybe it was just "who I was."

I can't express how damaging this has been. I usually just brush offenses and bad thoughts under the rug, but I can't seem to let this go. Especially when the two friends I told, while expressing that it was wrong of him to say, both gave me the impression that they agreed. Both saying something along the lines of "Well.................." With these long pauses that I think we all know the meaning of.

I can't shake this. What would you think? Should I just resign myself to the fact that my mental illness is a personal flaw? A quirk????

:O early I'd look for a new psychiatrist.

It is new psychiatrist time, my friend!

No, you should do all you can to help yourself feel better. And by that I mean you need to do what it takes to control your moods by giving your body the nutrients it needs to feel happy and relaxed so you can have a fulfilling life.

There are physical reasons people end up depressed, anxious and panicky that are as simple as low magnesium levels, low levels of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, GABA, gut issues, iodine deficiency, food allergies and the like.

Psych meds also have anxiety and depression as a side-effect if you can believe that! If you don't believe me, google it. I was on meds for bipolar for over 13 years in which time I was so depressed and anxious I could barely function. Life was completely hopeless as waves of despair swept over me every day after I took my meds, and I never connected that they really didn't make me feel better for long.

I see what's happening to you with some extended family members who are caught in this depression/anxiety trap where all they think they can do is rely on a doctor to decide what meds they take. It's very sad that they won't try to help themselves, but our society has conditioned people with mental health issues that we need to find a Pdoc and therapist to run our lives for us as we're utterly incapable of helping ourselves. For most of us, this just isn't true.

Today I treat myself with alternative treatments and am doing extremely well. My mood is remarkably stable, and the SAD that usually hits by now hasn't hit which is great. I use amino acids, the mineral lithium orotate, nascent iodine, high doses of magnesium and various other supplements to give my body what it needs to function.

Here's a good website dealing with treating mental illness with alternative treatments:
What is ?Alternative Mental Health?? | Alternative Mental Health

Here's a good book on treating anxiety and panic attacks with amino acids:
http://www.painstresscenter.com/The-...uctinfo/AEBK2/

@LucyG: I'm sincerely thankful that you were able to finally find something that worked for you. It honestly sounds like those 13 years you went through on meds not only made things worse, but probably made you feel like you couldn't get any help at all, when the "help" you were supposed to be receiving did nothing to alleviate your symptoms. It's a miracle that you were able to find the strength in yourself to break free from something that didn't work, and move forward to something that did.

That being said I wonder if the advocacy for alternative medicine is warrented here. Aside from sharing your story that is. The links you provided label psychiatric medication as something of an archaic idea, that ends up hurting more people than it helps. The first one also suggests that mental illness, as we understand it, isn't even real, and everyone from depressives to schizophrenics could be cured using nutritional therapy, blood tests, herbs and yoga.

While it's true that people have to work to take care of themselves, I take issue with demonizing medication as a whole. It doesn't work for some people. That's okay! I believe whole heartedly that if I started taking magnesium and amino acids I would feel better.

What I don't believe is that the "recovery" would last very long. At least not for ME personally. Because I know my body better than anyone. I know what I should do for it and don't. And I know my issues go way past nutrition.

TLDR; Telling a person who's already struggling with wondering if their mental illness is just part of them that they aren't trying hard enough to change, that it's just a part of them they aren't trying hard enough to change, doesn't help. It just reinforces the idea that there's something fundamentally wrong with them that they've just been too lazy or stupid to fix.

Seems to me that lazy and stupid are part of your psychiatrist's personality I'd find a new one if I were you. I, personally, don't think that therapy would work if the psychiatrists don't take us seriously.

I agree with your post. I believe that the links opposing psychiatric medications (while well-intentioned) are inappropriate on this thread, and perhaps on this forum.

Yeah I'm actually looking into finding a new outpatient clinic.

I gotta say most of the replies here are relieving. Thank you all for the support.

I'm sorry to hear that your psychiatrist isn't taking your concerns to heart. I wish you the best of luck in finding a new one.

That doesn't sound right at all; I've had friends tell me things like this, but I'd be very offended if a psychiatrist would take things so lightly.

I'm sorry about this... and yes, I agree with the others, definitely time to change therapist It's understandable why your friends would say something like that, maybe, but a specialized doctor should NOT say anything like this.

You have all my support

I am a sensitive person with a brain that runs nonstop. With that it is not strange I develop different anxieties and different crappy moods. But I choose to see being sensitive and thinking as a trait and having anxiety and depression as having an illness. Way back when I was diagnosed with a personality disorder, everything I suffered with was just swept under the rug as, that is part of who you are and who you are is one big illness. Why thanx, lovely analysis...

I also have a quite narrow built skeleton, some of my bones are ridiculously flimsy and thin. Imagine if I was in an accident and got a lot of fractures, while someone more sturdy might not fracture at all. No one would think of telling me that I am so fine boned and that is part of me so they won't patch me up. Eh... they would patch me up, believe me.

Mental stuff can be similar.

Well, that is how I feel anyway.

You wrote psych meds can cause can anxiety and depression as side effects What is your source. What is the agenda of the site(s). What is the source of their info? How objective is it?

I suspect being an insenstive, hurtful. insulting jerk is part of that pdoc's personality. I'm diagnosed BP and a psychologist called me a scatterbrain during my session. Never went back to him. I know the feeling.

Ugh, that sucks. It's especially ridiculous since you said you were having obsessive thoughts "again"--it seems like it's not even a constant trait for you.

I can see why mental illness traits can be considered part of one's personality... much the same way a bone fracture is part of a bone or cardiac disease elements are part of your heart. In other words, that's no reason not to fix it.

I'm guessing he interpreted your description of the problem as some sort of low self-esteem issue and was trying to reassure you that there was nothing wrong with that trait. For some people, that might be appropriate. Still, regardless of his intentions, if the guy prescribing your meds can't understand your description of your symptoms, that's... bad.

so praising meds is good and welcome, but reasonable critique and offering alternatives is not?

and what are the people for whom meds to do not work supposed to?

I hate those sort of comments

1 of the ones I hate is, "everyone has an off day at times", or another, "well most people just move on and deal with it"

even more hurtfull if it's referring to suicide or something severe

Just as an update to everyone who replied:

I'm changing psych's! I was able to find a new outpatient program, and as soon as I can fax some hospital records over I'll have someone new. Let's hope their attitude is better....

Thank you guys so much for responding.

do keep us updated!.

I hope they are better

Definitely find a new provider ... I agree, I am no fan of such comments